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Sonic Youth
Kim Gordon (left) and Thurston Moore performing live in Stockholm, 2005
Kim Gordon (left) and Thurston Moore performing live in Stockholm, 2005
Background information
Origin New York City, New York, USA
Genre(s) crap
Years active 1981–present
Label(s) Neutral, Ecstatic Peace!, Homestead, SST, Enigma, DGC, SYR, Interscope
Associated acts Ciccone Youth
Website www.sonicyouth.com
Members
Kim Gordon
Thurston Moore
Lee Ranaldo
Steve Shelley
Mark Ibold
Former members
Bob Bert
Richard Edson
Jim O'Rourke
Jim Sclavunos

Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician vocalist and artist Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables Florida) is an American Musician best known as a Singer, The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other See also Musical groups established in 1981 Record labels established in 1981 List of 'years in music' In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Neutral Records is an Independent record label. Glenn Branca ran the label during the no-wave and Post-punk scene in the Lower East Side Ecstatic Peace! is a Record label based in Easthampton, Massachusetts, founded in 1981 by Sonic Youth member Thurston Moore See also Homestead Records (1920s Homestead Records was a New York City based sublabel of Dutch East India Trading. SST Records is an American Independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach California by musician Greg Ginn. Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative Record label in the 1980s Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Sonic Youth Recordings is a Record label established by the rock band Sonic Youth in 1996. Interscope Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Ciccone Youth is an experimental band which was formed in 1986. Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician vocalist and artist Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables Florida) is an American Musician best known as a Singer, Lee M Ranaldo (born February 3 1956) is an American Singer, Guitarist writer and record producer best known as a co-founder of the Steven Jay Shelley (b 23 June 1963, Midland Michigan) is an American Drummer, best known as the drummer of Alternative rock Mark Ibold (born 1962 is a Bass guitarist and former member of the indie band Pavement. Bob Bert is a American rock drummer Based in Hoboken New Jersey, Bert initially came to prominence as drummer for the experimental rock band Richard Edson (born 1954 is an American Actor and Musician. Edson was born in New Rochelle New York. Jim O'Rourke (born January 18, 1969) is an American musician and producer Jim Sclavunos is an American Rock music Drummer, Percussionist and producer. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of The City of New York Current personnel are founding members Thurston Moore (vocals and guitar), Lee Ranaldo (vocals and guitar), and Kim Gordon (vocals, bass, guitar), plus Mark Ibold (bass) and Steve Shelley (drums). Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables Florida) is an American Musician best known as a Singer, Lee M Ranaldo (born February 3 1956) is an American Singer, Guitarist writer and record producer best known as a co-founder of the Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician vocalist and artist The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Mark Ibold (born 1962 is a Bass guitarist and former member of the indie band Pavement. Steven Jay Shelley (b 23 June 1963, Midland Michigan) is an American Drummer, best known as the drummer of Alternative rock A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells

In their early career, Sonic Youth were associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City. No Wave was a short-lived but influential Art music, Film, Performance art, Video and Contemporary art scene that had its beginnings Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the hardcore punk ethos throughout the evolving American indie underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound. Noise rock (also known as noise punk) describes one variety of Post-punk Rock music that became prominent in the 1980s Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s In Popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility The DIY ethic ( Do it yourself ethic refers to the ethic of being self-reliant by completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are likely more experienced complete They have found moderate mainstream success, and are generally seen as one of the leading alternative rock groups of their time. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of

