Leaked Karen O Demo Triggers Unforeseen Rage

You know you've got a good story on your hands when an unintentionally released Karen O demo is the least interesting part.

According to MTV.com, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer recorded a 16-song rough demo, titled KO At Home, that she gave to TV On The Radio guitarist/keyboardist Dave Sitek as a gift. Sitek placed the demo (complete with stickers of South Korean flags and a quote from Oscar Wilde) in a suitcase that he eft behind in his New York apartment.

Along came "Mike," who confessed to Stereogum.com — in an email hilariously titled "I am the Karen O demo leak" — that he discovered the hidden demo while visiting his friend in the apartment. Being a considerate fellow, Mike made a copy of the CD to give to another friend as a birthday present. He converted the songs to MP3s, thinking that "other fans might appreciate them."

Almost immediately after Mike posted the songs, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sent him an angry message ("what the fuck were you thinking?" to be exact) on his MySpace page. Then Sitek, perhaps realizing that leaving the demos in a discarded suitcase wasn't the smartest move, posted a must-read, frothing rant on his blog. He refers to Mike as an "indierock fireman," blames him for the imminent extinction of the human race, and even throws in a reference to bake and craft sales.

After reading Mike's apology on Stereogum, Sitek blogged a retraction of sorts and at least had the insight to recognize his own "ever dwindling sanity."

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have yet to make a public statement.