Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One - 1997

So now that I've finally finished describing my Boston trip in detail...what the hell do I talk about on this thing again? Oh yeah, right...music.

In 1997 Yo La Tengo were already 11 years into their career (though in all fairness, they were only 5 years with their most recognized, and current, lineup). With the somber masterpiece Painful and the rockier, slightly less consistent Electr-O-Pura behind them, they seemed to have settled into a comfortable groove of critic friendly, Velvet Underground-ish indie rock. All bets would have been on the band putting out more of the same for the remainder of their career, but I Can Hear The Heart... found the band exploring more eclectic styles.

Sure there were the moments of familiarity: neither Sugarcube nor Deeper Into Movies would have sounded out of place on previous albums...but what was most surprising was not only the range displayed by the band, but also the inventiveness, and there is probably no better place to start than with Autumn Sweater.

The band had done organ vamps before, but usually they were a method to find a new instrument for Ira Kaplan to wail on when he bored of his guitar. But this is no noise filled scronk fest. Instead it's a chord based jazzy shuffle (complete with bongo drums) led more by Georgia's snare drum than by Ira's playing or sad sack mumble-core vocals.

I've probably heard this song half a million times in my life, and while it's no longer the playlist staple it was in 1997 (back when we called them mix tape staples) I still can't help but get a little tingle at hearing the pleasure of three long time musical compatriots locked in perfect grove while a nebbishy husband sings about the chills he got upon first meeting his wife and she keeps perfect rhythm behind him.

Attack on Love - Yo La Tengo - Electr-o-pura - 1995

Barring an amazing late career resurgence, the span between 1993's Painful and 2000's And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out will probably be regarded as YLT's heyday. But it is important to remember that even during this period, Hoboken's finest could still turn out some total crap.

YLT are at their best when the tension between Ira Kaplan's undeniably explosive talent is tempered by the unbelievable discipline of his wife Georgia and bass player James McNew. Together Hubley and McNew are probably the tightest, most versatile, rhythm section in all of indie rock...and without them Ira is just a middle aged Jew masturbating on a guitar or organ.

Case in point, Attack on Love.

Andalucia - Yo La Tengo - Fakebook - 1990

I feel like my entire office is coasting through to the weekend...and yes it's Monday. It's just one of those weeks where it feels like everybody in the city is zombie walking through the week to make it to that early dismissal on Friday and the long weekend vacation/staycation they've got lined up for Labor Day. Even the subway seemed slow.

Anyway, speaking of Slow...here's YLT covering John Cale on the Fakebook album. Sadly, I can remember a time when YLT putting out a mellow album was a new and novel twist, rather than to be expected and sighed at with disappointment.