Yo La Tengo: Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo

The art-geek rockers in Yo La Tengo have made tons of music ranging from moody, atmospheric love balladry to spastic, tension-riddled jamming. So what makes you want their singles/B-sides/alternate takes collection so badly Well, for first-time listeners, it's a great introduction to a great band. The cover versions among these 30 (!) songs are good examples of YLT's influences, from Velvet Underground ("I'm Set Free") to Beat Happening ("Cast A Shadow") to Daniel Johnston ("Speeding Motorcycle"). For fans, there's great stuff here from otherwise iffy collections ("Artificial Heart" off the lackluster Lyrics of Ernest Noyes Brookings Vol. 3), some movie soundtrack work ("Demons" from I Shot Andy Warhol), and some fun rock 'n' roll distorto-noodling (the 26-minute "Sunsquashed"). Of course, there's plenty of plain old Yo La Tengo songs included in this uncommonly high-quality two-disc collection. And it's only a buck or so more expensive than a normal disc, making it a strong contender for Indie Music Bargain of the Year. A treasure.