Yo La Tengo | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Yo La Tengo are in many respects the quintessential critics band: in addition to their adventurous eclecticism, defiant independence, and restless creative ambition -- three qualities that virtually guarantee music press acclaim -- the groups frontman, Ira Kaplan, even tenured as a rock scribe prior to finding success as a performer. So frequently compared to the Velvet Underground that they even portrayed the legendary group in the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol, the Hoboken, New Jersey-based Yo La Tengo have explored the extremes of feedback-driven noise rock and sweetly melodic pop, shading their work with equal parts scholarly composure and fannish enthusiasm. Prolific and mercurial, they have ultimately transcended their myriad influences to ensconce themselves as a beloved institution of the indie community. The core of Yo La Tengo (Spanish for the outfielders cry of "Ive got it!") is comprised of singer/guitarist Kaplan and his wife, drummer/vocalist Georgia Hubley. After forming the band in 1984, they placed an advertisement seeking other musicians to round out the lineup, requesting applicants who shared their fondness for the Soft Boys, Mission of Burma, and Arthur Lees Love. A number of bassists and lead guitarists passed through the bands roster during its formative years, but after bowing in late 1985 with the single "The River of Water," backed by a cover of Loves "A House Is Not a Motel," Yo La Tengos membership appeared to stabilize with the additions of guitarist Dave Schramm and bassist Mike Lewis prior to the sessions for 1986s full-length roots pop debut, Ride the Tiger, produced by former Mission of Burma bassist Clint Conley. However, both Schramm and Lewis exited in the wake of the records release, leaving Kaplan to assume lead guitar duties. Bassist Stephan Wichnewski signed on for 1987s New Wave Hot Dogs, a more assured outing that brought the groups Velvet Underground obsession to the fore via a cover of the early VU composition "Its Alright (The Way That You Live)." Not only did Kaplans introverted, half-spoken vocals and buzzing guitar work closely recall Lou Reed, but Hubleys rock-steady drumming and breathy backing turns simultaneously conjured memories of vintage Maureen Tucker. Even better was 1989s President Yo La Tengo, recorded with producer and guest bassist Gene Holder; opening with the droning squalls of the stunning "Barnaby, Hardly Working," the record spotlighted the groups sonic schizophrenia by including two Jekyll-and-Hyde versions of the track "The Evil That Men Do" -- one a gorgeous instrumental, the other a blistering feedback freakout. Schramm returned to the fold for 1990s Fakebook, a remarkable acoustic folk-pop journey through Kaplans record collection and a virtual family tree of Yo La Tengo reference points. A wonderfully low-key collection of covers ranging from forgotten nuggets (the Kinks "Oklahoma U.S.A.," the Flamin Groovies "You Tore Me Down," Gene Clarks "Tried So Hard") to absolute obscurities (Rex Garvin & the Mighty Cravers "Emulsified," the Escorts "The One to Cry," the Scene Is Nows "Yellow Sarong"), Fakebook also included a handful of outstanding new originals as well as luminous retakes of the previous records "Barnaby, Hardly Working" and New Wave Hot Dogs "Did I Tell You?" The superb That Is Yo La Tengo EP previewed 1992s May I Sing with Me, the first effort to feature permanent bassist James McNew (formerly of Christmas). A return to noise typified by the hot-wired nine-minute feedback saga "Mushroom Cloud of Hiss," the record balanced out its extremist tendencies with the occasional sidestep into melodic beauty ("Detouring America with Horns") and infectious indie pop ("Upside-Down"). A move to the Matador label predated the release of 1993s Painful, another winner informed by the atmospherics of shoegazer drones and dream pop. Bookended by radically opposed renditions of the track "Big Day Coming" -- the first an organ-driven mood piece, the other an edgy guitar outing -- the record pushed Yo La Tengo in a multitude of new directions, significantly expanding the trios palette of sounds and textures. Released in 1995, Electr-O-Pura continued the progression, zigzagging from dead-on British Invasion re-creations (the sparkling "Tom Courtenay") to shimmering folk (the Hubley-sung "Pablo and Andrea") to bracing sonic experimentation ("Decora"). After 1996s Genius + Love Equals Yo La Tengo, a two-disc compendium of B-sides, compilation tracks, rare singles, and unreleased material, the trio resurfaced in the spring of 1997 with I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One; And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out followed in early 2000. The group also performed a three-night stint as the backing band for Ray Davies on his 2000 U.S. tour, and in 2002 released The Sounds of the Sounds of Science, a soundtrack to the undersea documentaries of French filmmaker Jean Painlevé. That fall, they released the Nuclear War single, which featured several versions of Sun Ras epic, and that winter performed their second annual Hanukkahpalooza, an eight-night musical festival at Hoboken, New Jerseys Maxwells, which also led to a special limited-edition EP of Christmas songs. Yo La Tengo released Summer Sun in spring 2003, and that year Georgia Hubley performed in Mirror Man, an avant-garde rock opera by Pere Ubus David Thomas. In 2005, Matador Records paid homage to Yo La Tengos 20th year as recording artists with the career-spanning compilations Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985-2003 and A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities 1986-2002. The band returned the following year with the strong all-new album I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. Fuckbook, a covers album that the band released under the alias Condo Fucks, arrived in 2009, followed several months later by the full-length Popular Songs. The following year, the Here to Fall EP, which featured remixes by De La Soul, Rjd2, and Pete Rock, arrived. The groups 13th album, Fade, was released in 2013. This album marked a departure for the band, as it was the first record since their 1993 breakthrough, Painful, not recorded with producer Roger Moutenot, but instead tracked with Chicago scene veteran and Tortoise member John McEntire. In 2014, the band looked to its past with an "Extra Painful" special-edition reissue of Painful, which included a wealth of live tracks, outtakes, and demo recordings. Yo La Tengo pointed to their history in a different way with 2015s Stuff Like That There, a semi-acoustic set in the style of Fakebook that found them playing covers and reinterpreting material from their back catalog, as well as delivering a few new tunes. Yo La Tengo took a new approach in the making of their 2018 album Theres a Riot Going On; the bandmembers produced and engineered the project themselves, working in their rehearsal space, with John McEntire mixing the material for release. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 24 Title: Ride the Tiger Released: 1986 Tracks: 15 Duration: 51:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Cone of Silence (02:49) 2 Big Sky (02:46) 3 The Evil That Men Do (04:11) 4 The Forest Green (03:23) 5 The Pain of Pain (05:35) 6 The Way Some People Die (03:37) 7 The Empty Pool (02:21) 8 Alrocks Bells (04:08) 9 Five Years (03:45) 10 Screaming Dead Balloons (03:17) 11 Living in the Country (02:14) 12 The River of Water (02:30) 13 A House Is Not a Motel (03:43) 14 Crispy Duck (03:04) 15 Closing Time (03:45) |