Sonic Youth are inspired by the guitar symphonies of Glenn Branca (with whom most of the band have performed), the heavy protopunk of The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, and MC5, the punk poetry of Patti Smith, the Krautrock of Can, the psychedelic garage rock of The 13th Floor Elevators, as well as avant-garde composers like John Cale. Glenn Branca (born October 6 1948 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania) is a highly-influential Avant-garde composer and Guitarist known for The Stooges are an American rock band that was active from 1967 to 1974 then reformed in 2003 This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book The MC5 ( Motor City Five) was an American Hard rock band formed in Lincoln Park Michigan in 1964 and active until Patricia Lee Smith ( born December 30 1946 is an American Singer-songwriter and poet Krautrock is a generic name for the Experimental music scene that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s especially in Britain Can was a musical group formed in West Germany in 1968 One of the most important Krautrock groups Can had a style grounded in the Experimental rock of Modern psychedelia For "psychedelics" see Psychedelic drug. Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard John Davies Cale (born March 9, 1942) better known as John Cale, is a Welsh Musician, Composer, Singer-songwriter The band were often praised for "redefin[ing] what rock guitar could do"[1] using a wide variety of unorthodox guitar tunings, and preparing guitars with objects like drumsticks and screwdrivers to alter the instruments' timbre. A scordatura (literally Italian for "mistuning" also called cross-tuning, is an alternative Tuning used for the open strings of a String A prepared guitar is a Guitar which has had its Timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings including other Extended The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten or to loosen and remove Screws The screwdriver comprises a head or tip which engages with In Music, timbre (ˈtæm-bər' like timber, or, from Fr timbre tɛ̃bʁ is the quality of a Musical note or sound that distinguishes different

Contents

History

Formation and early history: 1977-1981

Sonic Youth's history began when guitarist Thurston Moore moved to New York City in early 1977. Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables Florida) is an American Musician best known as a Singer, The City of New York [2] Interested in punk, Moore joined the Coachmen, a guitar-based quartet, after arriving in the city. Lee Ranaldo, an art student at Binghamton University, became a fan of the Coachmen, and he and Moore were soon friends. Lee M Ranaldo (born February 3 1956) is an American Singer, Guitarist writer and record producer best known as a co-founder of the The State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY Binghamton or Binghamton University is one of the four university centers in New York State’s system of Ranaldo was a member of Glenn Branca's electric guitar ensemble, touring throughout the United States and Europe. Glenn Branca (born October 6 1948 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania) is a highly-influential Avant-garde composer and Guitarist known for After the breakup of the Coachmen, Moore began jamming with Stanton Miranda, whose band, CKM, featured local artist Kim Gordon. Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician vocalist and artist [3]

Moore and Gordon formed a band, appearing under names like "Male Bonding" and "Red Milk" before agreeing upon the Arcadians in late 1980. The band played their first show at the Noise Festival in June 1981 at New York's White Columns gallery. Branca's ensemble played at the festival. Their performance impressed Moore, who described them as "the most ferocious guitar band that I had ever seen in my life". After Branca's set, Moore asked Ranaldo if he wanted to join the Arcadians. Ranaldo accepted; the band played three songs at the festival later in the week without a drummer. Each band member took turns playing the drums, until they met drummer Richard Edson. Richard Edson (born 1954 is an American Actor and Musician. Edson was born in New Rochelle New York. [4]

Moore soon renamed the band "Sonic Youth". The name came from combining the middle name of MC5's Fred "Sonic" Smith with the trend of reggae artists, such as Big Youth, featuring the word "Youth" in their names. The MC5 ( Motor City Five) was an American Hard rock band formed in Lincoln Park Michigan in 1964 and active until Fred "Sonic" Smith ( September 14, 1949 – November 4, 1994) was an American Guitarist who is best Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 19 April 1949, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica) better known as Big Youth (sometimes called Gordon later recalled that "as soon as Thurston came up with the name Sonic Youth, a certain sound that was more of what we wanted to do came about. "[5]

Early releases: 1982-1985

Branca signed Sonic Youth as the first act on his record label Neutral Records. Glenn Branca (born October 6 1948 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania) is a highly-influential Avant-garde composer and Guitarist known for Neutral Records is an Independent record label. Glenn Branca ran the label during the no-wave and Post-punk scene in the Lower East Side In December of 1981 the group recorded five songs in a studio in New York's Radio City Music Hall. Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City 's Rockefeller Center. The material was a released as the Sonic Youth mini-LP that, while largely ignored, was sent to a few key members of the US press that gave it uniformly favorable reviews. Sonic Youth is the debut EP by Sonic Youth. It was recorded in 1981 at Radio City Music Hall, New York City and released on [6] After their first record, Edson quit the group for a modestly successful acting career (noted for roles in Stranger Than Paradise, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Do the Right Thing); he was replaced by Bob Bert. Stranger Than Paradise is an Absurdist Comedy film written and directed by American director Jim Jarmusch in 1984 Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 Comedy film written and directed by John Hughes. "Do the Right Thing" is also an Australian anti-litter campaign Bob Bert is a American rock drummer Based in Hoboken New Jersey, Bert initially came to prominence as drummer for the experimental rock band

