Yeah Yeah Yeahs | |
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Background information | |
Origin | New York City, U.S. |
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Website | yeahyeahyeahs |
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 (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. [4] They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo (formerly of Slint and Tortoise), who joined as a touring member in 2009 and replaced Imaad Wasif, who had previously held the role. According to a 2004 interview that aired during their appearance on ABC's Live from Central Park SummerStage series, the band's name was taken from modern New York City vernacular. [5]
The band has recorded five 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 . [6] Their third studio album, It's Blitz! , was released in March 2009. All three albums earned the band Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Music Album. Their fourth record, Mosquito , came out in April 2013. In September 2022, they released Cool It Down , and the album was also nominated for a Grammy award.
Karen O and Brian Chase first met as students at Oberlin College in Ohio in the late 1990s, where Chase was a jazz student at the conservatory. Karen then transferred to New York University and met Zinner, a student at Bard College, in a local bar, where they formed an "instant connection". During this time, they also shared a loft with future members of the band Metric. [7] Orzolek and Zinner 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. [8] After the drummer they initially recruited bowed out, Chase joined the lineup.
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. [9] Early the next year, they stepped into the international spotlight, appearing at SXSW, 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. [10]
In 2003, the band released their debut 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. 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. Later the same year, they were featured in Scott Crary's documentary Kill Your Idols .
In November 2009, NME rated Fever to Tell the fifth-best album of the decade. [11]
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' second album, Show Your Bones , was released on March 28, 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." [12] The first single from the album, "Gold Lion", was released on March 20, 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. [13]
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 second-best album of the year by NME magazine, and "Cheated Hearts" was voted tenth-best song. Rolling Stone magazine named Show Your Bones the 44th-best album of 2006, while Spin magazine ranked it number 31 on their 40 best albums of 2006.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third EP, titled Is Is , was released on July 24, 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. [14] Three of the five tracks were featured on the Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow DVD.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' next album was released in March 2009 and titled It's Blitz! . [15] The band says the album sounds different from their previous ones but "still [sounds] like Yeah Yeah Yeahs". It was originally set to be released on April 13, but following an internet leak on February 22, the band's label, Interscope, pulled the release date closer to reduce the leak's impact. [16] The album spawned three singles: "Zero", "Heads Will Roll", and "Skeletons."
It's Blitz! was named second-best album of 2009 by Spin Magazine and third-best by NME , along with "Zero" from the album listed as the best track of the year by both. [17] [18] [19] [20]
On December 9, 2011, Karen O reported to NME that she had been working on new music with the band, hinting a new album was possibly in the making. [21] On January 14, 2013, it was announced via their official Facebook page that the new album would be titled Mosquito . It was released on April 16, of the same year. [22] The album features production by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek, Nick Launay, and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy. [23] The first single, "Sacrilege", was released on February 15, 2013. [24] "Despair" was released as the second single on July 23, 2013. [25]
In December 2014, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs went on hiatus. [26] In 2016, the band received writing credits on the Beyoncé single "Hold Up". [27]
On June 20, 2017, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs announced that they would be headlining the Austin "Sound on Sound" festival on November 10, adding: "Watch for more news coming soon" [28] The Sound on Sound festival was subsequently cancelled. [29]
On May 26, 2018, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played at All Points Festival in Victoria Park, London. [30]
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs released a deluxe remastering of their debut album Fever to Tell on October 20, 2017, through Interscope / UMe. It features previously unreleased demos, B-sides, and other rarities from the era. [31]
In a press release, the band announced, "A friend of a friend kept asking if we were ever gonna put Fever to Tell out on vinyl as it hasn't been on vinyl in 10 years. That's not right. So here it is on vinyl for the first time in 10 years plus a time capsule of photos, demos (1st ever recorded,) a mini film documenting our near downfall and other fun memorabilia, from the turn of the century NYC, made with love + the usual blood, sweat + tears of Yeah Yeah Yeahs."
To celebrate the reissue, the band performed a small series of shows in October and November at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California, the Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland, California, and Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.