| Ride the Tiger : Allmusic album Review : Anyone who encountered Yo La Tengos first album, Ride the Tiger, upon its original release in 1986 can be forgiven if they didnt immediately recognize that the band would become one of the most consistently interesting American acts of the next 15 years. Yo La Tengos debut is a decidedly modest affair, and Ira Kaplan often sounds as if hes still finding his feet as a singer and guitarist, though Dave Schramm does more than his share to take up the slack (in his liner essay for the 1993 reissue of Ride the Tiger, Kaplan went so far as to write that "Daves guitar playing is inarguably the best thing about the record"). However, Kaplan already knew where he was going as a songwriter, as "The Cone of Silence," "The Forest Green," and "The Pain of Pain" make clear, and if the groups bracing blend of tuneful eclecticism and creatively applied noise was still gestating, Kaplans lovely melodic sense and the haunting blend of his reedy tenor and Georgia Hubleys slightly fragile soprano marked Yo La Tengo as a band with real potential. Clint Conley made a rare post-Mission of Burma appearance on Ride the Tiger as producer (he also takes over from bassist Mike Lewis for three cuts), and he had the smarts not to impose a Vs.-style hard guitar sound on the band, instead making the most of the bands roomy jangle and giving the sound plenty of body when it needs it. Ride the Tiger is Yo La Tengos juvenilia, and theyd create much stronger work a few years down the line, but on its own terms, its an intelligent and engaging set, and any band that can cover the Kinks and Pete Seeger on the same album and make them both work must be doing something right. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 24 Title: New Wave Hot Dogs Released: 1987 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Clunk (03:27) 2 Did I Tell You (03:25) 3 House Fall Down (02:39) 4 Lewis (02:25) 5 Lost in Bessemer (01:18) 6 It’s Alright (The Way That You Live) (04:08) 7 3 Blocks From Groove St. (02:19) 8 Lets Compromise (01:52) 9 Serpentine (01:54) 10 A Shy Dog (03:30) 11 No Water (03:13) 12 The Story of Jazz (03:30) |
| New Wave Hot Dogs : Allmusic album Review : Ira Kaplan once described the first lineup of Yo La Tengo as "a band of timid folk-rockers," but the departure of guitarist Dave Schramm forced Kaplan to develop a stronger backbone, and he certainly put it to splendid use on the groups second album, New Wave Hot Dogs. The opener, a snappy dose of up-tempo angst called "Clunk," was decidedly more aggressive than anything on YLTs debut, Ride the Tiger, and if Kaplan hadnt exactly become an expert guitarist (in the purists sense, he never would), his enthusiastic bashing and joyous embrace of feedback gave the song a passionate edge much of his earlier work had lacked, and his vocal displayed the fire and conviction of a true rock & roller. While New Wave Hot Dogs moves back and forth between skronk-friendly rockers and quieter, more poppy material (including a lovely cover of the Velvet Undergrounds then-unreleased "Its Alright [The Way That You Live]"), the band sounds firmer and more assured throughout the disc (even though the band was already on their third bassist by this time), and the songs showed Kaplan was coming into his own as a songwriter, with a gift for stick-in-the-ear melodies (both upbeat and contemplative) and witty lyrical conceits (how many albums can get laughs by listing Americas greatest hits and name-checking Steve Albini?). Yo La Tengo hadnt reached full musical maturity on New Wave Hot Dogs, but it was a quantum leap over the sound of their debut, and set the stage for the music that would make them one of the most satisfying American bands of their time. (New Wave Hot Dogs is available on CD in tandem with the later EP President Yo La Tengo.) | ||
 | Album: 3 of 24 Title: Fakebook Released: 1990 Tracks: 16 Duration: 44:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Can’t Forget (02:18) 2 Griselda (02:02) 3 Here Comes My Baby (02:33) 4 Barnaby, Hardly Working (04:30) 5 Yellow Sarong (01:44) 6 You Tore Me Down (02:54) 7 Emulsified (02:51) 8 Speeding Motorcycle (03:24) 9 Tried So Hard (02:20) 10 The Summer (02:38) 11 Oklahoma, U. S. A. (02:24) 12 What Comes Next (03:21) 13 The One to Cry (01:58) 14 Andalucia (03:39) 15 Did I Tell You (03:27) 16 What Can I Say (02:10) |
| Fakebook : Allmusic album Review : Recommending Fakebook as the best place to begin a relationship with Yo La Tengo is slightly disingenuous, mainly because Yo La Tengo has never made another record like it, and perhaps never will. So, as completely wonderful as this record is, its an accurate representation of one side of Yo La Tengo, and assuming that everything sounds like Fakebook might be disappointing. A collection of cover songs that lean toward the idiosyncratic (e.g., Peter Stampfel, Daniel Johnston, Jad Fair), Fakebook is warm, low-key, and lovely, with heartfelt singing and playing that never flags after hundreds of replays. Its impossible to imagine playing this record and not smiling and singing along. A big bonus is a great version of the Flamin Groovies "You Tore Me Down." | ||
 | Album: 4 of 24 Title: May I Sing With Me Released: 1992-02-28 Tracks: 11 Duration: 54:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Detouring America With Horns (04:03) 2 Upside‐Down (02:39) 3 Mushroom Cloud of Hiss (09:24) 4 Swing for Life (05:05) 5 Five‐Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck) (06:19) 6 Some Kinda Fatigue (04:34) 7 Always Something (04:37) 8 86‐Second Blowout (01:32) 9 Out the Window (04:00) 10 Sleeping Pill (09:43) 11 Satellite (02:17) |
| May I Sing With Me : Allmusic album Review : With song titles like "Mushroom Cloud of Hiss" and "Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)," May I Sing with Me is classic Yo La Tengo, merging pop and noise in an awesome aural display. Songs start with Ira Kaplans repetitive (and very simple) chord changes, as Georgia Hubley and (at this juncture) regular bassist James McNew add layer after layer of supportive sound. On a noisier track like the aforementioned "Mushroom Cloud of Hiss," the song explodes in paroxysms of feedback and drops the rhythmic pulse altogether, eventually returning the backbeat after a few minutes of white noise. That may not be everybodys cup of tea, but for those who like this type of adventurousness and recklessness, its a lot of fun. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 24 Title: President Yo La Tengo / New Wave Hot Dogs Released: 1993 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:10:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Barnaby, Hardly Working (04:38) 2 Drug Test (04:06) 3 The Evil That Men Do (Craigs version) (02:42) 4 Orange Song (03:22) 5 Alyda (03:40) 6 The Evil That Men Do (Pablos version) (10:36) 7 I Threw It All Away (02:17) 8 Clunk (03:32) 9 Did I Tell You (03:31) 10 House Fall Down (02:45) 11 Lewis (02:29) 12 Lost in Bessemer (01:22) 13 Its Alright (The Way That You Live) (04:12) 14 3 Blocks from Groove Street (02:24) 15 Lets Compromise (01:52) 16 Serpentine (01:58) 17 A Shy Dog (03:38) 18 No Water (03:19) 19 The Story of Jazz (03:35) 20 The Asparagus Song (04:43) |