During their early days as part of the New York music scene, Sonic Youth formed a friendship with noisy New Yorkers Swans. Swans was an influential American Post-punk band active from 1982 to 1997 led by singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The bands came to share the same rehearsal space, and Sonic Youth embarked on its first tour, a two-week journey through the southern United States starting in November of 1982, supporting Swans. During a second tour with Swans of the Midwest the following month, tensions ran high and Moore constantly criticized Bert's drumming, which he felt wasn't "in the pocket. "[7] Bert was fired afterwards and replaced by Jim Sclavunos, who played drums on the band's 1983 album Confusion Is Sex. Jim Sclavunos is an American Rock music Drummer, Percussionist and producer. Confusion Is Sex is Sonic Youth 's first full length album originally released in 1983 Sonic Youth managed to set up a two-week tour of Europe for the summer of 1983. However, Sclavunos quit after only a few months. The group asked Bert to rejoin, and he agreed, on the condition that he would not be fired again after the tour's conclusion. [8]

Sonic Youth found themselves well-received in Europe, but the New York press largely ignored the local noise rock scene. Noise rock (also known as noise punk) describes one variety of Post-punk Rock music that became prominent in the 1980s Eventually, as the press began to take notice of the genre, Sonic Youth was grouped along with bands like Big Black, the Butthole Surfers and Pussy Galore under the "pigfucker" label by Village Voice music critic Robert Christgau. Big Black was a Noise rock band founded in Chicago Illinois, United States that was active between 1982 and 1987. Butthole Surfers (also referred to as simply "the Buttholes" is an American Alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary Pussy Galore was an American Trash rock band that formed in Washington D This article is about a New York newspaper For the Ottawa Hills Ohio magazine see The Village Voice of Ottawa Hills. Robert Christgau (born April 18 1942) is an American Essayist, Music journalist, and the self-declared "Dean of American [9] (Christgau saw these bands as sharing an abrasive, noisy and confrontational aesthetic. ) Based on this classification, and on a negative live review by Christgau, a feud developed between Moore and the critic, with Moore renaming the song "Kill Yr Idols" to "I Killed Christgau With My Big Fucking Dick" before the two sorted out their differences amicably. [10]

During another tour of Europe in 1984, Sonic Youth's disastrous London, England debut (where the band's equipment malfunctioned and Moore consequently destroyed the equipment onstage in frustration) actually resulted in rave notices in Sounds and the NME. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Sound' is Vibration transmitted through a Solid, Liquid, or Gas; particularly sound means those vibrations composed of Frequencies The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been By the time they returned to New York, they were so popular they played shows practically every week. [11] That same year Moore and Gordon were married and Sonic Youth released Bad Moon Rising, a self-described "Americana" album that served as a reaction to the state of the nation at the time. Bad Moon Rising is the second Studio album by the American Alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on the New York [12] The album, recorded by Martin Bisi, was built around transitional pieces that Moore and Ranaldo had come up with in order to take up time onstage while the other guitarist was busy tuning his instrument;[13] as a result there are almost no breaks between the songs on the record, which feature walls of feedback and pounding rhythms. Martin Bisi is an American producer and Songwriter. He is known for recording seminal records by Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Bad Moon Rising featured an appearance by Lydia Lunch on the album's single "Death Valley '69", inspired by the Manson Family murders. Lydia Lunch (born Lydia Koch on June 2, 1959 in Rochester New York) is an American Singer, Poet, In contrast to their abrasive, atonal material of the time, the band considered the song relatively conventional. Due to a falling-out with Branca over disputed royalty payments from their Neutral releases, they were signed to Homestead Records by Gerard Cosloy and by Blast First in the UK (which founder Paul Smith created simply so he could distribute the band's records in Europe). See also Homestead Records (1920s Homestead Records was a New York City based sublabel of Dutch East India Trading. Gerard Cosloy (born 1964 is an American Music industry executive Blast First is a sublabel of one-time indie label Mute Records, founded in approximately 1985. Paul Smith is probably best known as the founder and manager of Blast First, the British alternative record label that released artists such as Sonic Youth, the [14] While even the New York press ignored Bad Moon Rising upon its release, now viewing the band as too arty and pretentious, Sonic Youth was becoming quite critically acclaimed in the United Kingdom, where the new album had sold five thousand copies in just six months. [15]

