The Black Keys Perform "Howlin' For You" and "Tighten Up" on Saturday Night Live

[caption id=”attachment_3567” align=”alignnone” width=”510” caption=”Photo credit: Dana Edelson/NBC”]SNL-Jim-Carey-Wigg_510_The_Black_Keys[/caption]

The Black Keys were the musical guest this past weekend on SNL, and performed two of the best songs from their critically acclaimed album Brothers. They first performed “Howlin’ for You” and later “Tighten Up.” Dan Auerbach looked noticeably different sporting a clean-shaven face in lieu of his usual Grizzly Adams-style beard.

The blues-rock duo totally killed it in their first ever Saturday Night Live performance. This is kind of the cherry on top of what has been an amazing year for them; Brothers has been included on myriad Best of 2010 lists and has even been nominated for Best Alternative Album at the Grammys.

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The Top 10 Overlooked Albums of 2009

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Now that 2010 has arrived, most of the major music publications have finished putting out their picks for the top albums of 2009. Each newspaper, magazine, and blog uses their own criteria to determine their rankings, leading to an infinite amount of subjectivity. In the words of my boy Alex, these lists are more or less “an exercise in futility.” 2009 did have its share of great, universally acclaimed albums (you’d be hard-pressed to find an indie outfit that didn’t list Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Phoenix, or Dirty Projectors in their top ten), but there were more than a handful of albums that flew below the radar. Here are the top ten LPs that fell through the cracks in ‘09:

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The Blakroc Sessions: Chapter Two

[caption id=”attachment_2613” align=”aligncenter” width=”558” caption=”Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys”]Dan Auerbach Blakroc[/caption]

In this webisode of The Blakroc Sessions, we get an in-depth look into Mos Def and his recording practices. Be sure to watch from about 6:09 to the very end — Mos Def lays down some absurd vocals. We also get a brief glimpse of the mastermind behind the Blakroc project, Jim Jones.

I’m not gonna lie — I’m in love with this project and am eagerly counting down the days until it comes out. It’s going to be amazing.

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The Blakroc Sessions: Chapter One

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In the first webisode of The Blakroc Sessions, we are introduced to a few of the major players in the hybrid hip-hop/rock project. These include Dame Dash of Roc-A-Fella records, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, and MC/actor Mos Def. We are also given a glimpse into the Keys’ sick Brooklyn studio where Blackroc will be recorded.

Be sure to check out the end of the clip, where Auerbach plays his track for Mos Def outside on the street. Mos Def goes on to harmonize over the beat and it sounds like he’s going to come up with some sick lines. Watch it now!

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