Fever To Tell

maps and other paths

I don't fw it

I love this album. The whole thing sounds like it was recorded in somebody’s garage with whatever was available. It’s raw and powerful. 91.67% of the songs (read: not Maps) are these cool, messy tracks, and then you get to Maps and it’s total tonal whiplash. Really - it’s so different I had to check if somebody else wrote it for the band (nope). No complaints, though - it’s a fantastic song and gives me chills every time. Overall a real nice album!

Big shoes to fill. Best YYYs album. It rocked so hard and is so visceral my fucking shoes fall off. Karen O has never been more convincing.

Fun and pretty hard rocking early album from Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I knew Y-Control off this one and always like that one a lot. Maps of course is iconic. Some of the others honestly a little heavy for my taste. Probably wouldn't seek this one out again but gets a big boost from those two singles. 2.8/5

Liked it. Love the song maps. Likes modern romance too

I like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but sometimes this was a little bit too much noise for me. However, it has the song "Maps" which is one of my favourite songs.

Not my jam on the initial listen. This is not the best of list but “1001 albums you need to listen to” I listened… not roughing back to it.

Not my cup of tea.

Mjög gott indie. Miklu hrárra en seinni plöturnar, kemur ekki að sök því we like it rough.

Ótrúleg tilviljun að fá tvær plötur í röð frá sömu hljómsveit. Báðar plöturnar báðar mjög fínar. Mér fannst eldri platan hrárri og skemmtilegri.

idk who wade is but she love that dude

I want to like this more. It has the energy of Stooges/White Stripes, but I just couldn't hack the vocals. Really really couldn't get into it.

I'd forgotten just how much energy they always brought to their music! Unfortunately, despite that energy, most of the songs are also individually forgettable.

This was kind of painful to listen to.

This rocked! Thought they were gonna be a punk band.

Only really one standout song, the rest I forgot the moment they were over. Middling 2.

Some good tracks that I appreciate more with subsequent listens (Rich, Date With the Night, Man, No No No), but I would argue the genre is better represented by other bands of the time - or maybe Karen O's 'beautiful mess' schtick just isn't for me.

3-

Only knew a few songs off this album from a long time ango and liked the whole thing.

So many memories from this record. Some sublime stuff and a bit of filler. Maps is one of the greatest love songs ever written.

Some enjoyable moments but not enough

A pretty tasty fusion of punk-rock and early 2000's indie. Lots of substance, and a pretty enjoyable listen. However, it's just not for me. I really didn't feel one way or the other when listening to it, and nothing stood out for me. It just felt a bit plain to me, I don't know why.

These Punk albums are having a good track record so far of being fun and having a selection of good but not great tracks. While I would say that sentiment extends to this album, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of our previous Punk albums and my favourite song from it was probably the track that feels the most distinct from the rest of the album (Maps). Instrumentals are perfectly serviceable but didn't really do anything to blow me away. The vocalist is good and the scratchiness to her voice at parts helps the music stand out, but on some songs like Tick it can be a bit much.

Hey that band that people only know because of the remix of one of their songs from a different album! Sure hope this isn’t boring indierock slop!

Mid 5/10 Fav tracks - Rich, Tick, Cold Light, Maps, Y Control Least Fav - The rest of them, but also none really

In my punk shit atm so that might play a part in my rating but i didn't mind this album ngl. But with that said it wasn't hitting as hard as other punk bands i listen to do. I can see why it is on this list, this feels experimental in a good way. 3/5

2000s sports game menu music. Vocals are good, instrumentation is alright, performance is competent but overall a forgettable album I won't be listening to again anytime soon. A true 5/10. Favourite song from this was Pin.

Most songs on here are pretty short, which I'm normally not really a fan of, but in this case I didn't mind it at all. 2/5

Punchy raw

I liked it.

3.5 rounded down on paper this is like. exactly my thing, but unfortunately her vocals are super grating to me :-( highlights: maps, y control, modern romance (mar 23 2026)

Not great but not bad

meh

tem uma música mt boa mas o resto é wtf

Once the screeching stopped the songs were actually alright.

God this album is so good. Sexy, uncompromising, relentless. I like it as much as the first time I heard it many years ago.

The last 4-5 songs are really good but everything before that is pretty awful.

Favourite tracks: maps; y control; date with the night; tick

Pretty average noisy alternative punk. I thought the vocals were annoying at times, but the music wasn't bad. Thankfully the album was pretty short.

Good example of the garage rock sound comeback of the early 2000s. This album fits in nicely next to The White Stripes and The Strokes.

It was ok

I like it, but wouldn’t bump it on the day to day. Always fun to listen to the YYY’s

Much prefer It's Blitz to Fever to Tell. Partially, I think, due to the tinge of manic Karen O brings to some of the lyrics here, particularly the repetitive lyrics (tick, tick tick; uh-huh, uh-huh; yeah, yeah; choke, choke, choke; etc.) which, I know is a personal turn off. Low point: Tick, Black Tongue I waver between a 3 & 4. As long as she isn't screaming tick, tick, tick at me, I really enjoy it.

Slaps

Worse version of I Get Wet

Not a fan

...ignites a 'big roaring flame!'

One of my favourites

What is there to say, this is the best album I’ve heard so far and it’s now under the timeless classics category.

FEVER FOREVERRR. Max volume straight into my veins. And my neighbors. I'm a nuisance for this one. Can't get it loud enough. Won't be able to hear my grandkids cuz YYY turned up. Permanent cloud over me for not catching this era live.

Wicked

Meh Meh Meh. I was excited at the last song I heard, but then I realized it was Beck, spun off the end of the album by the Spotify algorithm.

First time hearing and actually really got into it. Had energy and didn’t take itself too seriously. I could totally trace the sound back to The Stooges and Raw Power. I will definitely be listening to this again.

An album of two halves. The first half was very punk sounding, then the back half was a lot slower. I liked the second half a lot more.