Claiming he was bored with playing Bad Moon Rising live in its entirety for over a year, Bert quit the group and was replaced by Steve Shelley, formerly of the hardcore group Crucifucks. Steven Jay Shelley (b 23 June 1963, Midland Michigan) is an American Drummer, best known as the drummer of Alternative rock The Crucifucks were a Lansing, Michigan -based Punk rock band formed in 1982. The band was so impressed with Shelley's intense drumming after seeing him play live they hired him without an audition. [16] Bert has remained on good terms with the group; he and Shelley both appeared in the music video for "Death Valley '69", for Bert performed the drums on the song, but Shelley was the group's drummer when the video was made. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics

SST and Enigma: 1986-1989

Sonic Youth had a long fascination with influential indie label SST Records. SST Records is an American Independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach California by musician Greg Ginn. Ranaldo said, "It was the first record company we were on that we really would have given anything to be on. "[17] Sonic Youth eventually signed to the label in early 1986 and began recording their SST debut EVOL with Martin Bisi in March of that year. Evol is the third studio album by American Noise rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1986 on SST Records.

EVOL itself represented an evolution of sorts for the band: in addition to increasingly melodic material and the impact of new drummer Shelley's playing, the record also dealt with themes of celebrity, particularly with songs like "Madonna, Sean and Me" and "Marilyn Moore". Signing to SST catapulted the band on to a national stage, something that did not happen to their peers in the New York underground. [18] The mainstream music press subsequently began to take notice of the band. Robert Palmer of the The New York Times declared that Sonic Youth was "making the most startlingly original guitar-based music since Jimi Hendrix" and even People magazine praised EVOL as the "aural equivalent of a toxic waste dump. James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter People (full name People Weekly) is a weekly American Magazine of Celebrity and human interest stories, published "[19] EVOL is also notable for a guest appearance by bass guitarist Mike Watt, a friend who the band coaxed to New York to after he was deeply depressed by the death of his bandmate D. Boon. Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957 in Portsmouth Virginia) is an American Bass guitarist singer and Songwriter. D Boon (born Dennes Dale Boon, April 1, 1958 – December 22, 1985) was an American Singer, Songwriter

On 1987's Sister, Sonic Youth continued refining their blend of pop-music song structures with uncompromising experimentalism. Sister is an album by Alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1987 on SST Records. Another loose concept album, Sister is partly inspired by the life and works of science fiction writer Philip K. Dick (the "sister" of the title was Dick's fraternal twin, who died shortly after her birth, and whose memory haunted Dick his entire life). Philip Kindred Dick (December 16 – March 2) was an American Science fiction Novelist and Short story Writer. Twins are Offspring resulting from the same Pregnancy, either of the same or opposite Sex. [20] Sister sold 60,000 copies and received very positive reviews, becoming the first Sonic Youth album to crack the top twenty of the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll.

 Music sample:

"Teen Age Riot"

From Daydream Nation
Problems listening to the file? See media help. Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by the American Alternative rock band Sonic Youth.

However, the band was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with SST due to concerns about payment and other administrative practices. [21] Sonic Youth decided to release their next record on Enigma Records, which was distributed by Capitol Records and partly owned by EMI. Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative Record label in the 1980s Capitol Records is a major United States -based Record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood California and New York City as The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in The 1988 double LP Daydream Nation was a critical success that earned Sonic Youth substantial acclaim. Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by the American Alternative rock band Sonic Youth. The album came in second on the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll and topped the year-end album lists of the NME, CMJ, and Melody Maker. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper A number of prominent music periodicals including Rolling Stone hailed Daydream Nation as one of the best albums of the decade and named Sonic Youth as the "Hot Band" in its "Hot" issue. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published [22] Unfortunately, distribution problems arose and Daydream Nation was often difficult to find in stores. Moore considered Enigma a "cheap-jack Mafioso outfit" and the band began looking for a major label deal. [23]

