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The Black Keys' Singer Readies Solo Record

As if the Black Keys weren't busy enough, what with their ongoing Attack & Release tour and a recent writing session with Rick Rubin and ZZ Top's Billy F. Gibbons, the duo's vocalist/guitarist has unveiled his plans for a solo album and tour. Dan Auerbach's debut, Keep It Hid, is due out February 10 through Nonesuch and features him on guitar, keyboards, drums, and various percussion instruments. As for guests, the self-produced/engineered effort features Bob Cesare, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and Auerbach's uncle, James Quine.

"It's all over the map," Auerbach told Billboard.com, adding that the record includes cuts from the past few years. "I write songs for the Black Keys, so some of them sound like they could be Black Keys songs. But some songs are just acoustic guitar. There's some real dark tunes and some psychedelic rumbas. It's all that stuff I grew up playing—all those bluegrass harmonies. I experimented a little bit with instrumentation."

Auerbach will support his solo LP with a two-week tour, which he described as "a totally separate thing from the Black Keys, so there will definitely no Black Keys songs. You'll hear anything I feel like playing." The Texas-based Hacienda will perform a supporting slot set and serve as the frontman's backing band.

Keep It Hid:
1. Trouble Weighs a Ton
2. I Want Some More
3. Heartbroken, In Disrepair
4. Because I Should
5. Whispered Words
6. Real Desire
7. When the Night Comes
8. Mean Monsoon
9. The Prowl
10. Keep It Hid
11. My Last Mistake
12. When I Left the Room
13. Street Walkin'
14. Goin' Home

The Black Keys:
11/17 Bristol, England - Carling Academy
11/19 Milan, Italy - Magazzini Generali
11/21 Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli
11/22 The Hague, Netherlands - Royal Theatre (Koninklijke Schouwburg)
11/23 Ghent, Belgium - Vooruit Arts Centre
12/29 Fremantle, Australia - Fremantle Arts Center
12/30 Adelaide, Australia - HQ
12/31 Phillip Island, Australia - Pyramid Festival
1/1 Byron Bay, Australia - Great Northern Hotel
1/3 Coolangatta, Australia - Coolangatta Hotel
1/4 Bokarina, Australia - Lake Kawana Community Centre
1/5 Brisbane, Australia - The Arena
1/7 Coffs Harbour, Australia - Coffs Ex-Services Club
1/8 Newcastle West, Australia - Panthers
1/9 Sydney, Australia - Luna Park
1/10 Towradgi, Australia - Waves
1/11 St Kilda, Australia - Palais Theatre
1/29 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
1/30 Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
2/4 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
2/5 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
2/6 New York, NY - Terminal 5

Dan Auerbach (all dates with Those Darlins and Hacienda):
2-28 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
3/1 Boston, MA - Paradise Club
3/2 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
3/3 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
3/5 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
3/6 Chicago, IL - Metro
3/7 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
3/10 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
3/11 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
3/13 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
3/14 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
11.18.08