Show Your Bones

In early 2005, the band decided to scrap all of the songs they had written for the record so far and re-invent their style. Karen O said, "We're not interested in making Fever to Tell Part 2. The pressure is to re-invent ourselves. We don't know how we're going to do it yet but I think it's in our best interests to try and explore other directions." Guitarist Nick Zinner added, "It seems like a necessary step and the obvious thing to do is not repeat what you've played. I was disappointed by a lot of band's second records recently over the past year or two because it sounded like B-sides from the first record."{{cite web |author=WENN |author-link=World Entertainment News Network |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news-article/yeah-yeah-yeahs-scrap-songs-for-second-album |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Scrap Songs For Second Album |publisher=Contactmusic.com |date=March 23, 2005 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102071004/http://www.contactmusic.com/news-article/yeah-yeah-yeahs-scrap-songs-for-second-album |url-status=live }}

In an interview with Blender magazine, the band said during the writing and recording that they had almost broken up, calling that time one of their "darkest" moments.

In December 2005, producer Squeak E. Clean told MTV News that the band's second album would be a concept album about lead singer Karen O's cat, to be titled Coco Beware,{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs/21648 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album details revealed |work=NME |publisher=IPC Media |date=December 1, 2005 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=July 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725175040/http://www.nme.com/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs/21648 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Adams |first=Chip |url=http://www.thefader.com/2005/12/01/yeah-yeah-yeahs-have-been-hitting-the-catnip/ |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Have Been Hitting The Catnip |work=The Fader |date=December 1, 2005 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729145603/https://www.thefader.com/2005/12/01/yeah-yeah-yeahs-have-been-hitting-the-catnip/ |archive-date=July 29, 2014 |url-status=dead }} but this turned out to be untrue.

Spin described the sound on the album as a "more melodic" alternative rock, recalling Pixies, Belly and Siouxsie Sioux.[Yeah Yeah Yeahs] Spin February 2006.

{{Music ratings

| MC = 79/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/show-your-bones/yeah-yeah-yeahs/critic-reviews |title=Reviews for Show Your Bones by Yeah Yeah Yeahs |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=September 8, 2012 |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105191132/http://www.metacritic.com/music/show-your-bones/yeah-yeah-yeahs/critic-reviews |url-status=live }}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/show-your-bones-mw0000700572 |title=Show Your Bones – Yeah Yeah Yeahs |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=August 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805093503/http://www.allmusic.com/album/show-your-bones-mw0000700572 |url-status=live }}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2Score = B+{{cite web |last=Phipps |first=Keith |url=https://www.avclub.com/yeah-yeah-yeahs-show-your-bones-1798201551 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones |work=The A.V. Club |date=April 5, 2006 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530071036/http://www.avclub.com/articles/yeah-yeah-yeahs-show-your-bones%2C9156/ |url-status=live }}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = A−{{cite magazine |last=Browne |first=David |author-link=David Browne (journalist)|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2006/03/27/show-your-bones |title=Show Your Bones |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |issue=870 |date=March 31, 2006 |access-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222121219/http://ew.com/article/2006/03/27/show-your-bones/ |archive-date=December 22, 2016 |url-status=dead}}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite news |last=Simpson |first=Dave |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/mar/24/popandrock.shopping5 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Show Your Bones |newspaper=The Guardian |date=March 23, 2006 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-date=May 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527023558/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/mar/24/popandrock.shopping5 |url-status=live }}

| rev5 = Los Angeles Times

| rev5Score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}{{cite news |last=Appleford |first=Steve |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-04-et-yeahsalbum4-story.html |title=Mixing together loud hooks, loose emotions |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 4, 2006 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108154106/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/mar/04/entertainment/et-yeahsalbum4 |url-status=live }}

| rev6 = NME

| rev6Score = 8/10{{cite journal |last=Sterry |first=Mike |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/yeah-yeah-yeahs/7887 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones |journal=NME |date=March 24, 2006 |access-date=September 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065517/http://www.nme.com/reviews/yeah-yeah-yeahs/7887 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead}}

| rev7 = Pitchfork

| rev7Score = 6.8/10{{cite web |last=Deusner |first=Stephen M. |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8889-show-your-bones/ |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones |work=Pitchfork |date=March 26, 2006 |access-date=September 8, 2012 |archive-date=August 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825151204/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8889-show-your-bones/ |url-status=live }}

| rev8 = Q

| rev8Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones |journal=Q |issue=237 |date=April 2006 |page=110}}

| rev9 = Rolling Stone

| rev9Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Fricke |first=David |author-link=David Fricke |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/show-your-bones-20060320 |title=Show Your Bones |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=March 20, 2006 |access-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624161535/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/show-your-bones-20060320 |url-status=live }}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones |journal=Uncut |issue=107 |date=April 2006 |page=98}}

}}

Show Your Bones received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 35 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".