1. rich - 1 2. date - 1.5 3. man - 1 4. tick - 1 5. tongue - 1 6. pin - 1 7. cold - 1.5 8. no - 1 9. mapz - 2 10. control - 1

Well, this was a lot of fun. Female fronted pop punk, with fuzzed out guitars and even more fuzzed out vocals, tracing a direct line from bands like the Pretenders and Siouxie and the Banshees. It’s not revolutionary or going to change the world in any way, but sometimes you just want something that hits all of the right notes without trying too hard. The highlight for me was the song No, No, No which is very appropriate for the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

I've just read a review saying that "It's like they heard the White Stripes and decided they could do the same, [... and] dialled the oddest, most manic bits up to 11." but in a bad way. I can't disagree, but in a good way. It's fun, we're hit by a huge wall of noise while listening to this record, it's not revolutionary but it's 4 stars indie garage pop punk (or whatever). Much better than most of the insufferable garage bands of the time. Yeah Yeah Yeah (Yeahs).

oh yea let’s go crazy. nick zinner hometown hero SHARON MASSACHUSETTS REPRESENT!!!! i think it’s fun. overall i’d say it holds up a hell of a lot better than most of the shite from this so-called scene, in that it still sounds fresh (albeit a little samey when listened as one contiguous album) to me! is it the best record in the world? no. is “maps” the best song in the world? well now that just might be possible… fav tracks: maps [obviously]; y control; modern romance; poor song

that was good but I wasn't like blown away or anything. although that last song was KILLER so it's leaving me with a good taste in my mouth.

This list is hilariously 95-05 heavy

This was definitely one of the defining albums of the early 2000s garage rock and post-punk revival movement. I remember hearing it for the first time when it came out, and I loved how stripped-down, raw, and gritty it felt, especially with that lo-fi production. The distortion-heavy guitars are abrasive in the best way, bringing out the raw energy that drives the entire album.

Wasnt aware of how punk this was, very cool

Okay, very unremarkable - female vocalist 4/10

Don't like the singers voice, so a no no for me instead of Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs

Did not finish. Really, kind of annoying.

Yeah!

Not really sure why this is on here

Fever to Tell I bought this album on the strength of Maps, which is absolutely great and still stands up. I’m sure I listened to it quite a bit at that time, but apart from Maps and Date with the Night I can’t really remember much about it. It definitely feels of its time, that early 2000s indie garage rock vibe with added New York grubbiness and sleaziness, but it still sounds good I think, the minimal and unadorned production and instrumentation held together with the rough edged guitar and thumping drums and Karen O’s slightly wired and anxious charisma. Love the little guitar figure on Rich, and Date With the Night’s stomping garage punk is great too. I like Man’s scuzzy almost funk rhythm, nicely accented by the organ. It starts to get a little samey after that, the groove based garage punk being the template, but each song is so brief, direct and to the point you just move on to the next one without much worry, until the utterly great Maps comes into view. It really is a superb bit of surprisingly tender garage pop, sounding of its time but also timeless. Great guitars, a lovely spare yet rich arrangement and a super vocal. Y Control is thematically somewhat similar to Maps, and although it's not quite at the same level as that, it’s still a great track and great melody. Modern Romance again has some similarity with Maps, but with a bit more vulnerability and another great relationship song. It does seem a bit odd they put the three strongest and most similar songs together at the end, it's kind of an odd sequencing choice. There’s a lot of good guitar on here, almost Coxon-esque in places, and it’s jaggedy roughness suits them and the singing, shouting, moaning, wailing vocals. Kind of tough to rate as it's a mix of fun but relatively slight garage punk interspersed with some genuinely great songs like Rich, Date with the Night, Man, Y Control and Modern Romance and one absolute classic in Maps. I think it just about shades into a 4 on the back of those songs and the overall sense of energy and style. 🗺️🗺️🗺️🗺️ Playlist submission: Maps

Genius in it's simplicity as it was when it was one of my favorite albums during my teenage years. The guitars scream and Karen O wails! As raw and sweet as strawberries in a mason jar.

One of my favorite bands. Karen O has the perfect rock star voice. Two of my all time faves are on this album.

One of my favorite indy albums of the 2000s. Maps is an all time classic.

Good songs but her screeching is bad. If these songs had a different singer then it would have scored higher! Maps is a banger though, love that song 3 ⭐️

Energetic and fun.

It's an awful shame that Maps far overshadowed anything else that this band ever recorded when it's so imminently clear that they had zero interest in making more music like that. If they weren't contemporaries, I'd sad Jack White owes Karen O a creative debt.

Notable tracks: Basically all. Maps is iconic

A fave

I just like it when woman yell. Favourite track: Man or Map, I like both the Ma's.

Amazing

Was starting off fine but took a bad left turn. Some songs are really good while others are really bad.

I preferred the second half of the album, which was a lot quieter.

I liked it

Wasn’t sure what to expect hadn’t heard of the band before. The album was alright

Bad ass energy and rock music. Maps is an all time amazing love song

Loved from the beginning, the sound, the voice, the variety

I like the energy of this album. I just really don't like the tone or repetition. I get it Maps is good. It would be better with a bass

Coming in expecting to like this album, I was left feeling like it was up and down. I think I prefer their more unusual and less conventional songs on this one. The combination of her voice (which is striking) and the screeching guitars begins to grate over the course of this album. Standout Track: Man

Fantastic record

I quite enjoyed this one. I’m a fan of women scream singing at me.

I low-key hated this but all of the singles are all-timers as far as aughts indie goes so there's that. 2.5/5

felt better in a cd player 6/10

Radio-friendly "safe" punk. A bit like the Hives but with more girlish squealing. Maps is a good tune.

That's not my taste in musik.

Really enjoyed. Clearly the group lives what they're doing

put on my gym playlist

A good listen - very raw sounding

First half sucks

Mal conheço já gosto pacas. Indie! Top

I've never really looked into this band. That was a mistake

Nja...

