Good good

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLi91egdbbk]YouTube - yeah yeah yeahs: zero[/ame]

http://site.yeahyeahyeahs.com/

The album has leaked, it's awesome

ahhhhh, i want eeeet!

trippy cover

Just listening to some of the new songs. They're awesome. Definitely checking this album out in its entirety when it comes out.

This might be my favourite album so far this year. We'll see if I still love it in a few weeks.

Karen O: Blitzed Out?

 

In 2009, leaks are as expected in a new album's gestation as advance singles and tour announcements. These days, it's not a question of if a record will leak, but rather when: how long before an anticipated record's intended release date will it be torrented and Rapidshared across the known universe. Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third LP, It's Blitz!, found its way online almost two full months before its original April 14 release date. Even Kanye posted a leaked track on his blog. In an effort to curb the illegal proliferation, It's Blitz hits digital outlets this week, while the physical edition comes out March 31 in the U.S. (April 6 elsewhere) via Interscope.

 

We called YYY lead singer Karen O in L.A. last week to check in on the revamped roll out. Though she's one of the fiercest, stage-swallowing performers in all of rock, she sounded tentative and down-to-earth on the phone; when we complimented the clearly phenomenal It's Blitz! cover, she reacted with a seemingly relieved-- and refreshing-- graciousness. With choppers flying over her head ("usually they're searching for gang bangers," she tossed off), Ms. O filled us in on the realities of release date drama, the sound and look of It's Blitz!, and living out her rock star fantasies.

 

Pitchfork: How did you find out that the album leaked?

 

Karen O: Bradford [Cox] from Deerhunter texted me and said, "Honey, your album's leaked." He's had some experience with that type of thing.

 

Pitchfork: Was it a tough decision to bump up the release date?

 

KO: Not really-- it just doesn't make sense to hold onto it. But it caught us off guard. Like, we're just starting to get the album together live now-- originally, we thought we'd be in tip-top shape when it came out. Psychologically, it's a challenge because we wanted to build toward a date, get excitement up, and release it so everyone had it at once. But I guess that doesn't really happen anymore. We're still kinda stuck in 2003 [laughs]-- I mean, even 2006 was a totally different time to release a record than 2009. It's insane how quickly everything's changed. I always feel like I'm running hard to catch up.

 

Pitchfork: Would you consider yourself internet savvy?

 

KO: Not so much.

 

Pitchfork: But you, like, have a computer...

 

KO: A what?! [laughs] Yeah, I have a computer. But my screensaver is just, like, the Macintosh industry standard.

 

Pitchfork: Do you know how the record managed to sneak out?

 

KO: They've narrowed it down to a production-related thing, which is really bizarre because we had no idea anyone was putting it in that sort of jeopardy. We were hoping to get the album manufactured as late as possible because it's a no-brainer that a lot of records leak that way.

 

Pitchfork: Well, on the bright side, Kanye West posted a new track on his blog.

 

KO: Oh really? Wow. [laughs] I guess we're on the radar. I checked out his blog a while ago. He's constantly updating it, right? He's dedicated.

 

Pitchfork: What's the story behind the "Zero" video? Who directed it?

 

KO: Barnaby Clay did it, we shot it on the streets of San Francisco over two nights a couple weeks ago. It's one of the simplest videos we've done-- a lot of me walking around and joining up with the guys here and there. But I'm trying to live out a rock star fantasy of what I'd want to look and act like with this record, things I've always secretly been smacking my lips about.

 

Pitchfork: That's funny because it seems like you've been living out your rock star fantasies this entire time.

 

KO: Oh yeah, I know. But this is the autumn of our rock career; I'm making sure to cover all the bases. Like, I've always wanted a leather jacket like Michael Jackson's in "Thriller" since I was a kid. I'm trying to incorporate a lot of elements of pop culture that I've always revered or was really into when I was young.

 

Pitchfork: As far as fashion goes, I thought your "tinsel period" was particularly inspired.

 

KO: [laughs] Yeah, we really grasped onto the whole tinsel look for a little bit. It's like a holiday party all the time.

 

Pitchfork: I assume that's your hand on the It's Blitz cover...

 

KO: Yes, that is my hand. I wanted to work with an artist from New York City for the artwork, kind of like Sonic Youth and what they do with their record covers. It was conceived by Urs Fischer-- who's Swiss, but based in New York-- and we shot it together. It's exactly what I was looking for.

 

Pitchfork: How many eggs did you have to break to get that shot?

 

KO: Just a handful. We got the system down pretty quickly.

 

Pitchfork: And I thought it was impossible to break an egg with one hand...

 

KO: It is impossible. You have to make a tiny hole at the top-- the smaller the hole, the bigger the splash.

 

Pitchfork: There are a lot less yelpy Karen O-isms on the new album. Did you go out of your way to scale back on that vocal style?

 

KO: There were definitely a couple songs that called for that [yelpy] persona. But for the ones that didn't call for it, I just left it. I try to sing whatever the music makes me feel. And we play so much music from the other records at shows that I hope no one will miss the old style too much.

 

Pitchfork: Putting two of the dreamiest songs, "Soft Shock" and "Skeletons", back-to-back near the beginning of the record seems like a ballsy move.

 

KO: We really love those songs. What was really important in the process of making this record was that we made them in a really conventional, organic way at first. We had no idea that this was going to turn into more of an electronic-sounding record in the beginning. What I like least about electronic music is that there's often an emotional detachment, so it was really important for me to avoid that.

 

Pitchfork: So you never bought into the whole Kraftwerk idea of making art out of that electronic detachment?

 

KO: Not really. That's always kept me away from electronic music in a way.

Pitchfork: Given the number of slow jams on the album, the title seems like something of a bait-and-switch.

 

KO: It is, I know. [laughs] It sounds like it's going to be our most punk record-- it's punk in spirit, at least. There's definitely more "bliss" for me on there than "blitz," but with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs there's always got to be that "tz" at the end. Otherwise, it doesn't feel like us.

Posted by Ryan Dombal on March 11, 2009 at 1 a.m.

http://pitchfork.com/news/34796-karen-o-blitzed-out/

Acoustic versions of the new songs are amazing. Check em out.

Its Blitz has been labelled with Universal Acclaim on Metacritic. very deserving for a very good and creative band.

Very deserving.

Just listened to the album, it's amazing! :wacky:

my fave album of the year so far :)

what new album? where when how?

^^

 

i'm assuming you're being serious.

 

the new album is called It's Blitz. lead single is called Zero and i'm sure the next will be Heads Will Roll and there's a great song called Runaway

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGxBTsmuRIk]YouTube - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero[/ame]

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDkc40AD_lo]YouTube - Heads Will Roll[/ame]

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QqArc12juQ]YouTube - Runaway - Yeah Yeah Yeahs[/ame]

Those are my three favorite off the album. ^

 

:heart:

zero and runaway are great

Heads Will Roll, Soft Shock, and Hysteric are my favs.

has anyone seen YYY live?

thank god we have a thread for this band!!!

 

 

and no i havent seen them live but im dieing to one day see them live!!! IT WOULD BE AWESOME :cool:

 

:wacky:

I want to see them live so badly too. :bigcry:

One of the better albums I've heard so far this year. Really like "Runaway".

Would you guys say that their latest album is definitely worth a listen?

YES!