That Was The Show That Was: Yo La Tengo | Coolidge Corner

[We are pleased to present once again reportage of friend and former editor Ric Dube, one of the stalwart duo of men who critiqued our writing into the good shape it was in six years ago. The Good Doctor is the most devoted Yo La Tengo fan we know (this is the very man who created this popular I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass promo video). He previously reviewed for us the band's Sept. 28, 2006 performance at Boston's Avalon, which you can read here. -- Ed.]

Last night we watched and listened as Yo La Tengo performed their scores to eight short undersea documentary films directed by Jean Painleve. It's something the Hoboken, New Jersey-based act does rarely, having first created the presentation for a 2001 film festival in San Francisco. The storied indie trio has performed this music fewer than a couple of dozen times since. A 2002 CD titled The Sounds of the Sounds of Science offers a beautifully recorded but more restrained representation of what transpires when Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew offer it in a live setting. And the initial differences between the performance and recording were only the beginning of an evolution; now as the years go by it's exciting to hear how much the performances continue to evolve.

And so it turns out The Sounds Of The Sounds Of Science isn't a soundtrack album -- it is an album unto itself. Like any other set of compositions, the songs have evolved as the artists have grown and as their interests have changed. On numbers like "Sea Urchins," "Love Life of the Octopus" and "How Some Jellyfish Are Born," digital delay sound effects once used as background texture are now "played" as lead instruments. Melodies once played right in the pocket are now syncopated. Passages once patiently formless have inched toward structure. Yo La Tengo's entire performance Tuesday evening was magnificent, which was reassuring after the discouraging introduction of the band by filmmaker Fabien Cousteau, grandson of legendary undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. -- Ric Dube, Senior Yo La Tengo Correspondent

Yo La Tengo intends to spend much of the early autumn touring. We've posted full dates below. The band has also posted "The Love Life Of The Octopus" for download, which we offer below to save you the trip.

Yo La Tengo -- "The Love Life Of The Octopus" -- The Sounds Of The Sounds Of Science
[right click and save as]
[buy this and other Yo La Tengo titles from the band here]

Yo La Tengo: InterWeb | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr

Previous Yo La Tengo coverage:

That Was The Show That Was: Yo La Tengo | Avalon, Boston [2006]

09/29 -- Hollywood Bowl -- Los Angeles, California
10/06 -- Lyceum -- Brooklyn, New York
10/09 -- Warhol Museum -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
10/10 -- Buskirk Chumley -- Bloomington, Indiana
10/11 -- Lakeshore Theatre -- Chicago, Illinois
10/12 -- Discovery Museum -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
10/13 -- Calvin College -- Grand Rapids, Michigan
10/19 -- Jeanne Rimsky -- Port Washington, New York
10/20 -- Colony Cafe -- Woodstock, New York
10/22 -- First Unitarian Church -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10/23 -- The Birchmere -- Alexandria, Virginia
10/27 -- Manifest Festival -- Mexico City
10/29 -- The Aladdin -- Portland, Oregon
10/30 -- Town Hall -- Seattle, Washington
11/01 -- Palace of Fine Arts -- San Francisco, California
11/04 -- Museum of Contemporary Art -- San Diego, California
11/10 -- MassMOCA -- North Adams, Massachusetts
11/11 -- Cornell University -- Ithaca, New York
11/15 -- Museum of Fine Art -- Boston, Massachusetts

Rock Over Boston Over Hoboken: Yo La Tengo Hanukkah Residency

[Peter Prescott sings the Volcano Suns' "Cover" at the night 5 of Yo La Tengo's 2010 Hannukah residency at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ 12/5/2010. Photo by Michael Piantigini. More here.]

It's sort of like when Boston sold out nine nights at the Centrum in the 80's, except Yo La Tengo does it every year (when they're not on tour, at least).

Every 25th of Kislev (I looked that up), they bogart the schedule of Maxwell's - their legendary Hoboken hometown home base club - to celebrate Hanukkah with an 8 night stand. The only Hanukkah actually visible is the old-school electric menorah sitting on bassist James McNew's formidable amplifier, but these shows are their own sort of revival. Over the years, they've developed their own tradition: the openers are always a surprise - never announced in advance (at least until the first person with a Twitter account arrives at the club), there's a comedian, a mix CD by one of the band or someone close, and the money goes to charity. Sounds good to me.

Watching the coverage of the shows leading up to our night (5) was excruciating - M Ward? Parting Gifts? Jeff Tweedy? SYL JOHNSON? How could they possibly top those?

Mission of Burma has been laying low of late, and they've apparently been writing songs. After opening with "Nu Disco," they tore through a half-dozen or so great new ones before settling into fun cover times: Cream's "NSU," Brian Eno's "7 Deadly Finns," Buzzcocks' "I Don't Mind," an amazing Wipers' "Youth of America," closing it out with a raging run through the Dils' "Class War." The dark, low-ceilinged Maxwell's recalled the smaller clubs that Burma haven't really had to play in their second life. Man does it work for them: Peter Prescott's now-mandatory sound baffle barely contained him, and the now leonine Roger Miller was animated and nearly wild, slashing through impossible chords.

There's not really any info on when we might hear that new Burma album, but I am now officially anticipating it eagerly.

How very clever of Yo La Tengo to provide a comedic palate cleanser, because Burma was hard to follow. It was even tougher for comedian Wyatt Cenac, I'd imagine. How do you get a crowd energized by punk rock and anticipating the headliner to pay attention to your talking? Luckily, the crowd was friendly and jubilant and Cenac mostly connected for his brief set.

I'll try not to gush too much about our hosts, but it ain't easy. Yo La Tengo have proven to be so versatile and reliable over the years and though it would be natural to worry how a band can maintain momentum through an 8 night stand, one needn't.

