Halfway between Fever to Tell's saucy rave-ups and the somber, slower sound of Show Your Bones, the Is Is EP is a welcome reminder of how potent the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are when they're firing on all cylinders. It also reaffirms that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs may be at their best on their EPs: Is Is delivers sleekly nasty rockers and vulnerable moments that are often more focused than the band's album tracks. Though the songs here are balanced between the extremes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' sound, their performances sound wilder than they have in a while, and the production -- which is neither too raw nor overcooked with studio fussing -- shows them off perfectly. "Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow" is savage and spare, taking hairpin turns from precision to chaos as Karen O unleashes vocals befitting her rep as one of the iconic women in ock of the 2000s. Nick Zinner and Brian Chase sound just as fiery and inspired on "Kiss Kiss," one of the soaring, earnest songs the Yeah Yeah Yeahs deliver from time to time just to show that they're not too cool to sound excited. Is Is's slower songs keep the energy and focus of the louder tracks: despite its dominatrixy title, "Down Boy" sounds a little like a slowed-down version of Show Your Bones' "Phenomenon" -- or even a little bit like a much slower cover of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" -- and "10 X 10" shows that O's prettier style of singing can fit into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' sound just as well as her feral side. Not surprisingly, Is Is' title track is the standout, a majestic, fiery, and heartbroken epic that feels like the opposite of "Maps." Most of the songs here were written in the time between Fever to Tell and Show Your Bones and seemed to disappear after they were previewed on the Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow concert DVD, so it's nice to see them get a proper release. Is Is may not be the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' most immediately accessible music, but it is some of their most compelling work in some time.
*I'm back...* didn't even intentionally mean to be away... but friends & family abounded this holiday season (least the past week plus they did) & though *I love you all bunches & bunches of HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS(TM)*, there is _+nothing+_ that compares to hanging with my friends & family. This year really took the cake *_(or should I say pie) ?!?_* Either way, I will try to be more present, ...
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Following the release of their new EP Is Is on July 24th, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will play two weeks worth of shows in select cities. The gigs fill in empty dates between festival apearances including both the Virgin Festival in Baltimore and Lollapalooza in Chicago.August tour dates:08-01 Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre08-02 Columbia, MO - The Blue Note08-04 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)...
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The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have become bi-coastal with Karen O officially living on the west coast now, and Nick and Brian still in NYC. I'm sure they will keep in touch, and I hope this enables them to get a much-deserved break from writing, producing and performing. Even if it's just long enough to catch their breath. Associated Press writer took advantage of the breathing room and caught up with...
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From the online home of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs comes news of their MTV prowress:YYYs GO SUBTERRANEANWe’re guest hosting subterranean on MTV2 this weekend. Be sure to tune in and check out our video picks!!!Subterranean 8/27/07with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs1AM on MTV2http://subterraneanblog.comxoyyysWatch out - that time is in the wee hours of Monday morning, which means 1 am Sunday night, right...In oth.
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Just when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs thought they could go home and rest, they got an offer they couldn't refuse! October 4th in the Year of the Fire Pig, triple Y will be rocking Beijing at the Modern Sky Festival. It's the first festival of its kind created by the Chinese indie label, Modern Sky. It's a 3-day outdoor music festival with 120 bands and musicians and headlined by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs...
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There's a great article/interview about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Karen O, Nick Z describing their new album Is Is over on MTV.com right now. I can't tell where Brian Chase was for this interview, but Karen and Nick have plenty to say about where the music comes from, how it relates to their other albums, and the filming of the night-vision videos that accompany the music. MTV also has a strin...
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I was a bit surprised there were no Cali shows on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs itinerary. I guess they were too, because here is the announcement of 2 Cali shows being added. From their website:LEFT COASTERS WE COULD NOT RESIST!!We are playing two shows in the sunshine state on this very limited, very special august run.8/21 – San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore – on sale Aug 5 at 10am8/22 – Los Angele
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the MTV-U House Band of the Week, which means video goodies for fans. You can check out a whole list of behind the scenes footage, performances, and interviews. There are some cheezy commercials, so it's a lot like watching the real MTV but hey, it's worth it to catch rare glimpses of the sweetest rock band!MTVU House Band page[YYYs website]
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The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, being the sweethearts that they can't help but be, have rounded up some exclusive video footage of their performances at Lollapalooza and the V Fest plus an interview to share with their ever-adoring fans. From the YYYs official website:This Tour Has Been pure Magical-Fantastical.Thank you for your support. Truly grateful we are:-)EXCLUSIVE YYY LOLLAPALOOZA VIDEO CLIPYYYs ...
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New Yeah Yeah Yeahs video!! The first single from the upcoming album, both named "Is Is" was recorded with night vision in Brooklyn. Check it out:Unitards In The Night!! I'm so relieved to hear this song. When I heard "Sealings" on the Spidey 3 soundtrack, I thought maybe the YYYs had already lost their edge due to overexposure to big record companies, but this "Is Is" song seems to be righ...
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The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have this EP, the "Is Is EP," due out July 24. This video for "Rockers To Swallow," was shot during the group's performance at Brooklyn’s Grassland Gallery on Monday, May 7th.Karen O, performing in "Rockers To Swallow."You have to head over to Yahoo and spawn their video player to watch. It's worth it:http://music.yahoo.com/video/44751700(Thanks to Stereogum for turning us o.
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just purchased this a few days ago.........tis very good. wanted to post my so-far song I skip right to, have a great day kids!
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A new video for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' song Down Boy was recently posted on YouTube. The track is from the group's ??Is Is?? EP (Interscope), out July 24.The EP was produced amidst one of the most turbulent and emotionally unstable periods in YYYs history, for whatever reason the angst that colored that point in time translates erotically into a sexually charged body of songs. On their choice of ...
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs have leaked a few details about their forthcoming third studio album. In a posting on their MySpace page the band revealed that they are still hard at work on the follow-up to 2006's 'Show Your Bones '.The band also wrote that they are "damned" close to finishing the forthcoming album. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Unfortunately fans won't get a chance to hear any new material until early ...
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The band has revealed that they have almost finished their third album and plan on releasing sometime next year. Through their myspace blog the band has announced that the new album will not sound like their last album "Show Your Bones" or their 2007 EP "Is Is". This is what they wrote on their myspace blog:There is no beating the bit of news sweeping the nation at the moment but YYYs have a ...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Rockers to Swallow |
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| 2 Down Boy |
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| 3 Kiss Kiss |
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| 4 Isis |
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| 5 10 X 10 |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Is Is")
