I know you remember those late-night cable TV specials with Sally Struthers and the Christian Children's Fund. For only cents a day, you could support a child's health and overall well-being somewhere in Africa. Lately, as a music fan, I've felt like maybe I needed a sponsorship group, or at the very least a counseling group. In a day and age in which fans can end up paying for their favorite artist's album with their entire paycheck, kidney, and first-born child, the musical panorama from a fan's point of view is looking rather bleak. Flip me a quarter a day and I might be able to buy a major label release in a month or six. It wears on us as fans and most of all on our loyalty, to stores, bands, labels, and music in general.
With each cog in the machine biting the hand that feeds them, all the way up the ladder, it is refreshing to see a band who still puts their blood and sweat into what they do, but also finds time to show us they care. One such band is The Black Keys. Like The White Stripes covered in Vaseline and rolled around in dirt, the blues-rock duo have consistently kicked out their fuzzy, filthy guitar/drums jams, as dynamic live as on record. Now, after touring in support of their fourth album, Magic Potion, the band is releasing a four-track EP from different shows throughout the tour. The best part? It is available for download for the price of on-the-house. Absolutely 100% free. Get it while it's hot.
The Live EP:
1. No Trust (recorded at Troubadour, Los Angeles 09.13.06)
2. Elevator (recorded at Mercy Lounge, Nashville 12.15.06)
3. Girl Is On My Mind (recorded at Troubadour, Los Angeles 09.13.06)
4. 10AM Automatic (recorded at Mercy Lounge, Nashville 12.15.06)
Again, you can download the EP in its entirety for FREE at the band's MySpace.