Based on track titles alone. Via eMusic:
Yo La Tengo’s debut CD, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass: The Florence Nightingale Story is filled with the cranky meanderings of today’s new nu rock. Forged in hubris and leather, this New Jersey (and Brooklyn!?) trio consisting of the fat guy and two Jews are quite capable of taking us on one wild and wacky ride through the debauched underworld of the “Indiers.” I have not listened to the CD, nor will I, but I nonetheless review it based on the track titles alone.You’re welcome,
David CrossTrack 1: “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind”
This track starts off kinda slow but then ramps into even more slowness resulting is some serious slowitude. With guest artist Keb’ Mo’ adding his trademark “hmmms,” this song really sums up the lonely life of the Crabman. Warning ? this is not for the easily nauseous.Track 2: “Beanbag Chair”
This whimsical look at That ’70s Show takes up where Ashton, Topher and the rest of the gang left off. With a sly nod to the rampant on-set use of cocaine by the actors, this song really captures the feelings and confusion of today’s stupid youth.Track 3: “I Feel Like Going Home”
This is a whirling dervish of aural bumbles and spills. Starting with a train whistle and ending with the sounds of a real cockfight, this hodgepodge of hodgepodgery reminds me of the good part of a penis.
Tracks 4 through 7 are being recalled by the label.
Track 8: “Sometimes I Don’t Get You”
Reminiscent of a denuded Emerson, Lake & Palmer (circa Tarkus), but with more angst, this song comes on like a freight train. Although that freight train has been rusting in an abandoned rail yard outside of Dayton, which gives it a classical, if not completely Gary-Numan-meets-the-Chieftains feel.Track 9: “Daphnia”
Ughhh, what the fuck kind of name is “Daphnia”? Is that the name of some Evanescence fan from Winnipeg? I don’t like this song, I imagine.Track 10: “I Should Have Known Better”
Now this is more like it. When I first heard it I nearly shit myself. (I was able to make it over to the window in time and get my ass out and shit on someone else.) I mean, TWELVE guitars?! Woah! This makes “Tusk” sound like “Pink Moon” minus the hard part! Way to go, guys!Track 11: “Watch Out for Me, Ronnie”
This song is pretty cool in a non-cool way. It’s about the time that legendary country star Ronnie Milsap* bumped into Georgia backstage at the first Bonnaroo Festival and accidentally spilled her hot cider with cinnamon and a little whipped cream on top.Track 12: “The Weakest Part”
Half Japanese, and half Half Japanese, this song takes the best of both worlds, throws them in a blender operated by Brian Eno (and underwritten by a generous grant from Dow Chemical) and churns out a lovely cocktail of sonic blasts and gurgles. If you like seeing the Chippendale Dancers, you’ll love this.Track 13: “Song for Mahila”
Jesus, how many songs are on this goddamn thing? There shouldn’t be more than 12. I find this very rude.Track 14: “Point and Shoot”
Oh, come on. Honestly. This is too many songs. I don’t have the iPod space for all this. This is going to be cutting into my watching-Lost time.Track 15: “The Story of Yo La Tango”
Fuck you, guys. I’m serious. Enough’s enough.*He’s blind, asshole!
eMusic has a review by someone who actually listened to the record here. They also asked Ira to write about some of his favorite albums.
You have six more days to enter to win Stereogum’s I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will FLY Your Ass Sweepstakes, where we send two readers (and their friends … or companions) via chopper to the band’s show in NJ. Now more eco-friendly!
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Countdown until some hipster complains that Cross isn’t funny…in 3…2…1…
This is actually the most spot on review of this album I’ve read so far. I don’t think anybody else listened to it either.
This has nothing to do with Yo La Tengo but I thought of you when I read this article. Lonelygirl15 mystery has been solved. In case you have not seen it already, see article link below in the NYTimes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/technology/13lonely.html?hp&ex=1158206400&en=ecd6e1f2de43bf9a&ei=5094&partner=homepage
ewww keb mo’ –an old coworker used to play his Keb mo cd out loud in the office and no one was able to tell him how bad it sucked and we all had to suffer alot :(
people need to stop commenting about the outing of lonelygirl15! stereogum knows, they already posted it!
http://www.stereogum.com/archives/003354.html
and that ain’t happening, dbati, david cross gets a hipster pass for life. dude is straight out funny and, as his success on arrested development demonstrates, it’s more than the skinny jean set that thinks so.
katrina…thanks for the link! that’s a huge revelation that scott hadn’t posted about yet.
nick is retarded and doesn’t know how to read through an entire thread.
David Cross is hilarious. He doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves.
lily is a miserable nerd.
actually, if you go to cnn there is an article about that lonelygirl15 thing that names the other people involved. I linked to it in the previous stereogum lonelygirl15 thread
thanks Steve, that’s actually a worthwhile contribution (and reflects your having read each comment before spouting off). i’ll check it now! :)
Maybe I don’t read stereogum comments enough, but the banter here should really be an MTV show.
Maybe I don’t read stereogum comments enough, but the banter here should really be an MTV show.
Maybe I don’t read stereogum comments enough, but the banter here should really be an MTV show.
I suppose Cross has earned eternal love for “Mr. Show” + “Arrested Development,” but his recent “let’s mock pretentious indie rock by being even more pretentious” shtick isn’t really working for him, I think.
David Cross is known for being caustic and ironic in his stand-up and comedy writing…
And he goes after self-mythologizing, take-ourselves-too-seriously sacred cows (politics, Hollywood, religion, James Lipton)…
So hearing him target indie rock shouldn’t come as a surprise, you know?
cross eats load
Keep in mind the Mr. Show cast did the video for Sugarcube. All in good fun.
I’m going more eco-friendly when I get paid tomorrow.
http://carbonfund.org/
But, just in case, I want to be the first one on the Carbon Fund Ark.
debut CD??