Since the early 80’s, Hoboken, New Jersey’s Yo La Tengo has been home-crafting songs and sounds of the highest order, setting new standards for both “cool” and “tasteful” with each release. Yo La Tengo is that bright shining beacon of hope that good music is not dead – it’s alive and well, and it permeates throughout the band’s recordings and live shows. Just call it indie rock for grownups. Not only do Kaplan’s introverted, half-spoken vocals and buzzing guitar work closely recall Lou Reed, but Hubley’s rock-steady drumming and breathy backing turns simultaneously conjures memories of vintage Maureen Tucker. Alternative in the original sense of the term, Yo La Tengo remains true to its one-part garage-rock, one-part folk-rock, one-part punk-rock origins long after many of their peers and followers have fallen by the way.