The Black Keys 'Feel Bad' For Artists Like Lana Del Rey

The Black Keys have said that they "honestly feel bad" for artists like Lana Del Rey.

The band, who released their seventh studio album "El Camino" in December last year, told MTV that they felt sorry for bands trying to outlive hype and subsequent backlash.

When asked about the singer's sudden rise to fame and her much-discussed performance on "Saturday Night Live", guitarist Dan Auerbach said: "On some level, we've seen that Lana Del Rey thing since we first started, like, all of a sudden this new band would be headlining festivals, and we're like, 'Wait, how did they get that? We've been here for two, three, four, five years and we're still working our way up. But then they're gone. Just as quickly as they get up there, they disappear."

His bandmate, drummer Patrick Carney, added:

"It's different for everybody. It took us a really long time to get on 'Saturday Night Live', and it took her a shorter amount of time. But I honestly feel bad for a lot of bands that are starting out with the way things are... The trends kind of flip over so fast - something's cool and not cool and it all happens within two to three months."

Last week, Del Rey saw her debut album "Born To Die" go straight in at Number One in the Official UK Album Chart. The LP sold more than 117,000 copies in a week, making the debut the fastest-selling album of 2012 so far, and, in selling more than 100,000 copies, it also outsold the rest of the Top 5 combined.

The Black Keys are currently touring the UK and will play a one-off London show as part of the 2012 NME Awards Shows. They will headline London's Alexandra Palace on Saturday night (February 11).

Thanks for the report to NME.com.

Comments

[CommanderMeaty]

lol this guy is being an *sshole

[spiff-corgi]

Don't follow these guys but have to say I see their point. At least I could see the reason behind the fuss about Adele last year, but Lana Del Ray is just utterly, utterly mediocre.

[yougotdied]

kind of a dicky statement but its kind of true. all these acts that explode out of nowhere end up being everyone's old news in less then a year or so.

[bf313]

BenjaminFields wrote:
Hmm... are you a little stupid. I mean, don't wanna offend you. Considering the grammar errors, I would say you're probably a teenager or child. One more thing; you can't comment on behalf of Lana Del Rey if you haven't even listened to the record.

I would say the grammar errors are pretty minor compared to many of the other people who comment here but that isn't the point. I have heard her record and I like it. I have also listened to The Black Keys and i find them very bland and generally not very appealing or unique in anyway. I think she has a nice voice and her music is a bit different than the rest of the pop that is being released these days.

[strat0blaster]

First off, if this guy is surprised that pop acts get more notoriety quicker than other genres, that's a personal issue, because it's been like that for decades.

Secondly, they're both pretty bad acts, so one calling the other a name really just seems ridiculous.

[Minivirus2]

I'm sorry, but I just can't respect either at the moment. The Black Keys just won't leave people alone and after seeing Del Ray's perfeormance on SNL, I just can't give her any credit. I bet the SNL producers were saying to themselves "We could have paid $3 to a bum off the street, if we wanted someone to mumble into a microphone as our music guest."

[jordo246]

I've noticed that because this band has found success their drummer thinks it's okay to run his mouth all the time

[bmxsulli]

bf313 wrote:

I would say the grammar errors are pretty minor compared to many of the other people who comment here but that isn't the point. I have heard her record and I like it. I have also listened to The Black Keys and i find them very bland and generally not very appealing or unique in anyway. I think she has a nice voice and her music is a bit different than the rest of the pop that is being released these days.

you never answered the question of if you are a teenager or child or not...

[xplosive59]

Ive heard Born to Die, it is shockingly bad, its even blander then coldplay... And thats saying something!

[Crofty89]

bf313 wrote:

The Black Keys suck, who cares what they have to say? Their one of the most bland and overrated bands of today. I actually like Lana Del Ray, she has a great vocal tone and her songs aren't all complaining about relationships like the rest of the female artists today.

