The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist

Karen O Karen Lee Orzolek (born November 22, 1978) is a South Korean-born American singer, musician, and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Early life She was born in Seoul, South Korea, the daughter of a Ko ...

(born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist

Nick Zinner Nicholas Joseph Zinner (born December 8, 1974) is an American guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a record producer. Zinner is an accomplished photographer. Musical career Before forming the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs with Karen O and ...

, and drummer

Brian Chase Brian Chase (born February 12, 1978) is an American drummer and drone musician who plays 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 ...

. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist

David Pajo David Pajo (born June 25, 1968) is an American alternative rock musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres such as hardcore punk, math rock, post-rock, electronica, folk rock and indie pop. Thou ...

(formerly of

Slint Slint was an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1986. The band consisted of guitarist and vocalist Brian McMahan, guitarist David Pajo, drummer and vocalist Britt Walford, Todd Brashear (bassist on ''Spiderland''), and Etha ...

and

Tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...

), who joined as a touring member in 2009 and replaced

Imaad Wasif Imaad Wasif is an Indian singer, guitarist and songwriter whose music combines elements of psychedelic folk and rock. Wasif’s music has been described as "unbelievably intense with sparkling, raga-influenced guitar and a mystic bent." In 2006, ...

, who had previously held the role. According to an interview that aired during ABC's ''Live from

Central Park SummerStage Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

'' series, the band's name was taken from modern New York City

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

. The band has recorded five studio albums; the first, ''

Fever to Tell ''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 ...

'', was released in 2003. The second, ''

Show Your Bones ''Show Your Bones'' is the second studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on March 28, 2006 by Interscope Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2007. Background and musi ...

'', was released in 2006 and was named the second best album of the year by ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

''. 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 album, ''

Mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

'', came out in April 2013, and ''

Cool It Down ''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 ...

'' followed in September 2022.

History

Formation and ''Fever to Tell'' (1990s–2004)

and

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 New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

and met

Zinner Zinner is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Emil Zinner (1909–1942), Jewish-Czech chess master * Ernst Zinner (1886–1970), German astronomer * Ernst K. Zinner (1937–2015), Austrian astrophysicist * Hedda Zinner (1905–19 ...

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 Metric or metrical may refer to: * Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement * An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement Mathematics In mathem ...

. 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 Avant-punk is a punk music style characterized by "screeching experimentation," and a term by which critics used to describe the wave of American punk bands from the 1970s. It originated with the New York-based rock band the Velvet Underground, ...

bands Karen O was exposed to at Oberlin. After the drummer they initially recruited 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 are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Mor ...

and

The White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums wit ...

, 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, they stepped into the international spotlight, appearing at South by Southwest, touring the U.S. with

Girls Against Boys Girls Against Boys is a post-hardcore band which formed in Washington, D.C. and subsequently relocated to New York City shortly after their formation in 1989. The band released albums on the labels Adult Swim, Touch and Go Records, Geffen Record ...

, and Europe with

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was an American three-piece rock band from New York City, formed in 1991. The group consisted of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spenc ...

, and headlining their own U.K. tour.

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 include Bloc Party, The Cribs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Ye ...

distributed the group's EP in the U.K. and Touch and Go reissued it in the States. In 2003, the band released their debut album, ''

'', which received several strong critical reviews and sold more than 750,000 copies worldwide. The album's third single, "

Maps A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

", received significant airplay on

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

radio. In 2010, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' ranked "Maps" as 386th in their list of the

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...

. 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 The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California. Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fillm ...

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 Kill Your Idols is an American hardcore punk band from New York, active from 1995 through 2007 and again from 2013 to the present. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records. Their releases on SideOne were Funeral for a Feeling (2001), a split w ...

''. In November 2009, ''

'' rated ''Fever to Tell'' the No. 5 Best Album of the Decade.

''Show Your Bones'' and ''Is Is'' EP (2005–2007)

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' second album, ''

'', was released on March 28, 2006.

told

online zine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer magaz ...

Drowned in Sound, "''

'' 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" is the first single by American indie rock band 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 ear ...

", was released on March 20, 2006, reaching number 18 in the Official UK Singles Chart. It has been noted by Leah Greenblatt that "

" 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 "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...

festival. In December 2006, the album was named second best album of the year by ''

'' magazine, and "Cheated Hearts" was voted 10th best song. ''

'' 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 ''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 Be ...

'', 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. Three of the five tracks were featured on the '' Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow'' DVD. Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Glastonbury 2009

''It's Blitz!'' (2008–2009)

The Yeah Yeah Yeah's next album was released in March 2009 and titled '' It's Blitz!''. The band says the album sounds different from their previous ones but "still oundslike Yeah Yeah Yeahs". It was originally set to be released on April 13, but following an

internet leak An internet leak is the unauthorized release of information over 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, a ...

on February 22, the band's label, Interscope, pulled the release date closer to reduce the leak's impact. The album spawned three singles: "

Zero 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by multiplying digits to the left of 0 by the radix, usual ...

", " Heads Will Roll," and "

Skeletons A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of an animal. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside ...

." ''It's Blitz!'' was named second best album of 2009 by ''

Spin Magazine ''Spin'' (stylized in all caps) is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012. Histor ...

'' and third best by ''

'', along with "

" from the album listed as the best track of the year by both.

''Mosquito'' and hiatus (2011–2016)

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. On January 14, 2013, it was announced via their official Facebook page that the new album would be titled ''

''. It was released on April 16, of the same year. The album features production by

TV on the Radio TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and ...

Dave Sitek David Andrew Sitek (born September 6, 1972) 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, Beady E ...

