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The Black Keys' drummer no longer feels the need to hide behind the lo-fi production methods that defined the band's early sound. Today he knows just what he likes-and how to get it.
There was something in the primitive grooves and grime of the Black Keys' 2002 debut album, The Big Come Up, that suggested the rustbelt-raw rock-blues-R&B duo was going places. Still, singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney took their time leaving behind the Akron, Ohio, basements and warehouses where they'd once recorded. That steady pace served them well as they segued into successful collaborations with Danger Mouse for their 2008 album, Attack & Release, and with hip-hop artists like Mos Def, Ludacris, and RZA for the 2009 rap-rock union Blakroc.
All that steady progress and experimentation come to fruition on 2010's Brothers. The record also marks the arrival of Carney as a first-class yet still wildly primitive rock drummer. Recorded at Alabama's famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Brothers is built around Carney's ambient thump and deep pocket. Gritty rock songs like "Next Girl" and "Sinister Kid" showcase the drummer's steady hard-funk hand, while the softer touch on the Keys' cover of Jerry Butler's soul classic "Never Gonna Give You Up" sounds like it could've been laid down by original Muscle Shoals house drummer Roger Hawkins. We asked Carney to discuss the evolution of his playing, his turn-ons and turn-offs in terms of drum sounds, and more.
MD: How did you get started on the drums?