Attention Philadelphia hipsters – break out your tightest pair of jeans and your newsboy caps, and get yourself to The First Unitarian Church Friday night.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are having a rock ‘n’ roll dance party and everybody’s invited.
The art-rock/punk trio from New York City will be in Philly this week playing the second show of their U.S. tour in support of their first full-length album, Fever to Tell.
The LP won’t be released until the end of April, but attendees will be able to purchase the album at the show.
Critics and rock ‘n’ roll fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of the YYY’s first full-length after being blown away by the band’s self-titled debut EP, commonly referred to as Bang!, and their riotous live shows.
The fledgling trio has only been playing together for a little over two years, but has already drummed up an unbelievable amount of critical acclaim.
If the band’s records and reports of their previous live shows are any indication, the show at the Church on Friday night will be a sex, alcohol and rock ‘n’ roll bonanza.
Karen O (vocals), Nick Zinner (guitar) and Brian Chase (drums) hail from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, quite possibly the hippest neighborhood on the planet.
They recorded their debut in early 2001 and released it on their own label.
Shortly thereafter, the prominent West Coast indie label Kill Rock Stars released a compilation with the YYY song “Modern Things” on the track list.
A year after releasing their EP themselves, the YYYs were invited to tour Europe with The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, who’s influences are heard on Fever to Tell.
The record was then picked up and distributed in the UK by Wichita Recordings. Later in 2002, Chicago indie label Touch and Go (Blonde Redhead) released Bang! in the states.
After being courted by various major and independent labels, the YYYs decided to sign with Dress Up/Interscope Records.
Despite the added influence of a major label, something that has ruined many a great indie-rock band, YYYs exceed expectations with Fever to Tell.
The LP shows the maturation of the band’s song writing over the past year. They sound tighter as a band and much more confident.
O’s voice is striking on Fever to Tell. She goes from shrieks and screams on “Date with the Night” to soft, melodic whispers on “Map.”
Fever to Tell is one of the best records of 2003 and “Maps” is one of the most interesting straight-up rock ‘n’ roll songs to be recorded in a long time.
No doubt the album will be on everyone’s list at the end of the year.
It looks like the YYYs will continue to dazzle the rock ‘n’ roll crowd, break the garage-rock mold, and breathe new life into an often stagnant genre.
Siobhan O’Donnell can be reached at Odonnell@temple.edu.
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