Pitchfork

Sorry, folks-- the Black Keys are off the market once again. As previously reported, the Ohio duo split from their North American label, Fat Possum Records, early last month. Since then, guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have been without a home... until now!

It was recently revealed that the boys have joined the Magnetic Fields, Wilco, Brian Eno and David Byrne, on the roster of NPR-core powerhouse Nonesuch Records. Pitchfork took this opportunity to speak to Carney about the politics of the Key change, the pair's upcoming album, and, of course, grass allergies.

"The Fat Possum dudes are good friends of ours and they're an awesome label, but we just needed to see what else was out there," Carney said. "We just wouldn't fit in on most of the labels, I guess. A lot of labels talk about how, you know, 'we're just indie and we don't care if you don't have a hit record,' but it's like 85% bullshit.

"When we initially signed to Fat Possum, they were affiliated with Epitaph. Since then it's just completely changed. We wanted... a label that had better distribution but wouldn't fuck us up. Nonesuch... I'd say other than Fat Possum, they're like the most incredible label. They're a little bit bigger, but they're the same type of thing-- they'll just put out music that they like... We were getting dicked around talking to labels. I feel bad because in the past couple of years, so many bands have signed to true major labels. Even Sub Pop-- they're looking to sell records. Most indies now are trying to be majors."

So why did Nonesuch ultimately take the cake? Like Fat Possum, they "want to sell records... but they're not in it to sell records." Nonesuch will have one more record to sell come September 12, when the Black Keys will release their label debut, Magic Potion. The 11-track album is set for a September 12 release and Carney was kind enough to provide us with a tracklist:

01 Just Got to Be
02 Your Touch
03 You're the One
04 Just a Little Heat
05 Give Your Heart Away
06 Strange Desire
07 Modern Times
08 The Flame
09 Goodbye Babylon
10 Black Door
11 Elevator

The band recorded Magic Potion in Carney's basement. "Unlike all the other records where we were just trying to figure out how everything worked or pretending like we knew what we were doing by experimenting with mic placement, this one we just figured out what we liked and stuck to it," he explained. "The whole record has a more consistent sound, and it's a little bit heavier than our other records."

Sticking with that Akron, Ohio love, the Keys pumped out the entire album within a "twenty mile radius" of their homebase. It has already been mastered in Cleveland with friends of the band, and Carney's brother, responsible for album art, recently wrapped up his contribution as well.

As previously reported, oh, a billion times now, the Black Keys will support Radiohead on six dates of their North American trek. Carney told Pitchfork, "We haven't opened for a band that big. I mean, I guess Beck's about the same... I guess I've probably never opened for a band this big. It'll be pretty fun."

Everywhere I go:

06-10 Montreal, Quebec - Salle Wilfrid Pelletier Palace *
06-11 Montreal, Quebec - Salle Wilfrid Pelletier Palace *
06-13 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden *
06-14 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden *
06-17 Chicago, IL - Taste of Randolph St. #
06-19 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre *
06-20 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre *

* with Radiohead
# with the Ponys, the Bellrays, the Blacks

A fall tour for Magic Potion is on the agenda, following the Keys' plan to "sweat [their] asses off in Akron" through July and August. No, they're not mowing lawns for a living anymore; it's just another cruel Ohio summer, though Carney claims, "I did mow my lawn the other day and I broke out-- I'm allergic to grass now. I'm getting older." Allergic to grass! That's not very rock n roll now, is it?

Audio Eagle, the label run by Carney and Jamie Stillman (ex- Party of Helicoptors), will continue to be distributed through Fat Possum. Carney's current project, 10% Animal, plan to record soon and put an album out next year through AE.

On June 17, Audio Eagle will show off its bands with a showcase at the Beachland Ballroom as part of Cleveland's CMJ Music Fest. The gig will feature Gil Mantera's Party Dream (on the road right now in support of last year's Audio Eagle release Bloodsongs), Beaten Awake (ex-Harriet the Spy, ex-Party of Helicoptors), and Houseguest (who Carney says "kind of sound like the Feelies on speed... or the Feelies on Adderall and speed"). A week later, a similar stint is scheduled at Akron's Lime Spider venue, the only change in lineup being the addition of 10% Animal to the list. It's their first show ever, so check it out, if you find yourself in Akron.

Finally, we wanted to remind you that the Black Keys' parting gift to Fat Possum, the tribute EP Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough, landed at your local record store earlier this month. Check that out too.