Too bad Yo La Tengo already used I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass for an album title back in 2006—the dog days of Bush’s second term that now qualify as better times—because its brashness is an appropriate reaction to the Trump regime. But so is There’s A Riot Going On, YLT’s new album named after another product of troubled times, Sly & The Family Stone’s landmark 1971 album There’s A Riot Goin’ On. Matador records will release it March 16.
Although Yo La Tengo didn’t replicate the drug-fueled insanity that accompanied the production of the Sly & The Family Stone album, the long-running New Jersey band did deviate sharply from its usual process for the new one: It self-produced and built the songs from parts captured during improvised recording sessions. The band went into these sessions without having rehearsed or written anything together, opting simply to turn on the recorder “and let things coalesce,” according to the press materials. That meant that as much as a year elapsed between writing parts for the same song, but the final product—as shown in the four songs from Riot Matador is releasing today—coheres without sounding like a free-jazz freakout. Or maybe Yo La Tengo saved that for the album’s 11 other songs?
The band hits the road March 28 for a U.S. and European tour that stretches into June. The full schedule, along with the track list for There’s A Riot Going On, is below.
Tracks:
1. You Are Here
2. Shades of Blue
3. She May, She Might
4. For You Too
5. Ashes
6. Polynesia #1
7. Dream Dream Away
8. Shortwave
9. Above the Sound
10. Let’s Do It Wrong
11. What Chance Have I Got
12. Esportes Casual
13. Forever
14. Out of the Pool
15. Here You Are
Tour:
3/28 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
3/29 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
3/30 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
3/31 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix
4/2 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
4/3 – Boston, MA – Paradise
4/4 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
4/6 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
4/7 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
4/8 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson
4/10 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
4/11 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
4/12 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
4/13 – Nashville, TN – Basement East
4/14 – Nashville, TN – Basement East
4/28 – Dublin, IE – Olympia
4/29 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3
4/30 – Manchester, UK – Academy
5/1 – Birmingham, UK – Town Hall
5/3 – Leeds, UK – Church Leeds
5/4 – London, UK – Royal Festival Hall
5/6 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
5/7 – Berlin, DE – Heimathafen
5/8 – Cologne, DE – Gloria Theatre
5/9 – Munich, DE – Muncher Kammerspiele
5/11 – Zagreb, HR – Pogon Jedinstvo
5/12 – Belgrade, RS – Dom Omladine
5/13 – Budapest, HU – A38 Ship
5/15 – Milan, IT – Fabrique
5/16 – Fribourg, CH – Fri-Son
5/17 – Schorndorf, DE- Manufaktur
5/19 – Paris, FR – Le Caberet Sauvage
5/20 – Brussels, BE – Ancienne Belgique
5/31 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theater
6/1 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theater
6/2 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
6/3 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
6/5 – San Francisco, CA – Fillmore Theater
6/6 – San Francisco, CA – Fillmore Theater
6/8 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom
6/9 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom