The Encyclopedic Task of Understanding Yo La Tengo

If there were ever an expiration date for an artist’s relevance, Yo La Tengo (Spanish for the outfielder’s cry “I have it!”) certainly hasn’t reached theirs, even after more than three decades’ worth of producing, singing, and touring. The Hoboken, New Jersey-based indie rock band—which consists of James McNew and husband and wife duo Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley—carries with them a reverential air: it’s difficult not to appreciate their endless creative ambition and musical eclecticism. Though they never broke into the mainstream (frankly, I doubt it was ever their intention), Yo La Tengo has amassed a loyal following over the years.

Indie rock, while technically accurate, is too run-of-the-mill of a term to describe Yo La Tengo’s music. In fact, to compartmentalize their music would be a disservice to all parties involved. Their extensive discography—15 studio albums, six compilation albums, 15 EPs, 22 singles, two film score albums, four collaborative albums, and an album of song covers—reflects the many ways they’ve changed their sound. The band has explored the extremes of feedback-driven noise rock (think “Deeper into Movies” on “I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One” (1997)) to sweet melodic pop (such as “Today is the Day” on “Summer Sun” (2003)) and calm, muted alternative rock (like “For You Too” on “There’s a Riot Going On” (2018)).

But the creativity doesn’t end there. Even after a song is produced, the band will produce different versions and release it on different albums; reworked versions of “Barnaby, Hardly Working” can be seen on “Fakebook” (1990), “President Yo La Tengo/New Wave Hot Dogs” (1996), and “Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo” (1996). In addition to their original work, Yo La Tengo includes several cover songs on their albums, ranging from forgotten wonders such as the Kinks’s “Oklahoma U.S.A.” (1971) to total obscurities like the Escorts’s “The One to Cry” (2013).

I’ve thought a lot about why in particular Yo La Tengo strikes the right chord for me. I’ve reached the (in retrospect, all-too-obvious) conclusion that they just listen to and are inspired by a wide range of good music, like Fleetwood Mac’s “That’s All for Everyone” (1979), Will Rigby’s “Paradoxaholic” (2002)—which is so obscure that I had to go through a dark Internet rabbit hole to find it since the album is not even available on YouTube or Spotify—and NRBQ’s “All Hopped Up” (1977). Decades of good music have been absorbed by the band and are reflected in their own work.

For me, understanding and following their music is an encyclopedic task: it takes time and patience, but there’s always something fascinating to discover. Due to their long presence in the genre, Yo La Tengo’s music has a very mature sound compared to that of other indie rock artists I listen to (Wallows, The Cranberries, and Vampire Weekend, for example), a particularly eye-opening trait. It’s unique to find so many layers of complexity and continuity in a band spanned over the course of more than three decades—it means that they have an ability to respond to the changing times and the musical climate.

At the height of the New Wave movement in the ‘90s, their albums were much louder, coupled with noise freakouts and incorporated elements of punk and glam rock, though without the makeup and high heels. With more recent albums however, such as “Fade” (2013) and “We Have Amnesia Sometimes” (2020) (yes, they released an album this year and already have another EP lined up for October—oh, the power of their minds), it’s more introspective and quiet with its bossa nova melodies, as if the outer turmoil of the world is too much to reflect in their music right now. It’s no surprise that their lyrics, such as the ones in “Ohm” (2013), are articulate about the passage of time: “But nothing ever stays the same / Nothing's explained / The harder we go / The longer we climb / ‘Cause this isn't the road we know.”

Despite Yo La Tengo’s distinct nature, the band has received many comparisons over the years to the short-lived but hugely influential The Velvet Underground—so much so that they portrayed the avant-garde rock band in the independent film “I Shot Andy Warhol” (1996). I’d like to think the statement holds true, and they’re musical relatives in this lifetime and others. The wry, conscious songwriting and buzzing guitar of Kaplan (singer/guitarist) bear a close resemblance to that of frontman Lou Reed. The steady drumming and strong backup vocals of Hubley (singer/drummer) have a striking similarity to those of Maureen “Moe” Tucker.

I suppose it comes with the territory of being an underground artist, but there’s something very admirable about Yo La Tengo’s steady independence and consistent humility from the very beginning. For photo shoots—on the rare occasions that they have one—and performances alike, you can see them wearing commonplace clothing consisting of plain jeans and T-shirts (exclusively striped, in Kaplan’s case). Unlike many of their contemporaries, the “rock star persona” is nowhere to be found in Yo La Tengo’s performances: their body language is shy, and they look down when they sing, their voices augmented by their instrumentation instead of the other way around. The music, not the people, ends up in the limelight. The trio was even portrayed as small-town troubadours in an episode of “Gilmore Girls” (2000-2007), which, if you’ve watched “Gilmore Girls” and its rustic, small-town atmosphere, is very fitting.

To be frank, the humble image and lack of promotion may contribute to Yo La Tengo’s underratedness. But I wouldn’t say that they work against them. The trio has been in the music scene for a while now; if they wanted a mainstream following, they certainly have had the time to try and reach one. But I think, and they probably know, that it would ruin the authenticity of the band. They’re here for the music, not for the fame. I believe that many like myself admire them even more for this and go on to become diehard supporters.

It’s hard to imagine what indie rock would be like without Yo La Tengo. The genre would lose a beloved institution. Yo La Tengo’s enduring ability to make good music provides a mode of creative dedication and stability that’s comforting in an ever-changing music scene.