4. They Spent Their Thickfreakness Advance On Rent
The Black Keys are renowned for their Lo-Fi sound, and in fact it's become one of their most endearing traits. In a musical landscape ruled by pristine pop stars and auto-tuned hits, it's refreshing to hear something recorded somewhat crudely with the bare minimum of equipment. But although it's become one of their defining factors, it wasn't always done on purpose. When the pair received their small advance payment from Fat Possum Records to record their 2003 album Thickfreakness, the money didn't go towards studio time or new instruments. Instead, they spent it on their rent, and went on to record almost the entirety of the album in Carney's basement during a single 14 hour session. They used an early 1980s Tascam 8-Track recorder, an approach that the album's liner notes refer to as Carney's "patented recording technique called 'medium fidelity'". Despite its rough-around-the-edges production, the album garnered the duo some mainstream attention when track 3 (Set You Free) was featured on the soundtrack to School Of Rock.
