So what, I'm a week behind on THIS entry and five days past the end of the deadline to finish the APRIL 2011 challenge. That's not the point. The point is that I am a finisher and I will complete the challenge even if I failed to meet its parameters. Hopefully you won't judge me too harshly. ;)
The reason I have had a hard time finishing the challenge is because I needed enough time to do the Letter "Y" justice. The Letter "Y" is one of my FAVORITE bands and I couldn't just slap some sloppy post together without some thought. With that said, you'll probably read this and think I slapped some sloppy post together, but I did try to think about it. I promise.
When I think of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I instantly think of Karen O, the lead singer of the band. She is a dichotomy of outer-worldly wild woman on stage and uber-shy reclusive real life persona. She is known to guzzle alcohol and spit it at the audience, hurt herself by jumping over speakers, put disco balls on head, wear crazy outfits made of spandex and converse, but alternately hide her face under a black hoodie and barely speak. Who else could rock a mullet or the perfect bowl bob? She's so engaging on stage that you forget there are two other members of the band (Drummer, Brian Chase, and Guitarist/Keyboardist, Nick Zinner), but as a whole they work so well together.
I first heard of the YYY in 2003 when their debut album, Fever to Tell was released in April of that year. It was loud, fast, screaming, jarring, melodic, short, and completely addictive. Mr. O and I went to Las Vegas that year to meet up with family and have some fun. That album was the soundtrack of our vacation. My sister instantly loved it, but my Mom was very unsure about it. Like it I said, it was loud and not like anything else being played at the time. That album released the popular song, Maps, which received substantial airplay on radio and MTV rotation. It's a ballad and beautiful, but definitely not indicative of the band's overall sound.
The YYY didn't return with a sophomore album until 2006. In fact, it was an album that may have never happened. The band almost broke up. Karen O wasn't even living on the same coast as her bandmates for awhile. But somehow, they persevered and figured out a way to stay a working unit. Show Your Bones was born from that. Honestly, it's not my favorite album. Its direction changed a little. Gone was the frenetic energy and in its place was a more polished sound that almost flavored on seventies glam rock. It's not to say I don't have some favorites from the album, but I favored their debut album.
The group released an EP called Is Is in 2007 and then their third studio album, It's Blitz, in 2009. Before the album came out, there was so much online hype for the new album because YYY are pretty big in the indie circles. The group released a single, called Zero, in Feb 2009. The album didn't come out until April. I fell instantly in love with the single. It was completely different (again) from the loud rock sound of the first album or the 70's vibe of the second. This single was disco infused electronica. Not to mention my favorite manga character is named Zero (from Vampire Knight). I must have played that song on repeat for the entire time until the album came out. When the album DID come out, it was also love at first listen. There were dance tracks, but also a lot of soft songs and acoustic versions. It was another leap for the band who is definitely not done defining themselves.
Besides the great music the band has released, Karen O has been busy doing some soundtrack and score work as well. She used to date Spike Jonze and was with him during his time making the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. Karen O was enlisted to create the movie's soundtrack. The result is a beautiful companion to the visuals and feelings in the movie. It is sometimes joyous, sometimes tense, and other times really sorrowful.
(I love Carol from WTWTA. I was OBSESSED with that movie in 2009. All because of that trailer with Arcade Fire's Wake Up featured in it. I also wrote a blog entry about one of the songs on the soundtrack, called Worried Shoes.)
I've only seen the YYY once back in 2006 in support of the second album. I wish they came to Atlanta for their third album, BUT I will try to catch them again sometime. Here are the videos I recorded from that show...it was on Mr. O's birthday so it was a great night.
ATL 2006 YYY CONCERT VIDEOS
Click to hear some of my favorite Yeah Yeah Yeahs (and Karen O) songs...
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Continue reading April "29th" - Letter "Y" = Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

















