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Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Show Your Bones

  • AMG Review of Show Your Bones

    Amg
    Heather Phares
    All Music Guide

    As explosive as they seem on the surface, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are also an ambitious, thoughtful band that keep pushing the boundaries of their music. They moved from the rawness of their early EPs to the polished art-punk of their first full-length in just over two years, and this drive to keep topping themselves is what led to breakthroughs like Fever to Tell's gorgeous allad and hit single "Maps." After taking three years to follow up Fever to Tell, and scrapping many of the songs that they came up with while on tour supporting that album, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs returned with Show Your Bones, the yin to their debut album's yang. While Fever to Tell and "Maps" dealt with falling in love (and being more than a little freaked out about it), Show Your Bones is a breakup album. It's funny -- if the Yeah Yeah Yeahs had made this album earlier in their career, Karen O's cutting lyrics and Nicolas Zinner's choppy guitars would've sliced the poor ex to pieces; after all, on "Bang," from their self-titled debut EP, they (hilariously) wrote off a lame one-night stand with "as a f*ck, son, you sucked." Show Your Bones, however, tries to go much deeper than that. It's only natural that using heartbreak as inspiration would lead to brooding, reflective songs, but the fiery, independent spirit that made the Yeah Yeah Yeahs so great initially is drained out of this album. Even on the rockers, Show Your Bones is too subdued, restrained, and overthought. The cryptic lead single "Gold Lion" (which sounds like a mash-up of Love and Rockets' "No New Tale to Tell" and Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Peek a Boo") is vague and a little plodding; though it eventually worms its way into listeners' heads, it's surprisingly unfocused, compared to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' previous singles. "Phenomena," with its stomping riffs and fazer-like synths, is a more natural progression from the Fever to Tell style, but it still ends up feeling more indulgent than inventive. Aptly enough for the kind of album it is, Show Your Bones' softer songs are some of its strongest: "Dudley" sounds a little bit like Sonic Youth covering the /p>

    ursery rhyme "Hush, Little Baby," while "Cheated Hearts" is a big, rousing allad in the vein of "Maps." And, as on Fever to Tell, the band loosens up as Show Your Bones unfolds, coming up with some interesting songs in the process. "Mysteries" is a jealous cowpunk number that sounds tossed-off, but has more bite and fun in it than the rest of the album. On "Turn Into," the band takes this twangy sound and turns it sweet, resulting in one of their best songs yet.

My First Time...
over 2 years ago
Blog post image preview

..Once upon a time in a small village just north of San Bruno, there lived this guy that would draw pictures and listen to music... ..With the encouragement of his friends, he got in contact with The Fillmore... a fantastic and historic venue that was known for three things....1. They provided the best in entertainment..2. They provide free apples..3. After most shows, they hand out unique post...

More >
Prepping for VirginFest - _Show Your Bones_ by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
over 2 years ago

Coming this August 4, I'm gonna be making the trip to Baltimore, MD to attend the sure to be awesome Virgin Festival. In preparation for this, I've decided to reacquaint myself with the bands I'm going to be seeing there, and what better way to do this than by reviewing their most current albums.In order to kick off this set of reviews, I've listened through The Yeah Yeah Yeahs latest album, _S...

More >
I think I'm bigger than the sound.
over 2 years ago

My top songs at the moment:"Cheated Hearts" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs"Come Sail Away" - Styx"The Crane Wife 1&2" - The Decemberists"Neighborhood #2" - The Arcade Fire"Lady Stardust" - David Bowie (OR, Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars)"Limosuine" - Brand New

More >
I can't believe
over 2 years ago

It took me until this week to buy this album, and even then it was only because I couldn't find what I was looking for. I'm so glad I got it though, and strongly recommend it.And how great is this video?

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I feel Absovled..................
over 2 years ago

At least it made it onto another top 2006 list besides mine!! from rollng stone top 50:44 Show Your Bones YEAH YEAH YEAHSThe New York mod squad's hotly awaited second disc is a triumph: dark, spooky, lithe, broodingly sexy, with Karen O venting her heartbreak and libidinal heebie-jeebies into post-punk tunes with a new kind of goth-cowgirl twang, and Nick Zinner deploying a fresh array of vampi...

