All right peeps. This little alphabet experiment is almost over with. We’re on the letter Y today, which means Monday will be the caboose to the metaphorical train that started chugging over a month ago. I’ll have a little wrap up then to go with the Z band(s) of choice, so make sure you come back after the weekend or else that’ll just be one more thing in your life that’s incomplete and nobody wants that. Unlike yesterday, when I didn’t have a single X titled band in my entire music library I’ve at least got one Y band and a good one at that. And given the assignment, choosing the song was pretty easy, too. Here’s the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with the Spike Jonze directed vid for “Y Control” from 2003’s Fever To Tell:

Mmm. Let’s have another! Here’s “Gold Lion” from the Yeahs most recent full-length record Show Your Bones:

I like Yeah Yeah Yeahs because they still manage to squeeze out some melody (and occasionally very lovely ones) in between the considerable effort they put into being noisy and weird, or what people cooler than me would probably call “art rock.” Singer Karen O, god bless her, is her own spirit and the main artery of that band but I don’t mind admitting that there are times when I’d like to just pull her aside, share a Swiss Cake Roll, and say “You know, if you ever need somebody to talk to I’m here for you. You know that, right?” Not that I think there’s anything emotionally unstable about her. Quite the opposite. I think her performance is perfectly calculated right down to the face graffiti and spandex, and while it makes for high Kabuki, I’d also love for her to know that it’s okay to relax every now and then. Sometimes, I think artists who put that much effort into their image occasionally quite literally paint themselves into a corner when trying to sustain a lengthy career. Look at KISS (or, rather, don’t – those dudes are hideous looking). Look at Marilyn Manson. Or, hell, even Madonna or Elton John. If you get into the act of constantly trying to top your own image there usually comes a point where the image takes precedent to the music and then you’re really screwed. And even if that doesn’t happen, there usually comes a point where these artists finally just say “to hell with it” and go on stage in clothes the rest of us (or, okay, other rock stars) might wear. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I look forward to the day when Karen O reaches that point. Besides, imagine all the crazy moves she could do onstage if she were actually wearing sensible shoes!

Anyway, as odd as Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs present themselves, when it comes to Y artists being weird, they’re not even at the top of the list. And yeah, you know who I’m talking about:

How great is that transition to Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” in that song??? So perfect! I swear, Al…You’ll always be just weird enough for me.

Enjoy your weekend. More Monday…