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yo la tengo, "nuclear war"
Let's be honest—three white, nerdy, Hoboken NJ-based alt-rock indie superstars will probably never earn the amount of cred for this song that Sun Ra has earned in his years of groundbreaking musical endeavors. But Yo La Tengo aren't stupid, and I'm sure they realize this.
To honor this fantastic call-and-response piece which was originally released in the 1980s (a period considered long after the heyday of Sun Ra), Yo La Tengo have provided four intense interpretations. The first one is a pretty damned slick original mix: only the trio playing drums and percussion. The second one is hands down one of the most entertaining songs I have heard this entire year, as the group is joined by a rhythmic drone and a chorus of young children eagerly shouting back "it's a motherfucker" and "kiss your ass goodbye," amongst many other things. On the third, the group adds a piano part, is joined by horn players, more percussionists, and more vocalists in a jazzed-up 15+ minute jam, while the fourth is a pleasurable remix of the second version by Mike Ladd (also known as Ozone). Yo La Tengo aren't going to change the world, this song will never air on the radio in these versions, but at the appropriate $4 price, it's very cool thing to have.
 
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