Yo La Tengo makes a point of keeping things interesting for themselves, as well as their fans; sometimes they're on the road telling stories and playing acoustic, sometimes they're live-soundtracking old undersea nature films, and sometimes they're just making noise (and, in the new year, they're apparently doing all that, plus acting and more). Sunday night's opening set demonstrated that versatility: after easing into things with landmark album I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One's gentle instrumental "Green Arrow," they wound up the buzz with "Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop" from a 1996 split single with Stereolab, leading to guitarist Ira Kaplan working up his first guitar freak-out of the night in "Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1)." Turning on a dime, the band instantly hushed the-now frenzied crowd with And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out's confessional "The Crying of Lot G." The mood swing was breathtaking.

The rest of the set was just as varied, with the old and the new; the quiet ("Pablo and Andrea"), the poppy ("Sugarcube"), and the frenzied ("Mushroom Cloud of Hiss"). The band showed no signs of flagging energy, playing with as much intensity as I've ever seen them.

The night's Boston-based undercurrent continued at the top of the encore when the high bidder of an auction benefiting WFMU turned in a more than credible take on Jonathan Richman's "Astral Plane" with a Roger Miller-abetted Yo La Tengo's backing. How cool must that have been?

Swapping out one Burma for a pair, Bob Weston (who had been sitting in with Yo La Tengo all night doing the live sound collage-ing he does with Burma) strapped on a bass while Peter Prescott led his partial Volcano Suns lineup/Yo La Tengo mash-up through a version of the Suns' "Cover" that left me itching to see another full Suns reunion or maybe a reunion of the Prescott-fronted Kustomized.

The rest of Burma joined in for the last trio of covers capped off by Burma-associates Dredd Foole and the Din's "So Tough."

Yes, yet even more Boston. It was super nice of those Mets fans to be so welcoming of us Sox fans.

-Michael Piantigini

Don't miss Ira Kaplan's Hanukkah Diary.

Yo La Tengo: Internets | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter
Mission of Burma: Internets | MySpace
Wyatt Cenac: Internets | IMDB

That Was The Show That Was: Yo La Tengo

[We are pleased to welcome to the electric pages of :: clicky clicky :: friend and former editor Ric Dube, a man who critiqued our writing into the good shape it was in six years ago, a shape we continually strive to regain. Dr. Dube is the most devoted Yo La Tengo fan we know (this is a man who convinced the band to move "Shadows" from the key of A to A-flat), and as such we solicited his assistance in the form of this review of the band's Sept. 28 performance at Boston's Avalon. -- Ed.]

Subtitle: An Evening of Music and Cleaning Up After Themselves

There’s an episode of "The Simpsons" where Principal Skinner greets an auditorium full of families by saying, "Welcome to an evening of theatre and cleaning up after yourselves!" Whether the band would ever admit it or not, Yo La Tengo’s third show in support of I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, carried the air of a band eager to 1) welcome the crowd to an evening of music and 2) pretend 2003 never happened. The immediate post-9/11 world, the thick of the Bush era, disastrous Mets and Knicks teams -– who really knows why Summer Sun was such a disappointing record? But when a band’s record is bland it affects its performances -- especially if they draw heavily from it to build a set.



In contrast, ...Beat Your Ass is a fine record, and promises to support current shows well, as it did in Boston, beginning logically with the monstrous "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind" [MP3 -- right click and save as]; when being joined by guest horn players on "Mr. Tough" and "Beanbag Chair" [MP3 -- right click and save as]; when weirdly revealing a Sticky Fingers essence to "I Feel Like Going Home;" when breezing through the easygoing "The Race Is on Again" and "The Weakest Part;" when tearing through the instant classic punk anthem "Watch Out for Me Ronnie;" and during the 12-plus minutes of "The Story of Yo La Tango" as part of the stretch of noisy tunes Yo La Tengo has used for years to comprise the second half of its show.

This performance was similar to ones following Summer Sun in that it emphasized a lot of piano-based songs and gentler guitar tunes. But this time out the songs are stronger and the band seems happier and more confident. “Now that’s edu-tainment!” -- Ric Dube

[You can view :: clicky clicky's :: pics of the Yo La Tengo show here]

Coming To Your Local Bandstand: Yo La Tengo

Veteran indie trio Yo La Tengo will hit the road in late September for a few weeks of dates intended to promote the release of its forthcoming set I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. Incidentally, Matador plans to soon launch a web site here to further push the record; we expect the site will be very similar to the site Obliterati.net that the venerable label deployed to hype this year's stellar Mission Of Burma release. Not content with one new presence on the web, Yo La Tengo has finally gotten hip to the MySpace phenomenon and you can petition to be their newest friend by going here. You can also stream the new cuts "Beanbag Chair" and "Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" at the MySpace page. If you go as batty for the fizzy pop of "Beanbag Chair" and the droning fuzz of "Pass The Hatchet..." as we think you will, you'll probably want to download them. We've posted the links below, and all the currently available tourdates are posted below that. Get out and see the band, we think they're really going places.

Yo La Tengo -- "Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" -- I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Yo La Tengo -- "Beanbag Chair" -- I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
[right click and save as]

09/25 -- Asbury Park, NJ -- Stone Pony
09/26 -- Washington, DC -- 9:30
09/28 -- Boston, MA -- Avalon
09/29 -- Jersey (?) -- Loews Theatre
10/04 -- Ann Arbor, MI -- Michigan Theater
10/05 -- Chicago, IL -- Vic Theater
10/14 -- Vancouver, BC -- Richards on Richards
10/15 -- Seattle, WA -- Showbox
10/16 -- Portland, OR -- Crystal Ballroom
10/19 -- San Francisco, CA -- Fillmore
10/20 -- San Francisco, CA -- Fillmore
10/21 -- San Francisco, CA -- Fillmore
10/23 -- Los Angeles, CA -- Henry Fonda Theater

Michael Piantigini's Top Albums of 2009

Listened to a lot of great new stuff this year, 10 of my most appreciated below. What better way to work out your (and my) love/hate relationship with Top 10 lists?

