Ask music fans the importance of track order on a CD, and you’ll get a slew of declarations - some logical, most not - about how track seven on most albums needs to be good, or the first track needs to be the attention-grabber, or the last three aren’t really important.

But given the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ latest effort, the five-track EP "Is Is," reason is thrown out the window. All five tracks are charged with sultry angst emblazoned with sexual energy, taking punk rock and infusing it with industrious goth and rock elements to create a dark but invitingly raw sound. Each track follows the previous seamlessly, weaving soft and hard dynamics so listeners aren’t overwhelmed but are instead overtaken by the group’s zealous force.

"These tracks are the ones that make us feel most like a rock band and sometimes even a punk rock band," said Karen O, the band’s lead singer, in an interview with the UK’s New Music Express.

Although the band previously said they weren’t going to release anything this year, the new EP came out at an "emotionally unstable" time in the band’s career, having wrapped up a world tour promoting the members’ hit album "Fever to Tell."

The songs on "Is Is" had never been recorded, but they were a staple of the band’s live shows.

"The four songs seemed like they went really well together," said O, "and we always thought if we were going to record that they should probably be done as a group because they have a really similar sound in terms of intensity."

Imagining O, the group’s fount of sexual energy - and thus a very effective frontwoman - only enhances the experience of listening to the record. It seems to put you right in the hot, sweaty mix of things.

But if imagining it is difficult, a video titled "Is Is" shows the band performing the songs live at GlassLands Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y., in two sets. The second set, intended for a crowd of women only - saw O be even more provocative on stage.

"It was wild," O told NME. "The girls were going crazy, and the energy was just awesome."

O, along with guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase, formed the group in 2000. Before Chase joined the final lineup, O and Zinner performed as the folk duo Unitard. The sound O and the boys were apt to play was a messy and sexy take on the garage punk of the time. Arriving on the New York scene, the band found quick success, recording their debut EP in 2001. They played a slew of festivals, including South by Southwest, and toured, opening for the White Stripes and the Strokes.

The band hit it big with its 2003 release "Fever to Tell," which included a number of hits, including "Maps," "Modern Romance" and "Y Control."

In 2006, the group released its second album, "Show Your Bones," which received mixed reviews for being not as sonically daring or audacious as "Fever."

But "Is Is" is a return to the band’s core, its strength, serving as a reminder to the band itself and fans as well what the trio is capable of.

It should tide them over, anyway, because it captures the essence of the band’s distinctively charged sound and energy. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their "Is Is" are a snack for fans awaiting the group’s next step and future release.

"They’re the rawest tracks we’ve ever written or recorded, and pretty much everything we do has some kind of sexual aspect to it," O told NME. "But I definitely think the experience of touring has had an effect. We want people to like this EP - it’s over the top in a very raw and honest way."

YEAH YEAH YEAHS

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: The Blue Note, 17 N. Ninth St.

With: Ssion, Imaad

How much: $20

Contact: 874-1944

Go online @ www.yeahyeahyeahs.com to see videos of the band performing songs from their latest EP “Is Is”

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