does anything interesting ever happen in a yo la tengo song?

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Interesting things about YLT: Ira's voice. The vocal play between he and his wife. Catchiness of their punkish songs. Beauty of their slower ones. Lyrics. The "rock school" video.

― bnw, Sunday, 28 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

What is so great about them is that while they can play many different styles like noisy drone rock, almost country ballads, pop songs, singer/songwriter stuff, electronica etc. they still have their significant sound which can be identified immediately. I also like their "musicality" by which I mean that the three of them can almost interchange all instruments between them. Live they are exceptional as they have humour and really get into their songs (when Ira is on from the songs easily get stretched to 10 or more minutes). For short time span attentionists this is probably not very interesting but for me it is.

― alex in mainhattan, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Me, I think they're great. But there is the important question of whether they or Sonic Youth did the better Simpsons theme cover.

― Nate Patrin, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

YLT's Simsons cover is better because of the "Tomorrow Never Knows" rhythm and the overlay of Homer singing "Uptown Girl" and "I buried Flanders"

― Dave225, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

ten years pass...

You laughed when I called Andrea True Anita Ward...

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 03:42 (eleven years ago) link

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, May 2, 2002 5:00 PM (10 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

― Butt Trump tweet (Matt P), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 03:45 (eleven years ago) link

eatin my words

― dutch tl;drs (electricsound), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 03:46 (eleven years ago) link

the ned r. post above reminds me that the real indie darling blast from the past everyone should hate on now is low. because c'mon, fuck low.

― Butt Trump tweet (Matt P), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:01 (eleven years ago) link

*writes boring ponderous songs about boring personal issues with sham religion for 20 goddamn years*

― Butt Trump tweet (Matt P), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:04 (eleven years ago) link

maria played one of their albums years ago and it kinda scarred me. i never wanted to hear them again. it was kinda creepy. that hushed upclose vocal thing on the album was too butterfly kisses for me. like you're too close dude just back away a little bit. for some reason low never bothered me when they did that. maybe cuz they sing better.

― scott seward, Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:04 (eleven years ago) link

it's all in the church hymns

― Butt Trump tweet (Matt P), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:08 (eleven years ago) link

yo la tengo have a broader spectrum of sounds than that, scott. I agree that the deal you mention on e.g. "Autumn Sweater" can be a bit much. Low are awesome

― Garth Brooks In ... The Life of (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:11 (eleven years ago) link

actually, I meant "Our Way to Fall"

― Garth Brooks In ... The Life of (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:12 (eleven years ago) link

this may come down to different levels of spittle production

― Butt Trump tweet (Matt P), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:21 (eleven years ago) link

yeah, I just listened to some songs that I imagined weren't so close mic'd, and I was wrong. Even on "Cherry Chapstick" it's all whispery and close. I saw YLT live in Santa Barbara and it was a good show for me.

― Garth Brooks In ... The Life of (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 04:23 (eleven years ago) link

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