I really really hope you are being sarcastic. I'll accept you disliking The Black Keys, but Lana Del Rey is the musical version of watching paint dry, and once it has dried, watching it some more. Whatever your opinion of the sound that The Black Keys produce, it is at least clear that they are putting some effort in. Del Rey sounds like she's bored of her own damn songs.
Also, listen to Laura Marling before making generalisations about female artists only complaining about relationships. Great vocal tone, songs that aren't complaining about relationships, and actually puts some damn feeling into it.

[vabrownsfan89]

The Black Keys do seem to be getting a lot of headlines recently for basically talking shit about other bands. Sure most of it is towards Nickelback, which is completely warranted, but it seems to me modesty and humility will get you a lot farther with fans than ripping everybody else. Especially when its taken them several years of making average garage rock to make it big...

[Mack56]

I don't see them ripping into Lana Del Rey. I see them says "well, it sucks for her that every other act we've seen get popular this fast doesn't last long before fading back into obscurity"

you might dislike the black keys, but the only other band i remember playing SNL this quickly was the arctic monkeys and most people stopped caring about them before they could release another album

[Santy77]

bf313 wrote:

BenjaminFields wrote:
Hmm... are you a little stupid. I mean, don't wanna offend you. Considering the grammar errors, I would say you're probably a teenager or child. One more thing; you can't comment on behalf of Lana Del Rey if you haven't even listened to the record.

I would say the grammar errors are pretty minor compared to many of the other people who comment here but that isn't the point. I have heard her record and I like it. I have also listened to The Black Keys and i find them very bland and generally not very appealing or unique in anyway. I think she has a nice voice and her music is a bit different than the rest of the pop that is being released these days.

Dude, have you listened to anything besides stuff off of El Camino and Brothers? I hate people like you... you rip into a band before you even give most of their albums a listen. The black keys are badass blues rockers, and are nowhere near bland, they change up the sound all the time, especially the transition into Brothers which is a GREAT album with tons of variety. I haven't listened to Lana Del Ray yet so I have no opinion on her. Good day.

[Koelker12]

These guys talk too much, and I'm liking them less and less.

Go back to the awesome bluesy stuff from your first few albums if you supposedly don't care about making big headlines and topping the charts.

[bf313]

Santy77 wrote:
Dude, have you listened to anything besides stuff off of El Camino and Brothers? I hate people like you... you rip into a band before you even give most of their albums a listen. The black keys are badass blues rockers, and are nowhere near bland, they change up the sound all the time, especially the transition into Brothers which is a GREAT album with tons of variety. I haven't listened to Lana Del Ray yet so I have no opinion on her. Good day.

I first heard the black keys about 4 years ago on an older Epitaph records compilation album, Thickfreakness was the song on it. I tried listening to it and couldn't stand it. Don't assume that i am judging solely by their new album because i have tried to listen to their discography and i don't like them. I don't mind music with a blues vibe to it i just think these guys are a bit dull and commenting on other artists as much as they do is a bit pompous.

[iommi600]

lol... these guys are probably the best trolls on the music business.

I like them, though.

[barrymiles]

It's always Carney (the drummer) running his mouth. I actually have a lot of respect for Auerbach, if you've ever seen or read an interview with him, he seems like a really humble guy.

[GeekInThePink]

I like Lana Del Rey. "Video Games" is pretty meh compared to her other songs, though. "Off to the Races" is my favorite.

[Psyche-Guitar]

As a guy that loves classic '60s rock and classic metal, and despises pop music, I really, really like Lana Del Rey. She's different from all the other garbage like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, so I'm not getting why there is so much hate for her. Her voice is incredible and the strings and other instrumentation are amazing and complement her voice.

I think a lot of people are quick to have a go at an artist without listening to them if they are considered pop. Honestly, there are a lot of baroque elements and even jazz influence in her music, so she isn't just your run of the mill trashy Kesha type of pop star. There's too much depth to her music to just be considered "pop" music.

We need more Lana Del Rey's and less Justin Bieber's on the radio!