Most reviews were positive: E! Online gave the album an A− and said, "The group cuts through style in pursuit of substance, using Fever to Tell's slow-burning hit 'Maps' as a jump-off point." The Village Voice gave it a positive review and said it wasn't "the Yeahs' Room on Fire. Far from it."{{cite web |last=Catucci |first=Nick |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-03-21/music/loving-the-skin-they-re-in/ |title=Loving the Skin They're In |work=The Village Voice |date=2006-03-21 |access-date=2013-05-16 |archive-date=2014-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725191623/http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-03-21/music/loving-the-skin-they-re-in/ |url-status=dead }} Los Angeles Times gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of four and called it "minimalist rock with real feeling and a subversive, epic range." The A.V. Club gave it a B+ and said, "As before, the band's willingness to ground itself in human emotion sets it apart." Playlouder gave it a score of four stars out of five and said: "If 'Fever To Tell' was a scratchy post punk effort, then this is their gothic record."{{cite web|last=Doran |first=John |url=http://www.playlouder.com/review/+show-your-bones/ |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones (2006) review |publisher=Playlouder |date=2006-03-28 |access-date=2013-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060918183028/http://www.playlouder.com/review/%2Bshow-your-bones/ |archive-date=2006-09-18 |url-status=dead }} Alternative Press also gave it four stars out of five and called it "the sort of second album that, rather than being a sophomore slump, makes you anxiously wonder what albums three, four and five will sound like." musicOMH likewise gave the album four stars out of five and called it "the sound of a band irretrievably, irresistibly and deservedly hurtling towards the big time."{{cite web |last=Murphy |first=John |url=http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/yeah-yeah-yeahs-show-your-bones |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones |publisher=musicOMH |date=2006-03-27 |access-date=2013-05-16 |archive-date=2018-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616190419/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/yeah-yeah-yeahs-show-your-bones |url-status=live }} BBC Collective likewise gave it four stars out of five and simply said: "Short answer: it's good."{{cite web |last=Cowdery |first=James |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A10330840 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones |publisher=BBC Collective |date=2006-03-23 |access-date=2013-05-16 |archive-date=2006-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060325230133/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A10330840 |url-status=live }}

Yahoo! Music UK gave it a score of seven stars out of ten and called it "flawed, but applause for adding vulnerability to [the band's] game plan, at the very least."{{cite web|last=O'Connell |first=Sharon |url=http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/060331/33/203su.html |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: - 'Show Your Bones' |publisher=Yahoo! Music UK |date=2006-03-27 |access-date=2013-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829054225/http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/060331/33/203su.html |archive-date=2006-08-29 |url-status=dead}} Under the Radar also gave it seven stars out of ten and called it "a bit top-heavy" but "nonetheless rewarding". Prefix Magazine also gave it a positive review and called it "much more accessible than its predecessor, but there isn't really a 'Maps' to serve as a gateway."{{cite web |last=Sheppard |first=Justin |url=http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/yeah-yeah-yeahs/show-your-bones/15002/ |title=Album Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones |publisher=Prefix Magazine |date=2006-03-27 |access-date=2013-05-16 |archive-date=2014-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726052111/http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/yeah-yeah-yeahs/show-your-bones/15002/ |url-status=live }}

Other reviews are very average or mixed: Blender gave the album a score of three stars out of five and said of the band: "They're after something different here--it's just not as good as what they've left behind." Paste gave it a score of six out of ten and said that it was "replaced by a more temperate jangle". Now gave it three stars out of five and said, "It's time to move some units, so quirky's out and tunefulness is in." Billboard gave it an average review and said that "Much of the material... is more intimate and, at times, tentative." The New York Times also gave it an average review and said it "doesn't confide much, but it's a picture of a band that's not quite sure what to do next." The Guardian gave it two stars out of five and said that "despite finding some hooks worth pilfering, the band are still struggling to raise their game beyond White Stripes-goth-lite." The Austin Chronicle also gave it two stars out of five and said, "Gone is the glitzy art-punk, spastic freak-out, and unfathomable screaming. Here now instead is simple melody, nasal singing, and familiar songs."{{cite web |last=Stevens |first=Darcie |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2006-04-14/356685/ |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones (Interscope) |work=The Austin Chronicle |date=2006-04-14 |access-date=2013-05-16 |archive-date=2018-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527202512/https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2006-04-14/356685/ |url-status=live }}