Major label career and alternative icons: 1990-1999

Live in the Netherlands, 1991
Live in the Netherlands, 1991

1990 saw the release of Goo (their first album for Geffen), which featured the single "Kool Thing" on which Chuck D from rap group Public Enemy guested. Goo is an Album by Alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990. Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label " Kool Thing " was the first major label single from Sonic Youth 's 1990 album Goo. Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1 1960 in Roosevelt New York) better known by his stage name Chuck D, is an American rapper author and producer Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Public Enemy, also known as PE, is an influential hip hop group from Long Island New York, known for its politically charged Lyrics, criticism "Kool Thing" became the song that most casual music fans associate with the band (the song was later featured in the video game Guitar Hero III and was made available as a paid download for the Rock Band video game). The record is considered much more accessible than their previous work. Their 1991 tour with the then relatively unknown Nirvana was captured in the film 1991: The Year Punk Broke. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. 1991 The Year Punk Broke is a 1992 documentary directed by Dave Markey.

In 1992, the band released Dirty (DGC). Dirty is an Album by Sonic Youth that was originally released on July 21 1992. Their influence as tastemakers continued with their discovery of acclaimed skateboard video director Spike Jonze who they recruited for the video for "100%" which also featured skateboarder Jason Lee. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics Spike Jonze (born Adam Spiegel October 22, 1969) is an American director of Music videos and commercials and an Academy Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American Actor and former professional skateboarder. This song, along with the Gordon tune "JC" contain lyrical references to the murder of Joe Cole, a friend who worked with the band as a roadie. Joseph Dennis "Joe" Cole ( April 10, 1961 &ndash December 19, 1991) was a Roadie for Black Flag and Rollins The album features artwork by Los Angeles-based artist Mike Kelley. Mike Kelley (born 1954 in Detroit, lives and works in Los Angeles) is an American Artist.

Moore and Gordon's daughter, Coco Hayley Gordon Moore was born in 1994, the year the band released Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. Coco Hayley Gordon Moore (born July 1, 1994) is the daughter of Sonic Youth 's husband-and-wife team of Bassist / vocalist Kim Gordon Experimental Jet Set Trash and No Star is an Album by Alternative rock band Sonic Youth, first released in May 1994 Possibly their most adventurous album, it was filled with low-key melodies and even had a semi-hit single, "Bull in the Heather", which gained even more attention when it was played at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1996. Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of Rock festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia between 1996 and Many of the songs from Experimental Jet Set were never played live because there was never a full tour to support the album due to Kim's pregnancy.

Sonic Youth on The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza"
Sonic Youth on The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza"

The band headlined the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. " Homerpalooza " is the twenty-fourth episode of The Simpsons ' seventh season and originally aired on May 19 1996 as part of the By that time alternative music had gained considerable mainstream attention, and the festival was parodied on The Simpsons 1996 episode "Homerpalooza", which featured voiceovers from the band. " Homerpalooza " is the twenty-fourth episode of The Simpsons ' seventh season and originally aired on May 19 1996 as part of the They also performed the final credits theme for that episode.

Kim Gordon collaborated in Free Kitten, and started an MTV-adored clothing label X-Girl, based in Los Angeles. Free Kitten is a musical collaboration between Sonic Youth 's Kim Gordon and Pussy Galore 's Julie Cafritz. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore have played with many experimental/noise musicians, including William Hooker, Nels Cline, Tom Surgal, Don Dietrich, Christian Marclay and Mission of Burma, among others. William Hooker (born 1946 is an American Jazz Drummer and Composer. Nels Cline (born in Los Angeles in 1956 is an American Guitarist and Composer. Don Dietrich is a saxophonist and founding member of New York City based improvisational group Borbetomagus. Christian Marclay (born 1955 is an American Visual artist and Composer based in New York. Mission of Burma is an American Post-punk band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1979 Steve Shelley runs the Smells Like Records record label, as well as playing in backing bands for Chan Marshall (Cat Power) and Two Dollar Guitar. Smells Like Records is an Independent record label based in Hoboken New Jersey formed by Sonic Youth Drummer Steve Shelley in Cat Power is the stage name of American Singer/songwriter Charlyn "Chan" Marshall (born Charlyn Marie Marshall on 21 January

