Yo La Tengo (YLT;

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for "I have her") is an American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band formed in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of

Ira Kaplan Ira Kaplan (born January 7, 1957) is a co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. He is married to the band's co-founder Georgia Hubley. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Kaplan formed Yo La T ...

(guitars, piano, vocals),

Georgia Hubley Georgia Hubley is an American percussionist, vocalist, and visual artist. She is one of the two founding members of the indie rock band Yo La Tengo, and is married to the group's other founding member, guitarist/vocalist Ira Kaplan, with whom ...

(drums, piano, vocals), and

James McNew James McNew is an American musician. He has been the bass player for the rock band Yo La Tengo since their 1992 album, '' May I Sing with Me''. He was previously a member of the band Christmas, being featured on their third album ''Vortex''. H ...

(bass, vocals). In 2015, original guitarist Dave Schramm rejoined the band and appears on their fourteenth album, '' Stuff Like That There''. Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential critics' band" and maintains a strong cult following. Though they mostly play original material, the band performs a wide repertoire of

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...

both in live performance and on record.

History

Formation and early history, 1984–1985

and

formed the band as a couple in 1984. They chose the name Yo La Tengo, Spanish for "I have it". The name came from a baseball anecdote that occurred during the 1962 season, when

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

Richie Ashburn Don Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927 – September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. (Some sources give his ...

and

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

Elio Chacón Elio Chacón Rodríguez (October 26, 1936 – April 24, 1992) was a Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop who played in the National League from 1960 to 1962. He was the seventh baseball player from Venezuela to play in the major ...

found themselves colliding in the outfield. When Ashburn went for a catch, he would scream, "I got it! I got it!" only to run into Chacón, a

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

n who spoke only Spanish. Ashburn learned to yell, "Yo la tengo! Yo la tengo!" instead. In a later game, Ashburn happily saw Chacón backing off. He relaxed, positioned himself to catch the ball, and was instead run over by left fielder Frank Thomas, who understood no Spanish and had missed a team meeting that proposed using the words "Yo la tengo!" as a way to avoid outfield collisions. After getting up, Thomas asked Ashburn, "What the hell is a yellow tango?" Kaplan and Hubley placed an advertisement to recruit other musicians who shared their love for bands such as

the Soft Boys The Soft Boys were an English rock band led by Robyn Hitchcock primarily during the 1970s, whose initially old-fashioned music style of psychedelic/folk-rock became part of the neo-psychedelia scene with the release of '' Underwater Moonlight'' ...

Mission of Burma Mission of Burma was an American post-punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. The group formed in 1979 with Roger Miller on guitar, Clint Conley on bass, Peter Prescott on drums, and Martin Swope contributing audiotape manipulation and acting as ...

, and Arthur Lee's

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

. The group's debut recording was a 7" single entitled "The River of Water" backed with a cover of Lee's "A House Is Not a Motel", released in late 1985 with Dave Schramm on lead guitar and

Dave Rick David Matthew Rick is an American guitarist and former member of underground rock bands B.A.L.L.,True Bongwater, King Missile,Strong, p. 390 Phantom Tollbooth, When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water, Wonderama, and Yo La Tengo. He ...

on bass. After recording "Private Doberman" for inclusion on a Coyote Records compilation entitled ''Luxury Condos Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon'', Rick left the band and was replaced by Mike Lewis, the founding bass player of Boston garage-punk bands

DMZ A demilitarized zone (DMZ or DZ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or bounda ...

and

Lyres Yoke lutes, commonly called lyres, are a class of string instruments, subfamily of lutes, indicated with the code 321.2 in the Hornbostel–Sachs classification. Description Yoke lutes are defined as instruments with one or more strings, arrange ...

, who was also a member of Brooklyn

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

band

the A-Bones The A-Bones was an American garage rock band from Brooklyn, New York. Their name was derived from a song by The Trashmen. The band was formed in 1984 by vocalist Billy Miller and his wife, drummer and co-vocalist Miriam Linna, in the wake of a ...

throughout his tenure in YLT.