1. The Low Anthem, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin (Nonesuch)

If I were truly in-the-know, the earlier indie release of Oh My God, Charlie Darwin should have been one of my top 10 of 2008, but lucky for me – and the world generally – Providence, RI trio The Low Anthem got promoted to the show this year and their sophomore album was re-released by Nonesuch. After seeing this performance of “This Goddamn House” from the band’s 2007 debut What The Crow Brings, a gut-punch performance so powerful and affecting that it makes one question their whole life, I was prepared to pack it all in and follow them around on tour or something. Or, at least, see them as much as I can. Of course, my punishment for not getting hip sooner is that I missed them in your more intimate venues, but their recent opening slot with Blind Pilot at the Paradise demonstrated that they are one of those rare quiet bands that can silence the chattiest of crowds and hold us mesmerized.

When I realized that the composer of “This Goddamn House” wasn’t even in the band anymore, I naturally worried that what was left couldn’t possibly be as good. Thankfully, I thought wrong and Charlie Darwin more than lives up to my hopes. The gentle songs are gentler, the rockers more ramshackle. The music more varied and the arrangements more creative. And songs to match: “To Ohio” feels like it’s always been there, and we’ve just discovered it on some lost reel of tape. The set makes you feel like privileged – like you’ve been invited to the most amazing, house party in the best sounding living room ever.

The Low Anthem: Intertubes | MySpace | Twitter

2. Lo Moda, Replica Watches (Creative Capitalism)

Internet details on the Baltimore combo Lo Moda are hard to pin down, but listening to their two albums, 2007’s Gospel Store Front and this year’s Replica Watches, that mystery (whether inadvertent or not) seems to suit them fine. Alternately playful, hooky, sinister, and often all three, describing this album makes it sound much more difficult than it really is. For all the odd, creative arrangements of insistent droney riffs, there’s just enough hook to grab onto and get under the skin.

“Robespierre” riffs its way into an organ hook and string drone over a marching rhythm section while telling us “we’re practically nowhere,” but the building droner “Real Real” – simpler than it seems with droning strings, organs, and guitars trying to break free certainly feels like its heading somewhere. That somewhere may be the perfect pop gem “Paper Bombs” that has all the aforementioned properties, but in a tighter, neater package. If I was doing a "Top Songs" of the year it would surely be near the top. If one isn’t enough, I’m certain that if “Simple Geographies” were done got the exposure it deserves, it’d be some kind of hit.

Lo Moda: MySpace

3. Obits, I Blame You (Sub Pop)

Sort of like a more punk rock Feelies, Obits have the same jittery energy as their brothers and sister across the Hudson, but with louder guitars, grittier vocals, and an angrier attitude. It actually doesn’t seem fair to compare them to the Feelies, since Obits have more than their share of college/alternative/indie rock pedigree just from main singer and guitars Rick Froberg’s tenure in Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes alone. If the Low Anthem’s album sounds like you’re in the best sounding living room ever, this hooky, dual guitar (which is different from guitar-dueling!), soul-shaker is what’s going on in the packed, sweaty basement.

Obits: Intertubes | MySpace | Twitter | SubPop

4. Yo La Tengo, Popular Songs/ Condo Fucks, Fuckbook (Matador)

For a band with a 20+ year history, it is more than a little amazing that Yo La Tengo have a clunker rate that is near zero. All the while absorbing styles and continuing to evolve and express those elements in great songs in a way that is distinctly theirs. They’re like a one-band record collection.

On Popular Songs, elements of soul and just classic sounding well-arranged 70’s “records” (when that really meant something) influences have led to gems like “Hard To Fall” and “If It’s True”, both with their classic string arrangements (by a classic string arranger!), stomping single “Periodically Double or Triple,” and the just perfect “All Your Secrets.” The latter having some of the better “do-do’s” you’re likely to have heard in a while.

Of course, there’s certain elements of their sound and style that they have continued to keep fresh after all this time – I’m talking here about how Popular Songs closes out with not one, not two, but three guitar epics in a row clocking in at 10 minutes, 11 minutes, and 15 minutes, respectively. Each, though, has totally different palettes and tones and they all draw you in in a different way. “More Stars Than There Are In Heaven” mesmerizes with a droning repetitive vocal line over e-bowed guitars, while “The Fireside” relies on sparsely strummed acoustic guitars and sound effects, and “And The Glitter Is Gone” is just an all out heavy bass and guitar orgy. I’m all in.

Meanwhile, under the guise of long lost “legendary New London, CT trio” the Condo Fucks, the members of Yo La Tengo also displayed their impeccable taste with a bootleg-quality collection of covers of the likes of Small Faces, The Kinks, and Slade. Just plain fun.

Earlier Clicky Clicky Yo La Tengo coverage

Yo La Tengo: Intertubes | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter
Condo Fucks: Matador | Documentary

5. Reigning Sound, Love and Curses (In The Red)

I’m admittedly late to the party, but Reigning Sound hit me hard this year and have me scurrying to catch up – I can’t believe I've lived this long without them! Led by longtime Memphis rocker Greg Cartwright, late of the greasy Sun Studios-inspired garage punks, The Oblivians (and occasionally still of – the Oblivians did a European tour with the Gories this year), Reigning Sound still have that Sun influence, but are tempered by more prominent soul influences (the Stax side of Memphis?). Still garage rock and primal swagger, but with the sneer making room for a knowing weariness, Love and Curses, their fourth album of original material has a warmer, lusher guitar sound than the biting attack of it’s immediate predecessor, 2004’s Too Much Guitar, and it is pure garage rock comfort food.

Reigning Sound: MySpace | Facebook

6. Wye Oak, The Knot (Merge)

Just when I was starting to think the guitar and drum duo line up was just too limiting to really allow a band any breathing room, along comes Wye Oak to prove me stupid. Jenn Wasner’s honey-sweet voice and nimble guitar riffiing are more than well-supported by Andy Stack’s... well, everything else. It is a sight to behold: some songs have him keeping the beat with one hand (and his feet) while playing bass lines with the other all while supplying harmonies. Hooky stomper “Take It In” leads the way, but gives over to the shoe-gazers like “Talk About Money” and “Tattoo” and the lurching “That I Do.” The Knot is one of those exciting albums where a band tops their road-tested first record with an even better set of songs.

