Yo La Tengo: Softer Side

My wife, the lovely woman that she is, took me out for a slice and Yo La Tengo. Wow. I knew I liked them, but wow.

The first thing that surprised me about is they have been around since 1984. 1984! And I had never heard of them until about a year ago.

The second thing is that they are known as a screaming loud alternative punkish band. They are, but the first set was all acoustic and there was something utterly compelling and haunting about the music and their lyrics. These are people who are artists first and everything else can kind of go to hell. The second set was impressive for the controlled noise they create as they build from intensely creative rhythms by their drummer Georgia Hubley. She is the best, most interesting drummer I have ever seen and I can't remember seeing a band where I waited with anticipation for what the drums would do in the next song. Wow.

Of course, music is meant to be seen and heard so video/CD/MP3 never does justice to it, but the videos below should give a taste.