Outside of a smarmy Onion article reference, I don't think this band has been discussed here. I've been a fan of them for a long time (decade plus) but by that time they had already been around for ten years.

I saw them live yesterday and happened to catch them also at a KUSF benefit show at Bimbo's 365 in August.



They're awesome live and they really seem to interact well with the audience. Last night's show was a Storytellers-type question and answer format show, but even at the KUSF show they integrated well with the crowd. Ira Kaplan's guitar playing is simply amazing in person. As a non-guitar player, hearing someone playing guitar does not make it seem difficult but once I see them live I can appreciate it a bit more.

Any fans here?

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http://www.yolatengo.com/

Looks like they're doing their Hannukah shows at Maxwell's in Hoboken this year again.

Yes, I enjoy them as well. I haven't followed them out of the 90's, to be honest, but I know they've been cranking out well received recordings all along. I'm more partial to "Fakebook" and what came before in the early days. I've only seen them live one time ('95?) and was a little disappointed, which surprised me.

True story - I saw them when they opened for The Sundays in Dallas 1990. I was a big fan of The Sundays and hated Yo La Tengo. I turned to my friend and said, "This band will never last." Well, I sure was wrong. They outlasted The Sundays.

They actually mentioned last night that their favorite shows were the ones where they opened for the Sundays. "We're big fans of Harry and David"

(long pause)

"...not that any of you guys know who they are."

I was at that show at the First Unitarian, too.

Even better was when the topic of the Grateful Dead came up from the audience, and Ira mistakenly refferred to "Dark Star" as "Big Star", prompting the non-deadheads in the audience (like me) to call for them to play some Big Star.

I've seen them 7 or 8 times since 1997's "I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One" record (all in Philadelphia) and the only time I was a little disappointed was once at the Troc when it was the last night of one of their tours and they seemed exausted on stage. Every other show has been fantastic.

BTW, I think the Maxwell's shows go on sale today.

I just have a major problem paying $30 for any show at Maxwell's. My favorite, and most often gone to, club ever, but I can't get over the old days of $5-$6 shows.

They are very very very hit or miss for me. "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out" and "I Can Hear The Hear the Heart Beating as One" are classic....but most everything else they've done since the mid-nineties just doesn't work for me.

While $30 is a bit much the Hanukkah shows are pretty special and they are benefit shows. I've got tickets for two nights and can't wait.

Been rounding out my collection lately. Finally picked up "I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Kick Your Ass" and "Popular Songs". Gotta say, these guys keep cranking out solid records.

I still haven't picked up the earlier albums, "Ride the Tiger", "President", "Hot Dog", "May I", etc. Any suggestions on where to begin?

Also, anyone pick up the Condo Fucks (Yo La in disguise) album, "Fuckbook"? That looks great to me.

If you use iTunes, take a look at this podcast: NPR: Live Concerts from All Songs Considered Podcast

They have a Yo La Tengo concert from September, '09. A little under two hours long.
.mp3 format, and free of course.

Thanks!!

Don't bother with anything that they put out before Painful.

The Condo Fucks album is sloppy and abrasive as hell, so I doubt that you'll like it unless you're into noise rock.

I bought a copy of the "President Yo La Tengo" EP back when it came out on CD with "New Wave Hot Dogs" (Jesus, that was over 20 years ago) and I've liked this band ever since. I disagree with Red Medicine, both President and Fakebook are worth getting. One thing you can definitely say about YLT, they're almost ridicuously consistant, they've never really put out a bad album.

I put them in the same category as PJ Harvey and Stereolab: absolutely great artists that I don't listen to enough but everytime I hear something by them, I love it.

Oh, don't worry about Red Medicine, he pops up every few months to piss on things people like.

Picked up Ride the Tiger and Summer Sun used in the amazon marketplace. The Ride the Tiger case had President Yo La Tengo/New Wave Hot Dogs in it. Needed that one too and it's rare but damn, how am I ever going to get a case!

i love love love Yo La Tengo! if you don't already have it, get Electr-O-Pura. this is my favorite YLT record, but every single one of their albums is solid and special in its own way. the Condo Fucks album is great too

Every once in a while I hear a really cool song by them but when I try to slog through their albums, they don't grab me.

Their new album Fade came out this week. Absolutely beautiful. Amazing that a band that's been around for 30 years can still make music that feels essential.

Was just thinking about this thread. New album is great.

I do like Yo La Tengo, but now whenever I hear their name again, it always makes me think of that "smarmy" article in the Onion from a number of years ago.

Never heard of the band until this:

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The song, "My little corner of the world" plays over a montage of the wedding at about 7:25. The show 'Ed' was great and this song added to the greatness. It made me seek out other music by them, Great Band.

Saw them tonight at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI. Just a great show, with some amazing guitar work from Ira during the electric set.

Acoustic

Ohm
(acoustic version)
Two Trains
One PM Again
Oklahoma U.S.A.
(The Kinks cover)
The Point of It
Cornelia and Jane
I'll Be Around
Satellite
Tom Courtenay

Electric

Stupid Things
Time Fades Away
(Neil Young cover)
Is That Enough
Pablo and Andrea
Here To Fall
Mr. Tough
Before We Run
Ohm
(electric version)
From a Motel 6
Blue Line Swinger

Encore:

Moby Octopad
Drug Test
Big Sky
(The Kinks cover)
This Is Where I Belong
(The Kinks cover)

Encore 2:

Get Down Woman
(Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
I Feel Like Going Home

Lot of Kinks stuff.

Love Yo La Tengo. And then nothing turned itself inside out is my favorite album of theirs.

Never been a big fan but the band is great. I didn't like the new album on first listen but have come to really like it. From what I've heard 'Painful' is my favorite.