How I Like Yo La Tengo: The Playlists

Anthony Cougar Miccio -

You'd think three posts about the first thirty-odd years of Yo La Tengo's LP discography would be enough discussion of Hoboken's Finessss...ok, once you're two encores into a Feelies show, or playing Crazy Rhythms, there's serious competition for Hoboken's Finest. Anyhow! The point remains that, despite the considerable paragraphs, I still didn't feel done celebrating this tremendous trio. Hoboken's Friendliest! So here's two playlists, one of songs on Spotify, one of videos on YouTube. Both bop around the decades in a similar pattern - something from every album except the gestational first, the great latest and Summer Sun (*shrugs*), with a little more focus on music videos and live esoterica for your eyes' benefit (you might want to skip clips 4 & 5 if you don't want to see them stretch out). Oh, and there's an adorable video of Ira & Georgia shot by Mike McGonigal in 1988 instead of something from New Wave Hot Dogs. And WFMU fool's gold instead of their first single. The Spotify playlist is also two songs longer. Consider those 2020 tracks an encore, or Deluxe Edition bonus cuts. As I always say, these playlists shouldn't be taken for best-ofs, but rather as samplers meant to get a band's vibe across, encouraging further discovery. And there's lots more good music to discover. BUY YO LA TENGO ALBUMS.

How I Like Yo La Tengo: The Playlist (Spotify)

  1. "Ohm" (Fade, 2013)
  2. "Flying Lesson" (Electr-O-Pura, 1995)
  3. "Saturday" (And Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, 2000)
  4. For You Too" (There's A Riot Going On, 2018)
  5. "Black Flowers" (I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, 2006)
  6. "You Tore Me Down" (Fakebook, 1990)
  7. "Before We Stopped To Think" (Stuff Like That There, 2015)
  8. "Barnaby, Hardly Working" (President Yo La Tengo, 1989)
  9. "The Whole Of The Law" (Painful, 1993)
  10. "More Stars Than There Are In Heaven" (Popular Songs, 2009)
  11. "Satellite" (May I Sing With Me, 1992)
  12. "Lost In Bessemer" (New Wave Hot Dogs, 1987)
  13. "We're An American Band" (I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, 1997)
  14. "The River Of Water" (7-inch single, 1985)
  15. "Smile A Little Smile For Me" (Sleepless Night EP, 2020)
  16. "Ira searches for the slide, sort of (Friday)" (We Have Amnesia Sometimes, 2020)

How I Like Yo La Tengo: The Videos (YouTube)

  1. "Ohm" (Fade, 2013)
  2. "Tom Courtenay" (Electr-O-Pura, 1995)
  3. "You Can Have It All" (And Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, 2000)
  4. "Here You Are" (There's A Riot Going On, 2018)
  5. "Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" (I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, 2006)
  6. "The Summer" (Fakebook, 1990)
  7. "Rickety" (Stuff Like That There, 2015)
  8. "Orange Song" (President Yo La Tengo, 1989)
  9. "From A Motel 6" (Painful, 1993)
  10. "Nothing To Hide" (Popular Songs, 2009)
  11. "Upside-Down" (May I Sing With Me, 1992)
  12. "Teenager In Love/Everyday" (Mouthful Of Sweat: The Chemical Imbalance Video Compilation, 1988)
  13. "Sugarcube" (I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, 1997)
  14. "Tighten Up" (Yo La Tengo Is Murdering The Classics, 2006)