‘Modern Romance’ is actually really good and I would’ve liked more like it but honestly the album as a whole and really every song outside of that one was very… not good.

Angry No doubt.

This album grew on me. It’s not something that finds itself in heavy rotation, but I wouldn’t be upset if someone put it on.

Eh, NYC art band makes it big I guess? It's ok, not really heading into any new ground. Just lo-fi garage band stuff.

Pretty good, prett-ay, prett-ay good. Never listened to the whole album, dug on a few songs that I had never heard before.

Maps is an ok song. The rest... not s'much.

Fun album, not bad

Really good stuff

Didn't hate it

what a cool album. “fever to tell” epitomises the image the band were attempting to portray, with its bratty style of singing, and songs packed full of noise. it’s so refreshing and different to be given an album by a band of this nature fronted by a woman. i understand people’s criticisms of this album, and i think that if the sound isn’t for you, it is probably very difficult to get into. however, if like myself the sound is appealing, this album will captivate you. moreover, i felt it was the perfect length, sitting at just over 30 minutes, and didn’t drag itself out to the point of boredom. really interesting listen.

Don’t mind a good female fronted punk band, sussing out the wiki only got three members so that’s pretty impressive. I’m sure a lot of triple j bands take inspiration from this

This was just loud nonsense mixed into punk songs which are also nonsensical, this album left no impression on me except for the start of the last song which made me pitch a tent in my tracky dacks.

Yeah yeah nah, was alright but nothing making me come back, but her moaning making me cum 😩

The album cover is like a fever dream but each song had just the right amount of distortion that you can’t call it a female deftones Overall a banger from the HEYEAHYEAHYEAHS

maps is an all time classic

I like the music but sometimes the vocals are not my favour. favourite: "Maps", "Y Control" 2,5

Early 2000s indie classic. While I prefer their later material, this gave us some of their best work. Maps is an all time classic.

Første jeg har hørt med dem, nogle virkelig gode numre men synes også jeg har hørt meget af det før. Maps var virkelig god

Fedt at høre en ung Karen O gå amok! Det er ikke super consistent, men der er nogen virkelig fede sange på. Maps! Y Control!!

Første halvdel virkede betydelig bedre og mere beskidt end den sidste

Good

ett klassiskt indiealbum, svårt att inte gilla.

Much more raw than I expected after hearing the last one with heads will roll. Reminded me of white stripes at times. I like this band. Glad to hear this.

I liked this a lot!

not for me! maybe im just having a bad day. I liked Date With The Night and Maps tho!

why she sound like lana del rey. anyway maps is the only song id heard off this album and i kinda see why.

great garage rock album. lot of angst within the lead singer. would recommend the full album to others, very in your face and unapologetic.

garage rock often with punk rock vibes. great album.

Somehow like the feverish hysteria displayed. That makes the partly dull lyrics and average songwriting bearable. It is more about display but craft, but it is a fun listen half time. Not a record to die for, but at least fun - which cannot be said of many of the weaker albums on the list.

This album was okay. Maps is a very good song, but what else?

This was pretty shit hahahaha

Deze plaat opent echt met de energie die je van de roaring zeroes der indie rock mag verwachten. De Yeah Yeah Yeahs doen dat echter met veel meer noise dan hun tijds-, genre- en stadsgenoten The Strokes, Interpol of TV On The Radio. Ze lijken meer het ruige pad te bewandelen dat vrij werd gemaakt door - eveneens New Yorkers - Sonic Youth, met Karen O die Kim Gordon ademt in al haar doen en laten. Het venijn van 'Rich' en daarna 'Date With The Night' verandert daarna helaas in jeugdige onbezonnenheid, toch wel tekenend voor de garage rock revival. De korte nummertjes doen me niet zo veel, en zijn me iets te doelloos. Opveren doet de luisteraar pas weer bij, uiteraard, 'Maps'. Hiermee laat de band zien tot meer in staat te zijn dan rumoerige rock, en leveren ze een iconische indie track, die het gevoel van een gehele generatie ving in drie en een halve minuut. Jammer dat de souplesse waarmee deze sleutelsong wordt bespeeld weinig tot niet terug is te zien in de rest van het muziekstuk. 'Y Control' gaat nog wel op een soortgelijke voet verder, maar is het ook nét niet. De introverte 'Modern Romance' en 'Poor Song' grijpen wel dat gevoel, en het tweetal laat zien dat het album in stemming omsloeg na 'Maps'. Een welkome afwisseling zo aan het einde, maar echt veel om het lijf hebben ze niet. 6,5/10 Highlights: Rich Date With The Night Maps

Heftig debuutalbumpje van Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Stamt uit de Golden Age van de indie rock en lijkt een soort extra noisy variant van de White Stripes platen uit die tijd. Karen O is vette en beetje maniakale zangeres, dat maakt deze band altijd wel uniek. Ik vind het ontbreken van een bassist wel echt een gemis. Het is rauw, het is snel, het is punky, maar het mist de echte kwaliteit voor veel luisterplezier. Maps overigens van een heel andere orde en een instant indie-klassieker. Later zou natuurlijk nog Heads Will Roll volgen. Hoogtepunten van een band waar voor mijn gevoel meer in had gezeten. 7/10 Highlights Maps Y Control

Good album. A few tracks which i totally forgot about. Songs that stood out were date with the night, pin, Y control and maps. Some good releases right there. Length wise i felt the album was spot on. I would probably say this was a 3.5 for me so ill give it a 4 because it was much better than some of the 3's ive given recently.

Enjoyable album with some samey songs, but Maps stands head and shoulders above the rest

This is a band where before listening, I only knew the one hit, Maps. Decent enough song. Nothing else on the album really felt compelling, but also didn’t feel like I wanted to turn it off. A fine listen but won’t come back to it.

