Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Encyclopedia
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock
band formed in New York City
in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O
, guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner
, and drummer Brian Chase
. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo
, who joined as a touring member in 2009 and replaced Imaad Wasif
who had previously held this role. According to an interview that aired during the ABC network's Live from Central Park SummerStage series, the band's name was taken from modern New York City vernacular
.
The band has recorded three studio albums; the first, Fever to Tell
, was released in 2003. The second, Show Your Bones
, was released in 2006 and was named the second best album of the year by NME
. Their third studio album, It's Blitz!
, was released on 31 March 2009 in the USA and on 6 April 2009 in the rest of the world.
and Brian Chase
first met as students at Oberlin College
in Ohio in the late '90s, where Chase was a jazz
student at the conservatory. Karen then transferred to New York University
, and while in New York met Zinner
in a local bar, where they formed an "instant connection". During this time they also shared a loft in Manhattan with future members of the band Metric
. The two formed an acoustic duo called "Unitard", but soon decided to "shake things up a bit" by forming a "trashy, punky, grimy" band modeled after the art student, avant-punk bands Karen O. was exposed to at Oberlin. After the drummer they recruited initially bowed out, Chase joined the line-up.
The band wrote a slew of songs at their first rehearsal and soon wound up supporting The Strokes
and The White Stripes
, earning a significant buzz for their arty and garage punk scene. In late 2001, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their self-titled debut EP
, which they recorded with Boss Hog
's Jerry Teel, on their own Shifty label. Early the next year the band stepped into the international spotlight, appearing at South by Southwest
, touring the U.S. with Girls Against Boys
and Europe with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
, and headlining their own U.K. tour. Wichita Recordings
distributed the group's EP in the U.K. and Touch and Go
reissued it in the States.
, which received several strong critical reviews and sold more than 750,000 copies worldwide. The album's third single, "Maps
", received significant airplay on alternative radio. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked "Maps
" as 386th in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The video for their 2004 single "Y Control
" was directed by Spike Jonze
. In October 2004, the band released their first DVD
, Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow
. The DVD included a concert
filmed at The Fillmore
in San Francisco, all of the band's music videos to date, and various interviews.
In November 2009, the NME
rated Fever to Tell the #5 Best Album of the Decade.
Their second album, Show Your Bones
, was released on 27–28 March 2006. Karen O
told online zine Drowned in Sound
, "Show Your Bones
is what happens when you put your finger in a light socket," crediting "9 year old antigenius wonder-kid Drake Barrett for the insight." The first single from the album, "Gold Lion
", was released on 20 March 2006, reaching number 18 in the Official UK Singles Chart. It has been noted by Leah Greenblatt that "Gold Lion
" sounds startlingly similar to "No New Tale To Tell" from 1980s alternative band Love and Rockets
.
The band toured throughout Europe
and the United States
during much of 2006, and also helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties
festival.
In December 2006, the album was named the second best album of the year by NME
magazine, as well as "Cheated Hearts" being voted the 10th best song. Rolling Stone
magazine named it the 44th best album of 2006, while Spin
magazine ranked it number 31 on their 40 best albums of 2006.
, was released on 24 July 2007. It includes 5 previously unreleased songs and a short film, which was recorded and filmed at the GlassLands Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The songs were written in 2004, during the Fever To Tell tour, and performed live often. Three of the five tracks were featured on the "Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow
" DVD.
. The band says the album sounds different from their previous ones but "still [sounds] like Yeah Yeah Yeahs". The album was originally set to be released 13 April, but following the leak
to the Internet on 22 February the band's label, Interscope, pulled the release date closer to reduce the impact of the online leak. The album spawned three singles: "Zero
", "Heads Will Roll" and "Skeletons
".
It's Blitz! was named as the second best of 2009 by Spin Magazine and third best of 2009 by NME
along with "Zero
" from the album listed as the best track of the year by both.
with Siouxsie and the Banshees."
, The White Stripes
, The Strokes
, Liars
, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
.
The band became one of the first western rock acts to play in China
when they headlined the Modern Sky Festival
in Beijing in 2007.
's album Bang Bang Boom Cake
. The song was written via email and features Karen singing. In addition, Karen co-directed and all three band members were featured in the video for the group's "Hologram World
" video.
In 2009, the band appeared on a charity album War Child Presents Heroes with their version of The Ramones' song "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
". Zinner also contributed to the Bright Eyes' record Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
and performed with the band on tour.
and Johnny Knoxville
to record a track entitled "Backass"; for Jackass 3D
, she covered the Roger Alan Wade
's "If You're Gonna Be Dumb" under the alternative title of "If You're Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough".In 2007, Karen contributed vocals to a version of Bob Dylan
's "Highway 61 Revisited
" for the I'm Not There
movie soundtrack. She also appears on the soundtrack of the film Where The Wild Things Are
, directed by former boyfriend Spike Jonze
. In 2007, the song "Date With the Night" was featured in episode 1.05 of Skins (TV series)
, and is on the official soundtrack. Their song "Runaway" was also featured on the April 20, 2009 episode of Gossip Girl and on the Australian television show "Sea Patrol". "Sealings" appears on both Driver: Parallel Lines
& Spider-Man 3 soundtracks. The song "Phenomena" featured on the film
The Ruins
as the song of the ending credits. The "Little Vampire" remixed version of "Heads will Roll" features in Gran Turismo 5
as in-game music.
In the super bowl episode of Glee, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
", the McKinley High School football team and the New Directions performed "Heads Will Roll" along with Michael Jackson
's "Thriller
" for their halftime show.
In March 2010 their song "Heads will Roll" was featured on a promo for the 4th season of the Showtime series The Tudors.
was leaked via an invite-only BitTorrent tracking site. The album, originally a personal gift to Dave Sitek of the NYC band TV on the Radio
, was discovered inside a suitcase Sitek owned, amongst the rubble from a New York apartment fire. The disc's 14 tracks and scan of the cover – a photograph of Karen O with a poem written by Oscar Wilde
on the back – quickly spread. The music news site Stereogum
broke the story of the leak the following morning and continued their coverage when Sitek lashed out at the fan who leaked the demos. Eventually Sitek followed up his comments with an apology letter. Karen O's response to the leak was "shit happens
" and although she was somewhat "grossed out," she offered advice on which of the mp3s she liked the best, namely the tracks "Pumpkin" and "Snakes and Worms".
also collaborates in a mathcore
/thrashcore
supergroup
Head Wound City
. Other members of the group are Jordan Blilie
(Past Lives
, The Blood Brothers), Cody Votolato
(Jaguar Love
, The Blood Brothers), Justin Pearson
(Holy Molar
, The Locust
) and Gabe Serbian
(The Locust, Holy Molar). Their debut self-titled EP
was released in 2005.
| style="text-align:center;"| 2004 || Fever to Tell
|| Best Alternative Music Album
||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2007 || Show Your Bones
|| Best Alternative Music Album
||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2010 || It's Blitz!
|| Best Alternative Music Album
||
|-
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O
Karen O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
, guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner
Nick Zinner
Nicholas Joseph Zinner is the guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He is known for his "unmistakable" wild hair, skinny physique, and pale appearance...
, and drummer Brian Chase
Brian Chase
Brian Chase is an American drummer playing in the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He was ranked at #50 in Gigwise's list of The Greatest Drummers of All Time. He plays drums with traditional grip.-Early life:...
. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo
David Pajo
David Pajo is an American alternative rock musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres: hardcore, math-rock, post-rock, electronica, folk and indie-pop...
, who joined as a touring member in 2009 and replaced Imaad Wasif
Imaad Wasif
Imaad Wasif is a Canadian singer, guitarist and songwriter whose music combines elements of both folk and rock music. Wasif’s music has been described as “unbelievably intense with sparkling, raga-influenced guitar and a mystic bent.”...
who had previously held this role. According to an interview that aired during the ABC network's Live from Central Park SummerStage series, the band's name was taken from modern New York City vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
.