| President Yo La Tengo / New Wave Hot Dogs : Allmusic album Review : Two records now available as a single CD, these really show off Yo La Tengos ability to create musical extremes. New Wave Hot Dogs has the firm pop sense and strong songwriting of the debut, but President Yo La Tengo offers up a little more free-form skronk in the ten-minute live version of "The Evil That Men Do," a gloriously squalling, over-the-top crash-and-bash session which proves how liberating and fun sonic dissonance can be. Just in case you dont like that sort of thing, "Evil" also shows up as a straight-ahead folk-rock track. This is a great collection of material that, as well as anything else they have recorded, gets to the heart of what makes this band tick. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 24 Title: Painful Released: 1993-10-05 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:38:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Big Day Coming (07:05) 2 From a Motel 6 (04:09) 3 Double Dare (03:28) 4 Superstar‐Watcher (01:45) 5 Nowhere Near (06:03) 6 Sudden Organ (04:46) 7 A Worrying Thing (02:54) 8 I Was the Fool Beside You for Too Long (05:07) 9 The Whole of the Law (02:20) 10 Big Day Coming (04:15) 11 I Heard You Looking (07:01) 1 Nowhere Near (demo) (07:14) 2 From a Motel 6 (live acoustic) (03:45) 3 Tunnel Vision (unreleased instrumental demo) (01:44) 4 Sudden Organ (demo) (07:34) 5 Smart Window (unreleased Painful session) (03:55) 6 Big Day Coming (live acoustic) (03:10) 7 Slow Learner (unreleased demo) (06:48) 8 Double Dare (demo) (03:25) 9 A Worrying Thing (demo) (02:57) 10 I Heard You Looking (live) (08:58) |
| Painful : Allmusic album Review : Yo La Tengo made a major creative leap forward with 1992s May I Sing with Me, where their yin-and-yang mix of quiet and loud finally began to work as well as it was meant to, but 1993s Painful was where they truly hit their stride, their first album to confirm they were one of the best independent bands extant. Ira Kaplans buzzy guitar freakouts had made it to vinyl before, but Painful gave them better context, with songs that were well suited to his noisy style. "Sudden Organ" introduced the Ace-Tone keyboard that would become an important voice in their music, while the droney textures of "Big Day Coming," "The Whole of the Law," and "Superstar-Watcher" were the cornerstones of a key part of the YLT aesthetic over the next two decades. While Georgia Hubleys drumming had been capable enough on YLTs early sides, she played with greater confidence on Painful and revealed a more adventurous sense of rhythm, and her vocals sounded less shy and more sweetly certain. And bassist James McNew had fully integrated himself into the band after making his debut on May I Sing with Me, and if his style was far from flashy, it was an ideal complement to the idiosyncratic but effective sounds Kaplan and Hubley brought to the table. And Yo La Tengo were writing as well as they were playing on Painful, and "From a Motel 6," "I Heard You Looking," "Nowhere Near," and "Big Day Coming" remain key numbers in the bands songbook. Before Painful, Yo La Tengo were a fine band that hadnt quite mastered the recording studio; with this album, they matured into one of indie rocks most consistently satisfying acts, and this was the first in a run of excellent albums that would stretch into the 21st century. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 24 Title: Electr‐O‐Pura Released: 1995-05-02 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:11:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Decora (03:28) 2 Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1) (06:43) 3 The Hour Grows Late (03:08) 4 Tom Courtenay (03:31) 5 False Ending (00:58) 6 Pablo and Andrea (04:18) 7 Paul Is Dead (02:28) 8 False Alarm (05:29) 9 The Ballad of Red Buckets (04:02) 10 Don’t Say a Word (Hot Chicken #2) (03:30) 11 (Straight Down to the) Bitter End (04:00) 12 My Heart’s Reflection (06:03) 13 Attack on Love (01:53) 14 Blue Line Swinger (09:18) 15 Tom Courtenay (03:09) 16 Mr. Ameche Plays the Stranger (09:26) |
| Electr‐O‐Pura : Allmusic album Review : After the noisy but dream-like drift of Painful, Electr-O-Pura found Yo La Tengo in livelier and more outwardly enthusiastic form; while they had hardly abandoned their more subdued and contemplative side, as evidenced by the lovely "The Hour Grows Late" and "Pablo and Andrea," they seemed eager to once again explore the grittier textures theyd unearthed on President Yo La Tengo and May I Sing With Me with tunes like the gleefully manic "False Ending" and the bizarre horn-blasted "Attack on Love." Yo La Tengo also served up one of the most perfectly realized pop tunes in their repertoire with "Tom Courtenay" (which not only name checks the Beatles, but boasts a tune the Fab Four would have been happy to come up with themselves), and revisited the concept of the noisy groove jam (which they pioneered on "The Evil That Men Do (Pablos Version)") with the acetone-powered "False Alarm" and the joyous "Blue Line Swinger." Throughout, Ira Kaplans simple but forceful guitar lines, Georgia Hubleys steady, subtly inventive drumming, and James McNews solid, supportive bass add up to a group that prizes intelligence and imagination over flash, and makes it work over and over. Few bands have consistently better ideas than Yo La Tengo, and they make 14 of them work like a charm on Electr-O-Pura. (By the way, those incongruous comments about the songs were lifted from an obscure book on the Blues Project, and dont trust those timings on the back cover -- theyre deliberately inaccurate.) | ||
 | Album: 8 of 24 Title: Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo Released: 1996-09-10 Tracks: 30 Duration: 2:03:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop (02:48) 2 Demons (03:18) 3 Fog Over Frisco (03:46) 4 Too Late (05:57) 5 Hanky Panky Nohow (02:58) 6 Something to Do (02:11) 7 Ultra-Powerful Short Wave Radio Picks Up Music From Venus (01:32) 8 Up to You (04:03) 9 Somebody’s Baby (03:38) 10 Walking Away From You (05:58) 11 Artificial Heart (03:00) 12 Cast a Shadow (02:24) 13 I’m Set Free (04:10) 14 Barnaby, Hardly Working (03:54) 15 Some Kinda Fatigue (07:38) 16 Speeding Motorcycle (03:30) 1 Nutricia (05:01) 2 Her Grandmother’s Gift (02:39) 3 From a Motel 6 #2 (04:29) 4 Gooseneck Problem (00:04) 5 Surfin’ With the Shah (02:07) 6 Ecstasy Blues (02:47) 7 Too Much, Part I (01:18) 8 Blitzkrieg Bop (02:18) 9 One Self: Fish Girl (05:31) 10 Enough (05:26) 11 Drum Solo (00:08) 12 From a Motel 6 #1 (03:35) 13 Too Much, Part II (00:21) 14 Sunsquashed (26:20) |
| Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo : Allmusic album Review : Making their debut in 1985 with a 45 that paired the groups own "The River of Water" with a take on Loves "A House Is Not a Motel," Yo La Tengo established their love of both the single format and the eclectic cover version from the get-go. Subsequent years produced a steady stream of between-album releases, tour-only singles, compilation appearances, and, of course, more memorable covers. Beginning in 1988, with the group on the cusp of unleashing their President Yo La Tengo album, Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo gathers 30 rarities, selected and annotated by the band itself, and divided into vocal and instrumental discs. John Cales "Hanky Panky Nohow," the Velvet Undergrounds "Im Set Free," and Beat Happenings "Cast a Shadow" are all spared by fairly faithful renditions. Elsewhere the group infuse Jackson Brownes "Somebodys Baby" with new, anthemic life, play the Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop" as a surf instrumental, find themselves joined by a phoned-in Daniel Johnston for a radio performance of the singers "Speeding Motorcycle," and nearly lose the reigns on a blistering live-in-studio version of Wires "Too Late." Housed on the vocal disc are a handful of originals that rival the bands official output. "Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop" rides a motorik drum beat and organ drone, fractured by Ira Kaplans splintering guitar. Georgia Hubley takes the lead on the dreamy "Demons" (whose working title, the band admits, was "White Rabbit") and the trio sets its sound adrift on the languid "Up to You," a song that would have fit comfortably on the stunning And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out six years later. Though the instrumental disc isnt nearly as impressive (comprised largely of failed experiments and song sketches), its still well worth looking beyond YLTs studio albums for the hidden gems packaged here. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 24 Title: I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One Released: 1997-04-22 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:47:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Return to Hot Chicken (01:39) 2 Moby Octopad (05:48) 3 Sugarcube (03:21) 4 Damage (04:39) 5 Deeper Into Movies (05:23) 6 Shadows (02:26) 7 Stockholm Syndrome (02:51) 8 Autumn Sweater (05:18) 9 Little Honda (03:07) 10 Green Arrow (05:43) 11 One PM Again (02:25) 12 The Lie and How We Told It (03:19) 13 Center of Gravity (02:42) 14 Spec Bebop (10:40) 15 We’re an American Band (06:25) 16 My Little Corner of the World (02:25) 1 Little Honda (03:07) 2 Be Thankful for What You Got (04:56) 3 No Return (02:05) 4 Black Hole (01:24) 5 How Much I’ve Lied (02:33) 6 By the Time It Gets Dark (02:59) 7 Looney Toons (14:18) 8 Little Honda (live) (04:44) 9 We Are the Champions (live) (02:36) |
| I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One : Allmusic album Review : New Jersey indie rockers Yo La Tengo had already been slowly growing into their sound for over a decade by the 1997 release of their revelational eighth album, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. Their guitar-based pop was steadily finding its legs before this, as the band moved toward increasingly dreamy productions on albums like Painful and Electr-O-Pura. The 16 tracks that made up the ambitious and epic I Can Hear the Heart found the group stretching out their whispery vocals and deceptively straightforward pop approach to encompass a variety of unexpected styles. This meant softly wandering guitars and steadfast drums twisted out of their indie rock trappings and morphed into adventurous Krautrock jams like "Spec Bebop," haunting, harmony-driven psych-folk like "Were an American Band," and even a playfully naive take on bossa nova with "Center of Gravity." As for the blissed-out melodic noise pop Yo La Tengo had been working on for the majority of their existence, this was one of the bands finest hours. Propulsive rockers like "Sugarcube" and a particularly feedback-laden reading of the Beach Boys "Little Honda" offered Ira Kaplan a fantastic platform for his often dialed-down guitar playing to break into the manic territory he would explore in live settings. These more unhinged moments were counterpointed with hypnotic electronic grooves like "Autumn Sweater" and glowing instrumentals like the Santo & Johnny-channeling "Green Arrow." The album ends with its only other cover tune, a head-clearingly simple take on Anita Bryants singsongy bubblegum tune "My Little Corner of the World." Sung by drummer Georgia Hubley in her most Moe Tucker-esque performance, the song gently sets the album back down to earth following the dizzying detours and shifts of the last hour. While the band turned in standout albums before and after, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One announced itself as a definitive master statement. The subtly shifting moods and wide, curious palette of stylistic exploration resulted in a lasting indie rock classic, essential listening and also something of a blueprint for much of what followed from like-minded bands for years to come. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 24 Title: Strange but True Released: 1998-10-20 Tracks: 22 Duration: 40:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Helpful Monkey Wallpapers Entire Home (02:06) 2 Texas Man Abducted by Aliens for Outer Space Joy Ride (02:36) 3 National Sports Association Hires Retired English Professor to Name New Wrestling Holds (02:32) 4 Dedicated Thespian Has Teeth Pulled to Play Newborn Baby in High School Play (01:38) 5 Three-Year-Old Genius Graduates High School at Top of Her Class (01:17) 6 Embarrassed Teen Accidentally Uses Valuable Rare Postage Stamp (02:48) 7 Principal Punishes Students with Bad Impressions and Tired Jokes (01:24) 8 Retired Grocer Constructs Tiny Mount Rushmore Entirely of Cheese (01:50) 9 X-ray Reveals Doctor Left Wristwatch Inside Patient (00:50) 10 Clumsy Grandmother Serves Delicious Dessert by Mistake #2 (01:00) 11 Retired Woman Starts New Career in Monkey Fashions (01:35) 12 Circus Strongman Runs for PTA President (03:19) 13 High School Shop Class Constructs Bicycle Built for 26 (01:31) 14 Clumsy Grandmother Serves Delicious Dessert by Mistake #1 (01:21) 15 Ohio Town Saved From Killer Bees by Hungry Vampire Bats (02:26) 16 Nevada Man Invents Piano with 21 Extra Keys (01:10) 17 Clever Chemist Makes Chewing Gum from Soap (01:59) 18 Minnesota Man Claims Monkey Bowled Perfect Game (01:34) 19 Ingenious Scientist Invents Car of the Future (01:28) 20 Car Gears Stick in Reverse, Daring Driver Crosses Town Backwards (01:48) 21 Shocking Fashion Statement Terrorizes Town (01:56) 22 Feisty Millionaire Fills Potholes with Hundred-Dollar Bills (02:40) |
| Strange but True : Allmusic album Review : With song titles literally lifted from tabloid headlines ("Ohio Town Saved from Killer Bees by Hungry Vampire Bats," for example), Jad Fair & Yo La Tengos joint effort Strange But True plays more like spoken word poetry than an actual "rock record." Those unfamiliar with Fairs "more talking than singing" vocal style will undoubtedly find Strange But True to be a difficult listen. On the positive side, this could very well be Fairs most accessible project to date due largely to the musical contributions of indie-favorites Yo La Tengo. Heavy with feedback and other sonic assaults, Yo La Tengo seems to be the perfect match for Fair. Unfortunately, the songwriting is rarely given more than B-side treatment, which isnt surprising, considering they recorded all twenty two songs in two days. Strange But True is record destined to split listeners down the middle with Jad Fair fans enjoying every word, but leaving Yo La Tengo fans feeling disappointed. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 24 Title: Mishmoshi-Moshi Released: 2000 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Saturday (04:18) 2 You Can Have It All (04:04) 3 Danelectro 3 (04:13) 4 Danelectro 2 (04:35) 5 Danelectro 1 (Q-Unique remix) (02:52) 6 Danelectro 3 (Kit Clayton remix) (04:21) 7 Danelectro 1 (01:15) 8 Danelectro 2 (Takemura remix) (11:17) 9 Ready-Mades (03:24) 10 You Can Have It All (Sonic Boom remix) (04:36) |
 | Album: 12 of 24 Title: And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out Released: 2000-02-22 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:17:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everyday (06:30) 2 Our Way to Fall (04:18) 3 Saturday (04:18) 4 Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House (04:59) 5 Last Days of Disco (06:27) 6 The Crying of Lot G (04:43) 7 You Can Have It All (04:37) 8 Tears Are in Your Eyes (04:35) 1 Cherry Chapstick (06:09) 2 From Black to Blue (04:46) 3 Madeline (03:35) 4 Tired Hippo (04:44) 5 Night Falls on Hoboken (17:41) |