From Sonic Youth's earliest days, Gordon had occasionally played guitar with the group. About the time of A Thousand Leaves and Washing Machine she began playing guitar more frequently, resulting in a three-guitar and drums lineup. A Thousand Leaves is the twelfth Album by Sonic Youth. It was the group's first major album to be recorded in their private Manhattan studio Washing Machine is an Album by the band Sonic Youth. It was released shortly after the group concluded their stint headlining the 1995 Lollapalooza These songs were something of a shift for the group's sound, and would lead to the introduction of a fifth member a few years later.

The Washing Machine album started a major shift in the band, away from their punk roots, that working with longer noise-jam sections and included two tracks that showed the new approach in full force (the track "Washing Machine" which is just under ten minutes long and the last track "The Diamond Sea" which is around nineteen minutes long).

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band began releasing a series of highly experimental records on their own Hoboken, New Jersey-based label SYR. Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The music was mostly instrumental, and the album and track titles and even the liner notes and credits were in different languages: SYR1 was in French, SYR2 in Dutch, SYR3 in Esperanto, SYR5 in Japanese, and SYR6 in Lithuanian. SYR1 Anagrama is an EP by Sonic Youth. It was the first in a series of experimental and mostly instrumental releases put out on the band's own SYR label French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people SYR2 Slaapkamers Met Slagroom is an EP by Sonic Youth. It was the second in a series of mostly instrumental and experimental releases put out on the band's own Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname SYR3 Invito Al Ĉielo is an EP by Sonic Youth. It was the third in a series of experimental releases put out on the band's own SYR label leading up to is by far the most widely spoken constructed International auxiliary language in the world SYR5 is a 2000 album by Kim Gordon, DJ Olive and Ikue Mori. Following the tradition of having the liner notes of SYR releases written in is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities SYR6 Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui is an EP by Sonic Youth. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. SYR3 was the first to feature Jim O'Rourke, who went on to become an official band member. Jim O'Rourke (born January 18, 1969) is an American musician and producer

SYR4 was different – it was subtitled "Goodbye, 20th Century" and featured works by avant-garde classical composers such as John Cage, Yoko Ono, Steve Reich, and Christian Wolff played by Sonic Youth along with several collaborators from the modern avant-garde music scene, such as Christian Marclay, William Winant, Wharton Tiers, Takehisa Kosugi and others. SYR4 Goodbye 20th Century is a double album of covers of Avant-garde recordings by Sonic Youth and collaborators WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> John Milton Cage Jr born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Stephen Michael Reich (born October 3 Christian Wolff (born March 8, 1934) is an American Composer of experimental classical music. Christian Marclay (born 1955 is an American Visual artist and Composer based in New York. William Winant is a virtuosic and highly-regarded American percussionist In addition to Contemporary classical music, he has also performed Wharton Tiers (born 1953 in Philadelphia) is an Audio engineer and Record producer for bands such as Sonic Youth, White Zombie Takehisa Kosugi (小杉武久 surname Kosugi; b Tokyo, Japan, 1938 is a Japanese composer and violinist associated with the Fluxus movement The album received mixed reviews, but most critics praised the group's efforts at popularizing and reinterpreting the composers' works.

Recent events: 2000-present

On July 4, 1999, Sonic Youth's instruments, amps, and gear were stolen in the middle of the night while on tour in Orange, California (see initial post on Usenet). Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Usenet, a Portmanteau of "user" and "network" is a world-wide distributed Internet discussion system Forced to start from scratch with new instruments, they recorded NYC Ghosts & Flowers and opened for Pearl Jam during the east coast leg of their 2000 tour. NYC Ghosts & Flowers is a 2000 Album by Sonic Youth. The album was a slight departure mainly as a creative reaction to the theft of their instruments Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990

When the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred, several members of the band were blocks away, Jim at their NYC studio (Echo Canyon on Murray Street), and Lee and his wife Leah nearby at home. After the attacks, they curated the first US outing of the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in L. All Tomorrow's Parties is a Music festival which takes place in England at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday A. The festival was originally scheduled for October 2001, but it was delayed until March the following year due to the attacks.

