The centre of the New Jersey trio Yo La Tengo’s 1993 album, Painful, features a blurred polaroid of a plate of French fries. Neil Young’s French fries. Yo La Tengo’s guitarist Ira Kaplan, a moon-faced thirtysomething once described as “the Jewish Jimi Hendrix”, had lunched with the grandfather of grunge in a New York restaurant and asked the waitress to wrap his leftover sandwich. Young’s uneaten fries were accidentally wrapped with it, and were soon back in the apartment Kaplan shares with his wife Georgia Hubley, Yo La Tengo’s drummer, co-vocalist and the daughter of John Hubley, the creator of the cartoon character Mr Magoo. At first they attempted to preserve the historic fries, dating as they did from the week of Young’s acclaimed MTV unplugged performance. “Initially, we refrigerated them but, hey, cooked potatoes have a half-life,” Kaplan explains. “We thought about varnishing, but eventually we decided on photodocumentation.” Lucky. The inherent weirdness of the daughter of the creator of Mr Magoo varnishing Neil Young’s French fries for future generations doesn’t bear contemplation.
Yo La Tengo have just released an excellent ninth album and are touring the UK this month. Their name is Spanish for “I got it” and was the cry of Elio Chacon, a baseball shortstop. But, ironically not everyone seems to “get” Yo La Tengo at all. The name’s Mexican dance-band connotations see them frequently misfiled alongside the Gipsy Kings in record shops and even their press officer admits, “They don’t sound like the Small Faces, and nobody knows what to do with them.” The New York director Hal Hartley’s use of them in film soundtracks, and the fact that they self-mockingly played the Velvet Underground in the film I Shot Andy Warhol, are the closest things the press has ever got to an “angle”.
It’s not surprising. Yo La Tengo’s first two albums slotted neatly into a mid-1980s guitar-pop scene centred around Hoboken’s Watermusic studio, alongside a host of other jangly New Jersey bands, but then the duo made a sudden and shocking shift of gear. “With the President
album in 1989, I remember thinking, Wow!” Kaplan recalls. “We haven’t been playing much since we last recorded, but somehow we’ve got much better.” President buried the sweetest melodies beneath seemingly endless storms of throbbing feedback, while its follow-up, 1990’s Fake Book, a collection of delightful covers of classic acoustic folk-pop songs, couldn’t have been more different.
So is there an element of wilful perversity at work in Yo La Tengo? “Maybe a little,” admits Kaplan, remembering the band’s prestigious support slot two years back in a double-headlining show by indie-rock’s premier-division title holders, Stereolab and Sebadoh, at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London. Yo La Tengo’s considered response to facing a theatre full of potential new converts was to ditch all their catchy tunes in favour of a single experimental 45-minute instrumental piece. “Well, we felt that it would be good to do something people remembered, like it or not. We’d prefer it if people liked it, but we’d rather be remembered unfondly than just dimly.” The band’s last five albums have seen them take on a permanent third member, the bassist James McNew, and reconcile the two sides of their personality. I Can Feel the Heart Beating As One, their new album (Matador records), is no exception. Kaplan will always follow his avant-garde rock inclinations, but is still seduced by the kind of simple pop melodies chart acts would die for. With too great a reverence for classic songwriting skills to fit in with drone-rock noodlers such as Labradford or Bardo Pond, the kind of bands Kaplan describes wryly as “dependably unpredictable”, Yo La
Tengo are also, ironically, too experimental to sneak into the public consciousness through the door marked “Classic Guitar Pop”. But even at their most elliptical, they still have the fluid dynamic of a road-tested band .
The title of Spec Bebop, the instrumental centrepiece of the new album, sounds like it’s describing a musical sub-genre of jazz for the visually impaired – perhaps there’s even a Mr Magoo connection – but, predictably, it takes its name from a prewar baseball player. Spec Bebop has the same metronomic, repetitious experimental trademarks as similar pieces by the Anglo-French drone-rockers Stereolab, but somehow it sounds felt , there’s a groove to it, while its European counterpart seems merely thought . “Maybe,” Kaplan concedes politely. “I wonder if we’re not as afraid of being caught jamming as a British band would be. Jamming has very bad connotations for very good reasons, but our goal sometimes is to improvise
something well enough to try and overcome them, I guess there’s something really old fashioned about us.”
Without meaning to, Kaplan has summed up Yo La Tengo, perfectly, futuristic electric rock music played in the old-fashioned way. I got it! Jazz from the jet age.
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter