[princeclassic]

what are some albums by other artists that i should check out if i'm looking for music similiar to some of the longer songs performed by yo la tengo.

songs like-
i heard you looking
green arrow
blue line swinger
my hearts reflection

thanks for any help.

 

[Davey]

Wow, just listened to "Blue Line Swinger" a few minutes ago. One of those songs I could put on repeat just about for the whole day. One of my favorites of the modern age. Yo La Tengo is a big favorite. You might wanna check out David Kilgour whom I just mentioned today in the whatcha listening to thread. Any of the last 3, but the one from 1997 called just David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights is the one I spend the most time with. Beautiful album.

http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showt...75#post1634675

Ya know, I could list a ton of them since that is where I spend a lot of my listening time. Most of those VU descendents have that type of sound. If you don't know them, and hardly anyone does, a Boston band by the name of Lockgroove put out a very nice album a few years ago called Sleeping On The Elephant Fog that's got a lot of that YLT drone-jangle-pop sound and some very long and slow developing songs. The newer one from a couple years ago is more poppy and not as good imo.

Do you know Built To Spill. Not so much VU inspired, but I can't help rec'ing Perfect From Now On whenever I get a chance

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44009

But back to YLT, definitely look into Dean Wareham's college band before Luna, Galaxie 500. Try On Fire for starters. And check out Luna's first three albums, Lunapark, Bewitched and Penthouse. Bewitched has some very nice workouts with the VU's Sterling Morrison before he passed away. And Penthouse has some very distinctive guitar licks from Television's Tom Verlaine.

I'll edit some more in later if you want.

 

[Davey]

Not a very popular topic, eh prince? That's OK, I believe in quality over quantity

Got a few more suggestions but might help if you talked a little more about what you like about those songs, like is it the drones or the understated vocals, the occasional guitar skronkouts, the organ, things like that.

But anyway, Low is another band that has that hushed slowcore sound down very well, and a similar trio with husband/wife team. "Secret Name" or "Things We Lost In the Fire" are both great, especially the former. Very nice sounding Steve Albini productions, even avaliable on all analog vinyl pressings for the true connoisseur of fine sound. Albini has also been recording Nina Nastasia and her "The Blackened Air" is very nice too. A bit more folky than YLT, but does some of the same things for me. Sue Garner & Rick Brown (another wife/husband team) put out a very fine album a few years ago that I've talked about here called simply "Still" with some YLT similarities. They do explore some other styles too though. Helium was kind of an indie prog guitar band and in 1997 they put out a very cool album called "The Magic City" that is very underrated. She's kind of a guitar virtuoso and the album is a very cool mix of gothic fairytale worlds and Eastern melodies and snaky prog rhythms. Almost like a more indie rock version of Dead Can Dance. I guess it's not really like YLT, but it is pretty cool

Anyway, just thought I'd throw out some more recs. The obvious influence is Sonic Youth, but I just assumed you probably were already familiar with that angle. Some even term YLT as the lite version of Sonic Youth but I disagree since I tend to like them more overall. American Analog Set is another that I like a lot, but they have more of a shimmer to their sound, more like Pinback, which means a little bit more of the jazzy Police influence. But definitely worth checking into. Mazzy Star too.

 

[Nepenthe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davey Do you know Built To Spill. Not so much VU inspired, but I can't help rec'ing Perfect From Now On whenever I get a chance http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44009

PFNO is amazing. It even changed the way I listen to music, because it was an album that truly started out unlistenable to me and over time became one of my top twenty EVER. It was here that I became extremely conscious that first impressions are rubbish, that some of the music that may become the most meaningful and beautiful to you may take a while to become something you even like, that there's a process of learning to love the best music.

Metacritic lists a 2006 BtS album in its upcoming release calendar.

 

[gratefulshrink]

I'm bummed that I missed this thread... I crashed early last night!

As usual, Davey is right on with his recommendations. As usual, I'll second, VU, Galalxie 500, Sonic YOuth and Luna, and also throw in Dream Syndicate, all as relatives of the Yo la Tengo sound.

I happen to think that Televison also fits in with some aspects of the Yo La Tengo sound.

Also, from an indie rock angle, I'd suggest some Pavement, for that dissonant, yet crisp sound.

I'd also say that Can (Krautrock) is a common influence on many of the droney-type rock bands. Early Stereolab falls into line here.

In the Built to Spill realm, classic Neil Young/Crazy Horse is another
way to go.

Yo La Tengo is a great band. They are alot of fun to see live, BTW.

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gratefulshrink ...and also throw in Dream Syndicate, all as relatives of the Yo la Tengo sound.

Yeah, all nice suggestions. They do get a bit away from that specific sound he was asking baout, but it is all kind of interconnected in the end

Love the Dream Syndicate. Man, that was a great record. OOP forever until Rhino brought it back with the EPs as bonus tracks a few years ago. I may not think quite as highly of their mastering techniques as our good friend markl, but they have some great classics in the catalog and certainly don't sound bad to me. I just know they could be a little better, so wish they were. But if we're going off on the Dream Syndicate tangent, I've gotta once again plug Steve Wynn's great double album from a few years ago called "Here Come The Miracles". Chris Cavacas adds keyboards to most of the tracks (and hence the Yo La Tengo feel) and the organ is especially effective at expanding the sound and fleshing out the underlying emotion that boils in all these tracks. But it rocks pretty hard sometimes too. Great album. And it brings in that whole paisley underground scene, and in the end the Mazzy Star album I rec'd above since Hope Sandoval was one of the biggies in that scene toward the end. And that Mazzy Star sound does show up too on the last Nina Nastasia album, "Road To Ruin", a very brooding and quiet album, but right in the middle she opens up some with a song called "Superstar" that really makes me think of Mazzy Star. And on and on. Could probably toss in some Cat Power too. "Moon Pix" is a big favorite. And that opens the door for Smog too. Check out "Red Apple Falls". And Will Oldham/Palace/etc. "Viva Last Blues". Or maybe some Jim O'Rourke via Gastr del Sol to tie it back to the current lineup of Sonic Youth. I've got the two Drag City Gastr del Sol albums and like them both a lot. My favorite is the single LP "Camofleur" which sounds quite a bit like O'Rourke's own "Eureka" which followed a couple years later, but maybe with a little less of the Burt Bacharach influence. The 2-LP "Upgrade & Afterlife" has lots of good stuff too including an excellent Gastr-ized cover of John Fahey's "Dry Bones In the Valley" to close it out. And the first LP of the set is cut at 45RPM, but "Camofleur" is a little less weird with lots of excellent acoustic guitar

The Feelies were another decendent of the VU, but like REM, more on the Sterling Morrison rhythm side, although they do have a lot of Lou Reed in the vocals. Not much YLT sound though.

Also, for more of the Built To Spill take on Neil Young (if that interests you at all), do a search for the Wayne Robbins & the Hellsayers CD that I talked up a lot around here a few months back. Just from 2004, but excellent stuff and it does have some nice long guitar oriented workouts.

And I'll just sneak in one more before closing out on this thread, if you answered yes to the drone question in one of the posts above, and don't mind getting a little bit heavier, check out Bardo Pond, specifically their "Dilate". Reminds me a little of that vibe on "And Then Nothing Turns Itself Inside Out", maybe with more of a nod to the darker sound of recent SY. I read somebody call it the love child of Sonic Youth and Black Sabbath. Cool cover too

 

[gratefulshrink]

Bardo Pond definitley had the sludge/drone thing going. I kind of burned out on them. Two sonically similar bands that I can stilll listen to are Jessamine and Abunai!.

I will also add these groups to the list here: My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., and Band of Susans.

Finally, I'll throw in Opal's "Happy Nightmare Baby" (1987), which I'm pretty sure is out of print. From all music guide:

"At once drowsy, psychedelic, entrancing, and possessed of a sinuous spark, Happy Nightmare Baby may have been Opal's only album but deserves more attention than merely being a blueprint for Roback's later work in Mazzy Star. For one thing, Opal was very much its own band, with Kendra Smith's particular lyrical visions of mystic power and universe-scaling dreams and nightmares its own entity. As is her singing, though she's got less of Hope Sandoval's wistful drift and more focused control -- check out the brief "A Falling Star," where the comparatively stripped-down arrangement places her singing in the foreground, notably without much in the way of echo. Roback's playing certainly won't surprise anyone per se who backtracks to this group from albums like She Hangs Brightly, and the atmosphere of textured, moody power is evident right from the start with the wonderful early T. Rex tribute, "Rocket Machine." The compressed string swirl and steady stomp is pure Marc Bolan-via-Tony Visconti, though Smith avoids Bolan's style of warble for her own cool, something also quite evident on the slow-groove stomp of the great "She's a Diamond" and the concluding "Soul Giver." Meanwhile, other familiar elements Roback would later use are present aplenty -- very Ray Manzarek-like organ lines on the mantra-chugs of "Magick Power" and "Siamese Trap," compressed acid rock solos and lots of reverb. The title track itself stands out a bit as being a bit more of a '60s Europop confection in a stripped-down 1968 setting -- Roback's electric guitar adds some fire, but it's the slightly jazz-tinged rhythm and easy delivery from Smith that helps establish its own character. It's a release that stood out both in time and place (a 1987 release on SST Records, of all places!), but it stands up to future years and listens darn well."

 

[princeclassic]

wow, i can't thank you all enough. i'm now knee deep in excellent new music. currently being blown away by perfect from now on. galaxie 500 is also fantastic and david kilgour is great too.

i'm lookin forward to getting the sue garner and rick brown album because i was lucky enough to meet sue and see her perform with yo la tengo last fall.

ok i've gotta get back to my studies...but feel free to keep up the suggestions! these recommendations will keep me busy for a long time.

