Karen O’s career has now spanned two decades, across her stint with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and branching out to produce her own solo material.
She has had her music featured in films, as well as having been one of the few artists to cover a classic Led Zeppelin song and do it almost as good as the original band. She is critically, if not always commercially acclaimed and has built up a strong following as she traverses the indie and alternative punk scene.
Known as much for her ostentatious outfits as her strong, distinctive vocals, she is an artist with a back catalogue of work that is both influential for many of today’s alternative artists and begging to be discovered by young music fans looking for exciting material from the past.
If you have not indulged in Karen O’s work before, then we suggest these five tracks to get you started on what will be an epic journey through an eclectic and talented woman’s career.Date With The Night
Date with the Night was the first single from the album Fever to Tell and it set the bar for what was to follow, both from the band and from Karen herself. It is a ferocious introduction to their powerful style, aping fellow New Yorkers the Strokes for those looking for a comparison.
With a powerful baseline, Karen’s strained, vicious delivery gave the band a huge introduction to the mainstream. It charted at 16 in the UK singles charts, the bands highest placing.
Gold Lion
Gold Lion came close to usurping Date With The Night when it charted at 18 after featuring on the album Show Your Bones. It has a more organised melody to Date With The Night, which came three years prior, and it certainly has a more radio-friendly approach. Karen O is a little less angry too, with the whole track giving off a more relaxed vibe, showing the diversity within the band’s back catalogue.
I Shall Rise
I Shall Rise featured on the video game Rise of the Tomb Raider, featuring a heavy ‘Bond-theme’ style. It is far removed from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s rock ethic; with a dark drum beat set against another facet of Karen O’s varied vocal range.
It is perhaps one of the more popular tracks from her back catalogue by virtue of featuring on the Tomb Raider game, which has become something of an institution over time. Foxy Games outlines that Lara Croft first appeared in 1994 and is an instantly recognisable character praised for pioneering female characters in video games. That positive reflection of women as far back as 1994 was both revolutionary and influential, making the current games incredibly popular. Luckily, Karen O does the character and the series justice with this dark and melodic tune.
Immigrant Song
Covering a Led Zeppelin song can be career suicide for an artist, as their committed fanbase look to find fault with anything that might demean the legend’s work. However, this cover, featuring Trent Razor from Nine Inch Nails and Atticus Ross, is one track that does the original justice.
It featured on the film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the 2011 remake featuring Daniel Craig, and stands out as a great interpretation of a classic song.
All Is Love
Further proof of Karen O’s eclectic talents can be found in the uplifting All Is Love performed for the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack. It begins with a laid-back acoustic guitar and delivers a pop/indie feel with Karen’s vocal performance far more relaxed and summery than her earlier work. It certainly rounds off a varied, whistle-stop tour through some of Karen O’s work.