Early releases, 1986–1989

In 1986, Yo La Tengo released their first LP, '' Ride the Tiger'' on Coyote Records. Produced by former

bassist

Clint Conley Clinton J. Conley is an American post-punk musician and journalist from Boston, Massachusetts, best known as a co-founder, bassist, and vocalist of Mission of Burma. Early life and education Conley was born in Boston, Massachusetts and graduate ...

who also took over bass duties on three songs, the album "marked Yo La Tengo as a band with real potential" according to reviewer Mark Deming. Kaplan was credited as "naive guitar" on the sleeve, and in the liner notes for the 1993 reissue of the album on City Slang Records, went so far as to say "Dave's guitar playing is inarguably the best thing about the record." Schramm and Lewis left the band after the album's release, with Kaplan subsequently taking on the role of lead guitar and Stephan Wichnewski joining to play bass. The group's next album '' New Wave Hot Dogs'' (1987) sold poorly, but, in the words of Mark Deming, "was a quantum leap over the sound of their debut." The release of '' President Yo La Tengo'' in 1989 did much to establish the band's reputation among rock critics including

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

who praised the "mysterioso guitar hook" in the first song titled "Barnaby, Hardly Working". Produced by Gene Holder of

The dB's The dB's are an American alternative rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album, ''Stands for Decibels'', is often acclaimed as one of the greatest "lost" powe ...

, the album was the band's last release on Coyote. Despite the positive reception of the album, sales were still poor and Wichnewski left the band not long after. Hubley and Kaplan carried on as a duo and began playing two-electric-guitar shows. Kaplan, though typically a pragmatist, started carrying a bug trapped in amber in his pocket for luck.

Bar/None and Alias Records, 1990–1992

Yo La Tengo reunited with Dave Schramm in 1990 to record '' Fakebook'', an album of mostly acoustic tunes, including covers of

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in ...

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...

, among others, with five original songs by the band themselves, including an acoustic version of ''Barnaby Hardly Working''. Again produced by Gene Holder, the album's

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

sound was a change of pace for the band. Years later, Kaplan recalled that the album was "just me and Georgia looking for an excuse to record with Dave Schramm and Al Greller" who played guitar and

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

on the album, respectively. In 1991, with Dave Schramm in tow, Yo La Tengo collaborated with

on the song "Speeding Motorcycle" which was released as a single. The band also released a 7" single on

Bar/None Records Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his na ...

with the song "Walking Away from You" backed with a cover of Beat Happening's "Cast a Shadow." Gene Holder produced the single and played the bass. The ''That Is Yo La Tengo'' EP released later that year included some tracks that would end up on the group's next LP. After the release of ''That Is Yo La Tengo'',

(who also records under the solo moniker Dump) began playing bass with the band, forming the trio that continues to make up the band today. According to McNew, The band recorded ''

May I Sing with Me ''May I Sing with Me'' is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted o ...

'' in Boston with Holder producing and

Lou Giordano Lou Giordano (born c. 1957) is a record producer and recording engineer who co-founded Radiobeat Studios. He worked at Fort Apache Studios when it was located in Boston, and was a partner in the production company Prodco, which had close ties with ...

engineering. The album was released on Alias Records in 1992. Three of the album's eleven songs ("Swing for Life", "Out the Window" and "Five-Cornered Drone") were carried over from the ''That Is Yo La Tengo'' EP and feature Holder on bass. The ''Upside-Down'' EP was released on CD in support of the album, rounding out the band's releases on Alias.

Early Matador period, 1993–2000

In 1993, Yo La Tengo began their partnership with

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...

, releasing a 7" and CD5 of the song "Shaker" which the band recorded with John Siket in New Jersey. The following LP, 1993's '' Painful'', was also the beginning of the band's fruitful creative partnership with producer Roger Moutenot, who has produced all of their subsequent albums up until 2013's ''

Fade Fade or Fading may refer to: Science and technology * Fading, a loss of signal strength at a radio receiver * Color fade, the alteration of color by light * Fade (audio engineering), a gradual change in sound volume * Brake fade, in vehicle brakin ...

'', which was produced by

John McEntire John McEntire (born April 9, 1970 in Portland, Oregon) is an American recording engineer, producer, drummer and multi-instrumentalist, based in Chicago, Illinois. He is a member of both Tortoise and the Sea and Cake. McEntire started playing dr ...

