Okay, seriously. Here us out. This is not a list of bands containing black people (some do, some don't), it's a list of bands with "black" in their band names. I came up with the idea shortly after The Black Lips performed at The Rhythm Room, and waited for another "black" band to come to town. It just so happened that this act boasted a "Black and Proud" rocker named Joe Lewis.
It may be tough to tell all of the "black" bands apart, so we came up with a handy primer to set Joe Lewis' crew apart from bands like The Black Eyed Peas and Black Sabbath (not that at it's all that hard. I mean, listen).
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears are scheduled to play at The Crescent Ballroom tonight with The Sheepdogs. The Howlin' Wolf influences really shins through in this modern blues band.
Here's another bluesy band, but this local group stands out from everyone else on the list thanks to Emma Pew's killer vocals. Black Carl is one of those bands we are proud to say hails from Phoenix.
Yeah...this song has been over-killed for the past year or so. In a few decades, Fergie and her crew will probably be remembered for this song and "Let's Get it Started" more so than a shabby Super Bowl performance.
Not to be confused with "White Flag," the song by Dido. Black Flag is a seminal '70s/'80s hardcore band. Henry Rollins joined the group as a fan in 1981 and sang on what was arguably the band's best album, Damaged.
A testament to the deceptively all-inclusive "indie" label, The Black Keys are two people who produce a nostalgic blues/garage sound.
This is an infectiously catchy indie pop band that sings songs from the point of view of a lesbian lusting after a straight girl. Yeah, it's weird hearing a guy sing, "Ever since I was a little girl," but it's hard to resist counting along to this song.
These guys are known for their stage antics and good ol' chaotic rock 'n roll. This song was included in (500) Days of Summer, but the music video looks nothing like Tom and Summer's successful date. Check out our review of their performance at The Rhythm Room in June.
If you consider yourself a Final Fantasy nerd, you should have recognized this band name right away. Nobuo Uematsu has scored most of the Final Fantasy soundtracks and has a stunning array of work (if you have any doubts, check out the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack, you'd be surprised). The Black Mages is the heavy, instrumental response to Uematsu's soft piano compositions.
If you're a Brian Jonestown Massacre fan, there's a good chance you'll love BRMC. These San Francisco rockers combine garage rock and psychedelic influences to create music that is as moody as it is danceable. Just check out this cool ad for The Cosmopolitan Hotel.
A band that truly needs no introduction. Notice how much easier it was to understand Ozzy back in the day.
This Jamaican reggae band dubbed its name from the Swahili word for freedom. In the tradition of reggae, the group plays chill jams perfect for relaxing and/or rolling a joint.
