The Black Keys “Brothers” released 10 years ago today, May 18th, 2010. Nonesuch Records. Considered The Black Keys breakthrough album, Brothers went to #3 in the US and to #29 in the UK; it was nominated for 5 Grammy’s and won Best Alternative Music Album as well as the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals award for the single “Tighten Up.” That track, produced by Danger Mouse, went to #87 in the US (their first top 100 appearance) but hit #1 on the US Alternative Songs and Rock Song charts. It’s a great song but I far prefer its b-side “Howlin’ For You” which ranks up among my top 10 of Black Keys songs. I’m also very fond of “Everlasting Light,” “Next Girl” (the video is hilarious), “She’s Long Gone,” “Ten Cent Pistol” and “Sinister Kid,” all great garage-blues, plus their cover of the smooth soul song “Never Gonna Give You Up” originally performed by Jerry Butler in ‘68 is pretty amazing.

While not as lo-fi as their earlier releases, there still is a home-spun, swampy quality to Brothers, mostly due to their recording at the rather dilapidated Muscle Shoals Sound studio, which was in such bad shape that they put their own equipment on top of the studio’s non-functioning console. They also had to deal with some of that equipment dying due to local utility work causing burned out mics and wrecked mixers.