4 Songs That Prove the Quiet Genius of Yo La Tengo

In the early 1980s, a New York music critic named Ira Kaplan met Georgia Hubley, whose parents were Oscar-winning animators. They started hanging out, jamming, and eventually formed Yo La Tengo in 1984. Playing music was a way to overcome shyness and explore shared loves in their record collections. Later, they became an essential part of the indie and underground record collections of others.

Videos by American Songwriter

Kaplan and Hubley, a married couple, cycled through bass players before James McNew joined in 1992. That’s when Yo La Tengo evolved from flashes of greatness to the quiet genius you’ll hear in the songs below.

“Blue Line Swinger”

Electr-O-Pura was Yo La Tengo’s second release on Matador Records, following Painful. On the previous album, the dreamy jams turned more melodic. The trend continued on Electr-O-Pura as heard on “Tom Courtenay”, which could be seen as a blueprint for Ben Gibbard’s writing in Death Cab For Cutie. Yet “Blue Line Swinger” closes the album with a nine-minute psychedelic and cinematic jam.

“Tears Are In Your Eyes”

And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out arrived in 2000, and with it, according to Pitchfork, Yo La Tengo created its “coziest album.” Kaplan and Hubley harmonize this lullaby, but Hubley’s voice is pushed a little further to the front of the mix. It’s a glimpse into the tiny moments that threaten a long relationship. And few whisper as powerfully as Yo La Tengo.

Tears are in your eyes tonight
You tell me that you haven’t slept in days
You tell me sleeping only makes you tired, anyway.

“Center Of Gravity”

Kaplan and Hubley sing a romantic bossa nova that sounds like Stereolab covering Burt Bacharach. Yo La Tengo became just as revered for its covers, and often, the band’s recordings give an air of the last great mixtape. But on their 1997 masterpiece, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, the band makes a definitive entry to sit beside their musical heroes on any playlist.

“Autumn Sweater”

Yo La Tengo’s most popular song may also be everything great about the band’s long history distilled in five minutes and 18 seconds. Kaplan sings softly over a droning organ and Hubley’s hypnotic and easy groove. As “Autumn Sweater” lulls you to comfort, like the cozy jumper the song is named after, Kaplan, Hubley, and McNew combine several genres through the lens of The Velvet Underground. This album is a highlight from the 1990s, a fertile period for indie rock. Here is Yo La Tengo’s quiet genius in one tune.

Photo by Cheryl Dunn / Matador Records