| And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out : Allmusic album Review : After years as one of indie rocks standard-bearing groups, Yo La Tengo surpasses itself with And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out. A culturally literate, emotionally rich album, on songs like "Lets Save Tony Orlandos House," "The Crying of Lot G," and "The Last Days of Disco," it alludes to The Simpsons, enigmatic author Thomas Pynchon and independent films while exploring the comforting, confining, complex aspects of relationships. "Our Way to Fall" sets Ira Kaplans recollection of falling in love to a dreamy, down-to-earth backdrop of gently brushed drums, luminous organs and vibes; "The Crying of Lot G" transforms the syrupy sweetness of 50s ballads into a monologue about a relationships shortcomings. "Madeline"s shimmery indie bossa-nova and the countrified ballad "Tears Are in Your Eyes" showcase Georgia Hubleys buttery, empathetic voice; her singing makes these vignettes universal as well as personal. Like mature indie rock records such as Pavements Terror Twilight and Jim ORourkes Eureka, And Then Nothing... favors mellow songwriting, detailed arrangements, and eclectic influences, such as the Silver Apples-like drum machines and doo wop backing vocals that adorn many of the songs. The wintry, implosive "Everyday" uses both of these elements, along with a plaintive guitar and hushed, hypnotic vocals, to begin the album on a surprisingly somber note. Similarly, the off-kilter beats, odd piano bursts, and harmonies on "Saturday" add to the songs awkward, uneasy beauty. Finally, nine songs into the album, Yo La Tengo breaks out the whammy and feedback action on "Cherry Chapstick," their most incandescent song since "Sugarcube." Easily one of 2000s most accomplished albums, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out isnt as immediate as some of the groups earlier work, but its just as enduring, proving that Yo La Tengo is the perfect band to grow old with. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 24 Title: Summer Sun Released: 2003-04-08 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:02:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Beach Party Tonight (03:06) 2 Little Eyes (04:20) 3 Nothing but You and Me (05:13) 4 Season of the Shark (04:29) 5 Today Is the Day (05:33) 6 Tiny Birds (05:07) 7 How to Make a Baby Elephant Float (03:29) 8 Georgia vs. Yo La Tengo (03:56) 9 Don’t Have to Be So Sad (05:53) 10 Winter A‐Go‐Go (03:21) 11 Moonrock Mambo (04:49) 12 Let’s Be Still (10:22) 13 Take Care (02:34) |
| Summer Sun : Allmusic album Review : Three years after 2000s brilliant And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, Yo La Tengo returns with Summer Sun, an album thats as settled and smooth as the previous one was inventive and eclectic. Musically, Summer Sun continues the bands progression away from intricate, guitar-based pop both loud and soft and toward an arguably more sophisticated sound. This move resulted in masterpieces like I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, which balanced their roots and their ambitions perfectly; on Summer Sun, it feels a little bit like a retreat. This time around, the post-rock, Krautrock, and jazz influences the band introduced on I Can Hear the Heart and perfected on And Then Nothing dominate Summer Sun, giving it a hushed, polished feel. Sometimes, this approach works, as on the lovely opener "Beach Party Tonight," which sounds appropriately warm and full of possibilities, and "Tiny Birds," a droning, spiralling track that sounds a bit like a fusion of post-rock and Pet Sounds. However, the fusion-inspired instrumental "Georga Vs. Yo La Tengo" and the jammy, ten-minute "Lets Be Still" veer dangerously close to noodling and bloat the albums length to over an hour; unfortunately, theres not quite an hours worth of interesting music here. Much of this is due to Summer Suns arrangements and productions: tracks like "How to Make a Baby Elephant Float" and "Dont Have to Be So Sad" are based on lighter-than-air guitars, drums, and synths and topped with whispery vocals. Individually, their understated prettiness works well, but collectively, theyre slightly too understated for their own good. When the band does get a little livelier, they deliver some memorable moments, such as the percolating "Little Eyes"; the cute, poppy "The Season of the Shark"; and "Today Is the Day," a Georgia Hubley song thats nearly as gorgeous as "Shadows" or "Nowhere Near." A little more variety in volume and tempo couldve made this album great instead of pretty good; for the first time in years, Yo La Tengo doesnt break out the feedback and distortion anywhere on an album. Summer Sun is so mellow and pretty that it feels uncharitable to call it one of their weakest albums in recent memory; many bands would kill to make music this accomplished. But, even though Yo La Tengo can still run circles around other groups even when theyre running in place, compared to their best work Summer Sun is merely pleasant. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 24 Title: V.O.T.E. Released: 2005 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 V.O.T.E. (Public Service Announcement) (00:30) 2 Shapes of Things (04:03) 3 Venus (04:09) 4 Politician (04:54) 5 Plainest Thing (04:17) 6 Compared to What (03:49) 7 The Summer Sun (03:19) 8 Sleepless Nights (04:09) 9 McCauley Street (Lets Go Downtown) (10:40) 10 Desperate Man (03:21) 11 Sleepless Nights Again (02:04) 12 The Summer Sun Again (04:00) |
| V.O.T.E. : Allmusic album Review : V.O.T.E. was a limited release in October of 2004 that saw a much wider, slightly altered official release (including four additional tracks) in January of 2005 as A Question of Temperature by the Chris Stamey Experience. With a public service announcement as the title and lead track (the jingle is relegated to a bonus track on the newer release), V.O.T.E. was one of many attempts by the rock & roll community to help get the vote out in the 2004 presidential election. While it may not have been successful in its unstated goal of unseating the incumbent (Stamey claimed V.O.T.E. stood for "Very Obvious Total Emergency" in press releases), it certainly left an impact on Stameys catalog. With generous help from Yo La Tengo -- with whom Stamey first collaborated in 1987 on the bands sophomore effort, New Wave Hot Dogs -- and other key contributors like Caitlin Cary, keyboard wizard Tyson Rogers, and Stameys former dBs bandmate Gene Holder, V.O.T.E. features a broader, harder-hitting sound than Stameys previous recorded solo fare. The first half of the record is given over to covers, including Vietnam-era corkers like Creams "Politician" and the Yardbirds "Shape of Things." These classic rock warhorses share billing with chiming pop gems more typical of Stamey, including a worthy re-recording of his 1978 single "Summer Sun" and an almost-as-gorgeous one-take-only version of Televisions flawless "Venus." But its Yo La Tengo that provide most of the musical muscle via their particular pastiche of melody and dissonance, which is precisely what Stamey had in mind from the outset (the pre-Stamey Experience record is officially credited to Chris Stamey with Yo La Tengo). The YLT signature sound seeps into almost every song, in fact, nowhere more so than on Stameys "McCauley Street (Lets Go Downtown)." A ten-minute-plus voyage written with his former New Jersey neighbors in mind, it unfurls as adventurously as any of Yo La Tengos own classic feedback-happy marathons. To his credit, Stamey sounds as comfortable yowling in front of the rock band as he does cooing one of the gentler cuts, and V.O.T.E./A Question of Temperature serves as a nice foil for his more demure and twangy solo pop constructions. Recorded primarily in one three-day August 2004 session, Stameys record is a worthy addition (in either incarnation) for fans of both bands. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 24 Title: Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs 1985-2003 Released: 2005-03-21 Tracks: 42 Duration: 3:06:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shaker (03:20) 2 Sugarcube (03:21) 3 Barnaby, Hardly Working (04:36) 4 Little Eyes (04:20) 5 Stockholm Syndrome (02:51) 6 Our Way to Fall (04:18) 7 From a Motel 6 (04:09) 8 Swing for Life (05:16) 9 Tom Courtenay (03:32) 10 Lewis (02:29) 11 I Heard You Looking (07:01) 12 You Can Have It All (04:37) 13 Did I Tell You (03:27) 1 The River of Water (02:31) 2 Autumn Sweater (05:18) 3 Big Day Coming (04:15) 4 Pablo and Andrea (04:17) 5 Drug Test (04:08) 6 Season of the Shark (04:29) 7 Upside‐Down (02:39) 8 The Summer (02:39) 9 Tears Are in Your Eyes (04:35) 10 Blue Line Swinger (09:30) 11 The Story of Jazz (03:35) 12 Nuclear War (version 1) (07:35) 13 By the Time It Gets Dark (03:02) 1 Stay Away From Heaven (04:31) 2 Pencil Test (03:39) 3 Almost True (03:05) 4 Tom Courtenay (acoustic) (03:12) 5 Big Day Coming (demo) (03:42) 6 Dreaming (03:36) 7 Bad Politics (02:58) 8 Blue-Green Arrow (05:41) 9 Decora (acoustic) (03:05) 10 Out the Window (original version) (04:16) 11 Weather Shy (04:53) 12 Dreams (04:46) 13 Autumn Sweater (remixed by Kevin Shields) (08:41) 14 Ashes on the Ground (05:14) 15 Mr. Ameche Plays the Stranger (09:18) 16 Magnet (04:09) |
| Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs 1985-2003 : Allmusic album Review : I was a bit startled when I read the title of this compilation and it struck me that Yo La Tengo have been making records for almost 20 years now. As artists who have always followed their own path, Yo La Tengo have been making timeless music ever since they first started out, and if that description sounds a bit grand, little of the stuff on this set suggests the moment in rock history in which it was recorded ("Little Eyes" from 2003s Summer Sun sits comfortably beside "Lewis" from 1987s New Wave Hot Dogs, and you cant say that about the work of many other bands that were considered hip in either year), so until the band (and Matador Records) chose to point it out to me, I never gave much thought to how long theyd been doing this stuff. Still mixing up folk, noise, pop, and indie rock after all this time, and still doing it with melodic intelligence and joy, Yo La Tengo dont seem like likely candidates for a career retrospective -- their average fan owns all of their albums, and with nearly all of their material in print, its not as if curious newbies have limited options for checking out their music. But if youve ever dreamed of a "Yo La Tengo Greatest Hits" album, Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs, 1985-2003 is that notion made into a fine reality. Featuring material from all of their albums (except for their debut, 1986s Ride the Tiger), this two-disc set is an embarrassment of riches, offering one great song after another over the space of 23 tracks and 110 minutes. From the noise-shot jangle rock of "Sugarcube" and the po-mo folk of "Autumn Sweater" to the witty skronk-fest of "The Story of Jazz" and the near-perfect pop single "Tom Courtenay," whats most remarkable about this album is that everything bears Yo La Tengos clear musical personality and emotional warmth no matter what style they choose to follow, and its all wonderful, engaging, and compelling stuff. If youve somehow managed to ignore Yo La Tengo in the first two decades of their existence, Prisoners of Love is the ideal way to get up to speed and acquaint yourself with the catalog; longtime fans wont be surprised, but they will get a potent reminder of what this group does so well. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 24 Title: Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics Released: 2006 Tracks: 30 Duration: 1:07:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tighten Up (02:00) 2 The Night Chicago Died (02:04) 3 Raw Power (03:21) 4 Sea Cruise (01:46) 5 Favorite Thing (01:40) 6 Baseball Altamont (01:31) 7 Meet the Mets (01:47) 8 Oh Bondage Up Yours! (01:35) 9 Ding Dang / Interplanetary Music (02:35) 10 Captain Lou (02:18) 11 Oh! Sweet Nuthin (01:39) 12 Route 66 (02:18) 13 Roadrunner (02:34) 14 Tijuana Taxi (00:46) 15 Mendocino / Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head (04:13) 16 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (01:33) 17 Babys on Fire (02:30) 18 Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand (02:15) 19 The Hokey Pokey (01:40) 20 You May Be Right (01:49) 21 Mama Told Me Not to Come (02:14) 22 Roundabout (02:06) 23 You Aint Seen Nothing Yet (01:51) 24 Dont Worry, Kyoko (Mummys Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow) (03:20) 25 Downtown (01:50) 26 Let the Good Times Roll (01:52) 27 Never on Sunday (01:12) 28 20th Century Boy (03:19) 29 Rock the Boat (01:23) 30 Shotgun (05:53) |
| Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics : Allmusic album Review : Beginning in 1996, Yo La Tengo supported the fundraising efforts of New Yorks world-renowned independent radio outlet WFMU with annual studio visits. All listeners who pledged money during the bands appearances were offered the chance to request a favorite song that YLT would then attempt to perform. Compiling more than two dozen WFMU highlights first broadcast between 1996 and 2003, Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics is as sloppy and awkward as its title portends, but its nevertheless an amusing listen galvanized by the overwhelming love of rock & roll that informs all of the bands efforts. Far removed from the intricacy and beauty that characterizes Yo La Tengos official covers LP Fakebook, Murdering the Classics lurches and stumbles its way through pop milestones spanning from Archie Bell & the Drells "Tighten Up" to "The Hokey Pokey" to the Shea Stadium perennial "Meet the Mets." Chord changes are flubbed, lyrics are mangled, and medleys are patched together from little more than desperation and perspiration. But the trios energy and resourcefulness save the day. Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics is bar band rock in excelsis, buoyed by a spirit of generosity thats far too rare in all walks of life. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 24 Title: I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass Released: 2006-09-08 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:17:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind (10:46) 2 Beanbag Chair (03:02) 3 I Feel Like Going Home (04:14) 4 Mr. Tough (04:05) 5 Black Flowers (04:28) 6 The Race Is On Again (04:36) 7 The Room Got Heavy (05:10) 8 Sometimes I Don’t Get You (03:16) 9 Daphnia (08:51) 10 I Should Have Known Better (03:15) 11 Watch Out for Me Ronnie (03:01) 12 The Weakest Part (03:03) 13 Song for Mahila (03:40) 14 Point and Shoot (04:18) 15 The Story of Yo La Tango (11:48) |
| I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass : Allmusic album Review : After the elegant, introspective romantic narratives of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out and the beautifully crafted but restrained pop textures of Summer Sun, it was hard not to wonder if Yo La Tengo was ever going to turn up the amps and let Ira Kaplan go nuts on guitar again. For more than a few fans "Pass the Hatchet, I Think Im Goodkind," the opening cut from YLTs 2006 album I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, will feel like the reassuring sound of a homecoming -- ten minutes of noisy six-string freak-out, with James McNews thick, malleable basslines and Georgia Hubleys simple but subtly funky drumming providing a rock-solid framework for Kaplans enthusiastic fret abuse. After the thematic and sonic consistency of their previous two major albums, I Am Not Afraid marks a return to the joyous eclecticism of 1997s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, though nearly ten years down the road Yo La Tengo sounds noticeably more confident in their embrace of different styles and less hesitant in their technique on this album -- even Kaplans gloriously unkempt