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Yo La Tengo: more like a comedy troupe than a band Yo La Tengo: more like a comedy troupe than a band
(6 months later)
Yo La Tengo enjoy a unique position in popular music. For Yo La Tengo enjoy a unique position in popular music. For almost three decades they’ve been an easy reference point for a certain kind of indie-rock insider (beautifully skewered in the classic 2002 Onion story 37 Record Store Clerks Feared Dead in Yo La Tengo Concert Disaster), but their wildly diverse output is matched only by the size of their discography: 13 albums since 1986 (their latest, Fade, appearing last year), plus a huge range of side projects, collaborations, EPs, mini-albums and other ephemera.
almost three decades they’ve been an easy reference point for a certain kind of The result is that it’s surprisingly difficult to nail down their sound. Are they Sonic Youth noise rockers, as per Sugarcube? Are they sensitive folkies, as on Tears are in Your Eyes? Falsetto soul enthusiasts on Mr Tough? It’s really not easy to say “ah, that’s a Yo La Tengo sound!”
indie-rock insider (beautifully skewered in the classic 2002 Onion story 37 “I’m hard pressed to hear it,” admits bassist James McNew, currently touring Australia with the band. “People will tell me ‘Oh, this band really reminds me of you’ and I’ll be ‘They don’t sound like us at all’. But there are times when I can recognise if not our style, then definitely our spirit in other groups. And that’s kinda nice.”
Record Store Clerks Feared Dead in Yo La Tengo Concert Disaster), but their McNew puts their diversity down to the simple fact that all three members – he and the founding husband-and-wife team of guitarist Ira Kaplan and drummer Georgia Hubley – are all obsessive music nuts.
wildly diverse output is matched only by the size of their discography: 13 albums since 1986 (their latest, Fade, “It’s true that we don’t have that much uniformity in the way of making an album of songs that sound the same – which has its positive and negative points: it’s much easier to describe a group like that, and I’m sure our record company would find it much easier to market us that way,” he smiles. “So apologies to them, and thanks for their patience.”
appearing last year), plus a huge range of side projects, collaborations, EPs, In fact, the trio operates more like a comedy troupe than a regular band: there’s an aesthetic that underpins their work rather than any particular style. That’s might sound like a stretch, but in the 90s and 00s the band were good friends with legendary NYC improvisational comedy troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade (which included future Parks and Recreation star and Golden Globes co-host Amy Poehler), and McNew reckons they learned a lot.
mini-albums and other ephemera. “Around that time when we were seeing the Upright Citizens Brigade there was also a tremendous surge in improvisational jazz groups in New York,” he explains. “And a thing that we learned from the comedy world was that the number one rule to improvisation is that the answer to any question is always Yes. I think that had a gigantic impact on us, in terms of improvising and creating things.”
The result is that it’s surprisingly difficult to nail down He sighs heavily. “I miss those guys so much. I wish that they would still perform together – I’ve been thinking about them a lot lately.”
their sound. Are they Sonic Youth noise rockers, as per Sugarcube? Are they
sensitive folkies, as on Tears are in Your Eyes? Falsetto soul enthusiasts on Mr Tough? It’s really not easy to say “ah, that’s a Yo La Tengo sound!”
“I’m hard pressed to hear it,” admits bassist James McNew, currently touring Australia with the band.
“People will tell me ‘Oh, this band really reminds me of you’ and I’ll be ‘They don’t sound like us at all’. But there are times when
I can recognise if not our style, then definitely our spirit in other groups.
And that’s kinda nice.”
McNew puts their diversity down to the simple fact that all
three members – he and the founding husband-and-wife team of guitarist Ira
Kaplan and drummer Georgia Hubley – are all obsessive music nuts.
“It’s true that we don’t have that much uniformity in the
way of making an album of songs that sound the same – which has its positive
and negative points: it’s much easier to describe a group like that, and I’m
sure our record company would find it much easier to market us that way,” he smiles. “So apologies to them, and thanks for their patience.”
In fact, the trio operates more like a comedy troupe than a
regular band: there’s an aesthetic that underpins their work rather than any
particular style. That’s might sound like a stretch, but in the 90s and 00s the
band were good friends with legendary NYC improvisational comedy troupe the
Upright Citizens Brigade (which included future Parks and Recreation star and
Golden Globes co-host Amy Poehler), and McNew reckons they learned a lot.
“Around that time when we were seeing the Upright Citizens
Brigade there was also a tremendous surge in improvisational jazz groups in New
York,” he explains. “And a thing that we learned from the comedy world was that
the number one rule to improvisation is that the answer to any question is
always Yes. I think that had a gigantic impact on us, in terms of improvising
and creating things.”
He sighs heavily. “I miss those guys so much. I wish that
they would still perform together – I’ve been thinking about them a lot
lately.”
Do they ever cross paths these days?Do they ever cross paths these days?
“Actually, we saw Amy recently and had a chance to catch up “Actually, we saw Amy recently and had a chance to catch up for a few minutes, and later on I mentioned it a phone call to my mum and she just went ‘Oh my GOD!’ And I was like ‘oh yeah, right, she’s an international superstar – we were just hanging around talking, you know, to the woman that hosts all the award programs.’”
for a few minutes, and later on I mentioned it a phone call to my mum and she The sheer breadth of the band’s work makes creating a set a tricky proposition, although that’s not the reason why they have recently taken to playing two sets – one quiet, one loud.
just went ‘Oh my GOD!’ And I was like ‘oh yeah, right, she’s an international superstar – we “It doesn’t feel as much like a battle,” he admits. “It seemed that at the end of a set someone would say ‘Yeah, you just went up there and played feedback for two hours’. And we’d be like ‘Um, no, that’s not exactly true – we played eight quiet songs, and many songs with no guitar at all.’ So when we’d break it up into the two sets I think it was spelling out very clearly: ‘Oh yes, you play quiet songs and you play loud songs’. I think it was more of a satisfying presentation – certainly for us.”
were just hanging around talking, you know, to the woman that hosts all the It’s in keeping with a band who always seem like they’re playing their fifth gig. Despite their history, formidable output and heavy touring schedule, these are three people who clearly just adore what they do.
award programs.’” “It’s something that we wanted to do our whole lives and never imagined would be possible, and yet here we are. We love playing together, we love creating stuff and travelling and hanging out. It’s just fun – c’mon, it’s amazing!” he laughs. “It’s the greatest thing in the world. I highly recommend it.”
The sheer breadth of the band’s work makes creating a set a
tricky proposition, although that’s not the reason why they have recently
taken to playing two sets – one quiet, one loud.
“It doesn’t feel as much like a battle,” he admits. “It
seemed that at the end of a set someone would say ‘Yeah, you just went up there
and played feedback for two hours’. And we’d be like ‘Um, no, that’s not
exactly true – we played eight quiet songs, and many songs with no guitar at
all.’ So when we’d break it up into the two sets I think it was
spelling out very clearly: ‘Oh yes, you play quiet songs and you play loud
songs’. I think it was more of a satisfying presentation – certainly for us.”
It’s in keeping with a band who always seem like they’re
playing their fifth gig. Despite their history, formidable output and heavy touring schedule, these are three people who clearly
just adore what they do.
“It’s something that we wanted to do our whole lives and
never imagined would be possible, and yet here we are. We love playing
together, we love creating stuff and travelling and hanging out. It’s just fun
– c’mon, it’s amazing!” he laughs. “It’s the greatest thing in the world. I
highly recommend it.”