The first Yo La Tengo song I ever fell for was the feedback driven, distortion drenched pop gem "Sugar Cube." It was everything a young teenager in New Jersey looking for something dreamy in the late-90's could want. Mmmmm fuzz. So, needless to say, when I purchased Fakebook through Columbia House (remember mail order CD clubs!?) and wasn't greeted with the wall of feedback and sunny ba-ba harmonies I was expecting, I was a little disappointed. Mind you I was roughly thirteen and was really stoked on "Sugarcube" and "Autumn Sweater" and "Stockholm Syndrome," all three of which are still staples in my collection.While Fakebook is sort of the red headed step child of the Yo La Tengo catalog, it's none-the-less an indicator of their incredible range, putting the fuzz and noise on the backburner and showcasing the bands pure pop talents. At the time I'm not sure how much I appreciated this, however, the songs have always stayed with me. Not a season goes by that I don't get "Griselda" or their cover of Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle" in my head. And their versions of "Yellow Sarong" and "Here Comes My Baby" are definitive versions I've included on hundreds of mix tapes for girls I used to know.
Yo La Tengo- Yellow Sarong
Yo La Tengo- Here Comes My Baby
"The Summer" from Yo La Tengo's Fakebook
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