Yeah Yeah Yeah's impending disco blitz

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Last November I was ambling home from work and suddenly found myself walking next to Karen O. She was wearing a puffy maroonish down coat and tiny black flats and I stared at her from the corner of my eye as we walked three blocks east on Houston street before I think she realized some creepo (me) was beside her, pulled out her pink Razor flip phone, and pretended to take a call.

Oh well -- what could I do? I've been obsessed with the screamy-shouty punk pop antics of Yeah Yeah Yeahs for as long as I can remember and seeing Ms. O struttin' her stuff a mere four feet from me was just too much.

Also too much? The news that the new Yeah Yeah Yeah's release, It's Blitz, is ... are you ready for this? ... a disco dance album! Nick Zimmer traded in his guitar for a slew of shimmery synths and the band tells Spin.com that the disc "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." Ms. O adds, "There's no comparison to the feeling you get when you're dancing like your life depends on it." Be still my heart!

And judging by the first single, "Zero," (a crappy quality version of) which leaked itself all over the Internet this weekend, the band isn't messing around. The song sounds a lot like Madonna's "Future Lovers" and Kylie Minogue's "Light Years" -- which means -- it sounds a lot like Summer's "I Feel Love." And that's not just a good thing -- that's the kind of thing that could change your life -- or at least up the ante on every impending summer dance party or backyard barbeque.

It's Blitz hits stores on April on April 14.

-- NOAH MICHELSON

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