Hard to believe this album is over 20 years old (as of 2024). Brings back memories. I was in a weekend warriors cover band with a female singer and wanted to okay either Maps or Y Control. No dice. Guess this was too “new” for the band.

I had their other, later album, the one with the egg earlier this year and... "what is it 𝘧𝘰𝘳?" I asked. "The only thing that comes to mind is someone's house party where let's call her Christine balances of bag of crisps on her head, she's just crazy like that, haha." It's still the same party but 2 hours later. Christine had a few drinks too many and is resting in the bathtub. Also, the cops showed up but left again. Music is back up. Think I'll be staying a little longer. This party isn't bad.

76

Another great album

This is in the time period of music I missed between uni and starting work. Really enjoyable. Would have had potential to be a favourite had I really listened to it at the time

I really enjoyed the B-side of this record. Some real good songwriting.

OK

2 stars for maps and the cover art being kinda cool

Edgy. Not good. Not bad

I like some "Yeah Yeah Yeah's", but this definitely isn't it. Probably some of my least favorite music I've heard from them, unfortunately

I remember listening to this a few times back when it came out during the big garage rock revival. My feeling at the time is that it was pretty good but nothing really sunk its hooks on to me beyond Maps. That one has been on my playlists ever since. Revisiting today, my feelings haven’t really changed. The album is decent enough and has some raucous fun moments but it never reaches the heights of Maps, although the run of Maps > Y Control > Modern Romance is probably the most interesting part of the album. I think this band is better when doing mid-tempo moody stuff. 3.5/5

Girl boss punk rock that’s probably better or just as good as other early 2000s indie rock

Baby I'm afraid of a lot of things But I ain't scared of lovin you Baby I know you're afraid of a lot of things But don't be scared of love Cause people will say all kinds of things That don't mean a damn to me Cause all I see Is what's in front of me That's you Well I've been dragged All over the place I've taken hits Time just don't erase And baby I can see You've been fucked with too But that don't mean Your loving days are through Cause people will say All kinds of things That don't mean a damn to me Cause all I see is what's in front of me That's you Well I may be just a fool But I know you're just as cool And cool kids They belong together Yeah, this is a hell of a good album. 5/5

Es brauchte etwas Zeit in dieses Album reinzukommen. Mir war es zu schrill, stählern, blech elektronisch, nicht ganz mein Stil. Besser zurecht kam ich mit den Songs: "No, No,No", "Maps", "Modern Romance" und "Poor Song"

I think this album was likely more interesting at the time of its release. Now it feels like being artsy for the sake of it. Kind of without purpose to me. All that being said, Maps is a brilliant song of the 00s.

This is #day5 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... somehow, I've always passed this band by. So, as you might expect, this is my first time listening to this album. I seem to be getting the sound and where it's coming from: NYC 70's punk, garage rock, bits of 00's post-punk revival in the likes of the Strokes (more) or Interpol (less). Sadly, the band/music/delivery doesn't click with me. Given the year it was released, I'd rather stick with Turn On The Bright Lights (I hope it's on the list, isn't it?), although it's more in a different vein. Sorry, guys, but this is the first contender for my lowest rate so far. Modern Romance was sweet, though. Looking forward to #day6.

You’ve heard of dance punk, get ready for dance riot grrl

I remember several friends were really into this band/album when it came out, and a few of the songs are vaguely familiar. But for reasons unknown it mustn’t have connected with me at the time. This time around, I really enjoyed it. The music and vocals are mostly manic in the first half of the album, but tone down in the second. The album flows really well. Highlights: Date With the Night, Man, Tick, Maps.

Couldn’t finish it. Voice got on my nerves.

Some have considered this album to be part of the garage rock revival, but I'd say it's a little more inline with the early dance-punk that was starting to take off in the early 00s with the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and others. A little more raw production getting that garage rock tag, but the energy of the album is more bopping around while staring at the floor in a dark, dirty basement night club in NYC. Each track hits you with searing energy and sharp edges with the only seemingly polished break you get in the whole album being "Maps", but even that has massive wall of guitar hitting you in the bridge, never really letting you relax until the album closer Modern Romance. Listen to: Man, Pin, No No No, Maps, Y Control

Not for me. Not this bands fault Garage-rock revival has been beaten to death twice over. Fan of the music enough, but I am not a fan of the repetitive wailing vocals.

I want a man who makes me want to kill. Stupid lyrics!

I don’t get why this is on here.

all ik about the yeah yeah yeahs, is that evilgiane sampled them on polo perks classic mixtape punk goes drill. big fan of the crazy ass vocals on here. Makes a lot of these tracks a whole lot more interesting. me likey

Really blank

Naja.

Another album slightly ruined by childhood experience. My mum would play this album on repeat while driving around so these songs are ingrained into my memory and as a kid, I fucking hated this band and this album. With a wildly different perspective as an adult now I still hate most of the songs on this album. The first half is borderline cringe with songs that are just too loud and fast with most of lyrics being either guttural noises or unintelligible. I counted 4 out of the 12 songs that I actually enjoyed and they were all in the slower paced second half. Not as bad as it was when I was a kid but still not my thing. 5/10

Breath of fresh air in the middle of sad boy music and terrible British Rock. It's a bit dated but it's loud and energetic and a welcome break. The fifth star is just for that.

This is a rock album. You have to be in the mood to listen to this, but it is a great album. Short and sweet.

It wasn't bad, but other than maps, I just was okay with most of the songs.

I love Maps. One of my favorite songs, so I was looking forward to hearing the album it came from. This album is not like that song, it’s the outlier. Can’t quite call it one thing because it feels unique. Abrasive, sensual, noisy, and in the clouds. Some criticism of men and love. The lyrics are mostly for a vibe, not to really parse through. Standouts: Rich, Date With The Night, Pin, No No No, Maps, and Y Control.

