Book Review: 33 Revolutions Per Page
Tall tales of Texas and beyond
Reviewed by Zoe Cordes Selbin, Fri., June 15, 2012
Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock
by Jesse JarnowGotham Books, 362 pp., $18 (paper)
Many books are written about indie rock, but few are as complete as Big Day Coming. This 362-page tome is filled with every detail on all things early indie, using the history of Yo La Tengo to filter the information. It's a slow starter; the first few chapters read more like a love letter to the Hoboken music scene, without much direction. Once it gets going, however, any indie nerd will delight in the depth of information on Yo La Tengo and the scene they came up in. And it's an amazing story due to the fact that YLT have stayed relevant through every trendy scene wave. Plus, the anecdotes are priceless; Austinites will especially enjoy the sections on Matador head Gerard Cosloy's early years. It's a book aimed at music nerds, but it's rewarding, with the best moments being little insights into the relationship between Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, the long-married base of Yo La Tengo. From their meeting at a Feelies show to their enduring bond and band, Big Day Coming is a treat peek into the lives of a notoriously private couple.