. ''Painful'' is the first Yo La Tengo album to feature James McNew on every song. Ira Kaplan explains:

Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at ''Blen ...

, writing in ''

The New Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' remarked that McNew "became an essential part of the sound on ''Painful'', the 1993 album that kept every promise Yo La Tengo ever made and blew their previous highlights away." Portions posted at Critical reaction was quite positive, with reviewer

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

calling it "a subtly addicting album." Robert Christgau also praised the group once again, writing in his review that Yo La Tengo is "always friendly. This is not the forbidding experimentation of an aspiring vanguard. This is the fooling around of folks who like to go out on Saturday night and make some noise—and then go home humming it." The band released '' Electr-O-Pura'' in 1995 to similar acclaim. For the first time, all songs were credited to the band as a whole rather than individual members; this became the norm for all future releases. The band's 1997 LP ''

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One ''I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One'' is the eighth studio album by the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo, released on April 22, 1997, by Matador Records. It was produced by Roger Moutenot and recorded at House of David in Nashville, Tennes ...

'' synthesized the group's eclectic combination of folk, punk rock,

shoegazing Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...

, long instrumental noise-jams, and

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

into a sprawling, multi-faceted style. Critical reaction was extremely positive;

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

awarded the album a 9.7 out of 10, and

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that it was "arguably Yo La Tengo's finest and most coherent album to date." Kaplan recalled a turning point in the band's musical progression: With their critical reputation higher than ever before, the band toured extensively and their fan base continued to grow. In 1998, they collaborated with

Jad Fair Jad Fair (born June 9, 1954) is an American singer, guitarist, graphic artist, and founding member of lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese. Biography Fair was born in Coldwater, Michigan. In 1974, he and his brother David formed the lo-fi ...

and released the album '' Strange but True'' to mixed reviews. Yo La Tengo had a cameo role as a

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

band in the 1998

Hal Hartley Hal Hartley (born November 3, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and composer who became a key figure in the American independent film movement of the 1980s and '90s. He is best known for his films '' The Unbelievable T ...

film '' The Book of Life'', and feature on its 1999 soundtrack release. The band entered the studio again in late 1999 to record their ninth LP. ''

And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out ''And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out'' is the ninth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo, released on February 22, 2000, by Matador Records. The album received positive reviews from critics. Recording and release ''And T ...

'' was released in February 2000 to a warm reception. The album features some intimate songs with hushed, varied instrumentation and includes the 17-minute meditation "Night Falls On Hoboken".

Continued acclaim and soundtrack work, 2001–present

In 2001, Yo La Tengo recorded an instrumental score for eight short undersea documentaries by

Jean Painlevé Jean Painlevé (20 November 1902 – 2 July 1989) was a photographer and filmmaker who specialized in underwater fauna. He was the son of mathematician and twice prime minister of France Paul Painlevé. Upbringing A few days after Painlevé ...

, entitled '' The Sounds of the Sounds of Science''. The program debuted at the

San Francisco Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by the San Francisco Film Society, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in in ...

and has been performed live approximately twelve times. The band also released an EP with covers of

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific out ...

's "Nuclear War" in late 2002. The band's tenth LP, '' Summer Sun'', was released in 2003. Although the album received generally favorable reviews, some critics found the album's quiet atmosphere "underwhelming." Others criticized the band for a perceived lack of invention. When asked about the album's quiet nature, Kaplan stated, Yo La Tengo collaborated with

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

on the 2003 charity album ''

Wig in a Box ''Wig In A Box: Songs from & Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' is a charity tribute album featuring versions of songs from the musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch''. It was released in 2003 through Off Records, and proceeds benefited the ...

: Songs from and Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' in support of the

Harvey Milk High School Harvey Milk High School (HMHS) is a public high school in the East Village of Lower Manhattan in New York City designed for, though not limited to, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people, as well as those questioning their sex ...

. The band put together their first "best of" compilation entitled '' Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985–2003'' which was released in 2005. They composed scores for four more films, 2005's '' Junebug'' and '' Game 6'', and 2006's ''

Shortbus ''Shortbus'' is a 2006 American erotic comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in an early 2000s New York City. T ...

