by Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the exact opposite of what I hate about music today.
In a music scene filled with saccharine-infused canned pop and guys from the 'burbs who sing punk songs about shopping malls, the Yeahs are a breath of fresh air. They remind me of why I fell in love with rock 'n' roll in the first place.
Their third release, Show Your Bones, is easily one of the best indie rock albums of the year. I hate to label them indie, because plain and simply, they are just good music.
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The New York trio has music flowing through their veins and oozing out their pores. All 11 tracks on Bones is an amalgam of different musical genres, from classic rock, punk, folk and Euro-trash. They aren't afraid of using a variety of different instruments, either, like the Caribbean steel drums in the album's first single "Gold Lion."
Lead singer Karen O's voice is beautiful. She wouldn't win American Idol, but that's because that show sucks. She has a real voice - her screams are just as perfect as her harmonies.
Karen O seamlessly transitions from singing about lost love in "Cheated Hearts" to belting out the punk rockabilly tune "Mysteries." She channels Janice Joplin's spirit in "Phenomena," a song overtly inspired by classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin and the Who.
As much as Karen O contributes to the band, the guitarist Nicolas Zinner and drummer Brian Chase are what make the group special. Zinner should win awards for his guitar riffs in "Way Out" and "Turn Into." He tunes his guitar to coincide perfectly with Karen O's voice and Chase's back beat.
I don't know how much he's getting paid, but he should get a raise.
The Yeah's last effort, 2003's Fever to Tell, was a mild hit, putting them on the charts with the single "Maps." This album is the next step in the evolutionary chain for the Yeahs. Bones is better produced and more eclectic.
MTV is already playing "Gold Lion" on a heavy rotation - well, as heavy as a music channel that plays no music can. So it's just a matter of time before I see them on "VH1 Storytellers," and my mom suggests I listen to the "lion song" she heard on the radio.
And I guess that's OK. If that's what it takes to get people to listen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and become better people in the process, then I'm willing to share.
Show Your Bones
Grade: A+
