The Blakes

The Blakes, praised by Pitchfork for their "swampy guitars, twitchy rhythms and power pop vocal harmonies", recall the stinging catchiness of early Who, Kinks, and other spitfire rock bands.
There's a fine line between inspiration and imitation and as The Blakes have shown in their brief career, they know exactly how to keep on the good side of the equation. Although their debut album was steeped in Detroit style Rock 'N' Roll, they were able to avoid The Iggy imitator trap by mixing in more modern sounds along with their take on fiery, Detroit style Rock 'N' Roll. On "Basket," a new track taken from a recent iTunes Session, The Blakes have left the Motor City, for a more Southern oriented sound, much like the Stones did with their interpretations of American country and roots music. While "Basket" may inspire that immediate connection to The Stones, The Blakes safely steer clear of imitation, and make this mid tempo groove all their own.