The band has recorded three studio albums; the first, Fever to Tell
Fever to Tell
Fever to Tell is the debut album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on April 29, 2003, through Interscope. It was produced by David Andrew Sitek and mixed by Alan Moulder....
, was released in 2003. The second, Show Your Bones
Show Your Bones
Show Your Bones is the second full-length album by new New York indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was released on March 27, 2006 . The album was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album"....
, was released in 2006 and was named the second best album of the year by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. Their third studio album, It's Blitz!
It's Blitz!
It's Blitz! is the third studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released March 9, 2009 on Interscope Records. It was originally set for release on April 13, 2009, however after being leaked to the internet on February 22, the release date was pushed forward to March 9 for the...
, was released on 31 March 2009 in the USA and on 6 April 2009 in the rest of the world.
Formation (2000–2002)
Karen OKaren O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
and Brian Chase
Brian Chase
Brian Chase is an American drummer playing in the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He was ranked at #50 in Gigwise's list of The Greatest Drummers of All Time. He plays drums with traditional grip.-Early life:...
first met as students at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Ohio in the late '90s, where Chase was a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
student at the conservatory. Karen then transferred to New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and while in New York met Zinner
Nick Zinner
Nicholas Joseph Zinner is the guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He is known for his "unmistakable" wild hair, skinny physique, and pale appearance...
in a local bar, where they formed an "instant connection". During this time they also shared a loft in Manhattan with future members of the band Metric
Metric (band)
Metric is a Canadian indie rock and New Wave band founded in 1998 in Toronto. The band has also at various times been based in Montreal, London, New York City and Los Angeles...
. The two formed an acoustic duo called "Unitard", but soon decided to "shake things up a bit" by forming a "trashy, punky, grimy" band modeled after the art student, avant-punk bands Karen O. was exposed to at Oberlin. After the drummer they recruited initially bowed out, Chase joined the line-up.
The band wrote a slew of songs at their first rehearsal and soon wound up supporting The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
and The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, earning a significant buzz for their arty and garage punk scene. In late 2001, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their self-titled debut EP
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (EP)
The track "Our Time" interpolates the Tommy James and the Shondells song "Crimson and Clover"; when Karen O sings "It's the year to be hated / So glad that we made it," the melody is taken from the hit song, which reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1969....
, which they recorded with Boss Hog
Boss Hog
Boss Hog is an American punk blues band including the husband and wife duo of Jon Spencer and Cristina Martinez along with Jens Jurgensen , Hollis Queens and Mark Boyce...
's Jerry Teel, on their own Shifty label. Early the next year the band stepped into the international spotlight, appearing at South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
, touring the U.S. with Girls Against Boys
Girls Against Boys
Girls Against Boys are an indie rock/post-hardcore band, originally forming in Washington, D.C. in 1988 and currently based in New York City.-Career:...
and Europe with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are an American alternative rock trio, formed in 1991 and based out of New York City, New York. The band consists of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spencer on vocals, guitar and theremin...
, and headlining their own U.K. tour. Wichita Recordings
Wichita Recordings
Wichita Recordings is an independent record label located in London, founded in 2000 by Mark Bowen and Dick Green. Its most notable signees are Bloc Party, The Cribs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Her Space Holiday, Los Campesinos! and Peter Bjorn and John...
distributed the group's EP in the U.K. and Touch and Go
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...
reissued it in the States.
Fever To Tell (2003–2004)
In 2003, the band released their debut album, Fever to TellFever to Tell
Fever to Tell is the debut album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on April 29, 2003, through Interscope. It was produced by David Andrew Sitek and mixed by Alan Moulder....
, which received several strong critical reviews and sold more than 750,000 copies worldwide. The album's third single, "Maps
Maps (song)
"Maps" is a single by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their debut full-length album, Fever to Tell . The song is about the relationship between Liars frontman Angus Andrew and Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O; the title is actually an acronym of the words "My Angus Please Stay". It was released on...
