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 I'm Goodkind," the opening cut from YLT's 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 McNew's thick, malleable basslines and Georgia Hubley's simple but subtly funky drumming providing a rock-solid framework for Kaplan's 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 1997's 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 Kaplan's 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 group's 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. What's 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 they're upbeat guitar pop or dense loop-based drones, and if there's a bit less childlike élan here than in the past, there's also an intelligence and joy that confirms Yo La Tengo is still one of the great treasures of American indie rock, and they haven't run out of ideas or the desire to make them flesh in the studio just yet.
Have you ever listened to some music and felt like "Man, am I ever getting old."Recently someone shared with me some Yo La Tengo, which is a husband / wife / drummer group from Hoboken, NJ. A true hipster band which formed in the mid 80's way before there were hipsters. Growing up in Jersey, I knew about them peripherally, but hadn't really paid any attention to them until hearing "I Feel Like ...
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David Cross didn't even listen to the record. Which totally reminded me what a dick he is when i've run into him in Jersey City trying to pick-up chicks. Track 1: "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind"This track starts off kinda slow but then ramps into even more slowness resulting is some serious slowitude. With guest artist Keb' Mo' adding his trademark "hmmms," this song really sums up th...
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Yo La Tengo played a fabulous show at the State Theatre last night in St. Pete, FL. YLT has always been off the beaten path, and it didn't surprise me when Todd Barry was booked to open for them.Todd Barry does the voice for the green mooninite on Aqua Teen Hunger Force.Just this week, two Boston men made headlines with their ATHF ad campaign that went awry. Read more on this...Anyway, I though...
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Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, St. Petersburg then Miami. I haven't seen them since 2003, and with four interim releases this show is a MUST SEE. They're playing as many shows in FL as they are in Japan. LOL.Yo La Tengo is notorious for only touring once every six years or so, so this is a real treat. Tour Scheduleand the west coast gets bitch slapped....how does it feel?
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this is my top ten, in no particular order. Nothing too surprising here. Some might think i'm even 'playing it safe' with this list. meh. maybe. There will be more lists to come, i thought i'd get the big one out of the way first! :)Yo La Tengo - i am not afraid of you and i will beat your ass.Built to Spill - You in ReverseM. Ward - Post-warPortastatic - Be Still Please (#1 on my 'listen to on...
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... But at least the MOM on my work computer's operational.Meeting from Friday got pushed to this morning - didn't go nearly as bad as I expected, though I really do need to step up my game and get more aggressive/confident/proactive on the work front.All things in due time, I suppose. All things in due time.
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I mean really hates the record store. Today it was:Yo La Tengo - _I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass_The Black Keys - _Magic Potion_Camera Obscura - _Let's Get Out Of This Country_and a used copy ofLucinda Williams - _World Without Tears_Constantines - _Tournament of Hearts_ The Yo La Tengo and Black Keys are both blowing my mind. Haven't got to the others yet.
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New Yo La Tengo album, I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, due out Sept. 12 on Matador. The band recorded the album with the help of ace producer Roger Mountenot. This is what the new album looks like.Check out this track, “Beanbag Chair”:http://static.matadorrecords.com/mpeg/yo_la_tengo/yo_la_tengo_beanbag.mp3
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via emusic:The best record David Cross never heardYo La Tengo's debut CD, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass: The Florence Nightingale Story is filled with the cranky meanderings of today's new nu rock. Forged in hubris and leather, this New Jersey (and Brooklyn!?) trio consisting of the fat guy and two Jews are quite capable of taking us on one wild and wacky ride through the deba...
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Yo La Tengo played a fabulous show at the State Theatre last night in St. Pete, FL. YLT has always been off the beaten path, and it didn't surprise me when Todd Barry was booked to open for them.Todd Barry does the voice for the green mooninite on Aqua Teen Hunger Force.Just this week, two Boston men made headlines with their ATHF ad campaign that went awry. Read more on this...Anyway, I though...
More >
Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, St. Petersburg then Miami. I haven't seen them since 2003, and with four interim releases this show is a MUST SEE. They're playing as many shows in FL as they are in Japan. LOL.Yo La Tengo is notorious for only touring once every six years or so, so this is a real treat. Tour Scheduleand the west coast gets bitch slapped....how does it feel?
More >
I have a son who is 14 and he rocks. I mean, literally, with a drum kit and a guitar and sometimes the bass, etc. etc. I have taken him to many shows, exposed him to much music and although I do not play an instrument, I feel I have played my part in his musical upbringing. That said, this weekend he came to my house and brought a friend. This guy is also around 14 and he plays guitar-they are ...
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I finally got my hands on Yo La Tengo's latest, "I Am Not Afraid Of You and I Will Kick Your Ass," and I'm playing the heck out of it. It's such a rich album, full of different sounds and styles, a real showcase of what these guys are capable of. It's certainly their best since "I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One," although I won't venture to say whether it's better or not.Perhaps it's the bro...
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What do you get when you grab a jam band, a pianist, one of the most haunting vocalists you've ever heard and throw them into a recording studio in Jersey? Well, if you leave them in there long enough, you'll probably end up with something like Yo La Tengo (and no, they don't sing in Spanish). I was browsing through my library and I noticed that I hadn't really listened to they're latest album,...
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Have you ever listened to some music and felt like "Man, am I ever getting old."Recently someone shared with me some Yo La Tengo, which is a husband / wife / drummer group from Hoboken, NJ. A true hipster band which formed in the mid 80's way before there were hipsters. Growing up in Jersey, I knew about them peripherally, but hadn't really paid any attention to them until hearing "I Feel Like ...
More >
... But at least the MOM on my work computer's operational.Meeting from Friday got pushed to this morning - didn't go nearly as bad as I expected, though I really do need to step up my game and get more aggressive/confident/proactive on the work front.All things in due time, I suppose. All things in due time.
More >
Trying to explain my love for Yo La Tengo is a little difficult. I first saw them open up for My Bloody Valentine at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver in what must have been '92 in support of May I Sing With Me. The next day i went to Zulu Records and bought everything i could find by them. I haven't stopped since.Last night's show was another in a long line of shows since that first one that...
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David Cross didn't even listen to the record. Which totally reminded me what a dick he is when i've run into him in Jersey City trying to pick-up chicks. Track 1: "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind"This track starts off kinda slow but then ramps into even more slowness resulting is some serious slowitude. With guest artist Keb' Mo' adding his trademark "hmmms," this song really sums up th...
More >
this is my top ten, in no particular order. Nothing too surprising here. Some might think i'm even 'playing it safe' with this list. meh. maybe. There will be more lists to come, i thought i'd get the big one out of the way first! :)Yo La Tengo - i am not afraid of you and i will beat your ass.Built to Spill - You in ReverseM. Ward - Post-warPortastatic - Be Still Please (#1 on my 'listen to on...
More >
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