NME is reporting that Yeah Yeah Yeahs are set to perform their 2003 debut masterstroke in its entirety this December  11-13 at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival in Minehead, England. According to report, the performance will be exclusive to the event and comprise the “first part of their show.”  This is all seems a little early and rushed. We could maybe get behind the Strokes uncaging Is This It in it’s entirety right about now, but even that feels like it needs some more time to age.

At first NME’s headline on this thing made us pause a second. “Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O to Soundtrack Anti-Fat Adverts” ends up coming across a little harsh. We get it. You’re skinny. No need to be snippy about it.

But then it turns out she’s just lending “All Is Love” (the same track soundtracking Where The Wild Things Are) to an ad campaign that’s hoping to fight youth obesity in our old U.S. of A. And we decided we can get behind that too. So check it out (on NME for now, and soon your very own TV) and leave the cream cheese off the bagel tomorrow morning or something.

From the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack, Karen O and her band of Kids actually sound like ecstatic children running into the sunset on this first listen.

Listen: Karen O & The Kids – All Is Love

At about the time the Where The Wild Things Are trailer started dominating nerdier corners of the Web a few months back, we weren’t feeling all that much for the Arcade Fire anymore. The magic was gone. But when that newfangled, painfully evocative rendition of “Wake Up” popped up in said trailer, we flipped our flop and came running back. We cried, we longed to be kids again and perhaps more realistically, we wanted to see the movie as soon as possible. That day (October 16th) still feels light years away but the soundtrack for the film, a collaboration by Yeah Yeah Yeahs front lady Karen O and the Kids, a band of collaborators that includes Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, Aaron Hemphill of Liars and fellow Yeah Yeah Yeahs Brian Chase and Nick Zinner just to name a few, is set to be officially released just over two weeks earlier on September 29th. Put your ear up to the computer speakers during the below featurette to get an early taste. (via P4k)

The newest trailer for Spike Jonze’s Where The Wild Things Are features a sweet, lullaby-ish number by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ leading lady, a tune similar to one we heard in the recent Wild Things featurette. Check out the trailer above, and catch the film in its entirety in theaters October 16 with plenty of fully listenable Karen O music on the score. (Via The Playlist).

Directed by Barney Clay, this black and white, vaguely surrealist short film is as trippy as they come, with members of the YYYs playing distorted versions of themselves (The Scientist, the Phil) while attempting to “lose their minds in order to recover purity of truth.” The seven-minute video is a collage of monochromatic footage, with various bizarre scenes pasted together to form a fascinating whole. Check it out.

The issues surrounding the 18+ show are well-known and long-standing; in Minneapolis, efforts to limit underage binge drinking have prompted City Councilwoman Lisa Goodman to propose restrictions on 18+ events. If the motion passes, two options would be available for live events: all-ages, alcohol-free concerts, or 21+ shows with free-flowing alcohol. Quoted in Minneapolis’ City Pages, Goodman claims, “I just don’t know how I can in good faith look at these public-health people and tell them we don’t propagate youth access to alcohol when we allow 18-year-olds into bars where 21-year-olds can pass them alcohol. If I don’t do something to address this now, I’m going to face something far more onerous.”

Local venue owners have expressed concern about the ordinance, and a petition on Facebook lists performers that would likely forgo performing in Minneapolis should the proposal be put into effect, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Girl Talk, and Phoenix. Booking manager James “Taco” Martin says that a ban on 18+ concerts would limit the amount of bands passing through the city, claiming that “A lot of bands require [the 18+ age restriction] because they can sell a lot of merch to people who aren’t buying drinks with the money in their pocket.”

A petition against the measure is circulating online; sign it here.

Coming to the aid of the Beastie Boys, who just announced that they are canceling their upcoming tour in order to provide Adam Yauch with enough time to recover from cancer, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have stepped in to fill the Beastie’s now-empty slot at Lollapalooza.