Maps supremacy, they really don’t be loving you like you love them. Legendary of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to point that out so eloquently

It has character, but bit too same

I really liked ”Maps” when it came out and went to Best Buy to buy a CD to try and figure out what this whole post-Y2K indie scene was all about but ended up getting the “Garden State” soundtrack instead, which I think was the right choice. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a little more discordant than where my Goldilocks zone lies, but not too far outside of it. This is a pretty cool album and worth hearing.

Po pire

Awful post-punk indie.

I don’t remember much.

Love maps and y control, excited to get into this whole album. I miss this era of music. Hm, I liked it less than I thought I would.

Meh

This album goes hard.

Enjoyed it!

Better than I thought it would be. Reminds me of a lot of the stuff I heard from a guy in high school who was into a lot of punk.

Pretty tight. Maps is a perfect song. The beep boop guitar, tom grooves, and Karen's singing work together to range between a unique sound with coherence, and limitation otherwise.

"Rich", "Pin", "Maps" and "Y-Control" are the standout tracks. The rest is decent garage/indie rock. 3.8 stars rounded up.

It's okay but not something I would choose to listen to again.

Contagious angsty and energetic fun.

I really like this. Made me want to listen to Wet Leg.

I listened to this while during a roadtrip and it’s a good thing I have cruise control otherwise, I’d have been flying! I love the pounding drums with her untethered voice railing over them. It made for an epically upbeat hour in complete contrast to my desert scenery.

One all timer surrounded by a lot rocking tunes. Excellent guitar playing throughout - dynamic, creative riffs. Overall - powerhouse vocal performances - it's like chrissy hynde, pj harvey and janis joplin thrown into a blender. In a good way.

Ah, 2003 !!! Quelle année, mes amis, car le rock, le vrai avait repris du poil de la bête depuis quelques temps. Les Strokes avaient remis le slim et les Converse au goût du jour, les White Stripes nous prouvaient qu'on pouvait faire un boucan d'enfer à deux. New York et Detroit pissaient le rock par tous les pores. C'était l'époque du "revival garage", comme disaient les journaleux en mal d'étiquettes. Et puis, au milieu de toute cette testostérone en guitares, un trio a débarqué. Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Rien que le nom, ça sonnait comme une réponse désinvolte, un truc entre l'enthousiasme et le je-m'en-foutisme. Vingt ans et des poussières plus tard, le projet "1001 Albums" me force à remettre ce disque sur la platine. Et première surprise, il n'a pas vieilli. Il n'a pas pris une ride. Ce disque est un putain de concentré d'énergie brute, une décharge électrique qui vous prend à la gorge dès les premières secondes de "Rich". On est loin du son propret des Strokes. Ici, c'est sale, c'est strident, c'est viscéral. Le son du Yeah Yeah Yeahs, c'est avant tout un triangle des Bermudes sonore où l'on se perd avec un plaisir masochiste. Il y a d'abord Nick Zinner, ce type à l'allure de crevette asthmatique qui sort de sa guitare des sons à décorner un troupeau de rhinocéros. Ses riffs sont des lames de rasoir, des éclats de verre, des crissements de pneus sur le bitume. Il n'y a pas de basse, et on s'en fout royalement, parce que sa guitare remplit tout l'espace, elle grince, elle sature, elle crée une tension permanente. Ensuite, il y a Brian Chase à la batterie. Le métronome fou. Il ne fait pas dans la dentelle, sa frappe est sèche, tribale, précise comme une horloge suisse déréglée. Il est le squelette sur lequel tout le chaos mélodique vient s'accrocher, la poutre maîtresse qui empêche la baraque de s'effondrer complètement. Et puis, il y a Elle. Karen O. L'épicentre du séisme. Sur scène, c'était un spectacle. Dans les clips, une énigme. Mais sur le disque, sa voix est l'arme principale. Elle passe du chuchotement sensuel au cri primal en une fraction de seconde. Elle est tour à tour aguicheuse, menaçante, fragile, hystérique. C'est une frontwoman comme on n'en faisait plus, une héritière lointaine de Siouxsie Sioux ou de PJ Harvey, mais avec une excentricité toute new-yorkaise, un côté "art school" qui part en couille. Elle ne chante pas, elle vit les morceaux. Elle les crache, les pleure, les jouit. "Fever To Tell" est un album schizophrène, et c'est ce qui fait sa putain de force. La première moitié, c'est une course-poursuite. Un uppercut. "Date With The Night", "Man", "Tick"... C'est une succession de brûlots punk-funk qui vous laissent exsangue, le coeur battant à 200 pulsations par minute. C'est le son d'une nuit de débauche à Brooklyn, le genre de nuit qui se termine soit au poste, soit aux urgences, soit les deux. C'est cru, c'est sexuel, c'est énervé. Et puis, au milieu de ce bordel sonique, arrive "Maps". Putain... "Maps". Ce morceau est une anomalie. Une fracture. Le tempo ralentit, la guitare de Zinner se fait douce et mélancolique, et la voix de Karen O se brise. "Wait, they don't love you like I love you". C'est une déclaration d'amour d'une simplicité et d'une puissance désarmantes. On raconte que les larmes qu'elle verse dans le clip sont réelles, que son mec de l'époque (Angus Andrew de Liars) était en retard pour le tournage et qu'elle a cru qu'il n'allait pas venir. Vrai ou faux, on s'en cogne. L'émotion, elle, est authentique. Ce morceau a transformé un groupe de punk-rockeurs arty en quelque chose de plus grand. Il a donné une âme à la fureur. Après "Maps", l'album ne sera plus jamais le même. La deuxième partie explore des territoires plus étranges, plus pop, presque électroniques parfois, comme si le groupe avait besoin de reprendre son souffle après s'être vidé de sa substance. C'est moins direct, plus expérimental, et c'est peut-être là que le disque perd un cheveu de sa perfection, ce qui explique mon petit 4/5. Le grand écart est parfois un peu violent entre la furie du début et la pop déconstruite de la fin. Mais même dans ses errances, l'album reste fascinant. C'est un disque de rupture, au sens propre comme au figuré. Rupture amoureuse, rupture de ton. Vingt ans après, "Fever To Tell" n'est pas juste un bon souvenir. C'est un album qui a incroyablement bien vieilli parce qu'il n'a jamais vraiment cherché à être à la mode. Il était juste... lui-même. Brutal, honnête, sexy, et touchant. C'est le son d'un groupe en état de grâce, capturant un instant de pure magie chaotique avant que le succès et les attentes ne viennent tout compliquer.