'' and ''

Old Joy ''Old Joy'' is a 2006 American road movie written and directed by Kelly Reichardt and based on a short story by Jonathan Raymond. The original soundtrack for the film is by Yo La Tengo and included on the compilation soundtrack album '' They Shoo ...

''. Their scores for these four films were collected on the 2008 compilation ''

They Shoot, We Score ''They Shoot, We Score'' is a compilation soundtrack album by the band Yo La Tengo, released on September 5, 2008. It contains tracks from the films '' Old Joy'' (2006), '' Junebug'' (2005), '' Game 6'' (2005) and ''Shortbus'' (2006). "Spec Bebo ...

''. Their eleventh LP, '' I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass'', was released in 2006 to universal acclaim. Informed by their soundtrack work, the arrangements included more strings and horns than any of the band's previous albums. Kaplan told an interviewer: "I think we gained an element of comfort with using that kind of instrumentation, and it became something we could draw on for our other songs." In addition, the album was book-ended with two guitar jams lasting over ten minutes each. In 2006, the band released ''

Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics ''Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics'' is an album by the band Yo La Tengo, released in 2006, consisting solely of covers. Yo La Tengo supported the fundraising efforts of independent radio channel WFMU with annual studio visits. All listene ...

'', a compilation of their live impromptu cover-song performances on the New Jersey freeform radio station,

WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...

. As part of the station's annual fundraising marathon, listeners who call in to pledge money to the station may request a favorite which the band will then perform on the spot. In late 2007, the band began performing acoustically for "The Freewheelin' Yo La Tengo" tour. Audiences were encouraged to request songs and ask questions which, Kaplan stated, the band tried to answer "in a strategic manner so that the answers to the questions will lead to the next song." In March 2008, Yo La Tengo performed under the alias "Condo Fucks" at Brooklyn's Magnetic Field. As Condo Fucks, the band released an album of cover songs, ''

Fuckbook ''Fuckbook'' is an album released by indie rock band Yo La Tengo under the alias Condo Fucks in 2009. The band name comes from an inner sleeve listing fake albums and genre send-ups included in their 1997 album '' I Can Hear the Heart Beating as ...

'', on Matador in March 2009. ''

Popular Songs Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

'', the band's 12th album, was released on September 8, 2009. The album was recorded in the band's rehearsal space in New Jersey and features two songs with elaborate string sections (composed by jazz composer Richard Evans). It entered the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

chart at No. 58, the highest entry of the band's career thus far. In 2009, Yo La Tengo contributed to '' Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox'', a tribute album for New Zealand rock and roll musician

Chris Knox Chris Knox (born 2 September 1952) is a New Zealand rock and roll musician, cartoonist and movie reviewer who emerged during the punk rock era with his bands The Enemy and Toy Love. After Toy Love disbanded in the early 1980s, he formed the g ...

who suffered a stroke in June 2009. Yo La Tengo covered Knox's song "Coloured". All proceeds from the album go towards Knox's recovery. Also in 2009, Yo La Tengo contributed a cover of the song "Gentle Hour" to the AIDS benefit album,

Dark Was the Night Dark Was the Night may refer to: * ''Dark Was the Night'' (album), a 2009 compilation album * ''Dark Was the Night'' (2014 film), an American thriller film * ''Dark Was the Night'' (2018 film), an American drama film * "Dark Was the Night" (''Grey' ...

, produced by the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

. Preceding their album Popular Songs, Yo La Tengo released an EP entitled Here to Fall Remixes in the summer of 2010. Remixes of their single Here to Fall were done by

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...

RJD2 Ramble Jon Krohn (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name RJD2, is an American musician based in Columbus, Ohio. He is the owner of record label RJ's Electrical Connections. He has been a member of groups such as Soul Position, MHz Lega ...

, and

Pete Rock Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...

