Titus writes:
I’m bringing to your attention today, the work of a band that was formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, way back in 1984 and are still recording & performing forty years later. They are Yo La Tengo (often abbreviated to YLT) and their name is Spanish for “I’ve got it”. Since their formation, they have made seventeen albums, with the most recent one – ‘This Stupid World’, being released in February 2023. 1992 seemed to be a defining year for them, as since then the line up has remained unchanged as Ira Kaplan (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals) and James McNew (bass, vocals). The band recorded 3 Peel Sessions between 1996 & 1998.
Now, despite being a fan, I’m understandably pleased that they have achieved only a tad of mainstream success, but like many other bands that I have brought to your attention to, they have a strong fan base. They have a strong ‘cult’ following and play mainly original songs that can loosely be put into the genre of ‘experimental rock’. Ira & Georgia formed the band as a twosome, and historically their name came from a 1962 baseball anecdote, whereby two guys who played for New York Mets collided, whilst both going for a catch. The one cried “I have it, I have it”, but his Spanish speaking Venezuelan tem mate didn’t understand, and the ball was not caught! From then on, a team meeting decreed that “Yo la tengo” should be shouted, in order to avoid such pitch collisions.
After recording for a variety of labels between 1984 & 1992, YLT, now with third member James McNew in tow, began their long association with Matador Records, and in 1993 released the album ‘Painful’. This LP gained critical acclaim, and Ira himself was very pleased in that it sounded better & different to their previous releases. He felt that it was a turning point for the band, stating that the three members had more confidence and more trust in each other. ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine at the time was producing its own album guide, and remarked that McNew “became an essential part of the sound on ‘Painful’, and the album has kept every promise YLT ever made & blew their previous highlights away” Comparisons to critically acclaimed Velvet Underground, were also bestowed upon the band.
In 1997 ‘I Can Hear the Heart beating as One’ firmly cemented YLT’s combination of folk, punk rock and electronic music into whole hearted praise from the music press – indeed ‘All Music’ stated that it was “the band’s finest and most coherent album to date” At this time YLT’s reputation was higher than ever before, and their adoring fans came from far and wide to see them performing both in America and Europe. In 2001 the band became involved in soundtrack work, such as writing an instrumental score for 8 under-sea documentaries entitled ‘’The sounds of the sounds of science’ As the well known saying states “All good things come to an end” and in 2003, YLT’s tenth album ‘Summer Sun’ received such critical words as “Underwhelming” and “Lacking invention”.......however, subsequent recordings impressed the critics, and YLT bounced back. The publication ‘Pitchfork’ said that the band’s 15th studio LP ‘There’s a riot going on’, “reflects the group’s greatest and most instantly recognisable strengths”
I personally love the album “I Can Hear the Heart beating as One” and I have asked lex to play ‘Shadows’ from it. Make no mistake, YLT are a truly great band.
Now, despite being a fan, I’m understandably pleased that they have achieved only a tad of mainstream success, but like many other bands that I have brought to your attention to, they have a strong fan base. They have a strong ‘cult’ following and play mainly original songs that can loosely be put into the genre of ‘experimental rock’. Ira & Georgia formed the band as a twosome, and historically their name came from a 1962 baseball anecdote, whereby two guys who played for New York Mets collided, whilst both going for a catch. The one cried “I have it, I have it”, but his Spanish speaking Venezuelan tem mate didn’t understand, and the ball was not caught! From then on, a team meeting decreed that “Yo la tengo” should be shouted, in order to avoid such pitch collisions.
After recording for a variety of labels between 1984 & 1992, YLT, now with third member James McNew in tow, began their long association with Matador Records, and in 1993 released the album ‘Painful’. This LP gained critical acclaim, and Ira himself was very pleased in that it sounded better & different to their previous releases. He felt that it was a turning point for the band, stating that the three members had more confidence and more trust in each other. ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine at the time was producing its own album guide, and remarked that McNew “became an essential part of the sound on ‘Painful’, and the album has kept every promise YLT ever made & blew their previous highlights away” Comparisons to critically acclaimed Velvet Underground, were also bestowed upon the band.
In 1997 ‘I Can Hear the Heart beating as One’ firmly cemented YLT’s combination of folk, punk rock and electronic music into whole hearted praise from the music press – indeed ‘All Music’ stated that it was “the band’s finest and most coherent album to date” At this time YLT’s reputation was higher than ever before, and their adoring fans came from far and wide to see them performing both in America and Europe. In 2001 the band became involved in soundtrack work, such as writing an instrumental score for 8 under-sea documentaries entitled ‘’The sounds of the sounds of science’ As the well known saying states “All good things come to an end” and in 2003, YLT’s tenth album ‘Summer Sun’ received such critical words as “Underwhelming” and “Lacking invention”.......however, subsequent recordings impressed the critics, and YLT bounced back. The publication ‘Pitchfork’ said that the band’s 15th studio LP ‘There’s a riot going on’, “reflects the group’s greatest and most instantly recognisable strengths”
I personally love the album “I Can Hear the Heart beating as One” and I have asked lex to play ‘Shadows’ from it. Make no mistake, YLT are a truly great band.