Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Karen Orzolek and Brian Chase 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 and met Nick Zinner, a student at Bard College, 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.{{cite web|url=http://ladygunn.com/music/emily-haines-of-metric-interview |title=YYYs shared a loft with Metric |date=November 28, 2010 |publisher=Ladygunn.com |access-date=October 9, 2011}} 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 bands Karen O was exposed to at Oberlin.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/feb/26/popandrock.yeahyeahyeahs|title=Lynsey Hansley talks to Yeah Yeah Yeahs| first=Lynsey| last=Hanley|authorlink=Lynsey Hanley|date=February 26, 2006|work=The Guardian| access-date=April 15, 2009}} After the drummer they initially recruited bowed out, Chase joined the lineup.

The band wrote a slew of songs at their first rehearsal and soon wound up supporting the Strokes and the White Stripes, 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.{{cite web| url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jerry+Teel| title=Jerry Teel| work=Discogs|access-date=April 15, 2009}} Early the next year, they stepped into the international spotlight, appearing at SXSW, touring the U.S. with Girls Against Boys, and Europe with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and headlining their own U.K. tour. Wichita Recordings distributed the group's EP in the U.K. and Touch and Go reissued it in the States.{{cite web| url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/yeah_yeah_yeahs/artist.jhtml| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051216100305/http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/yeah_yeah_yeahs/artist.jhtml| url-status=dead| archive-date=December 16, 2005| title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs|publisher=mtv| access-date=April 15, 2009}}

In 2003, the band released their debut album, Fever to Tell, which received several strong critical reviews and sold more than 750,000 copies worldwide. The album's third single, "Maps", received significant airplay on alternative radio. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked "Maps" as 386th in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. 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 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.

In November 2009, NME rated Fever to Tell the fifth-best album of the decade.{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/the-strokes/48412 |title=The Strokes' 'Is This It' tops NME albums of the decade list |access-date=November 17, 2009 |date=November 17, 2009 |work=NME News }}

File:Karen O, Tim Festival.jpg

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' second album, Show Your Bones, was released on March 28, 2006. Karen O told online zine Drowned in Sound, "Show Your Bones is what happens when you put your finger in a light socket", crediting "9-year old antigenius wonder-kid Drake Barrett for the insight."{{cite news |first=Colin |last=Roberts |url=http://drownedinsound.com/news/562122 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs LP and single details, yeah |work=Drowned In Sound |date=January 11, 2006 |access-date=November 19, 2008 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216102602/http://drownedinsound.com/news/562122 |url-status=dead }} The first single from the album, "Gold Lion", was released on March 20, 2006, reaching number 18 in the Official UK Singles Chart.

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 festival.

In December 2006, the album was named second-best album of the year by NME magazine, and "Cheated Hearts" was voted tenth-best song. Rolling Stone 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, 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.{{cite news |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43606-yeah-yeah-yeahs-to-release-new-ep-of-old-songs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307024159/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43606-yeah-yeah-yeahs-to-release-new-ep-of-old-songs |archive-date=March 7, 2008 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Release New EP of Old Songs |last=Maher |first=Dave |date=July 13, 2006 |work=Pitchfork |access-date=September 17, 2009 |url-status=dead}} Three of the five tracks were featured on the Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow DVD.

File:Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Glastonbury 2009.jpg, 2009]]

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' next album was released in March 2009 and titled It's Blitz!.{{cite web| url=https://pitchfork.com/news/34436-new-yeah-yeah-yeahs-album-iits-blitzi/| title=New Yeah Yeah Yeahs Album: It's Blitz| date=January 21, 2009| work=Pitchfork Media| author=Breihan, Tom| access-date=April 15, 2009| archive-date=March 12, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312075151/http://pitchfork.com/news/34436-new-yeah-yeah-yeahs-album-iits-blitzi/| url-status=dead}} The band stated the album sounds different from their previous ones but "still [sounds] like Yeah Yeah Yeahs". It was originally set to be published on April 13, but following an internet leak on February 22, the band's label, Interscope, pulled the release date closer to reduce the leak's impact.{{cite web| url=https://www.nme.com/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs/43188| title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs to release album early due to leak| date=March 3, 2009|work=NME |access-date=April 15, 2009}} The album spawned three singles: "Zero", "Heads Will Roll", and "Skeletons".

It's Blitz! was named second-best album of 2009 by Spin Magazine and third-best by NME, along with "Zero" from the album listed as the best track of the year by both.{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/gallery/40-best-albums-2009?page=39|title=The 40 Best Albums of 2009|date=December 7, 2009|work=Spin|access-date=December 17, 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/list/50-best-albums-of-2009/159978/|title=50 Best Albums of 2009|work=NME|date=December 2, 2009|access-date=December 13, 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/list/50-best-tracks-of-2009/159979|title=50 Best Tracks of 2009|work=NME|date=December 2, 2009|access-date=December 13, 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2010/01/20-best-songs-2009/|title=The 20 Best Songs of 2009|author=Spin Staff|date=December 7, 2009|work=Spin|access-date=December 17, 2009}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs/60897|title=Karen O: 'I have been working on new Yeah Yeah Yeahs music'|publisher=NME.com|access-date=December 12, 2012}} On January 14, 2013, it was announced via their official Facebook page that the new album would be titled Mosquito. It was released on April 16, of the same year.{{cite web|title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs's Facebook|website=Facebook|url=https://www.facebook.com/yeahyeahyeahs/posts/585043118189140/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/20460316308/585043118189140 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |url-access=limited|access-date=January 14, 2013}}{{cbignore}} The album features production by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek, Nick Launay, and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy.{{cite web|title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Go 'Raw, Chaotic, Dreamy' on April Album 'Mosquito'|date=January 14, 2013|url=https://www.spin.com/2013/01/yeah-yeah-yeahs-mosquito-new-album-april-karen-o/|access-date=January 14, 2013}} The first single, "Sacrilege", was released on February 15, 2013.{{cite web|title= Yeah Yeah Yeahs Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/YYYs/status/304324067857670145|access-date=February 20, 2013}} "Despair" was released as the second single on July 23, 2013.{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/despair-single/1446738287 |title=iTunes – Music – Despair – Single – Yeah Yeah Yeahs |date=January 2013 |publisher=iTunes Store |access-date=July 31, 2013}}

File:Yeah Yeah Yeahs Ventura.jpg, 2013]]

In December 2014, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs went on hiatus.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/karen-o/81883 |title=Karen O says Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'are on a bit of a hiatus' |publisher=Nme.com |date=December 22, 2014 |access-date=October 27, 2015}} In 2016, the band received writing credits on the Beyoncé single "Hold Up".{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7348295/beyonce-lemonade-credit-hold-up-ezra-koenig-yeah-yeah-yeahs-vampire-weekend|title=Here's How Ezra Koenig Squeezed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Maps' Into Beyonce's 'Lemonade'|website=Billboard.com|date=April 26, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2017}}

File:Yeah Yeah Yeahs Corona Capital Guadalajara.jpg

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"{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs-announce-first-concert-in-four-years-w488815|title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Announce First Concert in Four Years|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=June 21, 2017}} The Sound on Sound festival was subsequently cancelled.{{cite web|last1=Stith|first1=Deborah|title=Sound on Sound Fest 2017 cancelled after main investor pulls out|url=https://www.austin360.com/entertainment/music/sound-sound-fest-2017-canceled-due-recent-roadblocks/8UepbahmfboYUskx0kHmnN/|website=austin360}}

On May 26, 2018, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played at All Points Festival in Victoria Park, London.{{cite web|title=Why We're So Excited About Yeah Yeah Yeahs' UK Comeback This Weekend |url=https://diymag.com/2018/05/22/yeah-yeah-yeahs-all-points-east-2018-get-excited-about |website=diymag.com |date=May 22, 2018 |access-date=July 9, 2020}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/yeah-yeah-yeahs-announce-fever-to-tell-reissue-share-unreleased-song-listen/|title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Announce Fever to Tell Reissue, Share Unreleased Song: Listen {{!}} Pitchfork|website=pitchfork.com|date=September 26, 2017|language=en|access-date=September 27, 2017}}

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 in Los Angeles, California, the Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland, California, and Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.

In June 2022, the band announced that they would be releasing the album Cool It Down 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, on June 1.{{Cite news |last=Gotrich |first=Lars |date=June 7, 2022 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs (feat. Perfume Genius), 'Spitting Off the Edge of the World' |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/now-playing/2022/06/07/1103490152/yeah-yeah-yeahs-feat-perfume-genius-spitting-off-the-edge-of-the-world |access-date=July 8, 2022}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Tinoco |first=Armando |date=September 24, 2022 |title='Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Sets Guest Lineup as Late-Night Host Goes Back to Brooklyn for a Week |url=https://deadline.com/2022/09/jimmy-kimmel-live-guests-lineup-brooklyn-1235126334/ |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=Deadline }}{{Cite web |date=September 30, 2022 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Give Volcanic 'Kimmel' Performance & Release New Album 'Cool It Down': Watch & Stream |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2201284/watch-yeah-yeah-yeahs-volcanic-kimmel-performance-stream-their-new-album-cool-it-down/news/ |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=Stereogum }}

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, and Siouxsie and the Banshees".{{cite web |last=Gross |first=Joe |url=https://www.spin.com/2013/04/yeah-yeah-yeahs-mosquito-interscope/ |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'Mosquito' (Interscope) |work=Spin |date=April 15, 2013 |access-date=November 8, 2015}}

• Karen O – vocals, piano, keyboards
• Nick Zinner – guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers
• Brian Chase – drums, percussion

Antville Music Video Awards

{{award table}}

|-

| rowspan="2" | 2006

| rowspan="2" | "Gold Lion"

| Best Cinematography

| {{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="2" | Best Performance Video

| {{won}}

|-

| rowspan="4" | 2013

| "Despair"

| {{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="3" | "Sacrilege"

| Video of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

| Best Narrative

| {{won}}

|-

| Best Editing

| {{won}}

{{end}}

BMI London Awards

{{award table}}

|-

| 2007

| "Gold Lion"

| Pop Award

| {{won}}

{{end}}

Best Art Vinyl

{{award table}}

!Ref.

|-

| 2022

| Cool It Down

| Best Vinyl Art

| {{nom}}

| {{cite news|title=Best Art Vinyl 2022 |url=https://artvinyl.com/award-year/2022/ |website=artvinyl.com |access-date=June 26, 2023}}

{{end}}

D&AD Awards

{{award table}}

|-

| 2005

| "Y Control"

| Direction

| {{won|place=Gold|Yellow Pencil}}

|-

| rowspan=2|2014

| rowspan=2|"Sacrilege"

| Cinematography

| {{won|place=Bronze|Wood Pencil}}

|-

| Editing

| {{won|place=Silver|Graphite Pencil}}

{{end}}

Grammy Awards

{{awards table}}

|-

| style="text-align:center;"| 2004

| Fever to Tell{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1484284/20040112/white_stripes.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040114054004/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1484284/20040112/white_stripes.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 14, 2004|title=White Stripes To Perform At Grammy Awards|first=Joe|last=D'Angelo|date=January 12, 2004|access-date=April 29, 2010|publisher=MTV}}

| rowspan="4"| Best Alternative Music Album

| {{nom}}

|-

| style="text-align:center;"| 2007

| Show Your Bones{{cite web|url=http://www2.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_show/list.aspx#05 |title=49th Annual Grammy Awards Winners List |publisher=Grammy Awards |access-date=April 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20061220160454/http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx |archive-date=December 20, 2006 }}

| {{nom}}

|-

| style="text-align:center;"| 2010

| It's Blitz!{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/beyonce/48701|title=Grammy nominations 2010 announced – Beyonce, Lady Gaga, MGMT shortlisted|access-date=April 29, 2010|date=December 3, 2009|work=NME|publisher=IPC Media}}

| {{nom}}

|-

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2| 2023

| Cool It Down

| {{nom}}

|-

| "Spitting Off the Edge of the World"

|Best Alternative Music Performance

| {{nom}}

|-

{{end}}

International Dance Music Awards

{{awards table}}

|-

| rowspan="3"| 2010

| Themselves

| Best Artist (Group)

| {{nom}}

|-

| It's Blitz

| Best Artist Album

| {{nom}}

|-

| "Heads Will Roll"

| Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track

| {{nom}}

{{end}}

Libera Awards

{{awards table}}

|-

| rowspan="2"|2023

| "Spitting Off the Edge of the World"

| Video of the Year

|{{nom}}

|-

| Cool It Down

| Marketing Genius

|{{nom}}

{{end}}

MTV Video Music Awards

{{awards table}}

|-

| rowspan="4"|2004

| rowspan="4"|"Maps"

| Best Art Direction

|{{nom}}

|-

| Best Editing

|{{nom}}

|-

| Best Cinematography

|{{nom}}

|-

| MTV2 Award

|{{nom}}

|-

| 2009

| "Heads Will Roll"

| Breakthrough Video

|{{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="2"|2013

| rowspan="2"|"Sacrilege"

| Best Direction

|{{nom}}

|-

| Best Cinematography

|{{nom}}

{{end}}

MVPA Awards

{{award table}}

|-

| 2005

| "Y Control"

| Best Alternative Video

| {{won}}

|-

| 2006

| "Gold Lion"

| Best Cinematography

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2009

| "Zero"

| Best Rock Video

| {{won}}

{{end}}

mtvU Woodie Awards

{{award table}}

|-

| 2004

| Themselves

| Woodie of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2009

| "Heads Will Roll"

| Best Video Woodie

| {{nom}}

{{end}}

NME Awards

{{awards table}}

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2003

| Themselves

| Philip Hall Hot New Band Award

|{{won}}

|-

| rowspan="3"| Karen O

| rowspan="3"| Hottest Woman

|{{nom}}

|-

| 2005

|{{nom}}

|-

| 2007

|{{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="2"|2010

| "Zero"

| Best Dancefloor Filler

|{{nom}}

|-

| Themselves

| Best International Band

|{{nom}}

|-

| 2011

| Karen O

| Hottest Woman

|{{won}}

{{end}}

New York Music Awards

{{award table}}

|-

| 2011

| "Heads Will Roll" (A-Trak Remix)

| Best Dance Remix

| {{won}}

{{end}}

Rober Awards Music Poll

{{award table}}

|-

| rowspan=4|2009

| rowspan=2|Themselves

| Best Rock Artist

| {{won}}

|-

| Band of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

| "Zero"

| Song of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

| "Heads Will Roll" (A-Trak Remix)

| Best Remix

| {{nom}}

{{end}}

Shortlist Music Prize

{{awards table}}

|-

| 2003

| Fever to Tell

| Album of the Year

|{{nom}}

{{end}}

UK Music Video Awards

{{awards table}}

|-

| rowspan="2"|2013

| rowspan="2"|"Sacrilege"

| Best Rock/Indie Video

|{{won}}

|-

| Best Editing

|{{won}}

{{end}}

Virgin Media Music Awards

{{award table}}

!Ref.

|-

| 2004

| Themselves

| Most Innovative Act

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web|title=Virgin.net music awards |url=http://www.virgin.net/music/awards2004/results.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050505073147/http://www.virgin.net/music/awards2004/results.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 5, 2005 |website=virgin.net |date=May 5, 2005 |access-date=July 14, 2024}}

{{end}}

Žebřík Music Awards

{{award table}}

!Ref.

|-

| rowspan=2|2009

| Karen O

| Best International Female

| {{nom}}

| rowspan=2|{{Cite web|url=https://www.anketazebrik.cz/historie/2010-2004/|title=2010-2004 – Anketa Žebřík|website=Anketazebrik.cz|access-date=April 8, 2022}}

|-

| Themselves

| Best International Discovery

| {{nom}}

{{end}}

{{main|Yeah Yeah Yeahs discography}}

Studio albums

• Fever to Tell (2003)
• Show Your Bones (2006)
• It's Blitz! (2009)
• Mosquito (2013)
• Cool It Down (2022)

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Yeah Yeah Yeahs}}

• {{Official website|yeahyeahyeahs.com}}
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/584c04d2-4acc-491b-8a0a-e63133f4bfc4 BBC artist page]
• [http://pinstand.com/pins/yyy.html YYY Pins], early list of links to interviews, photos, etc.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090712052109/http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=79&csid2=778&fid1=1003 "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: The Love Cats"], Exclaim!

{{Yeah Yeah Yeahs}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yeah Yeah Yeahs}}

Category:2000 establishments in New York City

Category:Alternative rock groups from New York (state)

Category:American art rock groups

Category:American dance-punk musical groups

Category:American post-punk revival music groups

Category:Art punk groups

Category:Female-fronted musical groups

Category:Fiction Records artists

Category:Indie rock musical groups from New York (state)

Category:Interscope Records artists

Category:Mixed-gender musical trios

Category:Musical groups established in 2000

Category:Musical trios from New York (state)

Category:Modular Recordings artists

Category:Polydor Records artists

Category:Rock music groups from New York City

Category:Secretly Canadian artists

Category:Touch and Go Records artists

Category:Wichita Recordings artists