Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
They’ve toured with The White Stripes and the John Spencer Blues Explosion, but what else do NYC rockers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have in common with these two bands? They’ve left out the bottom end. That’s right, like these other bass-less bands, the YYYs re-affirm that all you need to make good rock music is drums, electric guitar and someone with strong pipes to scream, moan and belt out the words. Not to bash bass players, but the YYYs may prove once and for all that if the words “bass virtuoso” went the way of “dodo bird” the world may better off - at least in the post-indie rock department. It’s no wonder that they picked the White Stripes as tour mates, because if I had to make a comparison to another band, it would be to the Stripes’ early recordings.
Front-woman Karen O sounds as if she’s about to have a nervous breakdown as she sings and is the obvious star of the band. She makes fantastic noises with her voice as it creaks, trembles, whispers, squeaks and shrieks out the words. It’s this that creates musical texture that really makes the band interesting. If you can catch a live show, you may get to see Karen O chugging beer or falling off the stage. She recently ended a concert early with a trip to the hospital for falling. It’s the stuff that legends of wild rock shows are made of.
Guitarist Nick Zinner joins Brian Chase on drums to back up Karen. The backing sounds are simple, with tribal drums and retro-electric guitar. They definitely resemble the White Stripes at times, but this isn’t to say that the YYYs are entirely derivative. They may just be picking up on the current zeitgeist in urban rock. Fever to Tell is a great album, and it’s gotten rave reviews, but there’s a quality it that leaves the listener wanting more. I can’t wait to hear the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ next release to see how they evolve.