Yo La Tengo

In many respects, Yo La Tengo are the quintessential indie rock band, melding elemental, often noisy guitar work against melodies infused with an understated sweetness that made even their noisiest freakouts feel accessible and their extended jams compelling in their exploration. The group’s members were musical omnivores whose range of interests were vast – The Kinks, the Velvet Underground, NRBQ, My Bloody Valentine, and Sun Ra have all been cited as among their key influences — and their catalog is admirably diverse, encompassing warm acoustic interpretive albums (1990’s Fakebook) as well as ultra-crude garage rock (2009’s Fuckbook, credited to their alter egos the Condo Fucks). YLT’s mix of cheerful skronk, melodic engagement, and knack for songwriting found its feet on 1987’s New Wave Hot Dogs and 1989’s President Yo La Tengo. 1993’s Painful was their first masterpiece, a great leap forward in terms of songwriting and creative use of the studio, and it was topped by 1997’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, a 68-minute epic that made room for Krautrock, electronic, psychedelia, covers, and a great deal more along with their trademark noise pop. Extended, primarily instrumental workouts became a greater part of their repertoire, with 2009’s Popular Songs divided half-and-half between tightly constructed songs and open-ended jamming. They took on greater control of their creative process on 2019’s There’s a Riot Going On and 2023’s This Stupid World, both recorded and produced by the band themselves in their rehearsal space.