Published: 2012 (Penguin)
Setting: The World, Maxwell’s
Summary: Jesse Jarnow’s book on the history of Yo La Tengo (YLT) blends the rise of Indie Rock and the rise of Ira, Georgia, and James. Their respective rises often happened in tandem and in parallel spaces, YLT was just over the river from the main scene in NYC but Hoboken had it’s own vibe and importance in the Indie landscape. YLT and many of the prominent promoters, DJ’s, record executives, and musicians in the Indie scenes of the 1970’s and 1980’s came up together. They listened to punk, prog rock, and The Beatles among other bands, developing dreams of creating their own rock band someday. Once YLT’s Big Day Came they never looked back, rollicking through the U.S, and Europe, ripping guitar riffs and breathing soft lyrics into their mics along the way.
This book helps situate YLT in the history of Indie Rock while giving that history an extensive, but not exhaustive, treatment. The importance of fanzines and college radio are highlighted as crucial to Indie Rock’s rise, but the coda to this book laments their loss of importance post-Napster and post-iTunes. There is something local, something like a little secret which allowed YLT to make music and play it on their own terms at their own pace. The YLT move to Matador records is fascinating. This book is smartly researched and well-told, and YLT isn’t propped up beyond their levels of success. This book also serves as a veritable encyclopedia of the underground scene of YLT’s heyday. It is an enjoyable read and a music lovers dream.
Quote of the book: “Maxwell’s over Hanukkah became a place where the ley lines entangled, where one could step in the eight-days-a-week continuum between the Velvet Underground at Max’s Kansas City and the eternal now of live music. For eight utopian nights, it is what a band at a local bar might feel anywhere—everyday life blown into magical detail” (313).
Favorite character: James McNew, the soft-spoken bassist’s color book pages of his life are colored in with vibrant detail.
Favorite Setting: Maxwell’s, after recent crises with local clubs folding in the indie scene, a portrait of a venue that chugs along against the specter of Lollapalooza and gentrification is much needed.
Please Stay for: An opportunity to geek out on Yo La Tengo.
Please Question: Jarnow’s uneven take on the British scene’s impact on the American underground.
Will Reviews Things 