The Black Keys performed their second and third consecutive sold-out shows in New York City last night, at SummerStage in Central Park and at Terminal 5. The New York Times says: "At their best and starkest, they can make a growling riff feel loose and woozy, tempos fluctuating as if on a column of air." The New York Post says they "made an incredible amount of music for two guys who obviously know size doesn’t matter when it comes to the blues ... [T]he guys were unstoppable."

The Black Keys have kicked off their North American tour, offering the home-state crowd in Cleveland their "most superlative-sapping local performance to date," raves the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Eardrums were ravished. Minds were blown. And when singer-guitarist Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney finally made their exit, sweat-soaked and utterly spent, it was no small wonder that the downtown skyline was still standing." Pat and Dan's fathers appeared on WKSU radio to offer their unique perspective on the band.

The Black Keys' Tonight Show performance of "Tighten Up," off their album Brothers, is now at nbc.com. With their US tour set to start tomorrow, Time Out New York selects the three New York City concerts the Top Live Show (or, rather, shows) for the week.Time Out says "there’s a realness to what the Black Keys do, along with a lack of pretension that sets them apart from pretty much every other act in Billboard’s top ten (Brothers entered the chart at No. 3)."

The Black Keys are back in the US after a European tour, ready to launch their North American summer and fall tour. Before they hit the road, the band performs "Tighten Up," off their latest album, Brothers, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight. Also featured on tonight's episode are actor Zac Efron and "supernatural entertainer" Lior Suchard. Tune in at 11:35 PM ET on NBC.

Metacritic.com has released its mid-year report of "The Best Music of 2010 So Far"—and three Nonesuch releases have made the cut: Ali Farka Touré's collaboration with kora player Toumani Diabaté came in at #2, and Laurie Anderson's first studio album since 2001, Homeland, followed it at #3. The Black Keys recent album, Brothers, followed up at #27. John Schaefer of WNYC's Soundcheck picks Anderson's Homeland, Ali and Toumani, and Timothy Andres' Shy and Mighty as his best of the year so far.

The Black Keys have been chosen as MTV's "Push Artist of the Week"; the video for "Tighten Up" from the band's new album, Brothers, is featured on mtv.com, along with exclusive interviews with Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney.

The year has hit the halfway mark, giving music lovers the perfect opportunity to look back and reflect on their favorite albums of the year (so far). NPR listeners have done just that, placing The Black Keys' latest album, Brothers, at No. 3; rounding out the list at No. 50 is David Byrne's Here Lies Love. The Irish Times has picked its own 30 Best of 2010, including Carolina Chocolate Drops' Genuine Negro Jig.

Musicians and music fans from around the world have begun to converge on Manchester, Tennessee, for the 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Among them are three Nonesuch artists: Punch Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and The Black Keys. For those unable to attend, many of the musical performances will be streaming on NPR.org and webcast on Bonnaroo's YouTube channel.

The Black Keys began their months-long tour last night at The Depot in Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that "dirty grooves were unleashed all night" and says the band's new album, Brothers, "has added more swagger—in other words, rock 'n' roll—to the duo's foundation of bluesy, R&B-influenced soul explorations, and the band is all the better for it." The Boston Phoenix says the duo is "making quintessentially American music."

Congratulations to The Black Keys, whose latest Nonesuch release, Brothers, sold over 73,000 copies in its first week out. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Current Albums Chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200—the highest position on the chart ever for the band and the label. The Black Keys follow up last night's spot on The Late Show with David Letterman with a performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight on NBC.

Last week saw the release of The Black Keys' new album, Brothers, and performances from the duo at various NYC venues, including opening for Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden. This week, it's The Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal 's Speakeasy Blog says it "can’t get enough of the Black Keys." Consequences of Sound calls the new "Tighten Up" video "pretty much the greatest music video ever"; MTV's Buzzworthy Blog calls it "awesome."

The Black Keys rocked out at New York's Housing Works Bookstore Café for the lucky few fans in attendance; a few thousand more get to see the band open for Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden tonight. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney talk about their new album, Brothers, and perform on the latest New York Times Music Popcast and NPR's World Cafe. Carney spoke with Akron's BuzzBin about the album, about which PopMatters says: "That the Black Keys are still exploring new territories with enthusiasm is cause for celebration, and Brothers is the reason why."