Alienation and Despair - Faves

A Bald Head?!?!

 If anyone sees a red Acetone organ in the Seattle area with a brand 
 new orange power cord and duct-tape residue all over the ivories, 
 Yo La Tengo would like it back.  I know someone had posted before 
 about it before, but I figured that a description was in order.  It
 was stolen after their show there.  If anyone has any info, please
 send e-mail to:
 Matadorrec@aol.com

 thanks,

 accutron 2000

 from: Wilson Smith <neslon@panix.com>

 Subject: Camp YLT, etc


 Two things: Camp Yo La Tengo is pretty great, and if you want me to grab
 you a copy, I'd be glad to. There's a nice alternate, quieter, less
 hook-laden version of Tom Courtenay sung by Georgia (I still haven't a
 clue what this song is about and I want to know *SO* badly), and there's a
 wonderful version of "Can't Seem to Make You Mine," which seems to me to
 be both a cover of the original Seeds tune, but also of Alex Chilton's own
 groovin 77/78 cover. Excellent. (Two other tunes as well). 

 Second: I'll tell ya, personally I [heart] the Digest format. I don't know
 if you just get total signal, or if you weed out stuff, or what, but this
 is the best whatever-the-heck-it-is I'm on. [And I also don't know how
 much work it is for you, so if that's an issue we should def move to a
 listserv format, assuming someone knows how and can find a site]

 Well, three things, I guess. There's a great short interview with Georgia
 in the current issue (#6) of the totally fabulous "Bust" zine. GH artfully
 and frustratingly sidesteps the question, "I want to know what the line
 'Julie Christie the rumors are true' from 'Tom Courtenay' means," with
 "You have to ask Ira." 

 BTW, I've got one back issue of the digest out on my web site (as well as 
 some other YLT stuff), and would be glad to HTML some more if that's okay 
 with you, and if they aren't already out there elsewhere.

 W

 Wilson Smith                                                       Saying, 'I 
 New York City                                                      can say no 
 neslon@panix.com                                                     more...' 
 http://www.m%rdor.com/neslon/                                   -- Ira Kaplan 



 from: Tony McCartan <TONY@itd.tv.bbc.co.uk>

 Here are some quotes from Fred Mills' article in the Aug/Sept issue of 
 "Magnet"

 "Oh yeah they're funny bastards, too, as evidenced by their star turns in 
 George Spyros' recent 'Yo La Rock-U-Mentary' about the band; watch out for
 their doppelgangers in the mid-film short called 'Yo LA Tengo: The Early
 Years'."

 (Ira on Lollapalooza)
 "I think we're on the periphery. We always feel like we're on the periphery 
 of a lot of things. So I'm looking forward to (Lollapalooza) of itself, not
 what it might do for our career.  You know, I think our band, in this endeavor
 and many others, tries not to 'think'  ...  too hard ... and some of these
 things.  You just get the idea that it might be a good idea to try.  And the 
 more preconceptions you have about it, the more it seems you open yourself up
 for disappointment, so you make the best of it.  Rather than think about how
 different it is from what you expected, I'd really rather think it could be
 fun, and if it does something good for it to be the deciding factor as to
 wether it was worth it or not.  To play for a much younger, ah, less
 seen-it-all audience - it kinda holds out some mystery that I'm looking 
 forward to."

 (On dodgy timings on Electo-O-Pura).
 "Oh no, that was deliberate. There were two things, one sort of lighthearted 
 and the other sort of not.  Like on the vinyl, for instance, the times are 
 wrong on the cover but right on the vinyl.  We were sort of predicating it 
 on the fact that your average CD player has the digital readout, so we 
 didn't really think we were fooling anyone.  It was right there, and all 
 you'd have to do would be to press the time button and you'd know.
 But at the same time, we have read enough reviews where it seems people just 
 sort of reflexively pick out the longest songs and call them the worst ones. 
 That didn't bother us. But these long songs sometimes have nothing in 
 common except their length; how could they be both the "worst"?  So people 
 have a tendency to look at the long songs and have a prejudice about it.  We 
 thought , 'Let's have them hear the record once without knowing where the 
 long songs are gonna be.  After that they can figure it out.'  That was the 
 serious side of that."