guitar solos start to suggest a certain degree of well-earned professionalism. The songs also sound a shade less playful and more disciplined, though the groups ability to bring their distinct personality to so many different styles attests to their continuing love of this music and the quiet strength of their vision -- the neo-Byrds-ian psychedelia of "The Race Is on Again," the homey horn-punctuated pop of "Beanbag Chair," the plaintive folk-rock on "Black Flowers," the aggressive Farfisa-fueled minimalisms of "The Room Got Heavy," and "Daphina," which suggests a John Fahey track transcribed to piano and then used as the root for a eight-minute exercise in low-key atmospherics, all function on a different level and each one satisfies. Whats both engaging and impressive about I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass is that, as usual, these 15 songs always end up sounding like Yo La Tengo, whether theyre upbeat guitar pop or dense loop-based drones, and if theres a bit less childlike élan here than in the past, theres also an intelligence and joy that confirms Yo La Tengo is still one of the great treasures of American indie rock, and they havent run out of ideas or the desire to make them flesh in the studio just yet. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 24 Title: They Shoot, We Score Released: 2008-09-12 Tracks: 27 Duration: 57:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Leaving Home (02:46) 2 Getting Lost (03:04) 3 Path to Springs (01:33) 4 Driving Home (03:49) 5 Leaving Home (alternate version) (04:27) 6 Old Joy: End Credits (02:48) 7 Ashley (01:38) 8 Meerkat (00:36) 9 Madeline (00:41) 10 A Roomful of Ladies (outtake) (01:59) 11 David Wark (01:07) 12 Aftermath (outtake) (02:09) 13 George (00:42) 14 This Could Be It (02:51) 15 The Phantom Who Haunts Broadway (00:44) 16 Game Time (01:05) 17 Pharaoh Blue (02:43) 18 Zoo Chant (02:31) 19 Love Chant (04:55) 20 Asbestos (01:06) 21 Return of the Pharaoh (01:34) 22 Spec Bebob (03:06) 23 Buckners Boner (02:26) 24 Isolation Tank (02:11) 25 Panic in Central Park (outtake) (01:12) 26 Panic in Central Park (01:11) 27 Wizards Sleeve (02:06) |
 | Album: 19 of 24 Title: Popular Songs Released: 2009-09-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:12:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Here to Fall (05:45) 2 Avalon or Someone Very Similar (03:17) 3 By Two’s (04:29) 4 Nothing to Hide (02:46) 5 Periodically Double or Triple (03:53) 6 If It’s True (02:43) 7 I’m on My Way (04:36) 8 When It’s Dark (03:55) 9 All Your Secrets (04:27) 10 More Stars Than There Are in Heaven (09:39) 11 The Fireside (11:25) 12 And the Glitter Is Gone (15:54) |
| Popular Songs : Allmusic album Review : Whether or not Yo La Tengo are being tongue in cheek with the title of their 14th album, Popular Songs does find Hobokens finest embracing pop song structures with a renewed degree of enthusiasm -- this isnt quite the Yo La Tengo "loaded with hits" album, but for a band thats shown an increasing willingness to explore the outer limits of its music in the studio, Popular Songs features nine tunes you can hum along with and sometimes even dance to. Those who got high marks in math will notice that Popular Songs has 12 selections, and as befits a band that covered George McCraes "You Can Have It All," on the second half of this set YLT take the opportunity to stretch out and invite the spirit for a while -- the total time of the first nine tracks on Popular Songs is roughly the same as the last three, which should tell you something about the albums dual nature. "Periodically Double or Triple" and "If Its True" in the first half are two of the most user-friendly songs this band has recorded in quite some time, the former a playfully funky R&B number with a killer bassline and the latter a slice of sweet uptown soul complete with a Hammond B-3 and a polished string section, while "Im on My Way" and "All Your Secrets" are low-key but beautifully crafted examples of smart pop for grownups that wont insult your intelligence or your imagination. If "By Twos" and "Here to Fall" reflect YLTs trippier inclinations, the melodies give them a firmer backbone than many of their previous gestures in this direction, and "Nothing to Hide" is a bracing and joyous dose of rock & roll. The first half of the album is smart enough and strong enough that the final three cuts almost seem like a letdown; "More Stars Than There Are in Heaven" is lovely, but sounds like a rehash of the ideas the band worked out so well on And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, and the minimalist acoustic guitar textures of "The Fireside" are almost too fragile to support its 11-minute length. Popular Songs closes with the usual Ira Kaplan guitar freakout; "And the Glitter Is Gone" is a fine plunge into the valley of skronk, with Georgia Hubley and James McNew bashing away with equal fervor and giving this album a typical but rousing finale. But as fine as those nearly 16 minutes of controlled chaos are, its the first half of Popular Songs that youre more likely to come back to, where by thinking in a small space Yo La Tengo have challenged themselves a bit and beautifully risen to the occasion. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 24 Title: Fade Released: 2013-01-14 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ohm (06:47) 2 Is That Enough (04:14) 3 Well You Better (02:37) 4 Paddle Forward (02:49) 5 Stupid Things (05:05) 6 I’ll Be Around (04:47) 7 Cornelia and Jane (04:49) 8 Two Trains (04:44) 9 The Point of It (03:38) 10 Before We Run (06:14) |
| Fade : Allmusic album Review : At album number 13, Yo La Tengo are an institution unto themselves, having perfected their craft of slow-burning, unassumingly insular indie rock in incremental baby steps since their formation in 1984. Almost three decades of building a language of wistfully melodic guitar rock without becoming redundant is no small feat, and Fade rises to the unique challenge by striking a middle ground between new territory and recalling YLTs finest hours. Fade is the first album for the band not recorded with producer Roger Moutenot, who had worked with the group on everything they put to tape since their 1993 breakthrough, Painful. The ten songs here were recorded instead with Chicago scene veteran John McEntire (Tortoise, Sea and Cake, Gastr del Sol, etc.) at his Soma studios, and while his influence on the album isnt overwhelming, there are touches of his affinity for orchestration, such as the gleaming strings and horn arrangements on album closer "Before We Run" and the distant trombone on "Cornelia and Jane." Mostly, regardless of production, Fade comes across as almost self-referential before it recalls other reference points, coming closest to the sound and overall feel of their 1997 masterpiece, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. The whispery vocals and bed of guitar textures on "Stupid Things" and the extended percussive jamming of "Ohm" definitely seem informed by territory the band was exploring around that era, though the album on a whole lacks any of the spiky rockers that broke up the lush softness on ICHTHBAO. The gentle and romantic wash of sounds that characterizes much of Fade is more in keeping with the bands chilled-out 2003 album Summer Sun, with graceful exploration of different sounds all reined in before they spin into distortion or clamor. Even the slinky groove and weird wah-wah tones of "Well You Better" are subdued, offering a relatively mellow peak in energy. The albums lazy, sunshiny demeanor borders on sleepy at times, but those listening closely will pick up on the subtle shifts in instrumentation and colorful production shifts that the band has grown to excel at over the years. The fingerpicked acoustic guitar and harmonium drones of "Ill Be Around" fade into the spaced-out drum machine pulse of "Two Trains" without spectacle, and the entire album blends in a similar, pleasant way. This fluidity and cohesion is what drives the songs on Fade to stand stronger as a unified mood, and one that grows more satisfying with repeat listens. By this point, Yo La Tengo have developed not just a style, but a voice of their own so distinct that the deeper the details go determines how strong the album can be. Fade is rich with details and grows richer the closer one looks. