About the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Karen O
So here's my first significant post.
Right now I'm listening to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Fever to Tell album for the 7th time tonight period.
This has got to be one of the most fascinating bands I've discovered in a long time. I just did yesterday almost by accident while sorting around various songs at the iTunes music store. I picked up the most popular song downloaded by them, which was a song called simply "maps". I really didn't appreciate it wholly until I heard the song completely.
The song starts with a intriguing drumbeat and a nailing guitar pointing... it almost seemed inviting. Then came Karen O's broken yet inviting voice... the rest was a mesmerizing experience. I am sure I've heard this song before on the radio, but I hadn't payed it any attention if I did hear it before.
Anyhow, as I said before this is one (if not THE one) of the most shock-experience bands I've heard this year. I had to listen to the whole album. It is quite different from what was introduced by Maps. Most of it has a lot taken from punk and trashy sounds. Yet, this is not a complete irreverent to the public album as I thought it would be.
I'm not going onto the whole album for now, but I must say some things about the Yeah Yeah Yeah's style. When I first listened to the first songs of the album one band name came running into my head: Sonic Youth. Yes, at least to me, they take a lot from Sonic Youth but it also seems to resemble Placebo somehow. Those poignant guitars work very well in setting a general vibe and mood to almost all their works. The same must be said about the drumming, which i have found to be one of the best in years of listening to grunge, trash, indie, punk and general rock (its rhythmic qualities are very well appreciated on "Y Control").
But this band has got to thank all their characteristic sound to one element alone: Karen O's singing. She reflects such a wide range of emotions it's completely mesmerizing. Her singing in maps it's almost desperate, as if calling out for someone just before breaking on a desperate yet silent cry. Yet she changes completely on the next song in the Fever to Tell's Y Control, in which we appreciate her as a full of energy and powerful yet controlled and clean voice that reminded me of some of the singing styles of the mid 80's full of up and lows.
Most people will agree that her voice in Bang (in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP) has her completely turned into a sexual element of playfulness that completely guides the song mood. The same happens for Art Star in that same EP, although here the playfulness of her doo-dee-doos around the song are combined with mad shrieks and screams. All in all, her voice is an incredible mood setter and guide to the band in itself.
One other thing to point in this band is their visual presentation. In a recent edition of Rolling Stone's magazine they were selected as the 8th best dressed and stylesetter musicians. Karen O also leads the way here. I read she's also a model and has appeared in the UK edition of Vogue. They've got an everlasting tastefulness to everything they wear onstage, which is really a surprise considering how anarchic and trashy Karen O sounds at her constant changes between shrieks, mad screams, aggressiveness, lusty moans, playfulness, cracking sorrowful sounds, etc.
This is THE most interesting band I have heard in a long time regarding their variety and easiness to create a mood and sonic escapes, at least in what garage sound has to do (I sincerely detest the White Stripes). I didn't really like garage music (at least its latest incarnation) until I heard some of The Strokes songs about a month ago. Now, this band was a complete eye opener for me. I'm going to keep listening for a while and hope I'll delve even further into them in times coming.
Right now I'm listening to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Fever to Tell album for the 7th time tonight period.
This has got to be one of the most fascinating bands I've discovered in a long time. I just did yesterday almost by accident while sorting around various songs at the iTunes music store. I picked up the most popular song downloaded by them, which was a song called simply "maps". I really didn't appreciate it wholly until I heard the song completely.
The song starts with a intriguing drumbeat and a nailing guitar pointing... it almost seemed inviting. Then came Karen O's broken yet inviting voice... the rest was a mesmerizing experience. I am sure I've heard this song before on the radio, but I hadn't payed it any attention if I did hear it before.
Anyhow, as I said before this is one (if not THE one) of the most shock-experience bands I've heard this year. I had to listen to the whole album. It is quite different from what was introduced by Maps. Most of it has a lot taken from punk and trashy sounds. Yet, this is not a complete irreverent to the public album as I thought it would be.
I'm not going onto the whole album for now, but I must say some things about the Yeah Yeah Yeah's style. When I first listened to the first songs of the album one band name came running into my head: Sonic Youth. Yes, at least to me, they take a lot from Sonic Youth but it also seems to resemble Placebo somehow. Those poignant guitars work very well in setting a general vibe and mood to almost all their works. The same must be said about the drumming, which i have found to be one of the best in years of listening to grunge, trash, indie, punk and general rock (its rhythmic qualities are very well appreciated on "Y Control").
But this band has got to thank all their characteristic sound to one element alone: Karen O's singing. She reflects such a wide range of emotions it's completely mesmerizing. Her singing in maps it's almost desperate, as if calling out for someone just before breaking on a desperate yet silent cry. Yet she changes completely on the next song in the Fever to Tell's Y Control, in which we appreciate her as a full of energy and powerful yet controlled and clean voice that reminded me of some of the singing styles of the mid 80's full of up and lows.
Most people will agree that her voice in Bang (in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP) has her completely turned into a sexual element of playfulness that completely guides the song mood. The same happens for Art Star in that same EP, although here the playfulness of her doo-dee-doos around the song are combined with mad shrieks and screams. All in all, her voice is an incredible mood setter and guide to the band in itself.
One other thing to point in this band is their visual presentation. In a recent edition of Rolling Stone's magazine they were selected as the 8th best dressed and stylesetter musicians. Karen O also leads the way here. I read she's also a model and has appeared in the UK edition of Vogue. They've got an everlasting tastefulness to everything they wear onstage, which is really a surprise considering how anarchic and trashy Karen O sounds at her constant changes between shrieks, mad screams, aggressiveness, lusty moans, playfulness, cracking sorrowful sounds, etc.
This is THE most interesting band I have heard in a long time regarding their variety and easiness to create a mood and sonic escapes, at least in what garage sound has to do (I sincerely detest the White Stripes). I didn't really like garage music (at least its latest incarnation) until I heard some of The Strokes songs about a month ago. Now, this band was a complete eye opener for me. I'm going to keep listening for a while and hope I'll delve even further into them in times coming.
1 Comments:
w00t! i positively love the yeah yeah yeahs. particularly maps, date with the night, and rich. this is a fabulous music blog dude! can i like you on my site? oh please, why do i ask about linking when i know i will do it anyways.
damselindistress.blogspot.com
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