Customer Reviews
chula homa 
2008-05-16
i love this kind of music and was very happy to find in on amazon. my son introduced me to the black keys, and i love to play it at work.
The right direction 2008-04-17
I am a fan of the Black Keys, I can't seem to move on to anything else. Everytime I try something else, I am back to the Keys before long. The Big Come Up grabbed me and sucked me in, no mediocre songs, a true 5 star album. I went through the other albums and though i have enjoyed them all Chulahoma is special. The newest album Attack & Release is supposed to be a new direction with Danger Mouse production influences throughout. That album is a new interesting direction, but good? More time will tell. It is for sure that the direction Chulahoma took was spot on. A groovey bluesy achingly immaculate tribute to an underground legend in Junior Kimbrough. Oh if only it had been a full album, alas six brilliant songs to make any blues lover gush.
Any friend of Junior's is a friend of mine 2008-03-27
When I read the album notes for Chulahoma, I discovered that Dan Auerbach shared exactly the same revelatory astonishment I experienced when I first heard and saw Junior Kimbrough. I will never forget the first time I heard him, on Robert Mugge's amazing documentary, Deep Blues. At the time Mugge filmed him in 1990 there was no such thing as a Junior Kimbrough album, although Junior was already 60 at the time. I could not understand how this unique genius had been overlooked for so long. I had never heard the term before, but I started calling Juniour Kimbrough's music "Trance Blues." That's what it did to me: put me in a trance. That's what it did to Dan, and that's what this album will do to you if you let it. With Junior as his muse, it must have taken considerable courage for Dan to do this album, but the Black Keys pull it off. They take the completely original Kimbrough sound and feeling, and carry it forward musically into the present, adding to and modernizing the sound a bit, but carrying this brilliant musician's ideas forward. They do it with their own songs and god bless 'em they do it with Junior's stuff too. Thankfully, the Black Keys will not have to wait until they are 62 before they are discovered. They are on the way to huge popularity with their own songs, but if you really want to understand where they come from, listen to Chulahoma. And listen to Junior too, All Night Long.
Junior Lives!! 2007-10-16
After listening to the first 2 tracks I had to pick up the jewel case to see if this was some band playing with Junior Kimbrough. Absolutely FANTASTIC. If this was vinyl I'd be playing the grooves off of this.
Short but incredibly powerful 2007-08-16
The Keys really get down to Kimbrough's no-nonsense no-prisoners style. I can listen to this EP over and over get something new out of it each time.
otis 2007-08-07
For their latest, Akron, Ohio duo The Black Keys have brought forth an EP of six songs by Junior Kimbrough. This is no mere dalliance; the late elder Mississippi blues musician was a powerful influence on guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. Their three previous albums, full of dusty grooves and simple but impassioned dynamics, would have found strong rapport with Kimbrough, who unfortunately died before they could ever meet. However, his widow, Mildred gives her passionate endorsement for these performances in the form of a short phone message that appears at the end of the disc. Among the highpoints is "Meet Me in the City," which positively shimmers as the plaintive vocal soars over a virato-ed guitar. The Black Keys, besides paying their heartfelt respects, also demonstrate the breadth and durability of Kimbrough's music.
--David Greenberger
I can't stop listening to this CD!!!! 2007-07-29
I am not a music critic, but I did grow up in the Mississippi River delta, but on the wrong side of the muddy banks. I sampled this (and others) CD on Amazon and I cannot believe how good these guys sound!!!! I also have their Rubber Factory CD!!!! It is good!!!! It just makes me melt into whatever chair I am in and I just get lost in the music. Hey guys, if you are reading this, good stuff!!!! Keep it up and I'll keep buyin'.....
Undiscoverd gem 2007-06-24
I heard about this on, of all places, NPR radio music review. I had never heard of the black keys before but decided to take a chance and I'm glad I did. I can't believe the sound just 'two' guys put out, it's awesome.
The Big Pay Back 2007-01-04
I'm very proud of the boys for putting this one out. It's a fitting tribute. Dan's love of Junior is real, and the result is a perfect blending of Junior and the Black Keys. If you ever spent a night at Junior's Juke Joint, in Chulahoma, then you know the meaning of psychadelic soul; and the boys captured that feeling perfectly. The music is primitive, hypnotic and sexual. If you want the same old, worn out 12 bar blues, don't buy this cd. If you want honest, raw and deeply felt blues, buy this cd, and another one by Junior himself. This music comes with the seal of approval from Junior's widow, Mildred. You can't get any higher praise than that. I have strong feelings about this one. I wish more musicians would try to pay back the elders who inspired them. Hat's off to Dan and Pat!!
Love It: The reviews are right on the money 
2006-11-29
A nod to the insight of two other reviewers:
A) Ball and Biscuit is indeed far and away my favorite White Stripes song and I understand why the other reviewer makes that point in relation to the Black Keys.
B) In linking this intense-blues-groover to the Rolling Stones in their heyday, I would specifically point to I Just Want To See His Face, the fragmentary gospel-blues-from-the-jungle groove near the end of Exile On Main Street.
I have just started exploring the Black Keys lately on the recommendation of a friend and up to now, have very much liked but not fallen in love with this band. However, Chulahoma stopped me dead in my tracks and just knocked me out. This is such intense, grooving blues, elastic without being jammy, can't say enough about it. The vocals are mixed evenly with guitar and drums giving the effect of an album of near-insturmentals. This is a good thing.
If you are coming at this record from a rock and roll fan perspective, it will naturally lead you to the deep-blues of Junior Kimbrough. Thank you Black Keys and Thank you Junior Kimbrough.
