Album: Fever To Tell
Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Born: Greenwich Village, New York
Released: April 2003
Genre: Garage Rock
I'm sure I wasn't the only person to have a crush on Yeah Yeah Yeahs' lead singer Karen Orzalek. Great female rock vocalists -- I'm thinking Janis Joplin, Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey -- are a rare commodity, and Karen O's charisma was definitely a huge part of the group's appeal. Like another New York group that were inspired by garage rock (The Strokes), the trio were subject to overwhelming hype by the music press, with Karen O especially lavished with adoration for her fashion, feminism and attitude. YYY's second EP, Machine (2002), was the source of much of the excitement, causing record labels to scrabble for the band's signature. Initially, YYY retreated from the spotlight fearing they didn't have enough good material to constitute an LP, but after some time working on songs they went into the studio in Brooklyn in April 2003, under the stewardship of producer Dave Sitek (of TV On The Radio). Alan Moulder, who had worked with Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral), My Bloody Valentine and The Smashing Pumpkins, mixed Fever To Tell. To my mind, this rush to record is evident on the album, especially its middle section which loses its way slightly, but there are enough great songs on the LP to make it the best and most groundbreaking YYY album (just ahead of 2009's It's Blitz!). Perhaps the most memorable of all the record's songs is Maps, on which guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase mix guitar powerchords and riffs with military drums, a cinematic sound that's achieved without the input of a bass player.
Maps was written by Karen O, about her relationship with Liars frontman Angus Andrew ("I'll stay the same / pack up / don't stray"), and became a Top 40 hit in the UK. The song's already reached the status of indie rock standard, with The White Stripes and Arcade Fire both covering it. Karen O's delivery is particularly distinctive, reminiscent of Blondie's Debbie Harry, while the music is inspired by angular post-punk and early 90s "riot grrrl" groups such as Bikini Kill and Babes In Toyland. Few other songs share its warmth on the record, lovely closer Modern Romance being one exception. Other highlights for me are Date With The Night, Y Control and Black Tongue, especially the latter with its catchy chorus full of attitude and great rock & roll line ("Lets do this like a prison break / I want to see you scream and shake"). Sure, some of Karen O's squealing on certain tracks and the dub reggae pastiche of No No No are wrong turns, but they don't detract from the album's overall appeal. The final run of three songs on the record is especially impressive. New York has always had a vibrant musical culture and YYY's heady mix of guitar riffs and garage rock with disco and techno beats looked both to the past and the future.
I'm sure I wasn't the only person to have a crush on Yeah Yeah Yeahs' lead singer Karen Orzalek. Great female rock vocalists -- I'm thinking Janis Joplin, Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey -- are a rare commodity, and Karen O's charisma was definitely a huge part of the group's appeal. Like another New York group that were inspired by garage rock (The Strokes), the trio were subject to overwhelming hype by the music press, with Karen O especially lavished with adoration for her fashion, feminism and attitude. YYY's second EP, Machine (2002), was the source of much of the excitement, causing record labels to scrabble for the band's signature. Initially, YYY retreated from the spotlight fearing they didn't have enough good material to constitute an LP, but after some time working on songs they went into the studio in Brooklyn in April 2003, under the stewardship of producer Dave Sitek (of TV On The Radio). Alan Moulder, who had worked with Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral), My Bloody Valentine and The Smashing Pumpkins, mixed Fever To Tell. To my mind, this rush to record is evident on the album, especially its middle section which loses its way slightly, but there are enough great songs on the LP to make it the best and most groundbreaking YYY album (just ahead of 2009's It's Blitz!). Perhaps the most memorable of all the record's songs is Maps, on which guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase mix guitar powerchords and riffs with military drums, a cinematic sound that's achieved without the input of a bass player.
Maps was written by Karen O, about her relationship with Liars frontman Angus Andrew ("I'll stay the same / pack up / don't stray"), and became a Top 40 hit in the UK. The song's already reached the status of indie rock standard, with The White Stripes and Arcade Fire both covering it. Karen O's delivery is particularly distinctive, reminiscent of Blondie's Debbie Harry, while the music is inspired by angular post-punk and early 90s "riot grrrl" groups such as Bikini Kill and Babes In Toyland. Few other songs share its warmth on the record, lovely closer Modern Romance being one exception. Other highlights for me are Date With The Night, Y Control and Black Tongue, especially the latter with its catchy chorus full of attitude and great rock & roll line ("Lets do this like a prison break / I want to see you scream and shake"). Sure, some of Karen O's squealing on certain tracks and the dub reggae pastiche of No No No are wrong turns, but they don't detract from the album's overall appeal. The final run of three songs on the record is especially impressive. New York has always had a vibrant musical culture and YYY's heady mix of guitar riffs and garage rock with disco and techno beats looked both to the past and the future.
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