", received significant airplay on alternative radio. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked "Maps
Maps (song)
"Maps" is a single by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their debut full-length album, Fever to Tell . The song is about the relationship between Liars frontman Angus Andrew and Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O; the title is actually an acronym of the words "My Angus Please Stay". It was released on...
" as 386th in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The video for their 2004 single "Y Control
Y Control
"Y Control" is a single by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, from their debut album Fever to Tell. The name of the song refers to the emotional control of a female, referring to the male Y chromosome. Pitchfork Media listed "Y Control" as the 213th best song of the decade...
" was directed by Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
. In October 2004, the band released their first DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow
Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow
Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow is a music DVD released by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on October 25, 2004, through Polydor. The main feature of the DVD is the band's live performance at The Fillmore in San Francisco on March 17th 2004, with bonus songs recorded during the previous day's performance...
. The DVD included a concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
filmed at The Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
in San Francisco, all of the band's music videos to date, and various interviews.
In November 2009, the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
rated Fever to Tell the #5 Best Album of the Decade.
Show Your Bones (2005-2006)
Show Your Bones
Show Your Bones is the second full-length album by new New York indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was released on March 27, 2006 . The album was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album"....
, was released on 27–28 March 2006. Karen O
Karen O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
told online zine Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
, "Show Your Bones
Show Your Bones
Show Your Bones is the second full-length album by new New York indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was released on March 27, 2006 . The album was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album"....
is what happens when you put your finger in a light socket," crediting "9 year old antigenius wonder-kid Drake Barrett for the insight." The first single from the album, "Gold Lion
Gold Lion
"Gold Lion" is the first single by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their second album, Show Your Bones. Distinct in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' discography, it features acoustic guitar and a more slowed-down pace in contrast to former works like "Bang!" and "Date with the Night." It was released on March 21,...
", was released on 20 March 2006, reaching number 18 in the Official UK Singles Chart. It has been noted by Leah Greenblatt that "Gold Lion
Gold Lion
"Gold Lion" is the first single by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their second album, Show Your Bones. Distinct in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' discography, it features acoustic guitar and a more slowed-down pace in contrast to former works like "Bang!" and "Date with the Night." It was released on March 21,...
" sounds startlingly similar to "No New Tale To Tell" from 1980s alternative band Love and Rockets
Love and Rockets (band)
Love and Rockets were an English alternative rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash , David J , and Kevin Haskins . Former Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy had embarked on a solo career after Bauhaus split in 1983...
.
The band toured throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during much of 2006, and also helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival.
In December 2006, the album was named the second best album of the year by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
magazine, as well as "Cheated Hearts" being voted the 10th best song. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine named it the 44th best album of 2006, while Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine ranked it number 31 on their 40 best albums of 2006.
Is Is EP (2007)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third EP, titled Is IsIs Is
Is Is is Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third EP released on July 24, 2007. Songs for the EP were written in 2004 in between touring behind the band's first record Fever to Tell...
, was released on 24 July 2007. It includes 5 previously unreleased songs and a short film, which was recorded and filmed at the GlassLands Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The songs were written in 2004, during the Fever To Tell tour, and performed live often. Three of the five tracks were featured on the "Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow
Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow
Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow is a music DVD released by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on October 25, 2004, through Polydor. The main feature of the DVD is the band's live performance at The Fillmore in San Francisco on March 17th 2004, with bonus songs recorded during the previous day's performance...
" DVD.
It's Blitz! (2008–2009)
The next album by the band was released in March 2009 and is titled It's Blitz!It's Blitz!
It's Blitz! is the third studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released March 9, 2009 on Interscope Records. It was originally set for release on April 13, 2009, however after being leaked to the internet on February 22, the release date was pushed forward to March 9 for the...
. The band says the album sounds different from their previous ones but "still [sounds] like Yeah Yeah Yeahs". The album was originally set to be released 13 April, but following the leak
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
to the Internet on 22 February the band's label, Interscope, pulled the release date closer to reduce the impact of the online leak. The album spawned three singles: "Zero
Zero (Yeah Yeah Yeahs song)
"Zero" is the first single released by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their third album, It's Blitz!, on February 24, 2009.On March 11, 2009, Zero was added to BBC Radio 1's 'C Playlist' and then to their 'B Playlist', but has since dropped off....