Wye Oak: Intertubes | MySpace | Facebook

7. The Bats, The Guilty Office (Hidden Agenda)

I may just be a sucker for the well-crafted strummy guitar pop that New Zealanders seem so to be so good at, but The Guilty Office is really is one of those deals where we what have is just good, solid songs. The Bats have again returned with another batch that makes me ask, what more do you need?

The Bats: Intertubes | MySpace | Twitter

8. Varsity Drag, Night Owls

Long-time Boston rock underdog Ben Deily, the under-credited co-founder of the Lemonheads and arguably the creative force of that band’s formative years is back with Night Owls, the latest from his band Varsity Drag (and the first with the latest lineup with his Mrs., Lisa on bass and Josh Pickering – the bass player in 90’s-era Deily project Pods – on drums).

Looking at the credits, it seems that it would be a back-to-basics affair, with the production handled by Tom Hamilton – no, not that one, the other one, who produced those aforementioned early Lemonheads records back in the day. In some ways it is – Deily’s got a distinct style – but there’s more going on here, and Night Owls takes chances: “Morning” is practically a self-contained rock opera, and “Post Script” is as naked a piano ballad as any, all the more poignant coming from a classic punk-rocker.

Deily hasn’t been as prolific over the years as us greedy fans would like. To have a new full-length just 3 years the Drag’s debut EP (albeit years in the making), For Crying Out Loud, is a happy occasion indeed.

Earlier Clicky Clicky Varsity Drag coverage.

Varsity Drag: Intertubes | MySpace | Ben Deily | Twitter

9. Megafaun, Gather, Form & Fly (Hometapes)

Had Megafaun not been one of those serendipitous SXSW stumble-upons - had they been just sort of explained to me - there's a chance I would have dismissed them as another bunch of hippy rednecks making with the wanky jam-band antics. As I said above of guitar-drum duos, I'd be proved stupid. They have a warm, soulful sound and feel that has a way of making you as intrigued by the sound collage of "Darkest Hour," as you are hooked into the sunny three-part harmony pop sound of "The Fade," and the lyrical direction of both add even more depth.

Gather, Form & Fly is a thrilling exploration of the marriage of traditional folk instruments - guitars and banjos and percussion - and sound manipulation both analog and digital. One of the best things about it is wondering where it will lead Megafaun next.

Earlier Clicky Clicky Megafaun coverage.

Megafaun: Intertubes | MySpace | Twitter

10. Mean Creek, The Sky (Or the Underground) (Old Flame)

Why is it that when a band like Mean Creek so eagerly reaches for the sky, it is so surprising and refreshing? In a world of bedroom pop, it helps when good bands with good songs turn up now and then to remind us about ROCK. Look, I'm not going to lie to you: there's plenty of big rock touchstones here - there's some Zeppelin, some Pink Floyd, and - so help me - does "Beg & Plead" ever so much remind me of mid-90's Boston rockers Smackmelon (I guess you'll have to trust me on that one, kids), but the songwriting is solid, the arrangements tight, and the vibe inspirational.

Mean Creek: Intertubes | MySpace

BONUS LIST! Top 5 Songs not on any of those albums that I just couldn't not mention:
1. Wilco, "One Wing" from Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)
2. The Clean "In The Dream Life U Need A Rubber Soul" from Mister Pop (Merge)
3. Superchunk "Crossed Wires" from the Crossed Wires 7" (Merge)
4. Bare Wires “I Lie Awake” from Artificial Clouds (Tic Tac Totally)
5. Noise Addict “Big Ups” from it was never about the audience (self-released)

-Michael Piantigini

Check out Jay Breitling's Top Songs of 2009, and watch for his Top Albums of 2009 next week!

Free Range Music: R.E.M., Yo La Tengo, Metheny/Mehldau

>> As a(n officially old) person who began listening to the band shortly after its indie swan song Document was stocked on the shelves of our long-gone hometown record store (we still have the cassette), we feel we've earned sufficient perspective to expend a few sentences talking about how awesome R.E.M. once was. With the release of the new compilation And I Feel Fine…: Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987, which collects on two discs selections from the band's amazing output on said defunct label, we now even have a news peg upon which to hang our whining. But our sentiments duplicate those of many; they are far from unique. You've heard it all before -- but have you heard it recently?

We were blown away revisiting this stuff this afternoon, much of it for the first time in more than 10 years. AOL Music has the collection in its pre-release album stream corral, and we implore you to have a listen, if only because you probably haven't heard "Pretty Persuasion" in a while. And the tune "I Believe" -- damn that's good... Amazon has R.E.M. performance videos for "Radio Free Europe" and "Wolves, Lower," which are presumably from a companion DVD of videos that is also being released today. You can stream them right off the Amazon site for the record here. Also well worth hearing over at AOL Music are streams for the much-talked-about Yo La Tengo set as well as a very enjoyable collaboration of Brad Mehldau and Pat Metheny. Streams linked below:

Pat Metheny/Brad Mehldau -- Metheny/Mehldau -- Nonesuch
R.E.M. -- And I Feel Fine…: Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 -- I.R.S.
Yo La Tengo -- I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass -- Matador

>> Despite all the troubles we had finally hearing it, we will say that the final, released mixes of the TV On The Radio set that streets tomorrow are stellar. More guitars, more sonic definition, just all around more pristine-sounding goodness. You'll be surprised to learn that we know this based on the Amazon.com pre-release album stream that was supposed to be a bonus for those pre-ordered Return To Cookie Mountain. As you know from our ongoing rants, the stream offer was a dud, a bait-and-switch. Magically, we received an email from Amazon this morning stating the issue was fixed and we could now access the stream. So we hit it right away just to make sure Amazon wasn't selling wolf tickets -- again. Lo and behold, there was the stream.

Our conspiracy theory? Interscope held the stream up until the last minute to minimize any financial damage a captured and re-distributed rip of the stream might do. Just a conspiracy theory, mind you, but we've read bits here and there from other music bloggers indicating that any pre-release MP3 bloggery of Return To Cookie Mountain was being policed pretty hard. Of course, most everyone in the world already had snatched up the muddy version that had been floating around the Internet since the springtime. Anyway, it was nice to have some closure to this ongoing frustration, but don't expect us to be linking to Amazon too much in the future, the link above to R.E.M. withstanding.

