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 and Village Voice, as well as serving as a soundman, roadie and backup musician for Mofungo and other New York-area bands. 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).
In 2012, Spin Magazine named Kaplan the 97th greatest guitarist of all time.
Kaplan's vocals were featured in Eluvium's 2013 album Nightmare Ending in the song "Happiness". He hosts a free-form radio program on WFMU under the name "Ira the K."

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