", "Heads Will Roll" and "Skeletons
Skeletons (Yeah Yeah Yeahs song)
"Skeletons" is the third single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third album It's Blitz!. The 7" edition of the single, limited to 500 copies, was released on March 1, 2010. The single was also released on January 31, 2010, in the iTunes Store.-Cover artwork:...
".
It's Blitz! was named as the second best of 2009 by Spin Magazine and third best of 2009 by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
along with "Zero
Zero (Yeah Yeah Yeahs song)
"Zero" is the first single released by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their third album, It's Blitz!, on February 24, 2009.On March 11, 2009, Zero was added to BBC Radio 1's 'C Playlist' and then to their 'B Playlist', but has since dropped off....
" from the album listed as the best track of the year by both.
Music style
Their style has been described as "an art-rock trio who made an edgy post-punk, dancefloor-friendly racket that mixed up BlondieBlondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
with Siouxsie and the Banshees."
Touring
Alongside performing headlining tours across the world, the band has supported artists such as BjörkBjörk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, Liars
Liars (band)
Liars is a three-piece band formed in 2000 consisting of Angus Andrew , Aaron Hemphill , and Julian Gross...
, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are an American alternative rock trio, formed in 1991 and based out of New York City, New York. The band consists of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spencer on vocals, guitar and theremin...
.
The band became one of the first western rock acts to play in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
when they headlined the Modern Sky Festival
Modern Sky Festival
The Modern Sky Festival is an outdoor rock music festival in Beijing, China, organized by the Modern Sky record label....
in Beijing in 2007.
Side projects and collaborations
Karen O and Nick Zinner both appear as guests on Tiny Masters of TodayTiny Masters of Today
Tiny Masters of Today are an American indie punk rock band, consisting of siblings Ivan and Ada and their friend Jackson all members are from Brooklyn, New York.- The Early Years :...
's album Bang Bang Boom Cake
Bang Bang Boom Cake
Bang Bang Boom Cake is the debut album of punk rock band Tiny Masters of Today.-Tracklist:#"K.I.D.S."#"Stickin' It to the Man"#"Hey, Mr...
. The song was written via email and features Karen singing. In addition, Karen co-directed and all three band members were featured in the video for the group's "Hologram World
Hologram World
"Hologram World" is a song by the Tiny Masters of Today. The single features the song "Hologram World", the XFM version of "Hologram World" and the music video for "Radio Riot" directed by Nick Chatfield-Taylor. It was released in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2008. Alternate versions of the...
" video.
In 2009, the band appeared on a charity album War Child Presents Heroes with their version of The Ramones' song "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
Sheena is a Punk Rocker
"Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" is a song by the punk rock group The Ramones. It first appeared on their third LP, Rocket to Russia, in 1977, and was also included on later pressings of the group's second album, Leave Home...
". Zinner also contributed to the Bright Eyes' record Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is one of two Bright Eyes albums released on January 25, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records. It peaked at #15 in the US and #43 in the UK...
and performed with the band on tour.
Soundtrack work
For the movie Jackass 2, Karen O collaborated with electronic artist PeachesPeaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
and Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
to record a track entitled "Backass"; for Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
, she covered the Roger Alan Wade
Roger Alan Wade
Roger Alan Wade is an American singer-songwriter.According to his website, Roger Alan Wade penned songs for country legends such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. He embarked on a solo career with the promotional assistance of his cousin, actor Johnny Knoxville,...
's "If You're Gonna Be Dumb" under the alternative title of "If You're Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough".In 2007, Karen contributed vocals to a version of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited (song)
"Highway 61 Revisited" is the title track of Bob Dylan's 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited. It was also released as the B-side to the single "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" later the same year...
" for the I'm Not There
I'm Not There
I'm Not There is a 2007 biographical musical film directed by Todd Haynes, inspired by iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan's life and public persona: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw...
movie soundtrack. She also appears on the soundtrack of the film Where The Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are (film)
Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 American fantasy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and adapted from Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where the Wild Things Are. It combines live action, performers in costumes, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery...
, directed by former boyfriend Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
. In 2007, the song "Date With the Night" was featured in episode 1.05 of Skins (TV series)
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
, and is on the official soundtrack. Their song "Runaway" was also featured on the April 20, 2009 episode of Gossip Girl and on the Australian television show "Sea Patrol". "Sealings" appears on both Driver: Parallel Lines
Driver: Parallel Lines
Driver: Parallel Lines is the fourth video game in the Driver series. The game was released on March 2006 on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox by Atari, Wii and Microsoft Windows on June 2007 by Ubisoft.-Overview:...
& Spider-Man 3 soundtracks. The song "Phenomena" featured on the film
The Ruins
The Ruins (film)
The Ruins is a 2008 Australian-American horror film directed by Carter Smith and starring Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey and Joe Anderson. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay...
as the song of the ending credits. The "Little Vampire" remixed version of "Heads will Roll" features in Gran Turismo 5
Gran Turismo 5
is the fifth edition of the Gran Turismo racing video game series. Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released for PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010...
as in-game music.
In the super bowl episode of Glee, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 33rd episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011...
", the McKinley High School football team and the New Directions performed "Heads Will Roll" along with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Thriller
Thriller (song)
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
" for their halftime show.
In March 2010 their song "Heads will Roll" was featured on a promo for the 4th season of the Showtime series The Tudors.
The KO At Home demo leak
On December 10, 2006, a home-recorded album titled KO at HomeKO at Home
__FORCETOC__KO at Home is a demo CD by Karen O that was leaked onto the Internet in mid-December 2006.- History :Karen O recorded 14 songs in her own home several years before they were unearthed in late 2006. The demo mostly consists of acoustic songs, with several different tracks on each...
was leaked via an invite-only BitTorrent tracking site. The album, originally a personal gift to Dave Sitek of the NYC band TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....
, was discovered inside a suitcase Sitek owned, amongst the rubble from a New York apartment fire. The disc's 14 tracks and scan of the cover – a photograph of Karen O with a poem written by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
on the back – quickly spread. The music news site Stereogum
Stereogum
Stereogum was one of the first MP3 blogs. It was created by Scott Lapatine in January 2002 with a focus on independent and alternative music news, downloads, videos, and gossip. Stereogum has received several awards and citations, including the 2008 Plug Award for best music blog, Blender's...
broke the story of the leak the following morning and continued their coverage when Sitek lashed out at the fan who leaked the demos. Eventually Sitek followed up his comments with an apology letter. Karen O's response to the leak was "shit happens
Shit happens
"Shit happens" is a common slang phrase, used as a simple existential observation that life is full of imperfections, either "Así es la vida" or "C'est la vie". The phrase is an acknowledgment that bad things happen to people for no particular reason. Phrases with similar meaning are such as "stuff...
" and although she was somewhat "grossed out," she offered advice on which of the mp3s she liked the best, namely the tracks "Pumpkin" and "Snakes and Worms".
Head Wound City
Nick ZinnerNick Zinner
Nicholas Joseph Zinner is the guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He is known for his "unmistakable" wild hair, skinny physique, and pale appearance...
also collaborates in a mathcore
Mathcore
Mathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
/thrashcore
Thrashcore
Thrashcore is a fast tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less dissonant, less metallic forerunner of grindcore...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Head Wound City
Head Wound City
Head Wound City is an American noisegrind supergroup consisting of Jordan Blilie and Cody Votolato of The Blood Brothers, Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Justin Pearson and Gabe Serbian, both from The Locust and Holy Molar...
. Other members of the group are Jordan Blilie
Jordan Blilie
Jordan Blilie is the vocalist for the bands Past Lives and Head Wound City. However, he is best known as the co-lead vocalist and co-lyricist for The Blood Brothers, which he was a part of since their formation in 1997 until their breakup in 2007...
