The Black Keys

The Black Keys were saddled with frequent comparisons to that other two-piece garage band with a similar-sounding name—that was, until they teamed up with producer Danger Mouse for 2008’s Attack & Release, which then became the new go-to point of reference. He showed up again on 2010’s Grammy-nominated Brothers, although the Gnarls Barkley influence on it is hardly perceptible. The Keys’ latest record, El Camino, also had Danger Mouse returning in his capacity as producer and co-songwriter. The record sees the band drawing on everything from rockabilly to glam, proving how diverse a two-man band (and its silent partner) can make a nostalgia act seem.

Updated 02/28/2012