Classic Albums: It’s Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

 I did love almost all those huge rock revival bands of the 2000’s. This album is what happens when they thrown synth and keyboards into the mix! The 2009 third album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs is by far and away is my fave. The two previous ones before this album seem to be just building up to this mega epic wicked record and then the following one didn’t come close to any of them, unfortunately. Then since somewhere around 2013/4 the band has been on long hiatus but this year they have been playing some live shows again.

Once again, what can I tell you about them and this album that you don’t already know or easy find out? In 2009 this album was pretty much on everyone ‘s end of year lists and in the top 10 of anyone who mattered, funny and surprising or unsurprising I did notices two of the biggest hype machines or whatever the hell you call them? Both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork missed it in their top 10 but I guess it was just up further in the their top 20. It’s Blitz! album is so far the only album I’ve added to my CA list from that year, you know?

Co-producer Nick Launay did say almost all of the tracks was wrote in the recording studio which don’t happen in this day and age because it cost record company’s too much money. Worth noting the other co-producer was from indie band TV on the Radio, Dave Sitek. God I must be perplexed what to say about this one if I’m talking about the co-producers?

I really do love It’s Blitz! album so here’s a great reason why now! I did see them live around this time but I think it was a bit closer to the next album by memory but it was in the works. They were invited to play the Aussie touring festival the Big Day Out, what year was that? It was one of the last ones, maybe the second last one because it was still at the Showgrounds then. It was a really Summer day on a Sunday so these New Yorkers were on late afternoon just before the sun when down with Karen O was running around, dancing away like a manic like she does but in-between the songs she throwing water over herself, standing in front of the huge fans on stage plus saying how bloody hot Australia is too, everyone cheered at this but I think she was a bit pissed and was please Perth was the last show of this tour. As well playing pretty much It’s Blitz! tracks heavy setlist and couple of older ones plus one totally brand new one was I did somehow got down the front because most of that day I was up the back for some reason. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs was coming on stage so I got a great spot behind these two teenage girls on the shorter height side so I could see over the tops of these two heads. As soon the band popped on stage these two very young innocent girls turn into insane raging lesbians kissing non-stop the whole time etc. you get the picture? But once again I’m getting sidetracked here!

Finishing up on that note, I think? So I might have missed someone in “Y” artists in my now reverse alphabet fave albums list but I’m going to be moving to the “X” artists next, OK?

It’s Blitz! track listing:

1. “Zero” 4:25
2. “Heads Will Roll” 3:41
3. “Soft Shock” 3:53
4. “Skeletons” 5:02
5. “Dull Life” 4:08
6. “Shame and Fortune” 3:31
7. “Runaway” 5:13
8. “Dragon Queen” 4:02
9. “Hysteric” 3:50
10. “Little Shadow” 3:57

So this list below are my 101 faves, so far because I’m still counting them up. Now It’s Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs is the 102nd album post today!

• Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 1 & 2 by Various Artists
• Station To Station by David Bowie
• Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
• Rust In Peace by Megadeth
• Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins
• Henry’s Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
• Gala Mill by The Drones
• Black Monk Time by The Monks
• Ex Tropical by Lost Animal
• Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
• In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
• The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd
• Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
• Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones
• The White House by The Dead C
• Silence Is Sexy by Einstürzende Neubauten
• Lulu by Lou Reed & Metallica
• Kaira by Toumani Diabaté
• Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants
• Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth by Dan Kelly And The Alpha Males
• Aerial by Kate Bush
• The Future by Leonard Cohen
• Rock For Light by Bad Brains
• Last Splash by The Breeders
• Sex by The Necks
• Emergency Ward by Nina Simone
• Paradise by My Disco
• Batman by Prince
• Sings Christmas Carols by Mark Kozelek
• What Are Rock Stars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
• Love Of Life by Swans
• Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
• Blue Valentine by Tom Waits
• In The Pines by The Triffids
• Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
• TV Sky by The Young Gods
• King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime by Faith No More
• Jean Lee And The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
• Law Of Nature by Laughing Clowns
• (I’m) Stranded by The Saints
• Super Ape by Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
• The Soft ‘N’ Sexy Sound by Dave Graney ‘N’ The Coral Snakes
• Mutiny/The Bad Seed by The Birthday Party
• Bahdeni Nami by Omar Souleyman
• Ascension by John Coltrane
• The Definitive by Blind Willie McTell
• Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey
• Horses by Patti Smith
• Vespertine by Björk
• Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall
• Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood by DMX
• I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron
• Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
• In My Own Time by Karen Dalton
• Stay Sick! by The Cramps
• Primary Colours by Eddy Current Suppression Ring
• Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison
• Trainspotting by Various Artists
• After School Session by Chuck Berry
• Body Language by Kylie Minogue
• Bricks Are Heavy by L7
• Trailer Park by Beth Orton
• Arular by M.I.A.
• Moon Pix by Cat Power
• White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground
• Y by The Pop Group
• The Human Jukebox by Scientists
• The Shape Of Things by Pere Ubu
• Congotronics by Konono Nº1
• High Voltage by AC/DC
• Self-tilted by The Seeds
• His Best by Bo Diddley
• Embracism by Kirin J Callinan
• Benji by Sun Kil Moon
• Betty by Helmet 
• Late Registration by Kanye West
• Under The Western Freeway by Grandaddy
• What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have by Sarah Blasko
• Regret Is An Inevitable Consequence Of Life by Ricaine
• Tu-Plang by Regurgitator
• Hourly, Daily by You Am I
• In A Bar, Under The Sea by dEUS
• Gurrumul by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
• Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti
• Some Girls by The Rolling Stones
• Adult Themes For Voice by Mike Patton
• Candy Apple Grey by Hüsker Dü
• This Is It by The Strokes
• To Record Only Water For Ten Days by John Frusciante
• How I Love You by The Angels Of Light
• Soaking Red by Tendrils
• Rock Action by Mogwai
• Rock And Rollin’ With Fat Domino by Fat Domino
• The Axeman’s Jazz by Beasts Of Bourbon
• This Is Not The Way Home by The Cruel Sea
• Black & White Self-titled by Primitive Calculators
• Still Life by The Paradise Motel
• Messenger by Jimmy Little
• Conatus by Zola Jesus
• Zuma by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Who else digs It’s Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Or do you just want to tell me your by them?

Cheers 🙂