Howls ripple throughout Absurdities and punk riffs Punctuate this art

Infectious energy, rollicking good fun, interesting arrangements, and killer vocals.

Solid 3. Not groundbreaking by any means. Some highlights, but mostly filler.

Oops! All Bangers.

Trends are always harder to place when you’re in them. Whether or not the Yeah Yeah Yeahs felt like part of a distinct musical movement in 2003 is difficult to say for someone who was busy playing with his dinosaur toys at the time. Interestingly, though, the term “indie sleaze” (nowadays very much associated with the band) is a uniquely retrospective coining, with online searches for the term beginning in 2021 and exploding in 2022. So however much I tried to resist this retrospective pigeon-holing, twenty years on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs feel inseparable from the garage-rock revival movement which is now under the indie-sleaze umbrella. They united with The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Hives, The Libertines and many more under a singular aim: “let’s make electric guitars cool again”. “Fever to Tell” perfectly fits this bill: from the first moment, Karen O is electric on vocals. She yelps, howls and snarls her way through each song, revelling in power and sexuality. The impassioned “choke” chorus of “Date with the Night”; the tormented, catatonic “tick tick tick” of, umm, “Tick”; the refreshing frankness of smash hit “Maps”. All around her, the two other musicians revel in raw, raunchy rock, with blues riffs and tremulous solos a-plenty. Just like the White Stripes, there’s no bass here: Nick Zinner layers up plenty of low-end guitars against Brian Chase’s raucous basement drums until the sound is well and truly full. There are plenty of songs I like here, but not many I really love. Most notable are those which dare to vary the driving garage rock rhythms: the heavy, hauling pulse in “Man”, the swaggering shuffle of “Cold Light”, the chugging, runaway momentum of “No No No”. I also enjoy “Pin”, which slyly weaves a bouncy, pop-fuelled chord progression around heavier riffs. And “Y Control” is tantamount to anthemic, with its sky-high searing guitars interrupted by rumbling storms of fuzz and a pounding, urgent lyric. It might just be my favourite on here. But much as I admire “Fever to Tell” for its riff-heavy attitude - and Karen O’s vocals especially - it doesn’t take long for the charm to wear off. Even when the album stands at a lean 37 minutes, it’s repeating quite a hefty chunk of the same stuff. A serious comedown also sets in at the end, with “Modern Romance” and hidden track “Poor Song” lumbering in as two whiplash inducing, low-energy dirges (I had to check whether they were bonus tracks). All in all, “Fever to Tell” doesn’t need to blow my mind to be good. And good it is.

old school punk, like Garbage. Decent stuff

Fine

Great album. I can’t believe I never really listened to this group in the 00’s because they’re right up my street. Not a skippable song on here with a raw sound that makes you feel the need to see them live. Love Maps, Y Control, Rich, Man, Pin and Poor Song.

fuck yeah

I thought I would love this more. Maps really makes this, huh?

Not for me

Black Tongue was my fav song. Great album. Would listen again

Tämähän oli aika nasta! Agressiivisuutta ja herkkyyttä sopivassa paketissa. 4/5

Tää oli hyvä!

they did what they set out to do which is be edgy and annoying but Maps is a goddam gorgeous song and redeems the rest of it

I really wanted to love this album because I like their garage rock sound and the singer's style. However, there was more style than substance here and the songs didn't reach the standard I wanted. I also got quite tired after listening to the entire album in one sitting. Still kind of cool!

Enjoyed

Music not bd - mix of rock and unbar and grunge. Karen O is the only reason to listen to this. There are some gems, (Modern Romance, Rich). Worth a listen m. A high 3+ or 4-

Pop punk but More punk than pop. Unfortunately, most of the album doesn't live up to the high point of Maps.

Yeah.

Yeah!

they don't love you like i love you

Yeah it realy didn't get to me

Yeah, yeah yeah! This one rips. It's raw, energetic, and its brief runtime over the course of 12 tracks will leave you feeling you just got slapped by the coolest person you've ever met. Man I wish this band never would've polished their sound in future records.

The controlled chaos of angular guitars and propulsive percussion still hold up, but it is Karen O's uncompromising vocal urgency and undeniable magnetism that will forever draw listeners in.

I'm not a fan of most of the vocal effects present throughout the album, and there is a slight sense that this album really fits the "product of its time" description, in that it's a noisy, punky, indie rock album from the early 2000s. Other than those things though, this album is very solid, they meet the energy their music demands, keep their production varied, and especially in the second half of the album, pivot between influences from different genres.

I didn’t like this at first but that changed a lot as I kept listening. Very cool early 2000s garage rock stuff, sort of White Stripes-esque

Annoying alt-grunge/rock without anything to show in terms of songwrighting. 1.5/5

Don't know anything about this band before today but I like that song Maps, which I have heard on the radio over the years but never knew who did it or what it was called. On it, the singer reminds me of Chrissy Hynde a little. Otherwise, the band sounds like a fun live show but otherwise I will be surprised if this album really sticks with me.

