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Exclusive: Yeah Yeah Yeahs Talk New Album

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ first full-length album in three years, It’s Blitz!, will arrive in the U.S. April 14. And with it, the trio will unveil their all-new sound — one that has Nick Zinner predominantly ditching his guitar for a synth.

“When Karen orders, ‘No guitars for Nick!’ it makes you approach things in a different way,” Zinner says in the cover story of SPIN’s March issue (on newsstands next week). “Our producer was flabbergasted,” drummer Brian Chase adds. “He was pleading, ‘Nick, you’re the best guitarist we have in rock’n’roll right now and here you are, playing all these synths.'”

The 10-track album, the follow-up to 2006’s Show Your Bones, was recorded in numerous rural locations across the country, from El Paso’s 1,700 acre Sonic Ranch studio to a dairy farm in Massachusetts. It was produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek and Nick Launay (Arcade Fire, Talking Heads, INXS). Bird and the Bee maestro/Lily Allen producer Greg Kurtsin, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, and saxophonist Stuart Bogie (Antibalas), among others, contribute to the new album.

According to the band, It’s Blitz! was inspired by the ’70s disco collaborations between Italian producer Giorgio Moroder and R&B songstress Donna Summer, Joy Division, and, well, Karen O’s love of dancing.

“There’s no comparison to the feeling you get when you’re dancing like your life depends on it,” Karen O says.

It’s Blitz! tracklist:
1. “Zero” (4:25/ Eric Biondo – trumpet, Stuart Bogie – saxophone)
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 / Jane Scarpantoni – cello, Greg Kurstin – piano)
8. “Dragon Queen” (4:02 / Tunde Adebimpe – vocals, Stuart Bogie – saxophone, Kyp Malone – tambourine)
9. “Hysteric” (3:50 / Eric Biondo – trumpet, Stuart Bogie – saxophone)
10. “Little Shadow” (3:57/ Imaad Wasif – guitar)