It's Blitz! Album Review

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz!

March 10, 2009 · No Comments

Karen O and company synth and jam their way past repetition.

Hey guys, this is a review I submitted to the Villanova newspaper:

Coming off the slow sales and rough tour of 2006’s Show Your Bones, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were on a mission to show that they were not a two album wonder. This New York band can rest assure, they accomplished this and more. With It’s Blitz!, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs trounced any beliefs that this would be a repeat of their previous two records as each member of the band reaches to new heights.

Guitarist Nick Zinner, who wails the guitar among the generation’s best, did the unthinkable and focused his efforts on the synthesizer. This is clearly a case of high risk, high reward as the 80s mainstay instrument undoubtedly added a new dimension of sound that the band was yearning for. Adding to this is vocalist, Karen O who shows that she isn’t backing down any time soon, but she seems to be growing quite impatient, “Shame is soft and sane/lose when I play your game/come if you call my name.” This anxiety translates to the vehemence of this album which avoids overbearingly strident sounds and instead, finds harmony in its fierce melodies.

It’s Blitz! oscillates from arena jams to more intimate tracks, but at all times it delivers exuberance. The album is a dramatic shift from the band’s previous two albums as It’s Blitz captures a motif of the majestic as dreamy songs such as, “Skeleton” and “Soft Shock” are played early and often. Although some tracks may compel you to the dance floor, tunes like “Little Shadow” deliver us to reflection because however tough the vocalist may seem on some tracks, Karen O still wants you to know that she still has a soft side.

On “Runaway”, the band brings back the compassion of their 2003 hit “Maps”, but the message here is one of desperation. “Runaway lost my mind/ like you to stay/want you to be my prize.” It’s precisely these gentler tracks that add to the band’s image as rockers who aren’t afraid show their true feelings. Yet, as songs like the Kanye West-approved track “Heads Will Roll”, blasts through speakers, you’ll see that they also like to have a good time.

Adding to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound are fellow New Yorkers and band favorite’s, TV on the Radio, who come off their own exceptional album to contribute to yet another. David Andrew Sitek is back for the third time as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs producer while Tunde Adembimpe contributes vocals and Kyp Malone adds trombone to “Dragon Queen.”

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs not only escaped the dreaded platitude on their third album, they created a new sound for themselves that mashes the excitement of 2003’s Fever to Tell with the darker nature of 2006’s Show Your Bones. Even though the album was produced in the desert of Texas and in a desolate land in Massachusetts, these backdrops cannot be heard on any of the tracks. These new sounds more closely resemble the panache of some foreign world rather than either of its recording homes. However, in It’s Blitz!, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs still retain their trademark of displaying compassion, but just as they seemingly drift into wallowing, Karen O, Zinner, and Chase blast sounds that compel you to move your feet. On “Hysteric” Karen O cries: “The cinders, they light the path/these strange steps take us back.” After listening to this 10-track gem, the only thing one can ask from this New York band is to retrace their own steps and, please, take us back.

Ting Tings @ the Starlight Ballroom

March 15th: No line at the Starlight Ballroom?!?! Well, I suppose I did come early because this sold out show was sure to have a line that stretched well out of the door. All of the fuss was for the Ting Tings who, coming off their album We Started Nothing, had brought high energy and flashy concerts to their fans. Perhaps the most publicized event came the week before I saw them when the band performed at a Adidas sponsored event where everyone threw paint all over a white room and went crazy. http://www.adidas.com/campaigns/originalsss2009/content/#/lifestyle/tingtings-paint-party/video Wish I was there. But, the Ting Tings at the insane Starlight Ballroom would have to suffice. After getting my friend in the bar and havin' a couple of drinks, we were ready. However, before we could see the main attraction, there was a band who wanted us to stay for the Ting Tings because "the Ting Tings will make you poop your pants." While not the most inviting of endorsements one could give, it certainly struck a chord with me. What kind of chord, I'm not sure, but nonetheless I was pretty anxious for the UK band. Luckily, the entire crowd was just as anxious as I was to get a glimpse of the Ting Tings. After playing the anthemic tunes "Great DJ" and "Shut Up and Let Me Go", the energy was alive and well. With Jules De Martino on the drums, providing the swagger and guitarist/vocalist Katie White showcasing her charisma and sexiness, this band is hard to dismiss. On the band's website, the duo says one of their influences is Nico and judging from Katie's persona on stage, it is easy to see where that fits in. Despite the band's short set list and limited range of songs, these elements make the Ting Tings worth watching even if they don't make you lose control of your bowels. Grade: B

Blitzen Trapper @ The First Unitarian Church

March 1st: It was the first day of March in Philly so one thing is certain: it will be cold. It was snowing in fact and the line into the church was out the door. Inside it would be what guitarist Marty Marquis called a “sauna-atmosphere.” But the tickets only cost $15 for band who supposedly had the #13 album of the year according to Rolling Stone. (6 behind Coldplay..urrggg.) This album Furr, was in fact one of the better albums of the year so the wait in the snow was worth it. Furr wasn’t your typical indie rock record that features a couple of good/low-fi songs and fades away after a year or two, only to be remembered by Pitchfork and its followers (so me too.) However, this album will be long lasting as it doesn’t subscribe to any trend; it is just great music that generation could enjoy. Plus, the band is signed to SubPop Records which pretty much ensures that they will be good if not amazing.

So, as I enter I see singer/songwriter Alela Diane walk on the stage as I do, perfect timing. Alela Diane plays soothing music that is a little bit of a mix between Cat Power and Feist. She has opened for the Decemberists before and this time she proved that someday she will probably be a headline of her own. After Diane played a strong set and it was time for Blitzen Trapper who performed “Furr”, “God & Suicide”, but the hit of the night was “Love U.” The whole crowd was taken back when Eric Earley screamed out “I LOVE YOU BABY LIKE THIEF LOVE MONEY/LIKE A WHEEL GOTTA ROLL”, it was one of the best live screams I’ve heard (haven’t heard ALL that many but HEY it was still pretty good.) Earley then performed a cover of a song about cocaine which drew laughs from the crowd. On “Not Your Lover”, Marquis instructed the crowd to “cozy up to your favorite person”, but since I was alone, I held my beer very tight and we danced to the melodic rhythms of the dreary song. It was a little strange for Marquis to ask us to cuddle up when the main verse is “In my sleep I’m not your lover anymore.” Oh well, it was a nice thought.

Blitzen Trapper proved to be very charismatic as they played very well to the audience. Marty Marquis remarked that it had been too long since he had been in Philly and that he should make a new record just for Philly. But, he wouldn’t because he joked that the” city of Brotherly love” title is “a little sexist.” But, hey, if Blitzen Trapper keep on making hits records and performing them live in this city, we might just have to change the city’s name. Probably not, but keep coming anyways!

Grade: A-