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 24 Title: Stuff Like That There Released: 2015-08-28 Tracks: 14 Duration: 45:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Heart’s Not in It (02:48) 2 Rickety (03:47) 3 I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (02:52) 4 All Your Secrets (03:18) 5 The Ballad of Red Buckets (04:49) 6 Friday I’m in Love (03:11) 7 Before We Stopped to Think (02:59) 8 Butchie’s Tune (02:47) 9 Automatic Doom (02:37) 10 Awhileaway (04:03) 11 I Can Feel the Ice Melting (02:36) 12 Naples (02:45) 13 Deeper Into Movies (05:09) 14 Somebody’s in Love (02:06) |
| Stuff Like That There : Allmusic album Review : These days, every band seems eager to honor the anniversary of one of its landmark albums, usually in the form of a concert tour or an expanded reissue, and even Yo La Tengo have gotten into the act -- a quarter century after they released their endlessly charming 1990 LP Fakebook, in which they covered a handful of their favorite songs and reworked a few of their own numbers in semi-acoustic fashion, YLT have recorded what amounts to a sequel, 2015s Stuff Like That There. Just like a sequel to a 1980s horror movie, Stuff Like That There follows the template of the original as closely as possible -- there are two new songs, three remakes from the YLT back catalog, and nine covers, which range from the instantly recognizable (Hank Williams "Im So Lonesome I Could Cry," inspired by Al Greens version) to the thoroughly obscure (unless youre a Hoboken pop obsessive or a James McNew completist, "Automatic Doom" by the Special Pillows is probably not on your hit parade). Just as importantly, original Yo La Tengo guitarist Dave Schramm, who appeared on Fakebook, returned for the Stuff Like That There sessions, and while his style would have been a poor fit beside Ira Kaplans clouds of six-string skronk that became a highlight of YLTs work from President Yo La Tengo onward, for stuff like this, Schramms graceful sound, full of echo and clean single-note leads, meshes gloriously with Kaplans implacable strum and the steady shuffle of bassist James McNew and drummer and vocalist Georgia Hubley. As "quiet" Yo La Tengo goes, like Fakebook this is top shelf, beautiful, and subtly joyous, and while the songs are well chosen and the performances are warm and passionate despite the low decibel level, the real secret weapon here is Georgia Hubleys vocals. Like Maureen Tucker singing "After Hours," what Hubley lacks in range she more than makes up for in her ability to infuse a song with feeling, and from the heartache of "My Hearts Not in It" and the lovers kiss-off of "Butchies Tune" to the sweetly fractured romanticism of "Friday Im in Love," Hubleys work beautifully demonstrates how much more less can be. If Stuff Like That There isnt as revelatory as Fakebook, its a splendid, beguiling album thats perfectly suited for late nights and rainy afternoons, and a welcome reminder of one of the many, many things Yo La Tengo do so well. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 24 Title: Parallelogram Released: 2015-12-11 Tracks: 2 Duration: 43:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Screens for a Catch (Fur Bearing Eyes) (20:01) 2 Electric Eye (23:07) |
 | Album: 23 of 24 Title: Murder in the Second Degree Released: 2016 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:17:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Alley Cat (01:12) 2 New York Groove (02:48) 3 Bertha (03:13) 4 Add it Up (02:52) 5 To Love Somebody (02:53) 6 Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo) (00:35) 7 Suspect Device (01:53) 8 First I Look at the Purse (02:20) 9 Jailbreak (03:03) 10 Popcorn (01:37) 11 Girl From the North Country (02:03) 12 Build Me Up Buttercup (03:06) 13 I Wanna Be Free (02:05) 14 Rock and Roll Love Letter (02:54) 15 Emotional Rescue (01:40) 16 Some Velvet Morning (02:29) 17 The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys - Mr. Soul (04:55) 18 Pay to Cum (01:37) 19 Never My Love (01:50) 20 King Kong (03:12) 21 White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It) (02:06) 22 Slurf Song (01:57) 23 Different Drum (03:18) 24 Crazy (00:59) 25 Be My Baby (03:22) 26 Hey Ya! (03:03) 27 Heart of Darkness (05:09) 28 Chantilly Lace (08:47) |
 | Album: 24 of 24 Title: There’s a Riot Going On Released: 2018-03-16 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:03:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Are Here (05:43) 2 Shades of Blue (02:51) 3 She May, She Might (05:22) 4 For You Too (04:13) 5 Ashes (03:32) 6 Polynesia #1 (02:25) 7 Dream Dream Away (05:49) 8 Shortwave (05:44) 9 Above the Sound (05:41) 10 Let’s Do It Wrong (03:33) 11 What Chance Have I Got (03:05) 12 Esportes Casual (01:25) 13 Forever (04:19) 14 Out of the Pool (02:46) 15 Here You Are (06:55) |
| There’s a Riot Going On : Allmusic album Review : When Yo La Tengo revealed that the title of their 15th album would be Theres a Riot Going On, speculation ran wild among their online fan base. What did the title mean? Was the album going to be a broadside about the state of America in the Trump era? Was it going to be some sort of homage to Sly & the Family Stones troubled 1971 masterpiece Theres a Riot Goin On? Or were these die-hard record collectors simply tipping their caps to the Robins 1954 hit "Riot in Cell Block #9"? What no one seemed to guess was a band thats made a habit out of inscrutable album and song titles would simply be continuing in that great tradition. As it is, theres precious little thats riotous about 2018s Theres a Riot Going On -- quite the opposite, its one of the most languid and inward-looking albums Yo La Tengo have released to date. YLT made the album without a formal producer, simply recording themselves in their practice space (with bassist James McNew serving as engineer) and having John McEntire (who worked with the band on 2013s Fade) mix the tracks. The results find the band deep in atmospheric mode, with washes of loops and noise hovering in the background on most tunes while Ira Kaplan generates spare, ringing guitar figures, Georgia Hubley lays out her typically warm and implacable groove on drums, and all three members daub the surroundings with keyboards and percussion. Many of the selections on Theres a Riot Going On are instrumental, and when the numbers do feature vocals, McEntire and YLT have pushed most of the singing deep into the mix, so if you were expecting this album to mount a soapbox, youll be very disappointed. This LP is also short on Yo La Tengos fractured pop sensibilities and Kaplans volleys of noise guitar; instead, Theres a Riot Going On is deeply introspective, 63 minutes of dreamy late-night musings and drifting soundscapes thats often very beautiful but demands to be met on the artists own terms. Theres a Riot Going On is, in its own subtle way, Yo La Tengo at their most uncompromised; its an album thats likely to separate their most hardcore fans from more casual admirers, though if you loved "Night Falls on Hoboken" from And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, youll likely savor it. | ||