I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Rock Your Face Off

So I realize I haven't posted about Yo La Tengo yet, which is a damn shame. But their upcoming album is all the more reason to change that. Normally, if an arty indie band named their album I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, I would mock them mercilessly. But judging by what I've heard of said album, they could have named it Yo La Tengo Violates Caleb's Mother and I'd still eat it up. Disturbing hyperbole aside, this album should end up at the top of many year-end lists. Unfortunately it will be a Yo La Tengo-less summer for many, because it will not be fully released until Sept. 12 in the U.S. and Sept. 4 in Europe. "Beanbag Chair" (also available on a fan-made myspace and the band's web site) shows the band going towards a decidedly classic pop direction and doing an excellent job of it. If you need a refresher as to the band's earlier stuff, 1997's I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One is one of the better albums of the 1990s. Or just desecrate the lost art of writing great albums and grab the band's greatest hits collection, Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985-2003.