Hey Folks, all us YYYs have been avid collectors of t-shirts over the years, what can we say, WE LIKEY A GOOD T-SHIRT. In our travels many of you have chucked a homemade YYY tee on the stage or what not and all the shirts have always been unique and poured over with loooooove. So it got us thinking: how about giving you the fans a crack at coming up with a fresh new blitzin’ YYY T-shirt design! It’s a natural fact that YYYs have amongst YOU a whole heap of ART STARS! So school’s out for the summer and we want you to spend a hot lazy afternoon throwing something together for us YYYs to REPRESENT! And I got a hunch you’re gonna bring it! And if you do we’ll bring back a little something in return…!! Luv, YYYs

Official contest details can be viewed here. The winner gets signed stuff from the band, and their shirt printed and sold on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ upcoming tour. Dig out your Beadazzle machine from middle school and get crackin’! In other YYYs news, the band will be releasing the Heads Will Roll remix EP on July 14th, and there’s a sweet werewolf on the cover.

The Flaming Lips are releasing their 12th studio monstrosity later this year and according to a SPIN report, Embryonic features some extra-special guests: MGMT and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Frontnut Coyne sent some sounds and ideas via e-mail and telephone and in what we’re sure was a flash of glittered genius, something gnarly was born. That something will be sandwiched somewhere amid the many layers of psychedelia Embryonic—a double album which Coyne claims is similar to the Lips’ masterstroke the Soft Bulletin—promises.

—Meryl Natow

In what we’re calling our Freakshow Friday video, Grizzly Bear has released the video for “Two Weeks” off their acclaimed LP Veckatimest, which features some warped facial construction on members of the band, glowing mouths, and an explosive finale — literally.

For a song full of lush choir vocal arrangements, pretty piano, and foot-tapping percussion, it’s fun and a little creepy to watch such a warped-looking video for such a gorgeous song. Directed by Patrick Daughters, who’s also lent his cinematic skills for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Feist, and Interpol videos, the guys in GB sit by their lonesome in church, sing to the camera, and get their faces owned. Our favorite part is at about the 3:02 mark. Watch below.

Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”

We’ve been scrambling to keep you up-to-date as Glastonbury’s slowly leaked megaconfirmation after megaconfirmation in the past few months. But today’s full lineup announcement is something to behold, the headlining package of Neil Young, the Boss and a reunited Blur now propped up by a roster so behemoth and iron-clad, it’s equal parts intimidating and enticing. Also playing: Bloc Party, Lady Gaga, Jarvis Cocker, Regina Spektor, Maximo Park, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Lily Allen, Tom Jones, Pete Doherty, Q-Tip, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Streets, Ray Davies and and and and…

There will be mud.

They’ve been on SNL and all over late night, and now they’re hitting the road — but are we the only ones wondering when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will bring some love back to Brooklyn?

No signs of a home-turf show this time around, but the trio will be hitting up the Sasquatch Festival in Quincy, Wash., Bonnaroo and All Points West with a scenic trip around the U.S. in between. They are, of course, supporting their latest album It’s Blitz!.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs tour dates
05.23.09 – Quincy, Wash. (Sasquatch Festival)
05.26.09 – Chicago, Ill. (Riviera Theatre)
05.27.09 – Detroit, Mich. (Clutch Cargos)
05.28.09 – Columbus, Ohio (Newport Music Hall)
05.30.09 – Minneapolis, Minn. (First Ave)
05.31.09 – Milwaukee, Wisc. (Eagles Club)
06.02.09 – St. Louis, Mo. (The Pageant)
06.03.09 – Kansas City, Mo. (The Beaumont)
06.06.09 – Mountain View, Calif. (Live 105 BFD)
06.12.09 – Manchester, Tenn. (Bonnaroo)
07.31.09 – Jersey City, N.J. (All Points West)

Featuring the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Bloody Valentine, Devendra Banhart, The Cure, Lykke Li, Antony and the Johnsons and Peter Bjorn and John.


[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]

[My Bloody Valentine]

[Devendra Banhart]

[The Cure]

[Lykke Li]

[Antony And The Johnsons]

[Peter Bjorn And John]

We expected to hear the new singles from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs latest, It’s Blitz!, when the formidable trio performed on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, but what we didn’t expect was to hear an old stand by. Of course they played the New Wave inspired dance number “Zero” to open their SNL set, but they closed with the nearly six-years-old “Maps”. Unfortunately, while they like playing on television, the band and label does not want us to be able show you (at least not “Maps”), so we’ve decided to run this backstage interview clip with Fred Armisen as a precursor to the clip of “Zero”. With an image this carefully crafted, it’s funny to see and hear the band be so nervous answering questions about themselves. Maybe this is why we’ve yet to really see or hear anything from the band directly, but either way, as the performance of “Zero” shows us, they have no problem being stars on stage.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Zero”

You might want to think twice before you decide to spend your Easter night alone with that chocolate bunny your mom left you in your big kid Easter basket, because Santos Party House in New York is hosting a secret Yeah Yeah Yeahs show that’s bound to be far more exciting than any Easter candy eating escapades you will most likely be partaking in. 

The now not so secret show is just one day after the band will be performing on SNL, and just in time to promote the release of It’s Blitz, which came out on March 31. It’s Blitz has been creating a lot of buzz for Yeah Yeah Yeahs even before its official release, as it was leaked onto the internet weeks before causing a rush on the digital release. 

Along with their Santos Party House show, there are rumors the Yeah Yeah Yeahs might be playing Maxwell’s in New Jersey at some point this weekend and they have been confirmed to play All Points West this summer, as well as the Reading and Leeds Festival in the UK. Leaving us with one question for the now-superstar trio — What about your once-home borough of Brooklyn? We’re hoping they play the Pool Parties, that seems like the ideal homecoming (with the obligatory Todd P secret show on the side).

Coincidentally, on the eve of the final Touch and Go record release tomorrow, word comes to us that one of T&G’s biggest selling artist will join former label-alumn’s TV On The Radio as performers on Saturday Night Live this season.

Hot on the heels of Phoenix’s performance this past Saturday, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will grace the iconic stage this coming Saturday, April 11. Along with Phoenix and TVOTR, this season has seen Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Kanye West and Fleet Foxes all play the late-night sketch comedy show. Special note for the ladies, Zac Efron will be hosting.

After the momentous success of last year, All Points West is back for another go at the festival scene, and even though we won’t be seeing Radiohead back on the stage for another round of jaw dropping performances this year, the line up is pretty stacked, having Coldplay, Tool and The Beastie Boys headlining the three day event at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. 

The festival will take place on July 31-August 2, and along with the three headliners, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gogol Bordello, Crystal Castles, and Echo & The Bunnymen are all part of the loaded line up. The festival is also taking a Coachella-like turn this year, axing the Queen of the Valley stage, and instead creating a tent to house comedy, DJs, and electronic acts, as reported by Brooklyn Vegan. 

If you went to the festival last year, you might remember the woes of traveling to and from the park, but don’t cringe too soon. This year the festival heads have tried to revamp the transportation system, to ensure more frequent ferry rides from Manhattan, and free Light Rail travel from Jersey-side travelers. One other major improvement has been made to the festival as well — the beer garden area will have shorter lines, more beer and will have views of the stage, so what more could you ask for? 

Tickets for All Points West go on sale on April 3rd, and further information about the festival will continue to be updated at the All Points website.

All Points West Music & Arts Festival line-up
Friday, July 31
Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

Saturday, August 1
Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2 
Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

“Skeletons” feels bold and anticipatory. When Karen O’s serene voice begins singing (“Love my name/ Love left dry/ Frost or flame/ Skeleton me”), it’s as if she’s preparing for an inevitable surge of energy. After the first verse, we’re introduced to a rapturous percussion that’s ready to explode, only to be brought right back down. Similar to “Maps” before it, “Skeletons” lingers in the area between expectation and release. Yet it does so perfectly, inhabiting a terrain that makes us vulnerable and unsure — Karen O’s sweet singing is our only guide, and she even seems unsure where we’re going. Her use of three-syllable poetic verse (with the exception of “skeleton / me”) only enhances this song’s mystique. It is exact and precise. As Pitchfork’s Ryan Dombal accurately pointed out, Karen O’s ambiguous syntax leaves meaning to the listener. Is she saying “Skeleton Me”, aka invisible, or “Skeleton: me”, aka both the same. Is she saying “love don’t go”, aka love is steadfast, or is she pleading “love, don’t go”? Whichever meaning you project, “Skeletons” is a perfect reintroduction to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Skeletons”

Last week we told you that Yeah Yeah Yeahs decided to push up the release date of their new album, It’s Blitz!, from its original April release to March 10, after the highly anticipated album leaked onto the internet. Now, the band has released its newest video, “Zero”, off of their upcoming record, and if Karen O’s sassy struts throughout the video can’t convince you to listen to the band’s new album, then we don’t know what will.