Rack And Opinion: 9.12.06

At least in terms of indie rock, Tuesday is one of the biggest release dates of the year. Veteran trio Yo La Tengo is releasing its first new set in four years; rising stars TV On The Radio are finally uncorking what may be the most interesting record of the year, and perhaps the best; and Canadian electropop duo Junior Boys are issuing an anticipated sophomore set. Depending on where you've been looking, there have been legit streams of the aforementioned three records out there to be heard (notably, NME had a working TVOTR stream, Amazon, as you know from reading our regular tirades, did not). Most likely at least a couple of them will be in AOL Music's pre-release album stream corral tomorrow. On top of all that there are several other interesting collections hitting racks. Below is our list for most promising releases of the week, with links going to relevent commercial opportunities hosted by our former dental hygienists over at Insound.

The Album Leaf -- Into the Blue Again -- Sub Pop
The Capitol Years -- Dance Away the Terror -- Park the Van
Junior Boys -- So This Is Goodbye -- Domino
Pat Metheny/Brad Mehldau -- Metheny Mehldau -- Nonesuch
TV on the Radio -- Return to Cookie Mountain -- Interscope
Xiu Xiu -- The Air Force -- 5RC
Yo La Tengo -- I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass -- Matador

Today's Hotness: Yo La Tengo, Neptune

>> If you got to PantsFork this morning, saw the new exhausting best-of feature they began today, and turned around and web-surfed away as fast as you could, you missed this news posted this afternoon about some cool stuff Matador and Yo La Tengo are doing to promote the forthcoming set I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. Here's the deal, which is also laid out here: if you pre-order the record from participating online storefronts including Insound, you will receive a password for something called Beat Your Ass Season Pass. BYASP, as we've cleverly abbreviated it, lets passholders stream the forthcoming record prior to its Sept. 12 release and access exclusive MP3s and an interactive, Quicktime booklet featuring album art, photos and liner notes.

>> Boston noise rock dynamo Neptune has entered into a two-record deal with esteemed label Table Of The Elements, which has released records by artists including Faust, John Cale, Jim O'Rourke and Gastr Del Sol. Neptune will begin recording its Table Of The Elements debut in December after completing its current touring commitments, and the band estimates the record will street in about a year. See the full tour dates at the band's MySpace drive-thru here. The band has Boston appearances slated for early October.

Previously: Neptune opens for Mission of Burma
Previously: Neptune opens for Witch

Today's Hotness: Yo La Tengo, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!!

>> Indie rock vets Yo La Tengo will issue a new set Sept. 12 and it will be called I Am Not Afraid Of You, And I Will Beat Your Ass, if bassist James McNew can be trusted. The funnyman told Pfork in an exclusive today that the highly regarded indie trio has tracked 15 tunes for the disc, which will be issued by Matador. The record is currently being mastered and artwork is getting arted together by the arty people from artland. The songs,recorded in a Nashville studio, are said to be "short and upbeat." More details here.

>> Billboard reports here that indie poppers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!! are ready to record their sophomore set. Guitarist/keyboardist Lee Sargent leaves the door open to the band signing with a label, although the band would prefer to do things themselves if only to be able to control their own release schedule, Sargent said. The Clap's self-released eponymous debut, which has sold about 91,000 copies, was sold directly by the band through a distro deal with ADA.

>> Buddyhead faves Darker My Love have signed to Dangerbird Records, which will re-issue the band's previously released self-titled set Aug. 22. The couple tunes we've heard by the band bear out the Jesus And Mary Chain comparisons we've read. Good stuff.

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Albums 2000-2009

The span of years roughly book-ended by the launches of Napster and Spotify -- a decade during which many perpetually proclaimed the album format dead -- was crammed with crates and crates and crates and crates of compelling music. And why wouldn't it be? Ones and zeroes do not obviate humanity's innate need to rock. But that is a subject for another day. Today, as part of Deckfight's ongoing Albums Of The Decade Blog Tour, we force ourselves to choose the 10 best of the last 10 years. For weeks we've debated how to weigh the best versus the most representative versus the most influential and so on. It's difficult stuff to parse, but we think ultimately what it came down to was giving respect where respect was due for songcraft, innovation and gusto. While we offer our picks for 10 best records below, we are not ranking them, as simply making the cut is the honor here. What is below is listed alphabetically.

In case you are just catching up, yesterday's Albums Of The Decade Blog Tourist was Eric from Can You See The Sunset From The Southside, and you can read his list right here; Monday you can check out Brendan from Count Me Out's list right here. And for those of you who want more in depth discussion of our favorite songs and records of the last 10 years should listen to our four-part appearance on Jay Kumar's Completely Conspicuous podcast [part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4].

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1. The Books -- Lost And Safe -- Tomlab (2005)
The Books: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

No matter whether you are gauging by songcraft or innovation, The Books deserve recognition for writing some of the most amusing, compelling and beautiful compositions of the decade. In particular we find Lost And Safe's closer "Twelve Fold Chain" incredibly moving. Here's a digested version of what we said in our review May 10, 2005:

Even on this, their third album, The Books sound like they've got secrets to tell. But the most solid clues they offer on Lost And Safe are fragments of dreams, stream-of-consciousness queries and allusions to spiritual questing. An intricate mix of serene vocals, spoken word samples, understated clattering percussion, guitar and cello, the duo's music is enchanting and hypnotic. "A Little Longing Goes Away" opens the record with soft vocals swathed in reverse reverb, making lines like "our minds are empty / like we're too young to know to smile" sound like prayer.

All musical elements are expertly but gently balanced like a series of birds on a wire. Although not overtly apparent, the band's lyrics, in addition to being spiritually inquisitive, can be quite funny. This is most apparent during the act's current live show, during which video accompaniment emphasizes the graduate school-level word play that characterizes songs like "Smells Like Content" and "An Animated Description of Mr. Maps." No matter the context or what you call it, The Books are in relatively uncharted territory with bountiful potential in every direction. Although Lost And Safe would be a crowning achievement for any band, The Books show no sign of running out of beautiful musical ideas to convey.

