Over at their MySpace, under a post titled “Smells Like Record 3,” the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have given up some info about the secret weapon behind their newest outing. Under separate cover, we received this photo of them in the studio, Karen in full-on Mickey Mouse and bones gear, Brian and Nick (the latter fresh off his Raconteurs earthquake) looking more glam than ever. Another image hints that the new sound is going to equal Black Dice. Note: The Kitten in the headline has nothing to do with Kim Gordon or Julie Cafritz. Note: The equation actually has very little to do with Black Dice.

[Photo by Aliya Naumoff]

Via YYY’s MySpace:

COOKING IN THE KITCHEN

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been hopscotching down the road less traveled- from a barn in the Northeast to a ranch in the Southwest on our journey for the next sound. Why go RURAL? We’re not yet sure ourselves, but one thing the city don’t have that the country got is SPACE and there has been plenty of spacing out in the studio as of late.

KITTEN FACTOR

Fuzzy soft muses aka kittens have played a major role in the writing process of YYYs current and past records. Show Your Bones was written in Sam Spiegel’s home studio amidst the birth of a litter of kittens, little gold lions scrambling around. Amazingly therapeutic, nothing turns a frown upside down (there are many frowns in the record writing process) as a purring kitten in your lap. Alas our favorite kitten of all beloved SQUEAKER arrived just in time for record three! Abandoned by his mother, we’ve watched him grow before our very eyes from a blind and helpless little thing into a frisky and fierce little beauty- much like the tunes we’re writing. Go figure.

I spent 15 minutes this morning cleaning cat vomit off a pile of old metal magazines, but hey, I know what they’re saying about turning frowns upside down.