 (Ira on covers)
 You know, we've learned songs, but we never try to learn them faithfully. 
 Even things we think we have learned faithfully turn out never to be right. 
 And that's just not remotely the way I play guitar.  I was never someone who 
 learned songs off records.  I know plenty of people who did learn that way, 
 playing along with records.  I was never that adept.  ........ It's funny to
 go back and hear somebody think we've done them kind of 
 faithfully, and then realize how different they are - although I think 
 you're right about the mood.  Then sometimes I think the mood is completly 
 different.  I always took a perverse pleasure in doing 'Dreams' (Fleetwood 
 Mac) because we played it live a few time before we recorded it, and some of 
 our friends were  really 'not' impressed!  Which made me really interested 
 in recording it!"



 from: trr@frame.com (Tim Ringwood)

 YLT in the Bay


 Yo La Tengo made an mini tour of the Bay Area in attempts to sway
 Californians into the Hoboken life style. The first stop of the tour 
 was the Great American Music Hall a place in the tradition of many San 
 Francisco venues - an old theater which is now an club but still with 
 wonder engravings and some faded paintings. The place was filled, but 
 except for up close not packed. The balconies contained a hand full, but 
 then this is one of the biggest places I've see Yo La Tengo play.

 New York's Run On, with old friend Sun Garner who has played in other
 YLT opening bands, opened for Yo La Tengo. I really like this band.
 In San Francisco I thought they were a bit sloppy once or twice, but
 there were more than a few songs that were very amazing. I saw them
 a few weeks ago and was geared up to see them again.  On some level,
 dynamics, feedback, for example, they remind me of Yo La Tengo but
 less so this time out.  With Rick Brown on drums, Alan Lict on
 guitar and David Newgarden on organ, trumpet and a mean cymbal (looks
 like he's trying to kill it) this band has a lot to offer.

 As for Yo La Tengo's show. First I'm lousy and song titles,
 and I didn't take notes. They opened with a quiet instrumental which I've 
 heard before and launched into 'Channel Z' or the song with that lyric.
 The set lists included 'Double Dare', 'Satelitte', 'Tom Courntey',
 'False Alarm', 'Hour Grows Late', 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' (sung
 by Georgia) and Blondie's 'Dreaming'.  There were many others
 as well, most from Electra-Pura, and one I've seen in the last 3 shows
 but am unsure of it's origin (massive jam with vocals by Georgia that
 I can never hear. At Lallopollaza in Chicago this little dity blew
 my mind away). 

 A note of concern is the Ace Tone organ that has become so central
 to the sound of Yo La Tengo was stolen in Seattle. Somebody, who
 they thanked but I forget the name, sent them a different one by mail. But
 for all those Yo La Tengo fans in Seattle be on the watch out for
 their organ. Perhaps some wanted posters are in order.

 This was my 4th Yo La Tengo show of the year and perhaps the best
 I've seen since the 'May I Sing With Me' tour. Perhaps it is me, but
 the last show in Chicago was lacking the magical something, but
 in San Francisco they came out with what is the most tightly played 
 show I've heard them played. The key tonight was James who was in top 
 form, and Georgia  wasn't far behind. I love Ira but more and more I 
 can just listen to the rhythm section and be taken away.  Perhaps not 
 the most energy driven every, but note for note the most professional 
 and near perfect show I've seen them put on.

 Berkley: Don't ask. Please. Yes I got in my car, no I didn't see
 the show or at least not enough of it to make a review. Sometimes
 life is odd and certain events best forgotten.

 San Jose at the Cactus Club. The way it should be: Yo La Tengo
 playing 10 minutes from my front door. Push opened and were
 good, but not a great YLT opener. The are from "all over the 
 place" to quote Pete the bass player, but practice in San Jose.
 A mixture of old style metal from the 70's and modern rock from
 the 90's give them a unique style and some numbers were quite
 interesting and good. However they would appear to a better
 opener for a more traditional rock and roll out fit than YLT. 

 Run On came out with another great set, in fact the best start to
 finish set I've seen them do. Less feedback then before, but the reason
 for the better set I'm guessing is just practice. Every show I've seen they 
 sounded better - or maybe any doubts I've had about them disappeared when I 
 found that each time I hear their songs I like them more than before. They are
 the first opening band I've see for Yo La Tengo (and I've seen more than a 
 few) that I am looking for to seeing again and hope they make back to the 
 Bay Area soon.  They have a 16 minute EP out on Matador ("On/Off") which is
 quite good, and a full length CD coming in the spring. Watch out.

 Ira told me before the San Jose show of them playing with members of the 
 Cocktails in Detroit. Anybody have a tape of this show? The Cocktails are
 quite amazing musicians and Ira was still excited about the show. It
 be quite interesing to here YLT with brass.