More >
Show Your Bones
over 2 years ago
Blog post image preview

ok, I'm voting Show Your Bones by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as the 5th best album of the year (I haven't chosen the others yet). It follows their Fever To Tell effort by a maturation of their sound and further exploration of the musical themes first introduced on their earlier release....ok, enough of the horseshit...it's just a great fucking album, the only iffy cuts being dudley and sweets, otherw...

More >
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Rock the Palladium
over 3 years ago

so the yeah yeah yeahs show in LA was FUCKING AMAZING....i'm not so much the kind of person who is able to write well when it comes to music/show reviews...i'm MUCH more into the literal interpretation of things ( i mean, after all, i am a journalist) so anything i feel i could write would in all likelihood shrivel in comparison to what many people i know and love could write...so with that i'l...

More >
I can't believe
over 2 years ago

It took me until this week to buy this album, and even then it was only because I couldn't find what I was looking for. I'm so glad I got it though, and strongly recommend it.And how great is this video?

More >
My First Time...
over 2 years ago
Blog post image preview

..Once upon a time in a small village just north of San Bruno, there lived this guy that would draw pictures and listen to music... ..With the encouragement of his friends, he got in contact with The Fillmore... a fantastic and historic venue that was known for three things....1. They provided the best in entertainment..2. They provide free apples..3. After most shows, they hand out unique post...

More >
Cheated Hearts
over 2 years ago

thanks to being killed, i was reminded of this song and and how much i actually love it...and i forgot how much i freakin' love Karen O.cheers lady...

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Karen O. Wild Things. (sigh)
about 1 year ago

Spike JonzeDavid EggersMaurice Sendakand now....Karen O????Am I really seeing this????So Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has been announced as writing songs and additional music for the new Spike Jonze adaptation of Maurice Sendak's chilren's classic, Where The Wild Things Are.OK, I'm gonna go have a heart attack now.

More >
I feel Absovled..................
over 2 years ago

At least it made it onto another top 2006 list besides mine!! from rollng stone top 50:44 Show Your Bones YEAH YEAH YEAHSThe New York mod squad's hotly awaited second disc is a triumph: dark, spooky, lithe, broodingly sexy, with Karen O venting her heartbreak and libidinal heebie-jeebies into post-punk tunes with a new kind of goth-cowgirl twang, and Nick Zinner deploying a fresh array of vampi...

More >
brickbat
brickbat of the dead husbands
over.
over 2 years ago

i took him his shit tonight. i put it in a box and i took it. i left it on the doorstep. and i never want to see it again. none of it. i left with a weight lifted. i'm so tired of this convoluted messy relationship which i've been reminded isn't really a relationship (it so is) and that i'm not what he ever wanted. and somehow, despite that, i feel amazing. all of my whiskeytown, ryan adams, wi...

More >
Show Your Bones
over 2 years ago
Blog post image preview

ok, I'm voting Show Your Bones by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as the 5th best album of the year (I haven't chosen the others yet). It follows their Fever To Tell effort by a maturation of their sound and further exploration of the musical themes first introduced on their earlier release....ok, enough of the horseshit...it's just a great fucking album, the only iffy cuts being dudley and sweets, otherw...

More >
I think I'm bigger than the sound.
over 2 years ago

My top songs at the moment:"Cheated Hearts" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs"Come Sail Away" - Styx"The Crane Wife 1&2" - The Decemberists"Neighborhood #2" - The Arcade Fire"Lady Stardust" - David Bowie (OR, Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars)"Limosuine" - Brand New

More >
Prepping for VirginFest - _Show Your Bones_ by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
over 2 years ago

Coming this August 4, I'm gonna be making the trip to Baltimore, MD to attend the sure to be awesome Virgin Festival. In preparation for this, I've decided to reacquaint myself with the bands I'm going to be seeing there, and what better way to do this than by reviewing their most current albums.In order to kick off this set of reviews, I've listened through The Yeah Yeah Yeahs latest album, _S...

More >
karen o my!
over 2 years ago
Blog post image preview

lollapalooza was thrilling.the yeah yeah yeahs were incredible,and karen o was captivating.this was totally my jam for the weekend:

More >
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Rock the Palladium
over 3 years ago

so the yeah yeah yeahs show in LA was FUCKING AMAZING....i'm not so much the kind of person who is able to write well when it comes to music/show reviews...i'm MUCH more into the literal interpretation of things ( i mean, after all, i am a journalist) so anything i feel i could write would in all likelihood shrivel in comparison to what many people i know and love could write...so with that i'l...

More >

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