Yo La Tengo WFMU All-Request Marathon TODAY

March 12, 2016 8:51 AM

https://wfmu.org/ Yo La Tengo are once again playing requests for pledges beginning at 3pm US EST TODAY on WFMU. Every year, Yo La Tengo perform requests live on-air in exchange for pledges, to help keep freeform noncommercial radio station WFMU (91.1 FM in Jersey City, NJ) on the air. This year is no exception. They will begin playing at 3pm US EST today, and will be playing listener requests for several more hours.
posted by trashflow (46 comments total)

Trashflow returns!
posted by wheelieman at 8:58 AM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

A quick mod note: the Yo La Tengo marathon is a storied MetaFilter tradition and gets a post each year regardless of it otherwise butting up against our general proscription against fundraising stuff on the front page.

Previous years' threads: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, [the Paphnuty Incident], 2002.
posted by cortex at 9:27 AM on March 12, 2016 [6 favorites]

Oh no, I have to go to the dentist today!
posted by roll truck roll at 10:49 AM on March 12, 2016

Was it one of these shows which produced the legendary Yo La Tengo / Daniel Johnston collaboration? They recorded Johnston's Speeding Motorcycle with him singing down the phone as the band played along in the studio. Later released as a 7" single.
posted by Paul Slade at 11:08 AM on March 12, 2016

FYI, Gaylord Fields is the former roommate of Ira and Georgia, and Todd-O-Phonic Todd is Todd Abramson, the former owner and talent booker of Maxwell’s in Hoboken.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 12:18 PM on March 12, 2016

That "American Squirm" cover was awesome.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:28 PM on March 12, 2016

Set One:
Rolling Stones - Dead Flowers
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Tears of A Clown
Johnny Burnette & the Rock and Roll Trio/Alex Chilton - Train Kept A Rolling (Tiny Bradshaw)
ELO - Don't Bring Me Down
Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden
Nick Lowe - American Squirm
posted by trashflow at 12:29 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

I like that at least so far, people are just picking fun songs. It gets annoying when people pick obscure things and it turns into a game of Stump the Chumps.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:41 PM on March 12, 2016

Their rendition of the Jam's "That's Entertainment" is cracking me up now.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:45 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh man, That's Entertainment gives me so much joy!
posted by vespabelle at 12:47 PM on March 12, 2016

I never want to hear another Bob Marley song unless Georgia Hubley is singing it.
posted by multics at 12:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Other things that I think are English
There's football, but we call it soccer...
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Set Two:
Beatles - She Loves You
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Stir It Up
The Jam - That's Entertainment
Electric Eels - Accident
The Who - Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
posted by trashflow at 12:51 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

"Those Were the Days" made me really happy.
posted by roll truck roll at 1:08 PM on March 12, 2016

Set Three
Carroll O'Connor & Jean Stapleton - All In The Family Theme Song (Charles Strouse/Lee Adams)
Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days (Gene Raskin)
Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers - I'm A Little Dinosaur
Chaka Khan & Rufus - Tell Me Something Good (Stevie Wonder)
Isley Brothers - Nobody But Me
posted by trashflow at 1:12 PM on March 12, 2016

AAAAAAA THE SOFT BOYS
posted by nebulawindphone at 1:26 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Heh, the backing vox on Spirit in the Sky are killing me.
posted by cortex at 1:33 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Spirit in the Sky!
posted by roll truck roll at 1:33 PM on March 12, 2016

Ha, they're just butchering Walk Away Renee. It's awesome.
posted by chococat at 1:35 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

fyi the bird is the word
posted by cortex at 1:38 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

That was a particularly unruly version of "Surfin' Bird".
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:39 PM on March 12, 2016

LETS MAKE THIS SHORTER THAN THE CRAMPS VERSION PLEASE
posted by nebulawindphone at 1:39 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Set Four
Soft Boys - Queen of Eyes
Misfits - Hybrid Moments
Darlene McCrea/Yo La Tengo - My Heart's Not In It (from "Stuff Like That There")
Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky
The Left Banke - Walk Away Renée
The Trashmen/The Rivingtons - Surfin' Bird (w/ Todd-O-Phonic Todd on vox)
posted by trashflow at 1:39 PM on March 12, 2016

Love this band
posted by rhizome at 1:42 PM on March 12, 2016

By the way, I can confirm that that Ork Records box set is fantastic. The music, the book, the photos. Everything. Opening it feels like the last day of school.
posted by roll truck roll at 1:47 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

James McNew is a far better Kate Pierson than Kate Pierson.
posted by multics at 2:02 PM on March 12, 2016