 Both Run On and Yo La Tengo played to a nearly empty house. By the
 end of the night I counted 34 people listening the last song which
 I already forget. I have to take notes! For what ever reason San Jose
 is not a club town, despite being the 10th largest city in the US. The 
 San Jose show was more open sounding, a little less tight perhaps than San 
 Francisco. Ira did more of his amazing guitar tricks which he did less off,
 or I noticed it less in San Francisco. A nifty cover of "It's All Right"
 was done by request, but they appear to play they off the set list, which has 
 quickly faded from my mind. "What Can I Say" from "Fakebook", a interesting, 
 if a bit sloppy, version of "I Threw It All Away", "Upside Down", a great 
 idea of "Shaker"  into  "False Alarm" into "Suddenly Organ" but the "Shaker"
 was short to me  and the "False Alarm" didn't quite take off. On the the
 other hand some of  the instrumental numbers, which I never can remember 
 the names of,  were very  impressive and by request they did "Big Day Coming" 
 with Georgia  on vocals, and while she forgot the lyrics at one point it was 
 a very beautiful,quiet version (no drums and both James and Ira on guitar). 
 The highlight was "Nowhere Near" which was very, very spectacular. I have no
 clue how to describe it but it was as perfect as perfect can be.

 The show was, as normal, great. Not the best YLT show maybe, but I'm left
 after six (if I count Berkeley) shows this year thinking Yo La Tengo is still 
 the best damn live band  in the world, and is far and away the best studio
 band. I was quite touched in issue six of the Yo La Tengo Gazette to see a
 tribute to Jerry Garcia. The Grateful Dead are the only other band I had 
 missed sleep over this this year to see live.  The two bands are quite  
 different, but yet both make me smile, smile, smile. Why the Dead get 
 40,000 to see them and Yo La Tengo gets 50 is a mystery to me, but it makes
 parking much easier.

 Thanks Ira, Georgia and James. The world is a much more beautiful place
 with you and with Yo La Tengo.

 tim



 from: Lou J Geese <seogju@uclink2.berkeley.edu>


 i was able to make all three yo la tengo shows in the bay area earlier 
 this week.  here's sort of a review of the shows.  i'm still sort of 
 recovering my sleep so these may not be too coherent. 

 monday's show at the great american music hall.
 of the three shows, this would fall into the middle.  a fair mix of songs 
 between their harder and softer stuff.  the set was heavy on electropura 
 material but they also played a fair amount of other material including a 
 couple of covers, blondie's dreaming and an adam ant song (i don't know 
 the title but they sing about a juke box).  the adam ant song had james 
 on vox and i believe both georgia and ira were playing drums.  the sound 
 of the show was nice and i was really impressed with georgia's vocals 
 during the mellower songs she sang out from behind her drum kit.  ira's 
 guitar work was amazing.  it's almost a frightening sight the way he puts 
 his whole body into his playing.  james was james.  i'll go to the next 
 shows now though because they prove to be a little more interesting.

 tuesday night, berkeley square

 this was quite an interesting night, which was punctuated by ira knocking 
 over the drum kit and leaving the stage, but i'll get into that further 
 into the review.  the show was quite heavy on the noisier side of yo la 
 tengo.  evidently, they had played this venue quite a while back (i 
 believe ira said 88)  and so the show sort of reverted back to their 
 older/garage feeling days.  the show was going well until they reached 
 false alarm.  ira was trying to play the keyboard, but the pedals or the 
 keyboard itself was not working correctly.  as the others continued 
 playing, ira became more and more irrate with the uncooperative 
 keyboard.  after throwing his marraccas, a pissed off ira stops the 
 others.  the yos then play a great version of you tore me down and leave 
 the stage.  the crowd stays to hear more but it seems like they aren't 
 coming back out.  after a good 8 to 10 minutes, they finally return.  ira 
 jumps behind the drum kit almost knocking it down and then he just starts 
 beating on it almost randomly but most definitely wildly.  james seems to 
 be afraid of ira at the moment.  georgia comes on late and plays a lot of 
 guitar feedback.  this goes on for a while.  then ira just pounds on the 
 drums some more.  gets up, knocks it over and leaves the stage.  i was 
 quite speechless.  i had never pictured a yo la tengo show ending in any 
 way like this.  it was really weird because the show was going good and 
 it disintegrated so quickly. 
 
 wednesday night, cactus club(?) in san jose

 after the weird end to the previous night, i was a little tired and a 
 little leary about seeing yo la tengo for a third night.  but i knew i 
 had to see them a third night and i'm so glad i did.  i was hoping that 
 they would try to make up for the other show and in my opinion they did.  
 for me, this was probably my favorite yo la tengo show ever.  the sound 
 wasn't the best but they played some of my favorite songs.  i had talked 
 with james before all of the shows and this night he asked me if i had 
 any requests.  off the top of my head i asked for what can i say.  so the 
 show begins and ira states that they are going to start with a request 
 and of course it was the song i had asked for.  the beginnings of a great 
 night.  the attendance was quite sparse so yo la tengo was able to play a 
 more intimate set which stayed on the softer side.  the show ended with a 
 great version of crispy duck.  beautiful.  they also played the dump song 
 i can hear music, which is one of my favorites.  oh yeah the night before 
 they played dump's how many bells.  
 
 i guess those are my reviews.  they really just touch on the surface of 
 the shows but i didn't want to bore you with a lot of my writing.  
 anyways if you want to hear more about any of these, feel free to ask.  

 later

 seogju

 loveletter loveletter cross my heart
 x o x o, never part  -- kicking giant, rocket



 from: Robbie Wilson <9338181w@udcf.gla.ac.uk> 


 As promised some form of review of when Yo La Tengo played in Glasgow
 earlier this year.It's been quite some time since it actually happened so
 basically I'll write about the parts I can remember most clearly.