A fun--and surprisingly rocking--album! I feel like I've heard of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before, but had no idea what to expect, and really enjoyed listening to this album. I know the Wikipedia entry mentions similarities to Siouxsie and the Banshees and Led Zeppelin, but I heard more White Stripes and Sonic Youth, but with their own style and sound. Either way, they did a great job with this album, and I can understand why they were a popular live band--lots of energy, even if Karen O's in-your-face style is a bit wearing at times. I particularly liked the opening track "Rich", and the video for "Pin" was somewhat hypnotizing (although I'm not sure I understand the song any better having watched the video), while "Maps" is an intriguing change of pace. The album doesn't end quite as strongly as it starts, but it's still an impressive album.

my favorite songs have an element of Velvet Underground to them, a sort of pared down repetitive thrum with Karen O's voice--this works. Most of the time, though, it doesn't really, not for me.

Date with the Night Pin Maps Y Control

This is a lot of fun!

Very good album, the second half is where it really shines. This reminds me of a more atmospheric Sleater Kinney. I'm looking forward to their other albums on this list.

Maps

I like the strong guitar and beat. A bit punky, but good. I would almost put it in my rotation. First I've heard of them.

Fun! 3.5

Rough go after RUSH how’m I supposed to listen to a lady singing about maps.

Liked it more than I thought I would.

Yeah yeah yeah, it was ok. Kind of reminded me of going to a late night bar with live music in Camden. No songs really stood out though, a little samey, but good background music.

pretty aight

Hell yeah

Honestly knew nothing about this group. I think I’ve heard Maps before but it was new. I wouldn’t say this was a lyrically deep album or anything but it was really good. I enjoyed it

Yeah, yea . . . no.

positive überraschung, die singles sind das schlechteste am album

This album feels very raw and edgy, but it almost comes off as more whiny and amateurish than I believe is intended. The album does end on a stronger note, due to the softer and more refined sound from the last few tracks. But not a very enjoyable listen overall. Top tracks: Maps, Y Control, Modern Romance

eh literally nothing memorable, it felt like palatable riotgrrl

There's a lot to like here. Unfortunately too explicit for my tastes so likely won't get a relisten

Definitely a new entry to my "favourite genres" list, Mostly because of the singing. Hard to describe the genre though - maybe "overdramatic horny punk" or something along those lines. The vocalist here kicks some serious butt and makes otherwise pretty weird and nonsensical lyrics surprisingly engaging. The singing (particularly in the first half of the album) is dramatic, sarcastic, desperate, and hilarious. It's great. And the vocals are completely different in every track, controlling the flow of the album. Because it's nearly always the backing instrumental that has this job, it's easy to see that the vocals are the band's centrepiece. The drumming is also energetic, wild, high-strung - complementing the singing nicely. I'll knock the album down a little for having technically weak lyrics, as well as a run of lower-energy tracks at the tail end of the album that seem a heck of a lot like filler. But otherwise, there ain't much to slander here. Good job folks. 4/5 Key tracks: Rich, Man, Tick, Black Tongue, Pin, Maps

This is my introduction to Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and I enjoyed it. It's lo-fi garage rock, yes, but it reminds me of Le Tigre more than anything else.

i thought this was great actually, a very nice surprise

Good stuff! I'd give it 4 just for Maps tbh.

This is truly one of the greatest albums ever written. I have so many thoughts about how good this album is I can't think of a coherent sentence to write. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

4.5

I swear I just had a YYY album. Why another one?

there were a few good songs

This is horrible. So pretentious and "arty" which just equated to big mess. Even Maps being decent can't save this.

DNL

Really enjoyed the energy and overall vibe of this album.

Better than I was expecting based on what I had heard from them prior

boring

Like the UK version. Takes me back to college. :)

This is one of the few times where between a debut and famous album the debut was actually better. It’s blitz was also great but this album just ripped with so many bangers like tick, pin, and maps. Felt much more punk and less poppy than it’s blitz in general.

Very good. This has aged pretty well. Maps is a great song and the drum part was fun and challenging to play on that old Rock Band video game.

Here’s another blast from the early 2000s. Weirdly this one held up better for me. I think the next couple of YYY albums are a little better than this one; this feels more like they tried to capture the feeling of their live shows and the subsequent albums used the studio better. But it still had my little tootsies a-tappin’!

I’ve always liked this band. Dang, the generator kind of killed it while I was on vacation, huh? It’s been fun catching up.

Another solid entry from them. The music is a little repetitive at times but I still like it quite a bit.

Interesting album with some cool stuff.

Another entry into the genre of albums that I’ve owned for years but never managed to listen through all the way through until now. It’s first two songs are both pretty good, and the run of four songs from Maps to Poor Song are all great, but the middle of the album all rushes by without anything particularly memorable. I said in my Tea For Tillerman review that if I like half the songs on an album on a first listen, that’s an immediate five. I stand by that for that album, but it falls apart when half of the songs range pretty good to great, and the other half are all unmemorable it becomes much more of a mixed bag

I like the punk style. Didn't like the repetitive lyrics of every song.

I love this first song. Pretty excited for this album overall. Just a very grungy/indie sound. Right up my alley. Some too screamy bits, but overall really good.

Maps is 5/5. The rest is ok.

It's great dirty indie rock, and enough groove to make it interesting. It's one of those shoutalong albums

A fantastic garage rock/punk record, and one of the finest debuts of this century. It’s packed full of energy and sing(or shout)-a-long hooks and gave Yeah Yeah Yeahs instant legendary status

Another gem found on this list. I have not heard this before and I enjoyed it immensely. I love the grungy, garage sound. Similar to the White Stripes, although I still would give the Stripes the edge overall. I also love Karen O's vocals, as I am a huge fan of female-fronted bands. A lot of fun!

