Chicago band The Blacks back with first record in a decade

The Blacks are back - and singer/guitarist Danny Black says they plan to stay that way.

One of the best bands to emerge from Chicago in the late 1990s, the Blacks broke up shortly after putting out their second record, the 2000 release "Just Like Home."

The breakup was less than amicable, driven by heightening tensions between band members. But the group reunited in 2009 for a show honoring the 15th anniversary of its label, Chicago-based Bloodshot Records, and the members could feel the old magic returning.

"That show was really great," said Black, who was known as Danny McDonough while growing up near Midway Airport. "We didn't want to be the band that just does all the old songs, so we said 'let's record,' and we did."

"In Sickness and Health," a six-song EP that's the group's first new release in a decade, comes out on Tuesday, March 9. The Blacks will provide a live preview of the songs on the album, which is being released in digital format only, at a show Saturday at Schubas Tavern in Chicago.

"Right now, it all feels very good," Black said about the reunion. "We're all getting along, and we're trying to keep this going."

The Blacks were born when Danny met singer/bassist Gina Black, a classically trained upright bass player, at the old Lounge Ax rock club in Chicago. They found drummer James Emmenegger via an ad in the Chicago Reader, and then added backup vocalist/guitarist Nora O'Connor.

Though often lumped in with the "insurgent country" acts that Bloodshot is known for, the Blacks are actually hard to categorize. There is some country in the band's sound, but it's mashed together with the crunch of AC/DC, the theatricality of Tom Waits and the energy of the best punk bands.

"I always loved hard guitar bands, but I also love stuff like Tom Waits and Louis Armstrong," Danny Black said. "I wanted to bring all these different kinds of things - hard rock, a cabaret style - into the band's sound. And then everyone else added their own things to it."

The Blacks matched their unique sound with a stage presence that included wild costumes, frenetic drumming from Emmenegger and the striking sight of a tall, statuesque woman, Gina, bowing the heck out of her upright bass while screaming into her microphone.

"I don't think we ever consciously decided to do the stuff we did live," Black said. "It's just how things went when we played together."

The new EP picks up right where the Blacks left off when members went their separate ways. It starts with the haunting "Ten Years," in which Danny croaks out lyrics that seem to mourn a lost decade. Other highlights include the hard-edged "I'm in Love" and "If It All Falls Through," with gritty, contemplative vocals from Gina.

Releasing the album in digital format only is more than simply a nod to the times, Danny Black said.

"I bought a record player not too long ago and spent three hours listening to music on it," he said. "It was great, and I would definitely love to produce some new stuff on vinyl. But the truth is if we couldn't have released this digitally, we probably wouldn't have released a record at all. This allows us to get some new music out without having to tour to support a CD release, which we're not in the position to do right now."

The band will play a special record-release show at Schubas, however, giving Chicago-area fans a chance to see the Blacks back in action. Looking ahead to the future, the group plans to keep writing and recording songs and playing together when possible, Black said.

"It's a little trickier to balance things now, because I'm a parent," he said. "I used to start writing songs at 10 or 11 at night. Now, I'm in bed."

<p class="factboxheadblack">The Blacks</p>

<p class="News"><b>When:</b> 10 p.m Saturday, March 6</p>

<p class="News"><b>Where: </b>Schubas Tavern, 3159 N. Southport, Chicago</p>

<p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $12, <a href="http://schubas.com" target="new">schubas.com</a></p>