 They played a really small, informal sort of concert at Bar Miro which is
 fairly out of the way from the bustle of the main streets in Glasgow so
 everyone had made some sort of effort to be there which made everything
 that little bit more special.Anyway, everyone stood enraptured as Georgia,
 Ira and James played as softly as possible making it difficult to breathe
 without feeling rude.The high points would definately be Georgia singing on
 Tom Courtenay, Speeding Motorcycle dedicated to The Pastels and James
 getting to play a Dump song (Slow Down).It was a magical little show and I
 felt terribly privileged to have been there and I just wish the people at
 the back of the bar who were talking all the way through it would have just
 stopped and listened to what they were missing.I don't know if Yo La Tengo
 do this kind of thing often but it would be nice to know if anyone else
 felt quite the same way as I did about this kind of experience.

 I'm not sure if people stateside know about the YLT/Stereolab split single
 that was released on Duophonic across here to coincide with the joint tour
 and I'd better not say too much about it as it will be impossible to find,
 being limited and all.All I will say is that it's on luminous vinyl and is
 a joy to play if you want to hear two of your favourite bands in the space
 of a few minutes doing their gorgeous droney keyboard thing.

 Hope my ramblings have been of some interest,

 Robbie.




 From: IKEDA Yuri <s961103@yamata.icu.ac.jp>
 Subject: discography


 Hi, Tim. And thank you for many digests! They are very interesting. By 
 the way, I write about discography. All of my ylt full albums are u.s. 
 edition(matador,etc.) or german edition(city slang).  O.S.T. of Amatuer 
 and "Wasp's nest"(the 6ths) have japanese edition, but they are not what 
 I talk about.  I have a cd "Lo-Fi -Electric Acoustic & Radical-". This is 
 V.A. There is a song "Regular Life" by Yo La Tengo and Jad Fair.  In this 
 cd, 5 songs related with Jad Fair, and according to booklet, they are all 
 new songs that schdule to record for different new album.  I don't know 
 this song already released on another cd or not, neither it is necessary 
 to add it to the discography. Anyway, I'd like to tell it. By the way, I 
 bought a new lp of Sea&Cake, and I remember that I probably saw him as a 
 member of Mayo Thompson + gaster del sol, in Tokyo, last year. He seemed 
 be very nervous, and I cared about it than his play. I regret it. See you 
 again.                                      Yuli Ikeda




 [we were mentioned in the recent escargot issue! -tim] 
                                                               
 Greetings and Glad Tidings I Bring You...

 Sick&Tired presents Escargot! The snail mail guide to music and the Net.
  (FYI, Sick&Tired is sick-n-tired-l@world.std.com a combination indie-
   rock mailing list, online record distributor and biweekly e-zine

 Our premiere hardcopy zine features:

 * A 7" single with four songs including one unreleased, exclusive song
   by Lou Barlow, one unreleased, probably exclusive song by John Davis,
   one cool, sampled, percussive song by Dymaxion, and a song by Rula
   Lenska called "Disk Quota Exceeded"-- a song we know you denizens
   of the online world will totally relate to

 * Interviews with Free Kitten's Julie Cafritz, Dan Haugh of godheadSilo,
   John Davis of that hot new group Folk Implosion currently shredding
   up the airwaves, and the ever-articulate Franklin Bruno

 * Plus The Tasty Pages: your directory to record labels and their email
   addresses, fancy music-related Web sites, E-zines, electronic mailing
   lists, and more! 

 * Guides to using the various accounts available, Netiquette, How to use
   UNIX and Eudora and more.

 * Show reviews and choice "Litterbox" items culled from our year's worth
   of "Tasty Threads". The Litterbox is like E!'s "Talk Soup" but with
   indie-rock mailing lists instead of talk-shows.     



 * email kbillus@world.std.com for more details


 Tour Dates

 11/2      Lawrence, KS
 11/3      Columbia
 11/4     Iowa City
 11/5/6  Minneapolis
 11/7    Madison
 11/8    Milwaukee
 11/10   Chicago
 11/11     Ann Arbor
 11/13    Toronto
 11/14    Ottawa
 11/15    Amherst
 11/16/17  Cambridge
 11/18   NYC

 
 11/11-15 with the Pastels

It's so very lonely; you're light years from home.
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This page modified on November 24, 1996