. This was Yo La Tengo's third out-of-the-box remix EP in 14 years, following the Autumn Sweater and Danelectro Remix EPs. In 2012 Yo La Tengo recorded a cover of Todd Rundgren's " I Saw the Light" for a fund raising cd titled "Super Hits Of The Seventies" for radio station

. In August 2012, they announced the release of an EP in September 2012 to be followed by a full-length album in January 2013. The EP includes three versions of the song "Stupid Things": the single version, a remix by EYƎ, and the original 12-minute instrumental version. The following album,

, was released on January 15, 2013. In 2014 they toured and performed live onstage as film maker

Sam Green Sam Green is an American documentary filmmaker. His most recent projects are “live documentaries” in which he narrates a film in-person while musicians perform a live soundtrack. His 2018 project ''A Thousand Thoughts'' features a live score ...

live narrated an evolving version of his new film The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller in Austin, Burlington, Detroit, Ithaca, Portland, New Orleans and Vancouver. In 2014, they played an Indiana-based Night Ranger cover band ''Bobby Night Ranger'' in the final episode of season 6 of the television series

Parks and Recreation ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...

. On August 28, 2015, Yo La Tengo released '' Stuff Like That There'', an album (and "a sequel of sorts to Fakebook") of re-recorded versions of some of their old songs as well as covers, including songs by The Cure, Hank Williams, and Sun Ra. In 2016, the band released ''

Murder in the Second Degree ''Murder in the Second Degree'' is a 2016 album by the American musical group Yo La Tengo. The album consists of cover songs originally written by other musicians, all of which were played live in the studio by Yo La Tengo as fundraisers for indep ...

'', a second compilation of their live impromptu cover-song performances on the New Jersey freeform radio station,

. In 2017, the band played two dates in New York City with Robyn Hitchcock. The performances included the Hitchcock album "Black Snake Diamond Role" in its entirety, as well as collections of classic Hitchcock songs and covers of other artists. In 2018, Yo La Tengo released their 15th studio album, '' There's a Riot Going On'', which Pitchfork decided 'reflects the group's greatest and most instantly recognizable strengths'. In 2020, Yo La Tengo released '' We Have Amnesia Sometimes'' which was recorded over a 10-day period from late April to early May amid the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The album consists of five instrumental, ambient compositions which were recorded with one microphone in the room and the band spread out adhering to

social distance In sociology, social distance describes the distance between individuals or social groups in society, including dimensions such as social class, race/ethnicity, gender or sexuality. Members of different groups mix less than members of the same g ...

protocols laid out by Governor Murphy of New Jersey. On February 10, 2023, the band will release their seventeenth studio album ''This Stupid World''.

Members

Yo La Tengo have always had the core members Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley. They have had 14 bass players. James McNew has been the bass player since 1992's ''

May I Sing With Me ''May I Sing with Me'' is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted o ...

''. Current *

– lead vocals and backing vocals, guitar, keyboard (1984–present) *

– drums, lead and backing vocals, percussion, keyboard (1984–present) *

– bass, guitar, percussion, keyboard, lead and backing vocals (1992–present) Past * Dave Schramm – lead guitar (1985–1986, 2015) *

– bass (1985) * Mike Lewis – bass (1985–1986) * Stephan Wichnewski – bass (1987–1989)

Discography

*'' Ride the Tiger'' (1986) *'' New Wave Hot Dogs'' (1987) *'' President Yo La Tengo'' (1989) *'' Fakebook'' (1990) *''

'' (1992) *'' Painful'' (1993) *'' Electr-O-Pura'' (1995) *''

'' (1997) *''

'' (2000) *'' Summer Sun'' (2003) *'' I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass'' (2006) *''

'' (2009) *''

'' (2013) *'' Stuff Like That There'' (2015) *'' There's a Riot Going On'' (2018) *'' We Have Amnesia Sometimes'' (2020) *''This Stupid World'' (2023)

References

External links

Official site

Matador Records' official site
*
Music Guide to Yo La Tengo at pontone.pl

{{Authority control 1984 establishments in New Jersey Indie rock musical groups from New Jersey Matador Records artists American musical trios Musical groups established in 1984 Arts & Crafts Productions artists Noise pop musical groups Dream pop musical groups American experimental rock groups Musicians from Hoboken, New Jersey City Slang artists Musical groups from New Jersey