The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a rock group out of New York. I've been following ever since they came out with their first full album, Fever to Tell. Although their first album is more of the garage punk/alternative variety, their music is pretty eclectic in general. Their sound is kind of hard to pin down sometimes. Some people say it sounds like that, some people say it sounds like this...etc.... All I know is that Fever to Tell it was the first time I've heard a fake orgasm incorporated into rock music (see: Black Tounge). Miss O's voice ranges from loud, brash, and thrashy to sweet as in the song Maps. Versitality is the key with this band.
Their first album didn't sell that great worldwide (only 750,000 copies...good, but not superstardom by any means), which was probably a good thing as far as how the band operates in making music and keeping their heads level.
The band consists of three personages, singer Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase.
The half-Korean and half-Polish Karen O is the charistmatic lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and she's probably also the most spastic. She has an awesome stage presence and combines strange fashion with outrageous stage antics. She's done things like spit beer, fruit, and other assorted items at the crowd, swallowed a microphone, danced off a stage, and generally makes herself out to be a loveable nutcase like such singers as Iggy Pop. She really is a stage entertainer, and makes their live shows really entertaining. Sometimes she can really overshadow the other two band members...but really, the band probably wouldn't be where it is without her.
Nick Zinner is the guitarist for the band and an accomplished photographer, his photos ending up on their website. He's also published a photo book and served as the guitarist for another band on top of that. He's also a vegan and a member of PETA, and animal rights organization. He's responsible for some of the most catchy guitar riffs in recent rock memory.
Brian Chase is the drummer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He obviously keeps to himself, since there's not much that can be found about him online. He spends most of his time drumming...yeah.... But this guy can really beat the crap out of the drums, he knows what he's doing.
Recently the band let their fans make the video for their current single, Cheated Hearts. Now that takes guts.....
The Yeah Yeah Yeah's second album, Show Your Bones is probably much more accessible than their first album, and showcases their wider array of musical tastes while still remaining true to their own sound. I bought it right when it was released, and I definitely think it's the better of the two albums.
I short, I really like the Yeah Yeah Yeah's sound, and their live shows are definitely not to be missed for me.
Ah, that's where my case of Corona beer went....
So hard to find a pic of the band playing together
The reason the feedback came so late... I've been listening to YYYeahs for the past few days so I could give a reasonable comment. Karen O has a versatile vox. That track with fake orgasm sounds funny to me but it's a daring try. I watched a couple of videos on YOUTUBE. They are pretty eccentric and provoking. I like 'Y Control' although the video looks as if 'from hell'.
ReplyDeleteI suspect it's Karen's idea to let fans do the design.
ReplyDeleteNo explanations necessary Zhu, this isn't work :-). I'm glad you gave them a good try before commenting.
ReplyDeleteThe fan video idea was probably her idea...she's pretty bold, but she almost does things calculated like...just like her carefully constructed image. It's funny to see her look f#$##d up on stage then see her look perfectly normal at an awards event.
Something offtrack, but when I scrolled down I had to stop to look twice...
ReplyDeleteThe middile triplet shot (with black background), I thought Chase the drummer looked like a slightly distorted version of Harry Potter, especially the hair and eyes.