Yo La Tengo plays the hits TODAY...

March 6, 2023 7:24 AM

...with a 100% chance of murdering the classics. Yo La Tengo will be playing cover song requests live on WFMU from 9 pm to midnight EST on Daniel Blumin's show in exchange for pledges. As in previous years, the show will not be archived by the station. Previously: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.

We'll save a seat for the late roll truck roll, who always enthusiastically participated in these threads.

posted by mandolin conspiracy (42 comments total)

I was just constructing my post just now, thanks for doing this mandolin conspiracy!!
posted by wheelieman at 7:28 AM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Be sure to earmark your pledge for Daniel Blumin's show, otherwise it may not get to the band!
posted by wheelieman at 7:34 AM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Amusingly, "Some of the links you entered were found in 230 previous threads" was the warning message I got when I previewed the post.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:36 AM on March 6, 2023 [6 favorites]

Damn, they HAVE been doing this for a long time
posted by wheelieman at 7:40 AM on March 6, 2023

What's the minimum pledge for a request? Also, do they have a rule against an unknown songwriter requesting that the band cover one of their songs? Asking for a friend :)
posted by pxe2000 at 7:52 AM on March 6, 2023

The minimum for a song request is $100 this year (a bit hard to see initially because it's tucked under the "more info" link on the show page).
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:58 AM on March 6, 2023

Moving this from 3pm on a Saturday to 9pm on a Monday is... a choice.
posted by rhymedirective at 8:07 AM on March 6, 2023 [7 favorites]

The playlist is live!
posted by wheelieman at 5:52 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Woo!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:01 PM on March 6, 2023

"Got the key-tar?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"It doesn't have a quarter-inch outlet on it!"

"Neither do I!"
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:17 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

HAYOOOOOO
posted by wheelieman at 6:19 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

I love "Beatnik"!
posted by LionIndex at 6:19 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

From the comments on the playlist, someone who not only remembers but never stopped: "hope someone tapes this. I'm out of blanks"
posted by EvaDestruction at 6:23 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Hand to god, I had no idea that was the opening line of "Cum on Feel the Noize."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:23 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Set One

Hypnolovewheel - Here Comes A Headache
The Clean - Beatnik
Bruce Springsteen - Dream Baby Dream (Suicide) (my request)
Quiet Riot – Cum on Feel the Noize Lyrics w/ Todd-O-Phonic Todd
posted by trashflow at 6:23 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

So what's the ruling, is "Cum On Feel the Noize" the first murder of the night? I laughed so hard when I finally realized what it was.
posted by EvaDestruction at 6:26 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

SONOFAF---INGBITCH. This is supposed to be on Saturday! I have annual reminders set and everything so that I don't miss it. ARGH! OKOKOK I'm listening now. Glad I surfed over to Mefi just now ...

(Hey YLT, post to your Facebook account occasionally, mmmkay? Lots of us don't do Twitter.)
posted by intermod at 6:33 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

I made a request-sized pledge and requested my er, I mean my friend’s song. WFMU was a lifeline for my sweetheart, who grew up in NJ, and even if they don’t play it, I still made a donation to one of the best stations in the country.
posted by pxe2000 at 6:37 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

I love "Beatnik"!

But one Clean song per set is gonna be pushin' it.
posted by LionIndex at 6:39 PM on March 6, 2023

Set Two

The Clean - Tally Ho
Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind
The Velvet Underground - I'll Be Your Mirror
The Fall - Hit The North
posted by trashflow at 6:47 PM on March 6, 2023

So glad I'm hearing this! I've always missed it in past years. Man that Velvet Underground cover was nice.
posted by tovarisch at 6:50 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Every year I miss this and feel a little sad. And this year I finally caught it! Thank you, mandolin conspiracy ! You've given me a happy evening.
posted by silverstatue at 6:56 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Ugh. I always tune into this during the middle of a long stretch of fundraising patter from the hosts and wind up not only suffering through the excruciating awkwardness of pledge-show ad-libbing but also experiencing flashbacks to ten years of having to be the babbler on the other side of the microphone (for a local station where I live.)

Thank goodness the band is back to start set 3..
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:07 PM on March 6, 2023

Bless whoever requested "Tricky."
posted by EvaDestruction at 7:10 PM on March 6, 2023

"Having an Average Weekend" actually worked pretty well for them, having a similar sound to some of the instrumentals on their early albums. (on reflection: I suppose the person requesting it probably anticipated that.)
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:10 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Set Three

Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Having An Average Weekend
The Kinks - Better Things
Run DMC - It's Tricky
Meat Puppets - Up on The Sun
Flamin' Groovies - Doctor Boogie (w/ Joe Belock)
posted by trashflow at 7:17 PM on March 6, 2023

Personality Crisis!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:45 PM on March 6, 2023

Set Four

The Cure - In Between Days
The Rolling Stones - I'm Free
The Monkees - I'm A Believer
The New York Dolls - Personality Crisis (w/ Therese)
posted by trashflow at 7:46 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

So what's the ruling, is "Cum On Feel the Noize" the first murder of the night?

Add Manic Monday to that list.

*chef's kiss*
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:03 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure I recognized a single lyric from "Summer Babe" until close to the end.
posted by LionIndex at 8:05 PM on March 6, 2023

Set Five
The Coasters / The Rolling Stones - Poison Ivy
Prince / The Bangles - Manic Monday
Pavement - Summer Babe
The Clean - Gentle Hour (Peter Gutteridge)
Volcano Suns - unknown hardcore song
posted by trashflow at 8:13 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

oh, is it over?
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:14 PM on March 6, 2023

Probably not, there's usually a medley at the end where they knock out a ton of requests really quickly.
posted by LionIndex at 8:16 PM on March 6, 2023

awesome!
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:16 PM on March 6, 2023

Corrected Set Five

The Coasters / The Rolling Stones - Poison Ivy
Prince / The Bangles - Manic Monday
Pavement - Summer Babe
Snapper - Gentle Hour
Volcano Suns - Cover
posted by trashflow at 8:23 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

on reflection: I suppose the person requesting it probably anticipated that

I love that the fan base for this is roughly 60/40 "this will sound good"/"hmmm, what happens if..."
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:36 PM on March 6, 2023

Set Six

Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Bob Dylan - I Threw It All Away
Big Star - Blue Moon
George Harrison – Behind That Locked Door
posted by trashflow at 8:37 PM on March 6, 2023

Heh heh. "The Chain" was my pledge.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:38 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Therese had my back!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:38 PM on March 6, 2023

Set Seven

The Drifters / Dion - Drip Drop
Hava Nagila / The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird
DEVO - Gut Feeling
Neil Diamond / UB40 - Red Red Wine
Neu (?) - Both of you forget?
Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band - Why? (Medley)
Superchunk - I Wanna Be Well
Let That Mystery Be
Mr. Shadow
20/20 Single on BOMP
Neil Young - Lotta Love
Bee Gees - More Than A Woman
Blur
Syd Barrett - Too Late Night
posted by trashflow at 9:11 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

On the one hand, it's too bad YLT doesn't know "Tender" by Blur because I think they could do something really interesting with it. On the other, the random begging for anyone in the studio to help with lyrics is absolutely what I show up to this for.
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:19 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Thanks for rounding up the playlist, trashflow!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:52 PM on March 6, 2023