Twelve Fold Chain - The Books

2. Destroyer -- Destroyer's Rubies -- Merge (2006)
Destroyer: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

We didn't review this record upon its release (or ever). As with songwriter Dan Bejar's finest efforts, the record is self-referential, inscrutable, beautiful and biting. Destroyer's Rubies in particular seems like a record ripe for academic examination. But no matter how layered or diffracted the narratives, the songs themselves are hook-filled, generously melodic and wholly rewarding. Bejar's smarter-than-you lyrics, singular vocal delivery, and attention to production detail make all of his records great -- Destroyer's Rubies is exceptional. What else is there to say? We recently saw Bejar perform solo in Boston, and for much of the performance we were thinking how we wished he was performing with a full band. But even performing solo with a weather red acoustic under spare spotlights the songs were completely arresting.

Rubies - Destroyer

3. The Hold Steady -- Separation Sunday -- French Kiss (2005)
The Hold Steady: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

This list is not really about success stories, but The Hold Steady's sophomore set certainly qualifies as one, and -- of course -- one of the biggest of the decade. The burgeoning blogosphere was alight with praise when this was issued, and although our first inclination was to ignore the band because of the bountiful praise from seemingly every corner (we're contrarian like that), we were an embarrasingly ready convert when we finally stopped to listen to Separation Sunday. And what's not to like? As Mr. Kumar states, The Hold Steady is like Jim Carroll fronting Thin Lizzy playing Bruce Springsteen songs. Like the aforementioned Mr. Bejar, Hold Steady fronter Craig Finn is an amazing lyricist and he crafts on this record an amazing, conceptual collection that follows the rise and fall and rise again of certain gutter-frequenting, drug-gobbling drifters. Mr. Finn and his cohort take these losers and wring from them incredible tales of spine-tingling desperation and redemption. Also, there's a whole hell of a lot of rock music on this record, including the highlights "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "Stevie Nix." Ground-breaking? No. Awesome? Yes.

Stevie Nix - The Hold Steady

4. Johnny Foreigner -- Grace And The Bigger Picture (2009)
Johnny Foreigner: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

Did you think a guy who co-operates the Johnny Foreigner fan site Keeping Some Dark Secrets wasn't going to pick a Johnny Foreigner record for his list? There are so many reasons why this record is awesome, front to back, but here is just one: on the rare mornings where we walk to the subway, ride the subway, and then walk to our office, it takes exactly one run through the entire record to get us from door to desk. Wonderful. Here's a digested version of our review from Sept. 28, 2009:

Grace And The Bigger Picture is pointedly heartfelt, jubilantly aggressive, road-weary and resigned all at once. The record is populated with wistful ideals of home ("we'll throw parties in the yard") and amazing letdowns ("all we have is miles and wires and all I am is calls tomorrow"), but there are also wonderfully carefree moments, as in the almost blindingly brief "Kingston Called, They Want Their Lost Youth Back." [The record] is painstakingly crafted, deeply layered, and hangs together as a collection more firmly than even its ambitious predecessor. The narratives sparkle like dizzying mosaics comprised of thousands of digital snapshots. Themes appear and re-appear, e.g. the clarion call "some summers!" in "Feels Like Summer" resurfaces in "The Coast Was Always Clear;" "More Heart, Less Tongue" is transmogrified into "More Tongue, Less Heart;" the breakdown to "Custom Scenes And The Parties That Make Them" even repurposes the breakdown from the band's break-out single "Eyes Wide Terrified;" and keen ears seem to hear the familiar cry of "Amateur! Historian! shouted in the closing moments of the squalling anthem "Dark Harbourzz." But even more impressive than the whole are the parts, as there is a remarkable compositional cleverness in certain of the songs that points to an ever sharpening songcraft among Berrow and company. This is no more apparent than within the almost linear, structure-flouting gem "Custom Scenes And The Parties That Make Them." Best Before Records releases the record 26 Oct. in the U.K.

Criminals - Johnny Foreigner

5. The Mendoza Line -- We're All In This Alone -- Bar/None (2000)
The Mendoza Line: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

After it had exhausted a Superchunk fixation, a record label and Athens, Georgia, and before its late embrace of a rootsier sound enamored a major rock critic or two, this always-at-the-brink-of-destruction collective created this wondrous, sweet full-length. A slapdash concoction of literate, lo-fi balladry and everyman indie rock channeled through three songwriters is remarkable perhaps mostly because, like the band itself, We're All In This Alone somehow manages to hang together. All at the same time the proceedings sound like the end of the '90s, point toward the ascendency of the band's adopted hometown of Brooklyn and presage a decade that once more embraced folk rock. It's a weird record, but it's a fantastic record, held aloft by great songs including the devastating "I Hope That You Remember To Forget." Of course, The Mendoza Line did not survive this decade, but part of the magic of We're All In This Alone is that the record sounds like a band with a world of possibilities in front of it, which was fairly accurate in the year 2000.

6. Meneguar -- I Was Born At Night -- Troubleman Unlimited (2006)
Meneguar: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

With the ascendancy of the related, more psych-leaning project Woods, and with silence from the band going on uninterrupted, we are starting to believe we may have seen the last of our beloved Meneguar. Which is a shame because the Brooklyn-based quartet's brand of desperate, shouty, smart and guitar-driven indie rock pushes all the right buttons for us, and we see no American successor really taking up the banner for the style. I Was Born At Night, so good it was issued twice, is seven anthems brimming with brawling attitude, splendid guitar interplay and heavy dynamics pounding home hooks galore. And it all comes down to the "The Temp," a fist-banging shouter about dead-end employment (or something -- who knows?) with a killer chorus that out-Slack Motherfuckers Superchunk's renowned "Slack Motherfucker." We recall that at one point Troubleman Unlimited had posted the MP3 for "The Temp" as a promo track, so here it is in all of its glory. Actually, this is the mix from the original Magic Bullet release -- retro!

