Lonely Boy

by Brendan Cavanagh

Every now and then, I get a little down. Hey, I'm nineteen, so technically I can still suffer from teenage angst. And if I'm going to inevitably write prolifically about teenage angst, I have to enjoy while it lasts. right? Or, rather, not enjoy...anyway. It seems like if I'm sad, the weather is overcast for days on end and the only songs that show up on my iPod are the most depressing ones.

Does it get more depressing than this? Does it?

 Well luckily for me, the Black Keys- that is, the Akron, OH-based blues-rock duo consisting of Dan Auerbach (guitar) & Patrick Carney (drums)- released a video for the first single off their upcoming December album release, El Camino. The single is called "Lonely Boy," and if not for the laugh-a-minute video, I don't know if I would have given the song a second listen. That's not to say it's bad, I just wasn't particularly enthralled by it. But after I kept returning to my computer screen to watch the video, I wound up getting used to the song and appreciating its catchiness. I won't pretend like I know what I'm talking about musically, so I'll leave first impressions up to you guys.

You're probably wondering what it is about this particular video that turns me on ;)

In keeping with the steady stream of amusing videos by the Black Keys, "Lonely Boy" features what could very well be a homeless man (note the single tooth suspended from his top set of gums) who, prior to the filming of the video, was violently jerked from his slumber on a park bench, thrust into a shower and dressed in Don Draper's casual business attire. Somewhere along the line, though, this guy learned how to dance like your sober uncle does at every relative's wedding, seeking inspiration from manicTom Jones-enthusiast Carlton Banks and 60s twist-pop maker Chubby Checker. Major highlight at 1:33.

I can't match his moves! They're so bad, but so...inimitable.