I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

Today's Music That Also Sounds Like A Threat is from Yo La Tengo, titled I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. This album is the most recent release from Yo La Tengo, prolific and critically adored indie rock band, and also the most ridiculously named. Apparently the album title comes from basketball player Tim Thomas, who uttered the words "Everyone in this organization is afraid of you, but I’m not, and I will beat your ass" to then-teammate Stephon Marbury a few years ago.

Anyhow, this album has a lot to like: colorful packaging, a varied collection of interesting songs, a wicked title. The album starts with the retro-bebop styled "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind", a pleasant enough tune that goes on for almost 11 minutes. I don't know if this album as a whole appeals to me as much as I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, but it's pretty damn good. Heart seems to rock a little harder; while Not Afraid doesn't get stale at any point, it also stays away from the distortion and the shoegaze elements that Heart incorporated so well. Not Afraid has more of a wistful, dreamy sound, but the songs are still very listenable. Sometimes I wish it had a little more of an edge or pushed the tempo just a bit, but neither of these things are completely lacking.

To be fair, "Watch Out For Me Ronnie" and "Beanbag Chair" do have a little drive to them. This album, though, really has its head in the clouds. Just listen to "Daphnia" and "Sometimes I Don't Get You" and try to tell me otherwise. "Black Flowers" is possibly my favorite song on this album; "Mr Tough" isn't bad, either. The album really ends well, with "The Story of Yo La Tango", all 12+ minutes of it. This is an excellent album, one that even indie rock snobs should be able to enjoy; as long as your music doesn't need choreographed dancing or you don't hold your hand in the metal sign all day, you should give this album a shot.

In Other News:
I really have to try sleeping at night. Cripes.