Ira Kaplan | |
|---|---|
 Ira Kaplan in 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ira David Kaplan |
| Born | January 7, 1957 Queens, New York, United States |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Ira David Kaplan[1] (born January 7, 1957) is a co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. He is married to the band's co-founder Georgia Hubley.[2]
A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Kaplan formed Yo La Tengo in the early 1980s. Previously, he worked as a music critic for the SoHo Weekly News, New York Rocker, Village Voice[3] and Matter,[4] as well as serving as a soundman, roadie and backup musician for Mofungo and other New York-area bands.[5][6] Kaplan's life, family, and musical development were chronicled in the book Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock, by Jesse Jarnow (Avery Books, 2012).[7]
In 2012, Spin named Kaplan the 97th greatest guitarist of all time.[8]
Kaplan's vocals were featured in Eluvium's 2013 album Nightmare Ending in the song "Happiness". He occasionally hosts a free-form radio program on WFMU under the name "Ira the K."[9]
- ^ "ABOVE THE SOUND". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ Allmusic.com Entry for Ira Kaplan
- ^ Perfect Sound Forever: "From Gem Spa to the World"
- ^ "Matter magazine". The Rock Mag Archive. rockmagarchive.com. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "An American Band: Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan Reminisces..." Baltimore City Paper, February 2, 2007 Archived April 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Booth, Vachel (1988) "Yo, Dudes! - Home runs and headbutts with Yo La Tengo", Underground, February 1988 (Issue 11), p. 21
- ^ Big Day Coming review at Pitchfork.com
- ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". 3 May 2012.
- ^ WFMU archives for Ira Kaplan