giving the Yeah Yeah Yeahs another shot

(best album cover I've seen in a while, dude)

I heard the song, "Hysteria" on the Current this eve....and DAMN, if it didn't sound DAMN good. I had to pull "Fever to Tell" off the dusty shelf and give it a spin. It made me remember that I really didn't *hate* the Y Y Ys, I just never took it more than mildly entertaining performance art that sometimes rocked. "Maps" hooked me into liking them more, but it kinda hit a dead end, and I never fully embraced them.

But when I just put on "Fever to Tell," It rocked me hard.

Made me feel like I felt when I used to headbang to the sounds of PJ Harvey and the Ramones in my formative years.

So, I had to go and get the new one (cover above), "It's Blitz!" and it's really solid -- layered, sexy production. Karen O's vocal not too tweaked, and sounding better than ever. Got me right away, especially the beautiful, thoughtful and melodic "Hysteric." Sweet, dancey, a bit crazy ...and there's *whistling.* It's fuckin great. There's also an even more lovely acoustic version...really made me feel so silly for ever dismissing them! her voice over acoustic geetar and strings..sexy and oh-so-pretty.

Speaking of sexy and pretty...I feel like I haven't been fair in my interpretation of Karen O and her "persona." I used to hate it. (The hair in the eyes completely, the re-dick fluorescent fishnet look, the drunken show "art" performance, yadda, yadda. It seemed like such shtick. blek.) I hate to even admit it, but early on, before I heard much, I thought she was a total hack that was coppin' a complete Chrissy Hynde vocal AND bangs cambo. ...but I see it now, her references to females and males of rock past and her own twist on it all. I can dig it. I think she's sexy, pretty, brave, funny and smart.

The radio single, "Heads Will Roll" I had been slowly accepting (after disregarding it pretty quickly as absurd -- almost a caricature of themselves). I flat out like it, now (!) haha I am loving the stupid/smart beat-driven dancedancedance shebang with my fave lyric right now:

"Glitter on the wet streets/ silver over everything/ the glitter's all wet / you're all chrome" -------- sublime.

I even have had a change of heart about their bloody NAME. I used to hate it. It was just annoying to three-peat all the time. I get it now. It's so simple, but the yeah yeah yeahs are everywhere in pop music and have been since the beginning. I get it, you guys and I love it. I love how Ramones it all is...yeeeeeeaah. (yeah, yeah)