Nick Launay Nicolas Launay is an English record producer, composer and recording engineer. He is one of the most sought after record producers in the world due to his success with recent albums by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Anna Calvi, IDLES, Black Re ...

, and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy. The first single, "

Sacrilege Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person. This can take the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things. When the sacrilegious offence is verbal, it is called blasphemy, and when physica ...

", was released on February 15, 2013. "Despair" was released as the second single on July 23, 2013. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Ventura

In December 2014, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs went on hiatus. In 2016, the band received writing credits on the Beyoncé single " Hold Up". Yeah Yeah Yeahs Corona Capital Guadalajara

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Corona Capital Guadalajara

Return in 2017

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" The Sound on Sound festival was subsequently cancelled. On May 26, 2018, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played at All Points Festival in Victoria Park, London.

Reissue of ''Fever to Tell''

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. 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 The Fonda Theatre (formerly Music Box Theatre, Guild Theatre, Fox Theatre, and Pix Theatre) is a concert venue located on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style, the theater has hosted l ...

in Los Angeles, California, the Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland, California, and

Kings Theatre Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh' ...

in Brooklyn, New York.

''Cool It Down'' (2022)

In June 2022, the band announced that they would be releasing the album ''

'' on September 30, making it their first record in nine years. They released the first single, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World", featuring

Perfume Genius Michael Alden Hadreas (born September 25, 1981), better known by his stage name Perfume Genius, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Hadreas's music explores topics including sexuality, his personal struggle with Crohn's disease, do ...

, on June 1. 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.

Musical style

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 Pretenders may refer to: * The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (le ...

, and Siouxsie and the Banshees".

Awards and nominations

Antville Music Video Awards , - , rowspan="2" , 2006 , rowspan="2" , "Gold Lion" , Best Cinematography , , - , rowspan="2" , Best Performance Video , , - , rowspan="4" , 2013 , "Despair" , , - , rowspan="3" , "

" , Video of the Year , , - , Best Narrative , , - , Best Editing , BMI London Awards , - , 2007 , "

" , Pop Award , D&AD Awards , - , 2005 , " Y Control" , Direction , style="background:#FFBF00", Yellow Pencil , - , rowspan=2, 2014 , rowspan=2, "

" , Cinematography , style="background:#BF8040", Wood Pencil , - , Editing , style="background:#8a8b89", Graphite Pencil Grammy Awards , - , style="text-align:center;", 2004 , ''

'' , rowspan="4",

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 genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. H ...

, , - , style="text-align:center;", 2007 , ''

'' , , - , style="text-align:center;", 2010 , '' It's Blitz!'' , , - , style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2,

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, ''

'' , , - , "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" ,

Best Alternative Music Performance The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Ho ...

, , - International Dance Music Awards , - , rowspan="3", 2010 , Themselves , Best Artist (Group) , , - , '' It's Blitz'' , Best Artist Album , , - , " Heads Will Roll" , Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track , MTV Video Music Awards , - , rowspan="4", 2004 , rowspan="4", "

" , Best Art Direction , , - , Best Editing , , - , Best Cinematography , , - ,

MTV2 Award MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, , - , 2009 , " Heads Will Roll" , Breakthrough Video , , - , rowspan="2",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, rowspan="2", "

" , Best Direction , , - , Best Cinematography , MVPA Awards , - , 2005 , " Y Control" , Best Alternative Video , , - , 2006 , "

" , Best Cinematography , , - , 2009 , "

" , Best Rock Video , mtvU Woodie Awards , - , 2004 , Themselves , Woodie of the Year , , - , 2009 , " Heads Will Roll" , Best Video Woodie , NME Awards , - , rowspan="2", 2003 , Themselves , Philip Hall Hot New Band Award , , - , rowspan="3",

, rowspan="3", Hottest Woman , , - , 2005 , , - , 2007 , , - , rowspan="2", 2010 , "

" , Best Dancefloor Filler , , - , Themselves , Best International Band , , - , 2011 ,

, Hottest Woman , New York Music Awards , - , 2011 , " Heads Will Roll" (

A-Trak Alain Macklovitch (born March 30, 1982), known by his stage name A-Trak, is a Canadian DJ, record producer, and record executive. He came to prominence in the late 2000s as an international club DJ and remix artist, known for incorporating highly ...

Remix) , Best Dance Remix , Rober Awards Music Poll , - , rowspan=4, 2009 , rowspan=2, Themselves , Best Rock Artist , , - , Band of the Year , , - , "

" , Song of the Year , , - , " Heads Will Roll" (

Remix) , Best Remix , Shortlist Music Prize , - , 2003 , ''

'' , Album of the Year , UK Music Video Awards , - , rowspan="2", 2013 , rowspan="2", "

" , Best Rock/Indie Video , , - , Best Editing , Žebřík Music Awards !Ref. , - , rowspan=2, 2009 ,

, Best International Female , , rowspan=2, , - , Themselves , Best International Discovery ,

Discography

Studio albums * ''

'' (2003) * ''

'' (2006) * '' It's Blitz!'' (2009) * ''

'' (2013) * ''

'' (2022)

References

External links

*
BBC artist page

early list of links to interviews, photos, etc.
"Yeah Yeah Yeahs: The Love Cats"
'' Exclaim!'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2000 establishments in New York City Alternative rock groups from New York (state) American art rock groups Dance-punk musical groups Fiction Records artists Indie rock musical groups from New York (state) Interscope Records artists Musical groups established in 2000 Musical groups from New York City American musical trios Modular Recordings artists Polydor Records artists Post-punk revival music groups Touch and Go Records artists Wichita Recordings artists Female-fronted musical groups Secretly Canadian artists