The Black Keys caught some extra press when drummer Patrick Carney recently cited Nickelback's success as a major factor in the decline of rock 'n' roll. In a new interview, the drummer explains himself and offers an apology almost as insulting as his initial dig.

The Black Keys are sort of the "it" band rock in music right now -- they're riding high on the success of their well-received album 'El Camino' and currently on their first headlining arena tour of the U.S. Being that they are a unique band who is doing well, Rolling Stone naturally asked them to weigh in on the current funk that rock music is in. “Rock ‘n’ roll is dying because people became OK with Nickelback being the biggest band in the world," said Patrick Carney of rock's decline.

Although Nickelback were good sports about the drummer's harsh words, laughing them off with a thank you, the press isn't quite ready to let the conversation die. In a new interview with MTV, the blues rock duo were asked if they considered themselves music snobs. "I think I am probably, a little bit," conceded frontman Dan Auerbach after Carney flatly said "No."

Clearly looking for a follow-up statement on Nickelback, the interviewer pressed the outspoken drummer for a more controversial answer and eventually got one. "I don't like bad music. Look, I've got a lot of friends and not one of them own a Nickelback record," says Carney. "I'm not [in the] the small minority. There's certain bands that make me embarrassed to be on Earth."

After commenting on the potential awkwardness of seeing Nickelback at an awards show, Carney offered a bit of an apology to the Canadian rockers. "Well, I didn't mean to single them out actually -- it just came out," Carney explained. "There's much worse bands than Nickelback ... maybe."

See Patrick Carney's Half Apology to Nickelback

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