In June 2022, the band announced that they would be releasing the album Cool It Down on September 30, making it their first record in nine years. [3] They released the first single, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World", featuring Perfume Genius, on June 1. [32] On September 29, 2022, the band performed their second single, "Burning", on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as part of the show's weeklong residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. [33] [34]
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' style has been described as "an art-rock trio who made an edgy post-punk, dancefloor-friendly racket that mixed up Blondie, Pretenders, and Siouxsie and the Banshees". [2] [35]
Antville Music Video Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | "Gold Lion" | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
Best Performance Video | Won | ||
2013 | "Despair" | Nominated | |
"Sacrilege" | Video of the Year | Nominated | |
Best Narrative | Won | ||
Best Editing | Won |
BMI London Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | "Gold Lion" | Pop Award | Won |
Best Art Vinyl
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Cool It Down | Best Vinyl Art | Nominated | [36] |
D&AD Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | "Y Control" | Direction | Yellow Pencil |
2014 | "Sacrilege" | Cinematography | Wood Pencil |
Editing | Graphite Pencil |
Grammy Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Fever to Tell [37] | Best Alternative Music Album | Nominated |
2007 | Show Your Bones [38] | Nominated | |
2010 | It's Blitz! [39] | Nominated | |
2023 | Cool It Down | Nominated | |
"Spitting Off the Edge of the World" | Best Alternative Music Performance | Nominated |
International Dance Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Themselves | Best Artist (Group) | Nominated |
It's Blitz | Best Artist Album | Nominated | |
"Heads Will Roll" | Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track | Nominated |
Libera Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" | Video of the Year | Nominated |
Cool It Down | Marketing Genius | Nominated |
MTV Video Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | "Maps" | Best Art Direction | Nominated |
Best Editing | Nominated | ||
Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
MTV2 Award | Nominated | ||
2009 | "Heads Will Roll" | Breakthrough Video | Nominated |
2013 | "Sacrilege" | Best Direction | Nominated |
Best Cinematography | Nominated |
MVPA Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | "Y Control" | Best Alternative Video | Won |
2006 | "Gold Lion" | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
2009 | "Zero" | Best Rock Video | Won |
mtvU Woodie Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Themselves | Woodie of the Year | Nominated |
2009 | "Heads Will Roll" | Best Video Woodie | Nominated |
NME Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Themselves | Philip Hall Hot New Band Award | Won |
Karen O | Hottest Woman | Nominated | |
2005 | Nominated | ||
2007 | Nominated | ||
2010 | "Zero" | Best Dancefloor Filler | Nominated |
Themselves | Best International Band | Nominated | |
2011 | Karen O | Hottest Woman | Won |
New York Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | "Heads Will Roll" (A-Trak Remix) | Best Dance Remix | Won |
Rober Awards Music Poll
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Themselves | Best Rock Artist | Won |
Band of the Year | Nominated | ||
"Zero" | Song of the Year | Nominated | |
"Heads Will Roll" (A-Trak Remix) | Best Remix | Nominated |
Shortlist Music Prize
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Fever to Tell | Album of the Year | Nominated |
UK Music Video Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | "Sacrilege" | Best Rock/Indie Video | Won |
Best Editing | Won |
Virgin Media Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Themselves | Most Innovative Act | Nominated | [40] |
Žebřík Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Karen O | Best International Female | Nominated | [41] |
Themselves | Best International Discovery | Nominated |
Studio albums
Fever to Tell is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on April 29, 2003, by Interscope Records. It was produced by David Andrew Sitek and mixed by Alan Moulder. Four singles were issued, the first being "Date with the Night" followed by "Pin", "Maps" and "Y Control".
Karen Lee Orzolek is a South Korean-born American singer, musician, and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek, Kyp Malone, and Jaleel Bunton. Gerard Smith was a member of the band from 2005 until his death in 2011.
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. Former bassist Andy Nicholson left the band in 2006 shortly after their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, was released.
Nicholas Joseph Zinner is the guitarist and record producer for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Zinner is also a photographer.
David Andrew Sitek is an American musician and record producer, known for his work with his band TV on the Radio. He has also worked with bands such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars, Foals, Celebration, Little Dragon, Wavves, Beady Eye, and Weezer, and produced free jazz-influenced remixes of songs by artists such as Beck and Nine Inch Nails, and has contributed a solo track to the Red Hot Organization Dark Was the Night charity compilation. He is also a photographer and painter.
Show Your Bones is the second studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on March 22, 2006 by Interscope Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2007.
"Maps" is a song by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their debut full-length album, Fever to Tell (2003). The song is about the relationship between Liars frontman Angus Andrew and Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O. Released in September 2003, the song reached number nine on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 26 in the United Kingdom. The band performed the song at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, and the music video received extensive play on MTV.
"Y Control" is a single by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, from their debut album, Fever to Tell. The song's music video was controversial for its disturbing imagery; nonetheless, it received some play on MTV and its sister station, MTV2. The song is part of the soundtrack of the 2009 video game Dirt 2.
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. The song "Down Boy" was No. 61 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.
Florence and the Machine are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden & harpist Tom Monger. The band has comprised a number of other musicians. The band's music has received acclaim across the media, especially from the BBC, which played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Music Introducing. At the 2009 Brit Awards they received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" award. The band's music is renowned for its dramatic, eccentric production and Welch's powerful vocals.
La Roux is an English synth-pop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album La Roux (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles such as "In for the Kill" and "Bulletproof". Recording of a follow-up album was marred by unsuccessful collaborations, the cancellation of two planned release dates, and reported conflict between the duo.
American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs have released five studio albums, one compilation album, four extended plays, 15 singles, two video albums, and 15 music videos. The band formed in New York City in 2000, and consists of lead singer Karen O, drummer Brian Chase, and guitarist Nick Zinner.
It's Blitz! is the third studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on March 6, 2009, by 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 digital version and March 31 for the physical version.
"Zero" is a song by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released as the lead single from their third studio album, It's Blitz! (2009). The song received critical acclaim from music critics for its production, and was named the best track of 2009 by both NME and Spin magazines.
"Heads Will Roll" is a song by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released as the second single from their third studio album, It's Blitz! (2009). The CD and 7-inch singles were released in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2009.
"All Is Love" is a song written by Karen O and Nick Zinner for the 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are. The song was recorded by Karen O and the Kids, a group consisting of O, Zinner, and several other prominent indie rock musicians, and released as the lead single from the film's soundtrack on August 25, 2009. The name "All is Love" is a play on the name of the Swedish band Love is All, whose song "Make Out Fall Out" inspired Karen O. The whimsical song contains shouting, whistling, and clapping and incorporates an untrained children's choir.
"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. Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men covered the song in 2013.
Mosquito is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on April 12, 2013, by Interscope Records. The lead single "Sacrilege" was released on February 26, 2013. "Despair" was released as the second single on July 19, 2013.
Cool It Down is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on September 30, 2022, through Secretly Canadian. It marks the group's first album since 2013's Mosquito and their first release through Secretly Canadian. The lead single "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" featuring Perfume Genius was released on June 1, 2022. The band began a world tour in support of the record from June 2022. Their fifth track, "Burning," was used as the opening theme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries Echo.
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