(Past Lives
Past Lives (band)
Past Lives is a band from Seattle, Washington. The band formed out of the breakup of The Blood Brothers in late 2007.-History:The band got their start in late 2007 after the breakup of The Blood Brothers...
, The Blood Brothers), Cody Votolato
Cody Votolato
Cody Votolato is a musician from Seattle, Washington, best known for being the guitarist in the post-hardcore band The Blood Brothers. He grew up in the eastside suburbs of Seattle, attending high school with his bandmates in the late 1990s when the band originally formed...
(Jaguar Love
Jaguar Love
Jaguar Love is an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, composed of former members of The Blood Brothers.-History:The band was formed by members of the bands Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves...
, The Blood Brothers), Justin Pearson
Justin Pearson
Justin Pearson is a frontman or bassist for a number of San Diego noise rock and grindcore bands, starting off in the punk outfit Struggle in 1994. Ensuing projects included Swing Kids, The Locust, The Crimson Curse, Holy Molar, Head Wound City, Ground Unicorn Horn, Brain Tourniquet, All Leather,...
(Holy Molar
Holy Molar
Holy Molar is a noise rock band from San Diego, composed of members that play or have played in The Locust, Antioch Arrow, Charles Bronson, Heroin, Cattle Decapitation, The Crimson Curse, Glass Candy, Get Hustle, Swing Kids, Das Oath, Struggle and Some Girls. They play a similar style of music as...
, The Locust
The Locust
The Locust is a musical group from San Diego, California, United States known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, mathcore complexity, and new wave weirdness.- Style :...
) and Gabe Serbian
Gabe Serbian
Gabriel Serbian is an American drummer and guitarist, most famous for his work in The Locust, Cattle Decapitation, and Holy Molar. He is recognized as a very capable drummer, as showcased on recent Locust albums...
(The Locust, Holy Molar). Their debut self-titled EP
Head Wound City EP
Head Wound City is the debut self-titled EP by the thrashcore supergroup Head Wound City. It was released in 2005.Musically it is very similar to Jordan Blilie's work with The Blood Brothers, combined with styles similar to The Locust .-Track listing:# Radical Friends – 1:41# I'm a Taxidermist –...
was released in 2005.
Grammy nominations
|-| style="text-align:center;"| 2004 || Fever to Tell
Fever to Tell
Fever to Tell is the debut album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on April 29, 2003, through Interscope. It was produced by David Andrew Sitek and mixed by Alan Moulder....
|| Best Alternative Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2007 || Show Your Bones
Show Your Bones
Show Your Bones is the second full-length album by new New York indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was released on March 27, 2006 . The album was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album"....
|| Best Alternative Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2010 || It's Blitz!
It's Blitz!
It's Blitz! is the third studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released March 9, 2009 on Interscope Records. It was originally set for release on April 13, 2009, however after being leaked to the internet on February 22, the release date was pushed forward to March 9 for the...
|| Best Alternative Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
||
|-
MTV Video Music Award nomination
| Year | Category | Music video | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Best Art Direction In A Video | Maps | |
| Best Editing In A Video | |||
| Best Cinematography In A Video | |||
| MTV2 Award | |||
| 2009 | Breakthrough Video | Heads Will Roll |
Discography
- Fever to TellFever to TellFever to Tell is the debut album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on April 29, 2003, through Interscope. It was produced by David Andrew Sitek and mixed by Alan Moulder....
(2003) - Show Your BonesShow Your BonesShow Your Bones is the second full-length album by new New York indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was released on March 27, 2006 . The album was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album"....
(2006) - It's Blitz!It's Blitz!It's Blitz! is the third studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released March 9, 2009 on Interscope Records. It was originally set for release on April 13, 2009, however after being leaked to the internet on February 22, the release date was pushed forward to March 9 for the...
(2009)
External links
- Official Yeah Yeah Yeahs Site
- BBC artist page
- YYY Pins, early list of links to interviews, photos, etc.
- "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: The Love Cats", Exclaim!Exclaim!Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...