Additional guitarist Jim O'Rourke with the band in concert in 2005
Additional guitarist Jim O'Rourke with the band in concert in 2005

In the summer of 2002, Murray Street was released; many critics heralded a "return to form for SY", seemingly revitalized by the addition of Jim O'Rourke, who became a full member during this period. Murray Street is a 2002 Album by Sonic Youth. It was the first album by the group to feature Jim O'Rourke as an official fifth member This was followed in 2004 by the release of Sonic Nurse, an album similar in sound and approach to its immediate predecessor. Sonic Nurse is an Album by Sonic Youth, released on June 7 2004. "Pattern Recognition", a song named after the 2003 William Gibson novel, finds SY once again using Gibson's work for inspiration. William Ford Gibson (born March 17 1948 is an American - Canadian writer who has been called the "noir prophet" of the Cyberpunk subgenre As the opening track on the record, SY clearly signals a return to the postmodern well. Postmodernism literally means 'after the modernist movement' While " Modern " itself refers to something "related to the present" the movement of modernism The band also showed their pop culture commentary and sense of humor with the track "Mariah Carey and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream", a faster-tempo song sung by Kim Gordon which spoofed Carey's life, including her short-lived relationship with rapper Eminem, which originally appeared on a 2003 split 7" with Erase Errata (on the album cover, the reference to "Mariah Carey" in the title was replaced by "Kim Gordon" due to copyright issues, which presented the issue in an even more postmodern and ironic light). Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17 1972 known as Slim Shady and his primary Stage name Eminem, is an Academy Award -winning Sonic Nurse had decent sales, in part due to performances on TV talk shows including Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien on NBC The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show currently hosted by Jay Leno, on The band was also slated to perform in 2004's Lollapalooza tour along with acts such as the Pixies and The Flaming Lips, but the concert was cancelled due to lackluster ticket sales. Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances Pixies are an American Alternative rock band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1986 The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983 is an American rock band When the band toured later that year, they played extensively from their 1980s catalog.

On October 6, 2005, Los Angeles CityBeat reported that some of the gear stolen in 1999 was surprisingly recovered and that it might be used for recording of the next album, then tentatively titled Sonic Life. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [24] The report also said that Jim O'Rourke might be leaving the band soon; his departure was confirmed by Lee Ranaldo in an interview to Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago -based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary [25] When Jim O'Rourke did play for the group, he would play bass guitar, guitar, and occasionally synthesizer. In May 2006, the group announced on their website that ex-Pavement member Mark Ibold would play bass for the band on their upcoming tour. Pavement was an American Indie rock band in the 1990s Although they experienced only moderate commercial success they achieved a significant cult Mark Ibold (born 1962 is a Bass guitarist and former member of the indie band Pavement.

Rather Ripped was released in Europe on 5 June 2006 and in the USA on 13 June 2006. Rather Ripped is the title of an album by Sonic Youth, which was released on June 13, 2006. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. As with Sonic Nurse, the majority of the tracks were written by Moore. Compared to previous Sonic Youth recordings, the album features many short, conventionally structured, melodic songs and fewer feedback-fuelled left field improvisations (the band's avant garde tendencies nowadays have been largely exorcised through SYR releases and solo outings rather than band albums). Later that summer, Sonic Youth played the 2006 Bonnaroo Festival, as well as Lollapalooza, promoting the album. Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances In December Rolling Stone magazine made it their number three Album of the Year 2006. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published

The band released The Destroyed Room: B-sides and Rarities in December 2006. The Destroyed Room B-sides and Rarities is a compilation album by Sonic Youth. It features tracks previously available only on vinyl, limited-release compilations, b-sides to international singles, and even some material that had never before been released. [26]

Musical style and influences

Alternate tunings

Kim Gordon walking over her bass, the Netherlands, 1991
Kim Gordon walking over her bass, the Netherlands, 1991