[drewnewton1995]

They're not trashing Lana Del Ray, he literally is just saying that it tends to be that people who get popular that fast, die out of popularity fast too and he thinks that sucks. This is no where near like the Nickelback statement and people shouldn't be mad at Dan for saying something like that.

[Eirien]

No one seems to have noticed this yet but Lana Del Rey has an awesome body. That is all.

[NewsoftheWorld]

Psyche-Guitar wrote:

As a guy that loves classic '60s rock and classic metal, and despises pop music, I really, really like Lana Del Rey. She's different from all the other garbage like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, so I'm not getting why there is so much hate for her. Her voice is incredible and the strings and other instrumentation are amazing and complement her voice.

I think a lot of people are quick to have a go at an artist without listening to them if they are considered pop. Honestly, there are a lot of baroque elements and even jazz influence in her music, so she isn't just your run of the mill trashy Kesha type of pop star. There's too much depth to her music to just be considered "pop" music.

We need more Lana Del Rey's and less Justin Bieber's on the radio!

Lana Del Rey is a record labels attempt to cash in on the "indie" sound. I don't like using the term "indie" myself but thats the best way to describe it.

She tried to make it with her other record under the Lizzy Grant name but failed so her marketing team dyed her hair, threw some "vintage" clothes on her and her dad paid for some string players.

[thirteenburn]

Both Auerbach & Karney need to be savagely and utterly beaten with whatever weapon happens to be handy and I'm hoping, nee, PRAYING that it happens very very soon. F..K the Black Keys.

[thirteenburn]

Er... Carney. Just like the toothless meth-addicted inbreds who run those cheesy, "parking lot Disneyland's". Coincidence? I think not. F..K the Black Keys

[Psyche-Guitar]

NewsoftheWorld wrote:

Psyche-Guitar wrote:

As a guy that loves classic '60s rock and classic metal, and despises pop music, I really, really like Lana Del Rey. She's different from all the other garbage like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, so I'm not getting why there is so much hate for her. Her voice is incredible and the strings and other instrumentation are amazing and complement her voice.

I think a lot of people are quick to have a go at an artist without listening to them if they are considered pop. Honestly, there are a lot of baroque elements and even jazz influence in her music, so she isn't just your run of the mill trashy Kesha type of pop star. There's too much depth to her music to just be considered "pop" music.

We need more Lana Del Rey's and less Justin Bieber's on the radio!

Lana Del Rey is a record labels attempt to cash in on the "indie" sound. I don't like using the term "indie" myself but thats the best way to describe it.

She tried to make it with her other record under the Lizzy Grant name but failed so her marketing team dyed her hair, threw some "vintage" clothes on her and her dad paid for some string players.

So? Music is music. It's intended to be listened to. I couldn't give a shit if someone is the biggest and most richest jerk in the world or not if they make good music. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of their music. I listen to it because I like how it sounds and how it makes me feel. When I listen to music, I'm not listening for someone's life story and thinking about whether they are "genuine" or not.

Not listening to an artist or band, even though you like their music, because you don't like them personally or don't think they are "genuine" is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. That's like not using the internet, despite the enjoyment you can get out of it, because you think Tim Berners-Lee is a phony jerk. Take Lars Ulrich for example. I think he is a bit of a douche, but he makes fantastic music with Metallica. Just because he has a lot of money and I personally think he is a bit of a douche doesn't ruin my enjoyment of his music, and I'm not going to stop listening to his music because of a silly reason like that.

And there's no way for you to know whether she is being herself or not, because you aren't her. She could be making the music she has wanted to make all along. Just because she is on a major label doesn't mean she is trying to "cash-in". I guarantee you the majority of the bands you like are on major labels. Do you think they are just attempts to "cash-in"? Being on a major label doesn't mean anything.

It's just music, not life or death. Life's too short to go around deciding whether people are "posers" or not. You're not trying to make friends with them. Forget about who is making the music and just listen and enjoy it!

[dollyDagger]

wow. nice essay above me.

[Psyche-Guitar]

dollyDagger wrote:

wow. nice essay above me.

Yeah, God forbid someone actually contribute to a discussion!