 

[The Monkey]

Great thread. Davey's absolutely right about the Feelies, definitely VU-ish. More angular and jangly than Yo La Tengo, but I hear similarities. They probably hung out in Hoboken, I know the both played Maxwell's. Same with Luna (I believe the Feelies drummer joined Luna).

I'd throw in Antietam.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey Great thread. Davey's absolutely right about the Feelies, definitely VU-ish. More angular and jangly than Yo La Tengo, but I hear similarities. They probably hung out in Hoboken, I know the both played Maxwell's. Same with Luna (I believe the Feelies drummer joined Luna). I'd throw in Antietam.

The Feelies are on my list of "Most Under-Appreciated Bands" (or something like that).

Too bad more people don't know 'em.

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey More angular and jangly than Yo La Tengo, but I hear similarities. They probably hung out in Hoboken, I know the both played Maxwell's.

Could be, they had a little bit of overlap. Yo La Tengo has been around a long time and has a good sense of music history. Always very respectful with the covers they do. In fact the covers album is one of their best. Just a few years ago they did a show in NY backing Ray Davies on a lot of those old Kinks songs and sounded great. I have a very nice sounding boot of it. At the Jane Street Theater in NYC (2 disc boot) and it's both a great show and a great boot. Highly recommended if you're a Kinks fan and do any trading. Check out the tracklist below! Really nice recording with a lot of space but still well balanced. Sounds like a professional job with a good stereo spread. You can hear some of the crowd banter between songs but it only reinforces the feeling you are there. Very nice. Maybe a small place with a recorder setup close to the stage as some of the applause sounds very close. Ray sounds very good. This is one boot that gets more than just a "curiosity" spin.

Ray Davies with Yo La Tengo at Jane Street Theater, NYC (00-08-25)

Disk One
1. To the Bone
2. Rock and Roll Fantasy
3. Animal
4. Next-Door Neighbors
5. Creatures of Little Faith
6. Animal Farm
7. No Return
8. The Morning After
9. The Deal
10. Americana Americana
11. Empty Room
12. That's That Standup Comic

Disk Two
1.All Day and All of the Night
2.Celluloid Heroes
3.I Go to Sleep
4.My Diary
5.I'm Not Like Everybody Else
6.This Strange Effect
7.Otis Riffs
8.Vietnam Comboys
9.This is Where I Belong
10.Where Have all the Good Times Gone?
11.A Bridge for Dreams
12.You Really Got Me
13.I Need You
14.Till the End of the Day
15.Low Budget

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davey Could be, they had a little bit of overlap. Yo La Tengo has been around a long time and has a good sense of music history. Always very respectful with the covers they do. In fact the covers album is one of their best. Just a few years ago they did a show in NY backing Ray Davies on a lot of those old Kinks songs and sounded great. I have a very nice sounding boot of it. At the Jane Street Theater in NYC (2 disc boot) and it's both a great show and a great boot. Highly recommended if you're a Kinks fan and do any trading. Check out the tracklist below! Really nice recording with a lot of space but still well balanced. Sounds like a professional job with a good stereo spread. You can hear some of the crowd banter between songs but it only reinforces the feeling you are there. Very nice. Maybe a small place with a recorder setup close to the stage as some of the applause sounds very close. Ray sounds very good. This is one boot that gets more than just a "curiosity" spin. Ray Davies with Yo La Tengo at Jane Street Theater, NYC (00-08-25)

I remember reading about this on their website. I thought they were going to have a commercial release of somehting with Davies??

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gratefulshrink I remember reading about this on their website. I thought they were going to have a commercial release of somehting with Davies??

Hehehe, Davies has been working on that album for years. I know they recorded a couple songs with him back then and said it sounded great, vintage Kinks. Had me anxious. Lots of promise, no record

 

[gratefulshrink]

check out this Yo La site: http://www.sunsquashed.com/net/mp3links.htm

The covers are low quality, but most everything else is good to very good.

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gratefulshrink The Feelies are on my list of "Most Under-Appreciated Bands" (or something like that). Too bad more people don't know 'em.

I don't know, they seem pretty popular on music sites like this. Well, maybe not so much at Head-Fi since there are so many really young people, but at other music sites. Great band, no doubt. Don't know if you've gotten into any of the recent bands that have a lot of Feelies influence like Electrelane (post below) and the defunct Life Without Buildings (if you don't know them the music is very reminiscent of The Feelies take on the Velvet Underground, but the vocals are from another universe. Fragmented, repetitive and delivered in a stream of consciousness style, but one of the most interesting and infectious female vocalists I had heard in ages when "Any Other City" was released a few years ago), and those great David Kilgour and Clean records I mentioned, but there's still a lot of that VU jangle around. The Feelies "Only Life" is a great sounding disc too! Maybe Mercer sounds a little too much like Lou Reed at times, but still love it.

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=69122