Karen O discusses the album that influenced Yeah Yeah Yeahs most
Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O is one of the most distinctive artists of the 21st century. Utterly unmistakable, from her vocals to her frenetic onstage presence and colourful wardrobe, she has a CV brimming with highlights.
Alongside the rest of her band – guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase – Karen O first broke out in the early 2000s. She was at the vanguard of the era-defining New York scene that provided other cultural heavyweights such as The Strokes, Interpol and LCD Soundsystem. Even then, she stood out from the kaleidoscopic crowd due to her unfettered artistic verve.
It’s indicative of Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s talent that in their 20 years of activity, they’ve only released five albums but remain as influential as ever. There were nine long years between their most recent release, 2022’s Cool It Down, and its predecessor, Mosquito, yet despite this, they have managed to maintain consistency and are still as exciting as they were when they broke out, which is no mean feat.
In addition to their recent flourish, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a long list of quintessential indie floor fillers to their name. These include the dance-punk of ‘Heads Will Roll’, the introspective tearjerker ‘Maps’ and the anthemic ‘Gold Lion’, which, when taken together, outline the extent of their creative vision. Whilst each group member is a dynamo in their own right, they certainly wouldn’t have been so effective without Karen O.
Since Karen O has had such a significant career that has touched on many stylistic bases, she’s often been asked about her influences. Unsurprisingly, it’s a mixed bag. However, one band had a particularly defining impact on her and the sound of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This is dance-punk pioneers ESG, a fellow New York City band who, along with Gang of Four, paved the foundations for all of indie’s more scintillating rhythmic moments over the years. From Bloc Party to Wet Leg, their influence is everywhere.
When speaking to The Guardian in 2014 to pick the soundtracks of her life, she named the 2000 ESG compilation A South Bronx Story as the record that influenced the sound of Yeah Yeah Yeahs most. She recalled: “The year was 2000, and NYC was slowly shedding the dead skin of a late ’90s shoegazer EDM phase. Garage rock and post-punk reissues were breaking through the membrane. I picked up A South Bronx Story at my local record store, Kim’s, in the East Village.”
Karen O concluded: “I listened to it, and I decided I wanted to be like those Scroggins sisters. I danced to the record in front of a mirror. It oozed with so much city swagger with its spark-plug lead vocals and minimal hooks. Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ first EP was largely Nick [Zinner], and I was trying to be like ESG but with guitar instead of bass.”
Listen to A South Bronx Story below.
