FW: How do you feel about being named a "Next Wave Artist to Watch" by Rolling Stone?

Nick: Well, one hand it's totally overwhelming, but on the other it's pretty rad. I think 8 out of those 10 other bands are on major labels, and we're still assembling cd's in our apartments, wearing out tiny hand muscles...but they cropped me and made my haircut look even sillier.

Brian: It's hard to believe that our band was thrown out to the general public like that. We're generally pretty selective about our company, but in this case we're mentioned alongside a band with the name 'hoobastank' and a female singer-songwriter with a jazz background. All of this in a publication that had Britney Spears on 9 of its last 10 covers. It's great that we're crossing barriers and reaching into
uncharted territory.

FW: Every band gets influences hung on them, but lets do the opposite. Finish this sentence: "If you hate (insert band name here) You'll love The Yeah Yeah Yeahs"

Nick: Tool? Ben Vereen? Javanese Gamelan?

Brian: Bette Midler. I really hate Bette Midler. If you Hate Bette Midler too then you will love the YYYs.

FW: Karen wants to be called Karen O. What is the "O" short for?

Nick: Karen is not here to answer that-she's organizing an outing for oppressed orphans.

Brian: Omega

FW: Your song "Art Star" should be required listening for art-world scenesters.
Have you been to a lot of openings?

Nick: Yup. it's why I got out of the art world.

Brian: Not really. I went to one and some kid was wearing a silver wig trying to look like Andy Warhol. That was funny I guess. You guys probobaly know who he is.

FW: Is that a hip-hop enunciated "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" or something more dirty?

Nick: It's relative- you can be all fucked up on crank and say it really fast, and it'll sound just as good as if you were receiving pleasurable caresses.

Brian: The name comes from when you should really be saying "no, no, no" but instead it comes out its opposite. Like when you're getting your legs chopped off in a wood chipper. You want to say no but sometimes you just say yes.

FW: Being in a band is much better than working a shitty job. What's the shittiest job you ever had?

Nick: Being a counter boy at a muffin shop...in Boston.

Brian: The summer between my freshmen and sophmore years in college I worked as a groundskeeper at a day camp. Despite my bad allergies I was forced to mow the lawn. I also picked up trash off the ground with a long stick with a spike on the end. The best part was the privilege of getting to ride in the back of a pick up truck while it sped through the camp. I could tell the other campers were envious.

FW: Do The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a band van? If so, please describe.

Nick: We'll have a mini-van for this US tour next week. It's sleek and swift.

Brian: Our future mini-van will be red. it has yet to be Yeah Yeah Yeah-ized (i.e. puke and cum on the seats with a packed bowl in the glove compartment.)

Nick: Yeah, and a super computer built into the dashboard that speaks greek.

FW: Who would be your dream cameo on your next record?

Nick: Ace Frehley.

Brian: Arnold Schwarzenegger

FW: What's your biggest pop culture vice?

Nick: Vice and Keropi.

Brian: Whatever motivation was behind making Bono into a messiah

FW: Is rock-stardom bringing in the booty?

Nick: No......damnit.

Brian: I have a girlfriend. There is no booty other than girlfriend booty.

FW: What are The Yeah Yeah Yeahs upcoming projects?

Nick: We have a song coming out in may on a Kill Rock Stars compilation. We're touring with Girls Against Boys for 2 1/2 weeks in March in the mid-west and south-east, and then we're going to Europe with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion for the first 2 weeks of April. After that we'll play in England, Scotland, and Ireland by ourselves for the last 2 weeks. And we're gonna do a Peel session! Then we're going to mix our record which we recorded a few weeks ago, and figure out what to do with it...and I think we're supposed to go Sweden in August. Hot dog!

FW: Would you say your music comes from the heart, the soul, or the loins? Please explain.

Nick: Yeah Yeah Yeahs! Love of my life, fire of my loins.

Brian: If I'm drunk the music comes from the loins. If I'm sober it comes
from the heart. If I'm tired it comes from the soul.