"Fever to Tell" is the debut studio album by American indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Critics labeled their music with a fairly wide range of genres including garage rock revival, art punk and dance punk. They all fit too. The album is produced by David Andrew Sitek of TV on the Radio fame and the band and was mixed by Alan Moulder. The bandmembers included vocalist Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase. Commercially, the album made it to #13 in the UK and #55 in the US and had wide-spread critical acclaim. Drums pounding and a guitar sounding like bells ringing open the album and "Rich." This is driving rock. Very aggressive. Karen O yelling and singing. When all else fails just say it's about sex on this album. That's what I'll do. The first single "Date with the Night" continues with more guitar-driven rock. Karen O explodes. They're young and wild. The second single "Pin" has a more melodic guitar riff. The song bounces from slow to fast and back again. Another sex song. The album ends with two of their best songs. "Maps" is the first Yeah Yeah Yeah's song I heard and it probably is my favorite. High piercing, repetitive guitar riffs. The great drumbeat. Karen O at her most serious and emotional. Two people are in a relationship and both are going their separate ways. "Y Control" continues the effective high-pitched guitar riffs. Faster paced drums. Nice layering of guitars. Karen O singing emotionless almost resigned to being helpless. A song about being controlled by a man (even though the relationship might be over). I have this album and forgot how hard and raw it is. Pounding drums, guitar driven. Definitely an edge to the music and to Karen O's vocals. Karen O screams, sings, and, yes, it's hard not make the early Siouxsie Sioux comparisons. Nick Zenner is excellent on guitars. Lots of histrionics or as I say gymnastics...with feedback, high pitched chords and layering. The lyrics can be raunchy at times which Karen O and the music match. This is a pretty great album which sounded really good today. It's aged well.

Yeah yeah yeah

I think at a different age I would have hated this record but today I found myself quite enjoying it. Like a spazzier female led white stripes. Pretty rockin'. Great riffs.

Half fun, half annoying. I already knew Maps which is the best track and sounds nothing like the rest of the album. Standout: Man, Maps

Interesting

OK!

classic Karen O. Love her, album has some great songs but many that i would skip on a regular listen

Red Rain is an instant classic and the hits keep coming with little dead air

I know this album. Played it thoroughly through early 2000s. Great live act, lost their way later on.

Good album, probably a little higher than a 3. Has a little of The Moldy Peaches sound at times which isn’t a bad thing.

- workshop music for sure - the squealing is something that i think would be awesome live but I’m not sure I love for general listening - big fan of… i don’t know what the instrument is but it’s like. electric bell sounding. might just be the electric guitar and me being clueless. - spectacular guitar - spotify wouldn’t let me listen to modern romance for whatever reason - I liked it; I don’t know that I’ll definitely listen to it again but I do want to give it another try - 3/5

Maps is a classic and after seeing this band live they definitely have a good energy. The album just doesn't hit with me much. reminds me of a bit of the white stripes in terms of just general lo fi energy. Maps and Y Control are bangers though.

Best song : all Worst song ; none Blew my expectations out of the water Even if lyrics isn’t it strong point

Yeah, yeah, yeah....

I went into this album thinking I’d love it because I like a few songs from the band but I didn’t end up loving it. Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: Y control

Some good ones. Not that good though.

It's not good.

probably good at heart but jumps around sonically which doesn;t make for easy vegetable chopping. that is probably not what they were going for tbh, so we'll agree to differ and say no more about it

Sound wise, the instruments should fit together, but somehow they don't, most of the time. To compensate for the singers inability to sing in tune, they just made it sound like shes singing through a megaphone, ALL THE TIME, at least so it seams. Songs ain't bad, they just don't take me anywhere...

Channeling punk. Does not quite make it.

Maps seems out of place.

Deilig Album å starte dagen med

It's fine.

This was all the rage among the alt girls that hung in the punk/hardcore scene back in college. Raw, loud, noisy, fun. Maps is everyone's go to but Y Control has always been my favorite on this album.

I admit it, I only really knew Maps up until this, which I like so was looking forward to hearing more. Unfortunately disappointed. Too theatrical & histrionic for me.

yeah!!!

I must have listened to this album 1000 times. It's both the party that is starting to fray at the edges and the come down. No notes.

Love this album. It just exudes “cool.”

this was a bit more screamy and raw than i was expecting from this band. I really only knew their song Maps (shout out to Rock Band), and so the rest of their album was WAYYY different. I don't think its bad, but its probably not something i would listen to a ton afterwards. it was nice to hear Maps again for the first time in a long time, but thats probably where I would leave it

I didn't recognize any songs except for Maps; I like that song. It's funny how very catchy songs can have such sparse lyrics. This song has 1-3 sentences of meaning, depending on interpretation. I'm not really a punk listener. Maps is catchy. 3/5

Liked "It's Blitz!" better. The only song I actually enjoyed from this one is "Maps".

That rare combination of being catchy without ever becoming grating or irritating. Dramatic and passionate. Pretty much perfect.

Sounded SO similar to the White Stripes at the beginning and didn’t really feel like they came into their own until the last two songs. Still really good, of course.

I hadn’t heard this in years and it was great to put on again. I can’t put my finger on why it’s not 5 stars for me… It’s always felt like an extended ‘Master’ EP and for no good reason that bugs me. If it were two EPs I’d almost certainly rank them both 5. Such a puzzle. Anyway, ignore me and listen to this, it’s great! Turn it loud!

A loud, sloppy, energetic introduction to a band still working out the kinks. I mean that all lovingly of course. I’ve been a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for a long time, and I am a fan of this album. However, I see their debut as a promising introduction to a band still finding their voice. A voice they perfected on their sophomore album Show Your Bones. This album though is full of punk rock energy and grime. Mixed in there is a hint of where this band was headed. Maps is one of the most beautiful songs of the 2000s. It showed that behind the grime was a group full of emotion and pop savvy. The sound of Maps is what I think is more fully fleshed out on the next album. It’s cool to see this band growing and learning on this album. A fantastic debut.

It shows the potential of the band and Maps is a good example what will be expected in their next releases.

There's an alternate world where I love this entire album like my own son and not just the biggest hit off of it (Maps).

Really good alternative type rock (it's kind of hard to describe). I enjoyed the album and had only heard one song from it before. The whole thing is pretty good and I will definitely listen to it again.

Really good in my opinion