Teaming up with New York director, Barney Clay, the band created a captivating video for the new single, which follows the band’s lead singer as she gaits through dark alleys and city streets, climbing on cars and causing a lone ruckus throughout the city. According to Karen, the video’s strong visuals were vital to embracing the concept behind the song. “The visuals had to be well placed with the slow ecstatic building of the song,” Karen told Spinner.com. “It made sense that the visuals would take you on a journey and keep you on the move — no sitting still for too long in the city landscape of bright lights, dark alleys and glittering streets.”

The band’s singer explained that the idea behind “Zero” is to revel in being you. “It’s the underdogs, the rebels, the outsiders that have always captivated me growing up so I decided why not flaunt that side of myself in the video.” And flaunt it she did, as the female singer created an empowering persona that perfectly accompanied the strong vocals sung on the new track.
If “Zero” is a true testament to what the rest of what It’s Blitz! sounds like, we can confidently say, we’re highly awaiting what the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have in store for us on the March 10 release of the new album.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Zero”

Since their new album was leaked onto the internet before its official release date, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have decided to push up the release date of their new album, It’s Blitz!

The new, highly anticipated album from the band was originally set to be released in April, but because of the internet leakage It’s Blitz! will be digitally released, almost a month earlier than previously thought, on March 10, and will be available for sale in brick and mortar stores on March 31.

“The cat’s out of the bag after, It’s Blitz! escaped from our clutches into the big bad world last week. Why should some have and some have-not?,” the band was quoted as stating on their website. “YYYs have been brimming with nervous excitement in anticipation of releasing this record to the world. Leaks are NO FUN but it’s out of our hands,” they continued.

Alongside the release of their new album Yeah Yeah Yeahs will also be touring throughout Europe and the UK, but will making a stop in Indio, California to perform at Coachella on April 19.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are doing their very best to get you so excited about their forthcoming record It’s Blitz! that you piddle a little bit down your leg on the way to the record store. Helping you get to that level of glee is this “behind the scenes” look at (allegedly) the recording process.

They call it “the visual journey into our sonic crusade.” We call it just a teensy bit weird. But we never said weird wasn’t also entertaining.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “SNAKESWEAT: The Scientist”

By all accounts, it looks as though the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have left their rock roots in the past and are focused squarely on the pop. As evidenced by their second single in as many weeks, “Heads Will Roll”.

Thanks to our friend Kanye for making the second track from the forthcoming It’s Blitz! universally available. Much like “Zero”, it’s a synth-drenched pop song that’s more New Wave than it is rock. This is an inevitable turn for the band as they’ve grown to monumental proportions, but we’re still secretly hoping they can conjure up some of those songs that are making Corey Rusk’s retirement decision that much easier.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”

In the wake of the ever increasing pool of festivals and the possible merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the idea of paying $200 to see live music during a recession resulted in our pockets slapping us back into reality. But to be fair, the Sasquatch Festival — presented by Live Nation and tickets sold by Ticketmaster — is one of the cheaper weekend-long festivals and the line-up could quite possibly be the best yet.

Of course, this has left us all wondering at what point does the festival circuit become too congested, leaving them all a bit redundant and watered down? Those who remember the 90s will remember that Lollapalooza took time off for this very reason. But we digress, the Sasquatch Festival will take place May 23-25 at The Gorge in Quincy, WA and features the just-announced-today-union of Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction as the festival headliners. But the rest of the line-up is what excites us and looks like this:

Kings of Leon, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold, Of Montreal, Explosions In The Sky, Devotchka, Peter Bjorn & John, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, The Avett Brothers, Doves, Calexico, Grizzly Bear, M83, Girl Talk, The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, Chromeo (dj set), Deadmau5, Mugison, Sun Kil Moon, Airborne Toxic Event, Blitzen Trapper, Shearwater, BLK JKS, The Wrens, Tobacco, Monotonix, King Khan & The Shrines, St. Vincent, Passion Pit, John Vanderslice, Bishop Allen, Blind Pilot, AA Bondy, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, The Dodos, Beach House, Arthur & Yu, The Submarines, Owl City, Viva Voce, James Pants, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, The Builders & The Butchers, The Dutchess & The Duke, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele, Fences, School of Seven Bells, Death Vessel, Horse Feathers, Hockey, Point Juncture, WA, The Pica Beats, Loch Lomond, Vince Mira & more to come.

And the comedy line up includes:
Zach Galifiankas, Demetri Martin, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job, Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, God’s Pottery, People’s Republic of Komedy & more.

Ok, got that? Now, as for tickets, beginning on February 28 (on sale weekend only), a discounted 3-day festival pass will be available until March 1 at midnight at $154.50 for the entire weekend with single tickets costing $56.50. Beginning March 2 a 3-day pass will run you $199.50 and a single ticket $66.50 and if you wait until the last minute (and tickets are still available), starting May 11 the weekend pass is $229.50 and single tickets will be $76.50.

Oh, and Ticketmaster will have all your ticketing needs. Go figure.

The first official single off of It’s Blitz! is a dance-inspired number that has Karen O telling us to “get our leather on.” As the Yeah Yeah Yeahs front woman told Rolling Stone, the new record is “Less angst and more positivity, man!” Just the cure for the recession doldrums.

Also unveiled with the music is the artwork for the single (above) as well as the full track listing (below) of the April 14 release. We have yet to form an opinion besides the Yeah Yeah Yeahs image has definitely not taken a hit during their time off. Only time will tell if it has affected their songwriting beyond a super-produced dance track that highlights very little of Nick or Brian. Until then, check out “Zero” and let’s all hold our collective breaths before we get all Animal Collective with this record.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Zero”

It’s Blitz! track listing
01. Zero (featuring Eric Biondo on trumpet, Stuart Bogie on saxophone)
02. Heads Will Roll
03. Soft Shock
04. Skeletons
05. Dull Life
06. Shame and Fortune
07. Runaway (featuring Jane Scarpantoni on cello, Greg Kurstin on piano)
08. Dragon Queen (featuring Tunde Adebimpe on vocals, Stuart Bogie on saxophone, Kyp Malone on tambourine)
09. Hysteric (featuring Eric Biondo on trumpet, Stuart Bogie on saxophone)
10. Little Shadow (featuring Imaad Wasif on guitar)

We’ve never seen violence against breakfast food go so right — the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are making a serious play for best album art of 2009 with the cover of their upcoming It’s Blitz! and it’s only February. Warning: this is not for faint-of-heart-Vegans.

It’s Blitz! is the band’s third studio album, produced by TV on the Radio’s David Sitek (who’s worked on the two previous albums) and Nick Launay, who’s also worked with the band before on their 2007 Is Is EP. No official release date yet, but we can expect the album sometime this spring on Interscope.

The album has a decent list of cameos, inlcuding TVOTR frontman Tunde Adebimpe, who sings on one song with Kyp Malone on the staple of rock ‘n’ roll instrumentation, the tambourine. You’ll also hear from Antibalas saxophonist and TVOTR member Stuart Bogie, Imaad Wasif (a member of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ touring band) and the bird and the bee’s Greg Kurstin.

The first single from the album will be “Zero.” If it kicks anywhere near as much ass as this album cover, we think they’ll probably do okay.

Don’t you all wish you lived in a bubble where if you post a cryptic MySpace blog, it becomes world news on a multitude of music websites? Welcome to the world of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who announced the title of their new album — along with an equally cryptic “release date” — in just such a manner.

The new album, to be entitled It’s Blitz according to Geronimo the raccoon, is the follow-up to 2006’s Show Your Bones and might just be the most anticipated release of 2009. The announcement was made earlier today on a MySpace blog, which was later confirmed by the band’s publicist.

According to the same blog, It’s Blitz also now has a release date, or season rather, with the new album slated to drop “this spring.”