Meneguar -- "The Temp" - I Was Born At Night
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7. The Notwist -- Neon Golden -- City Slang (2003)
The Notwist: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

When we mentioned innovation supra, The Books weren't even the first band to come to mind. Instead we thought of The Notwist, and how in the wake of this landmark release that melded laptop electropop and indie guitar music suddenly, for at least a year, every one tried to replicate the Weilheim, Germany-based quartet's sound. Only by watching the amazing "On | Off The Record" DVD does one develop an appreciation for just how difficult an undertaking such replication would be (the opening seconds of the album were incredibly difficult, actually impossible, to perform), which is why -- despite seemingly providing the formula for an aesthetic perpetuated by labels like Morr Music for years afterwards -- so few acts came close to The Notwist. Even more amazing? The band's astonishing, dub-injected, Wii-dazzled live show, which we caught for the second time a year ago, makes Neon Golden and it's excellent successor The Devil, You & Me seem pale in comparison. But at the warm, digitally-pulsing heart of Neon Golden are 10 incredible, catchy songs delivered in Markus Acher's emotive deadpan murmur.

One With The Freaks - The Notw...

8. Spoon -- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga -- Merge (2007)
Spoon: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

Flawless, every song, from a songwriting and a production standpoint. Endlessly listenable. As we said here in our Best Records of 2007 wrap-up:

We listened to this record over and over and over: in the car; in the office; in the kitchen. It's exceptional. Taut, glistening pop-rock, touches of spacey, warts-and-all production, and hooks galore. The songs all flow with an ease, an internal logic that is so finite that each tune seems representative of what indie rock is, at its core. If (when?) space aliens come to the United States asking about indie rock, perhaps the most obvious example to hand them is Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

Finer Feelings - Spoon

9. A Weather -- Cove -- Team Love (2008)
A Weather: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

Digested from our review posted Feb. 10, 2008 right here:

Portland, Ore.-based A Weather's beautiful full-length debut has a persistent but slippery allure. Populated almost entirely with murmured bedroom ballads driven by brushed drums, guitar and electric piano, the set somehow succeeds in not repeating the same tricks over and over again.

Is there a voyeuristic attraction inherent in pretty songs delivered in hushed tones simultaneously by male and female singers? Or is there something universal -- an inverse of voyeurism, in a way -- conveyed by these intimate, poignant tracks that make them so arresting. What we are certain of is that sping-tingling moments are frequent on Cove: when the ride cymbal pulses louder and louder during "Shirley Road Shirley" as fronter Aaron Gerber and drummer Sarah Winchester desperately assure "I swear, you won't even know I'm there;" when the duo stingingly confesses during "Oh My Stars" that "sometimes it's hard thinking about how the plans we make won't happen;" when the pair utters during "Spiders, Snakes" the unfathomably sweet sentiment (for those of us of a certain age, anyway) "I want to have you again, listening to Bedhead."

Shirley Road Shirley - A Weath...

10. Yo La Tengo -- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out -- Matador (2000)
Yo La Tengo: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr | Buy

When your band puts out what is arguably the best record of 1997, what is the likelihood that only three years later it will release one of the best, if not THE best, records of 2000? This doubt is why we were quite ready for Yo La Tengo's And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out to be a disappointment. But it was nothing of the sort. Opening with the Mogwai-toned spook droner "Everyday" and closing with the 17-minute spectral masterpiece "Night Falls On Hoboken," the record provides easy exuses for lapsing into over-the-top praise. This is simply a perfect record, and we'd argue it is downright better than the admittedly fine records that the trio has released since. In addition to the droners we already named, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out also carried the sugary, caffeinated rocker "Cherry Chapstick," the marvelously affecting ballad "Tears Are In Your Eyes" and some bossa-tinted toe-tappers "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House" and "You Can Have It All." For the rest of the decade Yo La Tengo delved into murky sounds, garage rock and shiny pop, but when we think of the band, we think of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out.

Tears Are In Your Eyes - Yo La...

Review: Eros And The Eschaton | Home Address For Civil War

Here's a thing that is true: a lot of dream pop is not dream-like; as beautiful and as subdued as certain of it may be, the descriptor often acknowledges an aspiration, not an actuality. There are, however, bands that can jack right into a dream-state from the first note and navigate an entire set with admirable agency, building emerald cities of sound and then tearing them down like Leonardo DiCaprio in "Inception." Which brings us to the rising North Carolina dream-pop concern Eros And The Eschaton, whose debut full-length Home Address For Civil War is due Tuesday from Bar/None. The music on the collection grafts sweet, somnolent melodies to compositions that thrive on a balance of coarse shoegaze textures, palpable ambience and engaging pop intentions. Gently shot through the dreaminess and noise is a unifying pop sensibility that makes the record a satisfying and especially remarkable debut.

Eros And The Eschaton, as we wrote here in June, is Adam Hawkins and Kate Perdoni, although the band is augmented with additional players for shows. The principals met performing in Omaha, cemented their coupledom at some point thereafter, had a child, formed the band in 2012, and then settled in Greensboro. Perhaps the dreaminess of Home Address For Civil War is a result of the pair trying to do a band and raise a small kid at the same time (the record commences with a baby's cry before launching into the endlessly ascending "20 Different Days"). Or perhaps we are just projecting our own exhaustion. But within and throughout their patient, brilliant (and brilliantly mixed) set, Mr. Hawkins and Ms. Perdoni layer wavering organ, guitars, heavily reverbed percussion and murmured vocals to create tracks that are paradoxically as loud as they are intimate. The fixating charmer "You Know I Do" is as much a pastiche of feedback and ambient noise as it is a simple, crushingly poignant affirmation of love. At the beginning of "Over And Over," the pair's chanting of the title sounds like a confession, like an exchange of secrets. Closer "Trust Me I Know" opens with a gently pulse of organ and reverbed, looped guitar,  then slowly decays into a soft, swirling mist that dissipates gently over the span of more than five minutes.

