Pat Carney is the drummer. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Perhaps the reason that the Black Keys are enjoying their fastest-selling album is that it comes with easy-to-follow directions. Every copy of “El Camino” is plastered with a sticker that reads “Play Loud.”
And for Keys singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach, it’s not a subtle joke or polite suggestion.
“Fast . . . hard . . . 38 minutes. We really channeled the Clash and the Cramps,” says Auerbach, who lays claim to rock’s fuzziest guitar tone. “This is our first pure rock ’n’ roll album. We kept it very simple and ripped through it in just 40 days.”
Those 40 days paid off quickly. Last month, the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and its first single, “Lonely Boy,” is currently the top rock song in the US.
Just two years ago, the Keys were playing 3,000-seat halls like Terminal 5 when they came to New York. This year, they’re playing Madison Square Garden. When their March 12 show went on sale, it sold out in 15 minutes. So they added a second date March 22, and that’s on the verge of selling out, too.
Its a quantum leap for the duo, rounded out by drummer Pat Carney. Bursting out of Akron, Ohio, in 2002 with a raw, bluesy record called “The Big Come Up,” the group first seemed to be a soulful counterpart to another rootsy duo, the White Stripes.
But while the Stripes have disbanded, the Keys have only ramped up the quality and accessibility of their music. Their previous album, “Brothers,” spawned the group’s first hit single, “Tighten Up,” and garnered three Grammy awards.
All along, they moved further from the unvarnished grit of their early records — two of which were released on the blues label Fat Possum — into something that exceeds their roots. They also added musicians, both onstage and in the studio, to flesh out their sound.
The “blues” tag is one that Carney was long eager to shed, despite the obvious influence the genre has had on Auerbach.
“I guess it’s my fault,” Auerbach says, laughing. “It’s my foundation. That’s how I learned to play the guitar. No matter where I go it follows me.”
And so does his uncanny ability to transform his ax into a blissful fuzz machine. Auerbach has a trove of machines that generate his signature sound, including fuzz boxes by Ibanez, Gibson and Marshall. He also keeps a slew of small, classic Fender amps — all under 25 watts — in the studio when he fires up his 1970 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.
“It’s all instincts — never planned out,” Auerbach says of his sound. “It’s just like when we record. Your first instinct is always your best. You know when it feels right — things fit in.”
Perhaps the tightest fit the group has found is with producer Danger Mouse, who is also half of the pop duo Gnarls Barkley. Danger Mouse produced the group’s breakthrough 2008 album “Attack and Release” and the “Brothers” hit “Tighten Up.”
Within the first few sessions for “El Camino,” the group’s seventh album, Danger Mouse found himself parked in front of the keyboards. “He co-wrote all the songs with us,” Auerbach says. “We told him we wanted to make a straightforward rock album, no psychedelic sounds. Nothing too bizarre. Once we got into the studio he worked his magic.”
The group may have intended to channel the Clash and the Cramps, but a handful of other influences can be felt on “El Camino.” The melting pot of sounds includes T. Rex, Cream and even Led Zeppelin. Just make sure you don’t mention that last one to Auerbach.
“Anytime you are compared to another band means you sound like them,” he said. “That means you don’t sound original. Of course, its flattering to be compared to a legendary band, but ultimately it’s not a good thing.”
Sorry Mr. Auerbach, but “Little Black Submarine” is little sister to “Stairway to Heaven.” The chord changes? The idyllic harmony?
“It’s accidental if anything. I’ve never even owned a Led Zeppelin album,” Auerbach says.
No matter what the influences, “Lonely Boy,” with its machine-gun riffs and hand claps, doesn’t resemble much else out there in the pop world. Neither does the song “Gold on the Ceiling,” which features a growling guitar refrain and gospel-style harmonies.
“We had fun with that one,” gushes Auerbach.
Just as they do every time the camera rolls at their video shoots.
Whether they allow toddlers to flirt on the monkey bars at the park (“Tighten Up”), a sexy female to go on a killing spree (“Howlin’ for You”) or just focus on the awkward dancing of one man for “Lonely Boy,” these guys know how to make a funny little movie.
“We don’t want to look so serious,” Auerbach said. “Plus, we don’t like lip-syncing at all. Just like in the studio — we go in and have fun.”