Also, to whoever requested 'Totally Wired': this offer still stands.
posted by multics at 2:04 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Set Five
The B52s - Dance This Mess Around
The Fall - Totally Wired
NRBQ - Ridin' In My Car
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Flamin' Groovies - Slow Death
posted by trashflow at 2:16 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thanks for posting -- I always seem to miss this by a few hours!
posted by casaubon at 2:30 PM on March 12, 2016

The WFMU player says "Love Potion No. 9" but this is pretty clearly "Peace, Love & Understanding"
posted by ardgedee at 2:42 PM on March 12, 2016

yeah, the title whatsit is updating a little slow
posted by nebulawindphone at 2:43 PM on March 12, 2016

The player seems to grab whatever is there as of load time and then just not update. It had been LPNo9 the previous song, they probably hadn't gotten uploaded when you kicked it open.
posted by cortex at 2:43 PM on March 12, 2016

Yeah, it's updated now. All is good.
posted by ardgedee at 2:45 PM on March 12, 2016

> Was it one of these shows which produced the legendary Yo La Tengo / Daniel Johnston collaboration ?

Yes! You can also get it on the "Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo" compilation, if you want a hard copy.
posted by ardgedee at 2:48 PM on March 12, 2016

Who's on horn on "You Tell Us"? Dude's tearing shit up!
posted by ardgedee at 2:49 PM on March 12, 2016

Aaaaahhh! I've been out and have missed most of this. Thanks for the thread, guys!
posted by maudlin at 2:55 PM on March 12, 2016

Wagon-paintin' interlude.
posted by cortex at 2:55 PM on March 12, 2016

That's some Smiths smithery there.
posted by ardgedee at 2:59 PM on March 12, 2016

What the heck was that with the Dune soundtrack sample?
posted by cortex at 3:09 PM on March 12, 2016

Set Six
instrumental by guys in ape outfits?
Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Time
Lee Dorsey - Holy Cow
The Clovers - Love Potion No. 9 (Leiber/Stoller)
Elvis Costello - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” (Nick Lowe)
Roxy Music - Re-Make/Re-Model

The Beatles - It's All Too Much (medley w/ Billy Idol - Rebel Yell/ Billy Idol - White Wedding/ David Bowie - Kingdom Come/ Kinks - Waterloo Sunset/ Replacements - I Will Dare/ Paint Your Wagon (musical)/ The Move - Blackberry Way/ Neil Young - Revolution Blues/ Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers - That Summer Feeling/ Tammy Wynette - I Don't Wanna Play House/ The Supremes - Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart/ Beach Boys - Surfin' Safari/ Marty Robbinbs - El Paso/ DEVO - Mr. DNA/ Call Me Maybe?/ The Smiths - There is A Light That Never Goes Out/ The Doors - The End/ The Doors - Wild Child/ Beatles - Yellow Submarine
posted by trashflow at 3:23 PM on March 12, 2016 [3 favorites]

My unplayed request: Nikki Sudden & the Jacobites - Pin Your Heart To Me.
posted by trashflow at 3:25 PM on March 12, 2016

See you next year trashflow!
posted by wheelieman at 3:44 PM on March 12, 2016 [3 favorites]

Ah, bummed that I missed this thread during the show!

BTW, if anyone missed the show PM me and I can send you a link to the mp3 of the stream I grabbed.
posted by nixxon at 4:57 PM on March 12, 2016 [4 favorites]

> Was it one of these shows which produced the legendary Yo La Tengo / Daniel Johnston collaboration ?

No, that collaboration aired live over-the-air on WFMU in 1990, on a program called "Live Music Faucet" that was then hosted by Nicholas Hill. The program featured live bands performing radio sessions on-air most weeks, but not taking listener requests, and not for pledges. On Feb 4, 1990, Nicholas Hill set it up so that Yo La Tengo played a short "Fakebook"-related set on-air in the studio, then Daniel Johnston called in by phone and did a solo performance over-the-phone. Then, Daniel sang a few songs over the phone while Yo La Tengo backed him up live in the studio. None of this was connected to WFMU's annual fundraising marathon, though, and Yo La Tengo did not take any requests from listeners. The first time YLT did that was seven years later, in 1997.
posted by trashflow at 7:32 PM on March 12, 2016

Thank you trashflow for the set lists!
posted by intermod at 8:04 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Wow! I'm on the board of directors for my local public radio station. I haven't heard about this before but I am definitely going to suggest this kind of format for our upcoming pledge drive. This year (and the last few years) we are struggling because of cut-backs from the Republican destruction of our tax base in my state which of course is hitting the infrastructure hard. And yes, I do consider public radio part of the infrastructure. I live in a very rural state and public radio is essential for communication of important information not to mention the whole importance of community cohesiveness that it provides us. This is awesome.
posted by Belle O'Cosity at 11:33 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]