The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2007 Grammy Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/package/redcarpet2007/article/0,,20006775_20010935,00.html |title=Winners & Nominees: Major Categories |work=People |publisher=Time |date=February 9, 2007 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923191410/http://www.people.com/people/package/redcarpet2007/article/0,,20006775_20010935,00.html |url-status=live }} In December 2006, the album was named the second best album of the year by NME magazine, as well as "Cheated Hearts" being voted the tenth best song. Rolling Stone magazine named it the forty-fourth best album of 2006, while Spin magazine ranked it number thirty-one on their list of the forty best albums of 2006. In 2009, Rhapsody ranked it number ten on the "Alt/Indie's Best Albums of the Decade" list.[http://blog.rhapsody.com/2009/11/altindie.html "Alt/Indie's Best Albums of the Decade"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091216025307/http://blog.rhapsody.com/2009/11/altindie.html |date=2009-12-16 }} Retrieved 12 January 2010. NME ranked it number thirty-two on their Top 100 Albums of the Decade list.[https://www.nme.com/list/the-top-100-greatest-albums-of-the-decade/158049/page/7 "Top 100 Albums of the Decade"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091120175213/http://www.nme.com/list/the-top-100-greatest-albums-of-the-decade/158049/page/7 |date=2009-11-20 }}.

Show Your Bones debuted at number eleven on the US Billboard 200 with 56,000 copies sold in its first week.{{cite magazine |last=Hasty |first=Katie |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58852/ti-rules-as-king-of-album-chart |title=T.I. Rules As 'King' Of Album Chart |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=April 5, 2006 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817014601/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58852/ti-rules-as-king-of-album-chart |url-status=live }} In the United Kingdom, the album had sold 112,819 copies by March 2009,{{cite web |url=http://business.highbeam.com/411456/article-1G1-195481805/key-releases-140309 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723133154/http://business.highbeam.com/411456/article-1G1-195481805/key-releases-140309 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 23, 2014 |title=Key Releases: 14.03.09. |work=Music Week |publisher=HighBeam Research |date=March 14, 2009 |access-date=July 16, 2014}} and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on July 22, 2013.{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United Kingdom|artist=Yeah Yeah Yeahs|title=Show Your Bones|type=album|date=July 22, 2013|accessdate=July 16, 2014|id=9651-240-2}} As of 2009, sales in the United States have reached 269,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0WL4O__HkSoC&q=tom+waits+album+sales&pg=PT31|title=Leak Builds 'Blitz!'|publisher=Billboard|date=28 March 2009|access-date=20 April 2018|archive-date=15 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215172737/https://books.google.com/books?id=0WL4O__HkSoC&q=tom+waits+album+sales&pg=PT31#v=snippet&q=tom%20waits%20album%20sales&f=false|url-status=live}}

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Yeah Yeah Yeahs

| title1 = Gold Lion

| length1 = 3:07

| title2 = Way Out

| length2 = 2:51

| title3 = Fancy

| length3 = 4:24

| title4 = Phenomena

| length4 = 4:10

| title5 = Honeybear

| length5 = 2:25

| title6 = Cheated Hearts

| length6 = 3:58

| title7 = Dudley

| length7 = 3:41

| title8 = Mysteries

| length8 = 2:35

| title9 = The Sweets

| length9 = 3:55

| title10 = Warrior

| length10 = 3:40

| title11 = Turn Into

| length11 = 4:05

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = UK edition bonus track

| title12 = Deja Vu

| length12 = 3:23

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks

| title12 = Deja Vu

| length12 = 3:23

| title13 = Gold Lion

| note13 = video

}}

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Show Your Bones.{{cite AV media notes |title=Show Your Bones |type=CD liner notes |others=Yeah Yeah Yeahs |publisher=Interscope Records |year=2006 |id=B0006337-02}}

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs – production
• Brian Chase – drums, percussion, guitar
• Karen O – lead vocals, omnichord, piano {{small|(all tracks)}}; mixing {{small|(tracks 4, 10, 11)}}
• Nick Zinner – guitar, mixing, keyboards

Additional personnel

{{div col}}

• Squeak E. Clean – engineering, handclap chorus, production
• Chris Coady – engineering, handclap chorus
• Jamie Daughters – photography
• Brooke Gillespie – handclap chorus, studio assistant
• Julian Gross – art direction, cover
• Alan "Ringo" Labiner – assistant engineering, handclap chorus
• Roger Lian – sequencing
• Marshmellow – concept
• Money Mark – keyboards {{small|(tracks 3, 4)}}
• Alan Moulder – mixing
• Peter Najera – assistant engineering
• Chris Rakestraw – assistant engineering
• Andrew Savours – assistant engineering
• David Andrew Sitek – additional production {{small|(all tracks)}}; MPC sampler {{small|(track 10)}}
• Howie Weinberg – mastering

{{div col end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

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{{col-end}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Yeah Yeah Yeahs}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2006 albums

Category:Albums produced by Dave Sitek

Category:Fiction Records albums

Category:Interscope Records albums

Category:Polydor Records albums

Category:Yeah Yeah Yeahs albums