Just releasing this latter song would constitute a triumph, but the record offers a lot more. There's Yo La Tengo-flavored pop candy like "Lately (I've Been Wondering)" and percussive cacophony to be found in "Terence McKenna," a song that recalls the noisier moments in the catalog of dreamy contemporaries Big Deal. Indie rock fans will find there's a lot of Yo La Tengo flavor to Home Address, facilitated in part by the similar approach to vocals taken by Hawkins and Ira Kaplan. That assessment is not meant to limit listeners' ideas of what Eros And The Eschaton is, but rather a signifier of the vast potential Hawkins and Perdoni are sitting on, potential that could enable Eros And The Eschaton to become as smart, incredibly nimble and widely varied act as the legendary New Jersey trio. Home Address For Civil War, we hope, is only a beginning. After playing a hometown festival date late this month, the band leaves home for most of September, when it will perform a series of mid-Atlantic and midwest dates to support the release of the record. Fans can also expect to see a music video soon, as details of a shoot were posted to the band's blog here. Two pre-release singles are available to stream below; pre-order Home Address For Civil War right here.

Eros And The Eschaton: Interwebs | Bandcamp | Facebook | Soundcloud | Tumblr





08/23 -- Greensboro, NC -- The Greenbean
09/05 -- Raleigh, NC -- Slim's
09/10 -- Washington, DC -- The Sunshine District
09/11 -- Baltimore, MD -- Club K
09/12 -- Philadelphia, PA -- PhilaMOCA
09/13 -- New York, NY -- Piano's
09/16 -- Beloit, WI -- The Music House
09/17 -- Chicago, IL -- Big Forever
09/20 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Sound Gallery
09/21 -- Omaha, NE -- Slowdown
09/22 -- Omaha, NE -- DP Muller Studio
09/23 -- Omaha, NE -- Phenom Blues House
09/24 -- Kansas City, MO -- Record Bar
09/25 -- Lincoln, NE -- Vega
09/26 -- Ames, IA -- Maximum

Review: Happyness | Weird Little Birthday

Often, bands elect to clean themselves up when entering a professional studio, to figuratively comb back their collective hair and don their best shared suit. What are seen as mistakes get edited out, a winning take gets punched in over top of an off-key vocal, or a guitar is redone to scrub out amp buzz and microphone hiss. Others acts, however, take the opposite route, and point to an album that includes random and imprecise moments as an authentic snapshot of the experience, and thus, life. London indie rock trio Happyness seemed to take the latter approach when making its vital and consistently rewarding 2014 album Weird Little Birthday, which -- after a successful year for the band -- arrives in an expanded re-release this week via Bar/None in the United States and Moshi Moshi Records in the UK.

Weird Little Birthday is an exercise in charming, mid-fi messiness, a record that leverages the limits of a traditional three-piece to create sonically rich music that finds fresh poignancy in the mistakes, flubs and the random blurts of feedback that most acts would never think to celebrate. Steeped in the sounds and methods of buzzy '90s indie rock, Happyness incorporates enough modern influences -- indeed, enough of themselves -- to enliven its chosen amalgamation of sounds. The single "Naked Patients" borrows a millenial hook from Jeff Tweedy and then rides a steady, Yo La Tengo-esque bass groove for the duration. But the tune is highlighted by elements that are all Happyness: a swooning vocal in the chorus, and open-ended and jagged guitar soloing, during which fuzz pedals are turned on and off seemingly at random.

The Yo La Tengo comparison feels particularly apt, in part because the legendary Adam Lasus -- whose first production credit appears to be YLT's masterful 1992 EP Upside-Down -- mixed Weird Little Birthday, and this record's thick, blocky beats evoke a sense of fun similar to that found in the early releases of Space Needle, another Lasus production credit. But comparing the Londoners' music to that of Hoboken's finest is more apt due to the way both bands allow compositions to spread and breathe into longer, noisier explorations. The finest tunes on Weird Little Birthday are notably long; the transcendent cuts "Weird Little Birthday Girl" and "Montreal Rock Band Somewhere" clock in at over eight and five minute respectively, and provide ample room to both play out beautiful melodic ideas via meandering lead guitar and color and shade with subtle backing vocals and keys.

One of the best, and probably under-appreciated, parts of the Happyness sound are its lyrics, which are packed with great lines, including the snarky and amusing jab "I'm wearing Win Butler's hair" in the aforementioned "Montreal Rock Band Somewhere." That tune and three others are what make the 2015 release of Weird Little Birthdaya so-called "expanded 2.0," and many of these previously served as b-sides to Happyness singles. Elsewhere, opener "Baby Jesus (Jelly Boy)" incorporates widely panned, double-tracked vocals that project a downcast sadness and texture that both disorients and soothes. Preview single "Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste The Same" echoes slacker titans Pavement with its drawled verses (a comparison Happyness is probably as tired of hearing as Pavement was of hearing about its reverence for The Fall), while highlighting the trio's singular deadpan humor and violent imagery. The 2015 release of Weird Little Birthday marks the first time that the collection is available on wax within the good ol' U.S. of A, and you can purchase it from Bar/None right here. We also recommend visually consuming the threesome's new video "A Whole New Shape" which is over at Noisey, and this amazing live iteration of "Montreal Rock Band Somewhere" filmed at SXSW. Stream the entire expanded Weird Little Birthday via the Spotify embed below, and check out all of the band's remaining current U.S. tour dates below that. -- Edward Charlton

Happyness: Facebook | Soundcloud | Tumbledore



Upcoming U.S. Dates:
03.26 -- Boise, ID -- Treefort Music Festival
03.28 -- Los Angeles, CA -- The Echo
03.29 -- Santa Ana, CA -- Burgerama 2015
03.30 -- San Francisco, CA -- Bottom of the Hill
04.01 -- Portland, OR -- Mississippi Studios
04.03 -- Seattle, WA -- The Sunset Tavern
04.04 -- Missoula, MT -- Stage 112
04.06 -- St, Paul, MN -- Turf Club
04.07 -- Iowa City, IA -- Gabe's Oasis
04.08 -- Chicago, IL -- Subterranean
04.09 -- Cleveland, OH -- Happy Dog East
04.10 -- Middletown, CT -- Wesleyan University
04.11 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Baby's All Right
04.12 -- Manhattan, NY -- Cake Shop.