WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO...Yo La Tengo!

In an age and arena (the internet) where we all must act as if we know everything (because it's all available) how refreshing to have a new series that will proclaim loudly and proudly that I HAVEN'T SEEN CASABLANCA OR LISTENED TO A CERTAIN BAND! Let's go! Maybe the 10-minute intro of I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass isn't the best way to taste-test Yo La Tengo. It's the sort of intro that's made for a band's hardened fanbase. But instead, this seems the most accessible and gorgeous place to start - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. According to their label Matador 'Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew sound like no other band. This is not because they're contrarians, but because they're artists.' That's a sure-fire way to put me off. But listening to 'Damage', 'Green Arrow' and 'The Lie and How We Told it' I think I've found my new favourite band.

Yo La Tengo
YLT on myspace
YLT on the Hype Machine