Dessert Island Disco, Day 9

I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
Yo La Tengo

If Lou Reed had relaxed a bit, married Mo Tucker and settled down in suburban New Jersey, it'd sound a lot like this.

I don't know if this is YLT's best album (they've been making consistently great records since 1993's Painful), but it's my favorite. It's a perfect mix of all the stuff this band does: The shoegazey epicness of "Deeper Into Movies", the maudlin "Shadows", the country-ish "One PM Again", the baroque pop of "Center Of Gravity." It's like a big stew of everything great about rock & roll, served at just the right temperature.

Basically, they're the kind of band I'd love to be in. Put this one on while you go for a moonlit swim in that pristine lagoon. just make sure you wait a half hour after you've eaten. Wouldn't want to cramp up or anything.