I got it

I remember the first time I heard Yo La Tengo (YLT). They were blasting as filler before a concert, and my friend sort of lip outlined their name: ‘Yo La Tengo’ (it’s fun to say). I made a mental note to look them up, but it wasn’t until they were closing the Ray Davies Meltdown Festival that I decided to check them out. I picked up President Yo La Tengo (1989) and New Wave Hot Dogs (1987) in preparation for the show and dove into listening mode.

Yo La Tengo play for Ray at Southbank

The night I saw them, YLT performed two sets. The first, determined by an audience member spinning a large wheel, included songs by the Condo F*cks, an alias band who play hard and heavy. (Seeing the polite, middle-aged British audience paralyzed in their seats was half the fun.) For the second set, YLT played whatever they wanted. It was good.

I am now in love with them.

I’ve since purchased two more albums: Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs 1985-2003 plus A Smattering of Outtakes And Rarities (2005); and Popular Songs (2009).

It’s not easy to describe Yo La Tengo’s sound. Their songs vary significantly. I’m sure part of this is because they’ve been together for decades. Of course their style would evolve. Still, it feels more like they’ve had to push the limits of genre and style just to keep from getting bored. I can’t offer up a single song to represent them, but here is a sampler of my favorites.

Super accessible and easy to like

‘Sometimes I Don’t Get You’ from I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (2006)
An endearing little love song in three quarter time, sung in a happy near falsetto, served up with basic keyboard and drums.

‘Autumn Sweater’ from I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
Simple 4/4 beat, with four accordion-like chords in repetition become a simple melody; sounds like blurred memories.

Or enjoy a female voice… think Cowboy Junkies with kickass guitar

‘Pablo and Andrea’ from Kids in the Hall Brain Candy (1996)
Hawaiian beach sound…

But when they crank up the feedback and distortion things get really interesting

Setting up the feedback

‘Shaker’ from the Shaker EP (1993)
Guitar, feedback, echoey, haunting, heavy.

‘I Heard You Looking’ from Painful (1993)
Initially Cure-like, but with heavier distortion. After a long and loud crescendo the song falls into its melody again, and then fades away almost as slowly as it hit the top.

Oh, are you more folksy?

‘I Threw It All Away’ from President Yo La Tengo (1989)
A nod to Bob

Related: Gig Log