Since its inception in the mid-eighties to the present, Yo I have been becoming one of the most respected bands of the circuit is under way worldwide. World! Without apparent limits and value left to venture into any genre. With traces of jazz, present in its composition and manipulation of their sound - especially in his most mature -, the soul of folk-rock, punk adolescence and satirical stance as rock and roll star (somewhat unfortunate aesthetically): are run in endless jamming, which consume pieces of a quarter of an hour or a beautiful three-minute pop song. They educated their audience to become a listener open to any style. And even in this, keep us expectantly to his future.
At first they were a duo / romance between Ira Kaplan and Hubley Geogia. Rehearsed in a basement and versioning issues were dedicated to their favorite bands (a trend that will continue throughout their discography), among them had a long list that ran from the scene beat (Beach Boys, Love, Dylan or Beatles) to the roots of punk (Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, Television, Ramones and The Kinks).
Meanwhile, Ira pursued his profession as evanescent and Georgia rock journalist working on an independent project of cartoons with her sister as well as being members of the band Jon Klage. However, soon were replaced and decided to go their own way. So it was resolved to put an ad in the Village Voice (a "Classified musicians") and Dave contacted Rick and Jerry Smith.
The latter, they would add to the proposals folk-rock side of YLT Noise-pop, influenced by bands like Sonic Youth at Mission of Burma or. The equation was good: the band kept their idea of "song" but armored with coupling noise and screaming distortion. However, the sound did not meet the claims of the group so it would mutate.
When it was 1985, gave its approval Coyete Records to enter the study. Thus was born "Ride The Tiger", with contributions from a former DMZ (Mike Lewis), Dave Rick (bass), Dave Schramm (ex-Jon Klage) on guitars and some bass production and Clint Conley (Mission of ex- Burma).
Fifteen songs composed to record, among which include "The Green Forest", "The Pain of Pain", "River of Water", versions of "Big Sky" (The Kinks), "A House is Not a Motel "(Arthur Lee & Love)," Closing Time "by LC Walker and" Crispy Duck "recorded live.
While seen from the present, this work is not only a clear descent of the Feelies, at that time sounded like a promise. Something that would play in their next albums.
Coming soon New Wave / Hot Dog in 1987, produced by Chris Stamey (formerly Sneakers and The dB's) who also recorded some guitar as a guest. Meanwhile, Dave Schramm and Mike Lewis gave his last contribution to the band. Following this Yo I have again became a duo / marriage that Ira Kaplan had to take over on guitars (something I never believed a wrong done by musician). Without being a virtuoso instrument Ira had secured his style, learning next to Dave and capturing the sound of Noise-pop.
Two years later, would see the light President Yo La I have a third album that included only seven tracks, produced by another ex-dB's Gene Holder (it was clear that the group was trying to keep the line of Jangle-Pop scene Indie) . Currently both drives attached are achieved in a repeat of Matador Records. They will go down the real talent of Kaplan covering guitars, keyboards, singing his unique sublime stammered and sensitivity when writing songs like "Did I Tell You". Also, the sweet vocals of Georgia lethargic and musical versatility the band had to play anything. At the point of surprise some laymen, who, having witnessed two performances could not conceive that they were the same band.
What would then be Fakebook (an extensive set list of covers, plus some themes carried acoustic level of the previous album). They took songs from all styles and British folk yankees. Passing by Cat Stevens, a righteous tribute to John Cale and "Andalusia", sung by Ira calmly and with great emotion, the pseudo-child "Speedy Motoryicle" of John Johnston and a review of the sixties versionando delicate Gene Clark (ex -Byrds) or staining with harmonies "Oklahoma, USA" by Ray Davies (ex-Kinks).
Keeping Holder as a conductor, the result was an album serene, soothed by the whispers of Ira and Georgia, the subtleties of the steel guitar arrangements of Schramm (who briefly returned to training). A material that reveals the soul folk-rockers of YLT, a beautiful repertoire for everyday life.
The first phase will end in 1992 when, finally, the band will become a trio. The addition of bassist James McNew as permanent band, gave YLT the added value was missing. McNew was able to understand the ideas and feelings musical marriage. They began to cheer the long jamming, themes and psychedelic pop brought a concept hitherto unknown in the band. A trend that was settling over the years - like fine wine.
The immediate work, May I Sing with Me, returned them to the new-wave sound, the original compositions, containing two nine-minute tracks that contrast the two proposals that will, from now on, for instrumentation. One is a gamble excessively loud punk, where Kaplan lashes out his guitar for a few minutes and falls into a kind of noise-pop tangle, called "Mushroom Cloud Of Hiss." The other is "Sleeping Pill", who, showing his title, has a hypnotic. The jewels of the album may be "America With Horns detouring", "Upside-Down" or "Five-cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)," the latter is a synthesis of the artistic and musical I have.
There are only two important things to say: A) They are called Yo La Tengo! referred to an old story of Yankee baseball, where a Venezuelan had a stormy start to the season about to collapse with some colleagues who did not run the Castilian) and: B) The best time ... why will follow in a few years if we talk about the best albums of the nineties or the new millennium, surely some of his works have recourse later.
By Dei Pier.
