Clearly, I haven’t been paying enough attention to Yo La Tengo.  At least, not until their latest record, Popular Songs.  A friend needed only to play me the first track, “Here To Fall” and I instantly realized the folly of my ways.  The combination of heavy rock and strings is irresistibly cool.  The song is a throwback to Zeppelin and other 70s heavy rock yet it maintains a relevance to today’s music.  It isn’t just enjoyable, it’s impressive, especially if you listen to bands like The Dead Weather, Heartless Bastards, or Band of Skulls.

MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall”

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Popular Songs (Matador, September 2009)