Yo La Tengo to Release ‘Murder in the Second Degree’ Covers CD

For the past 20 years, Yo La Tengo have helped out WFMU, the great listener-supported New Jersey free-form radio station, by performing cover songs during their annual fundraising marathon. Now, they've compiled a compact disc's worth of their favorite performances on Murder in the Second Degree.

It's a sequel to 2006's Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics, whose title referred to a 1971 novelty album by Spike Jones. As the band explains on their website, these were recorded without any rehearsal. "For the last 20 years (and counting)," they wrote, "Yo La Tengo, accompanied by cub reporter Bruce Bennett, have performed live on WFMU during their fundraising Marathon, and in return for listeners' pledges of support, we have attempted to play their requests, with no prior knowledge of what those requests will be, and without utilizing any of the many web sites that provide lyrics and chords. We rely instead on a lifetime of listening and the forgiveness of our audience."

In keeping with the ramshackle nature of the performances, they're not even providing a track listing. The closest they come is saying that one of three songs -- Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Nite," the Bay City Rollers' "Rock and Roll Love Letter" and Rick Derringer's "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" -- is included.

However, for those familiar with this tradition, don't expect any songs that they've played recently. "We compiled Murder in the 2nd Degree years ago," they continued. "Would it have made sense to tweak the contents, and add some more recent material? Undoubtedly. But that would require us to listen back to more of these performances."

There is no set release date or the CD, but it can be pre-ordered at Yo La Tengo's website.

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