Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Infobox musical artist
Name = Yeah Yeah Yeahs


Img_capt =
Landscape = yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = New York City, United States
Genre = Alternative rock
Art punk
Indie rock
Garage rock revival
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = Interscope, Fiction
URL = [http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com/ Official website]
Current_members = Karen O
Nick Zinner
Brian Chase

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a New York City-based alternative rock band. The band consists of lead singer Karen O, drummer Brian Chase, and guitarist Nick Zinner. In 2000 they formed a trio, and were later joined by second guitarist Imaad Wasif in 2006 for touring purposes. 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 two 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".

History

Karen O 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'. The two formed an acoustic duo, before deciding to form a punk band similar to the 'trashy, punky, grimy' art student groups that Karen had left behind in Ohio. [cite web|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1717923,00.html|title=Lynsey Hansley talks to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs] Yeah Yeah Yeahs' debut release was a self-titled EP, released in 2001. They followed it with another EP, "Machine", in 2002.

In 2003, the band released their first complete album, "Fever to Tell", 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. The video for their 2004 single "Y Control" was directed by acclaimed director Spike Jonze, who was involved with the band's lead singer Karen O for a period.Fact|date=July 2007 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.Their second album, "Show Your Bones", was released on March 27–28, 2006. The album's producer, Sam "Squeak E. Clean" Spiegel – who had previously collaborated with Karen O on the song "Hello Tomorrow" for an Adidas commercial directed by Sam's brother (and Karen's ex-boyfriend), JonzeFact|date=July 2007 – told MTV News that it was a concept album about Karen's cat, and would be titled "Coco Beware". However, MTV was forced to retract the story, noting that Spiegel had failed to mention that he was joking.Fact|date=July 2007 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." [cite web|url=http://www.drownedinsound.com/content/view/562122|title=www.drownedinsound.com/content/view/562122 ] The first single from the album, "Gold Lion", was released on March 20, 2006, reaching 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 favorites Love and Rockets. [cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1204700_4_0_,00.html|title=www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1204700_4_0_,00.html ] The band toured throughout Europe and the United States during much of 2006, and also band helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties festival.

The non-album track "Sealings" was released on both the Driver: Parallel Lines, Vol. 1 Official Soundtrack and the Spiderman 3 Official Soundtrack.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' most recent EP, titled "Is Is", was released on July 24, 2007. It includes 5 previously unreleased songs and a short film, 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.Fact|date=July 2007 Three of the five tracks were featured on the "Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow" DVD. [cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs/28940|title=www.nme.com/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs/28940 ] They are also going to be releasing a DVD of a performance on May 7 in New York directed by Patrick Daughters. However, the DVD of the performance is yet to be released. The iTunes store added all the performances in video form.Fact|date=July 2007

Karen O and Nick Zinner both appear as guests on Tiny Masters of Today'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.

The band is currently in the countryside working on their third LP, which is said, once again, to be inspired by cats, a theme of the band. Simultaneously, Karen O. has just created a side-project under the name Native Korean Rock & The Fishnets. She has only released the music via streaming tracks on the band's Myspace.

The band became one of the first western rock acts to play China when they headlined the Modern Sky Festival in Beijing in 2007. [cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/arts/music/25sisa.html|title=For All the Rock in China|last=Sisario|first=Ben|date=2007-11-25|accessdate=2007-12-03|publisher=New York Times]

An acoustic version of the song "Gold Lion" is included on the "Mississippi Studios Live, Vol. III" compilation. [cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/music/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/119802934971690.xml&coll=7|title=Everybody sing 'yeah'|first=Jeff|last=Baker|publisher=The Oregonian|date=2007-12-21|accessdate=2008-01-08]

The band's song, "Maps," is a playable track in Rock Band.

Discography

Albums

EPs

* "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" July 9, 2001
* "Machine" (#37 U.K. Singles Chart) November 5, 2002
* "Is Is" (#44 CAN, #72 USA) July 24, 2007

ingles

DVDs

*"Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow" (2004)

References

External links

* [http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com Official Yeah Yeah Yeahs Site]
* [http://www.Interscope.com Interscope Records] Official Site
*MySpace|yeahyeahyeahs|Yeah Yeah Yeahs
*Last.fm|Yeah+Yeah+Yeahs|Yeah Yeah Yeahs
* [http://www.yeahyeahyeahsproject.com Yeah Yeah Yeahs Project] YYY community-driven resource, including articles and videos
* [http://pinstand.com/pins/yyy.html YYY Pins] , early list of links to interviews, photos, etc.
* [http://www.blender.com/YeahYeahYeahsLollapalooza2007/video/4508.aspx Lollapalooza 2007] Live video from Blender Mag. (Flash)
* [http://webinfront.net/?p=165/ Podcast of Yeah Yeah Yeahs live in Mexico City, 2006]