The Black Keys Fan Lounge Forum

Just read this morning that the Key's are on the new "Twilight Saga Eclipse" soundtrack. I assume this is a good marketing move, considering all the teeny boppers that will be in line to see this movie the second it comes out, but really, Twilight??? Making money is one thing, but almost, in my opinion, sellin out to kids that I feel won't even dig The Black Keys just plain old blows. These Twilight bopper fans want to hear Britney Spears/Lady Gaga crap that the radio feeds them on a daily basis. Come on Dan and Pat, this is sad.

I mentioned it in another poster, but Radiohead was on the 1st soundtrack and them Thom wrote a solo song for the 2nd, so there is some pedigree I guess.

I would rather this then doing a commercial for some shitty product. I think we have to be lucky, off the top of my head, all of past uses in film/tv have been awesome, in great properties...

I wonder if they made the song specifically for the movie/soundtrack or if the song was already made and the twilight suits just wanted it on their soundtrack.

It's selfish to be upset about this

although I'm not a huge fan of the Black Keys appearing on the Twilight soundtrack, I do think that some people are being slightly hypocritical about this. How many times have we wished that TBK could be played on the radio to drown out the awful Nickelback crap and whatever pop gunk is filling the airwaves? We want TBK to be popular, yet when they make some move that may put them in a position to expand their fanbase, we act like elitist pricks (I'm including myself in this) and claim superiority over any new fans who came to the band because of some "mainstream sellout" move by the band. Although it may not be the right demographic, it's certainly not the end of the world. Who knows, it may lead to increased airplay and TBK may become a powerful force in modern music. Isn't that what we all want? To spread the insane awesomeness that is Dan and Pat to the rest of the music world? I think that as fans who have been around for a long time, we tend to become upset when their fanbase expands, despite the fact that it is what we have always claimed to have wanted.

just some thoughts

I will agree that I never saw this coming, and that Twilight is ridiculous, teenage girl bullshit. However, two things come to mind when I think about this (aside from the initial shock and moderate disgust that I am actually awaiting the release of something related to these books/movies).

1. I'm not gonna be mad at The Keys for agreeing to putting their song on a crappy soundtrack. Just my own personal feeling (and no more or less valid than anyone else's), but as long as Dan and Patrick keep making music that I can enjoy and support, more power to 'em. In a perfect world, everyone would do things based only on artistry and not money, business, popularity, etc. In reality, most artists are going to want to get their art in front of people, and while I don't think being a corporate shill is very respectable, no one can draw that line except the artists themselves. TBK is my favorite band, so of course I always want them to be involved with things that I feel are worthwhile, but as long as they can pay their rent by playing music (as Patrick put it in an interview), they're doing better than I am. I feel like I can respect most of the decisions they've made as artists, and no one has a perfect record on that front.

2. I am actually optimistic about the tack that the people behind the Twilight soundtracks are taking. Whoever is doing it is obviously into bands/artists who aren't Lady Gaga, etc. and if putting those kinds of people (TBK, Grizzly Bear, etc.) on these soundtracks opens some Twilight fans up to something other than what MTV and mainstream radio are throwing at them, all the better for them. When I started listening to TBK, I got most of my new music from mainstream radio and the like, and when I heard Thickfreakness it totally opened me up to searching for music in different, and I feel much better, places. Sometimes you need a kick in the ass to remind you that there is always good music out there if you are willing to put some work in to find it. I'm like all of you in that I would be pissed if we all of a sudden got a huge influx of teenage girls on the board who wanted to talk about the new Rihanna album and which boys they thought were dreamy, but if we get a couple of people turned on to good music who actually want to learn more and get away from what the mass media pushes on them, I figure it's a win for our side. The more support there is for music, movies, books, etc with actual substance and quality, the easier it is for the people who produce that kind of art to make a living doing what they love. To me, that's a sign that society is moving forward, and maybe inching a little further from the lowest common denominator.

Sorry for the long post. I'm sure some will disagree with me, and if you do more power to you. I'm a little more "glass half full" on this particular issue, but I also feel that it's intelligent discussion that actually makes us better at understanding each other, so what the hell...

cmc,

Your a bright bulb.

I honestly just want to know at this point what the TBK breakfast cereal is going to taste like. That is one area of my life I take very seriously.

You guys have all brought up valid points. But I think we need to keep something very important in mind: as long as these guys are making music (most important) and keeping a good humble head on thier shoulders, why not let them get a little famous? Let's take Green Day for example. They are overexposed in the media, such as music videos, award ceremonies, teen magazines etc, and wear eye-liner and wierd clothes. They try to maintain an image rather than focus on producing music (like the rest of the mainstream music industry), and their discography provides the evidence to support my claim. At first, they started producing albums on average less than every two years. When they hit superstardom, they were producing albums every 4 to 5 years! Warning: 2000. American Idiot (superstardom, 6x platinum in practically 4 countries): 2004. 21st Century Breakdown:[i] 2009.

Contrarily, the Black Keys are showing a positive progression making music. Pat Carney himself said that they want to make as many as 3 Black Keys albums (not including a new Blackroc album) in 2010 "while people still give a shit." He also said "We have the resources". Can you imagine the Black Keys releasing ONE album every 4 or 5 years? There is no way in hell that will happen. Maybe we will see a negative progession when they get older, but they are only 30 years young are going strong. Trust me people, I have never seen a band as unique as these guys. They have done practically everything "the right way" for their rock career. Keep in mind that they just recorded a ridiculously awesome album at Muscle Shoals Sound, a humble gesture to the roots of rock & roll, blues, and soul. They aren't going to just sell out a few months later.

So let them have a little bit of fame. "Chop and Change" is another Black Keys song for our music collection for God's sake. I'm sure the song will be awesome, just like the rest of their music.

P.S. The Black Keys haven't even sold one million records yet, something Green Day accomplished a long time ago. I want them to be financially successful, and if they do reach superstardom, it won't be the same kind of fame that we are used to from the modern music world.