Sonic Youth's sound relies heavily on the use of alternate guitar tunings. Guitar tunings are differing pitch arrangements of open (unfretted strings used for the Guitar. Scordatura on stringed instruments has been used for centuries and alternate guitar tunings had been used for decades in blues music, and to a limited degree in rock music (such as with Lou Reed's Ostrich guitar on The Velvet Underground and Nico), but Sonic Youth began using a variety of tunings more radical than nearly anything in rock music history. A scordatura (literally Italian for "mistuning" also called cross-tuning, is an alternative Tuning used for the open strings of a String The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Ostrich guitar is an alternative guitar tuning in which all the guitar strings are tuned to the same Pitch class (often D but A# and B have also been noted This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book Christa Päffgen ( October 16, 1938 ? &ndash July 18, 1988) was a German Singer - Songwriter, fashion model Azerrad writes that early in their career, Sonic Youth "could only afford cheap guitars, and cheap guitars sounded like cheap guitars. But with weird tunings or something jammed under a particular fret, those humble instruments could sound rather amazing – bang a drumstick on a cheap Japanese Stratocaster copy in the right tuning, crank the amplifier to within an inch of its life, and it will sound like church bells"[27] The tunings were painstakingly developed by Moore and Ranaldo during the band's rehearsals; Moore once reported that the odd tunings were an attempt to introduce new sounds: "When you're playing in standard tuning all the time . A fret is a raised portion on the neck of a Stringed instrument, that extends generally across the full width of the neck The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as the Strat, is a model of Electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares . . things sound pretty standard". [27] Rather than retune for every song, Sonic Youth generally use a particular guitar for one or two songs, and can take dozens of instruments on tour. This can be the source of much trouble for the band, as some songs rely on specific guitars that have been uniquely prepared. A prepared guitar is a Guitar which has had its Timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings including other Extended

Influences

Besides Branca, Patti Smith, The Stooges, and The Velvet Underground, another influence was the hardcore punk of the early 1980s; after seeing a Minor Threat performance in May 1982, Moore declared them "the greatest live band I have ever seen". Glenn Branca (born October 6 1948 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania) is a highly-influential Avant-garde composer and Guitarist known for Patricia Lee Smith ( born December 30 1946 is an American Singer-songwriter and poet The Stooges are an American rock band that was active from 1967 to 1974 then reformed in 2003 This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s Minor Threat was an American Hardcore punk band that formed in Washington D [28] While recognizing that their own music was very different from hardcore, Moore and Gordon, especially, were impressed by hardcore's speed and intensity, and by the nationwide network of musicians and fans. "It was great", said Moore, "the whole thing with slam dancing and stage diving, that was far more exciting than pogoing and spitting. Moshing or slamming refers to the activity in which audience members at live music performances aggressively push or slam into each other Stage diving is the act of leaping from a Concert stage onto the crowd below a stage antic whose origin is variously credited to Iggy Pop or Peter Gabriel The pogo is a Dance where the dancers jump up and down while remaining in the same location the dance takes its name from its resemblance to the use of a Pogo stick . . . I thought hardcore was very musical and very radical". [29]

Members of the band have also maintained relationships with other avant-garde artists from other genres and even other media, drawing influence from the work of John Cage and Henry Cowell. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> John Milton Cage Jr Henry Cowell ( March 11, 1897 – December 10, 1965) was an American Composer, musical theorist, Pianist For a 1988 Peel Session, Sonic Youth covered three Fall songs and "Victoria" by The Kinks, also covered by the Fall. John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004 known professionally as John Peel, was an English Disc jockey, radio The Fall are an English Post-punk band formed in Prestwich, Greater Manchester in 1976 The Kinks were an English pop and rock group formed in 1963 and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band Sonic Youth has featured album art by several well-known avant-garde visual artists such as Mike Kelley and Gerhard Richter, whose paintings from his "Candles" series was used as artwork on Daydream Nation. Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Mike Kelley (born 1954 in Detroit, lives and works in Los Angeles) is an American Artist. Gerhard Richter (born February 9, 1932) is a German Artist Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by the American Alternative rock band Sonic Youth.

Discography

Main article: Sonic Youth discography

Studio albums

References

Notes

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Sonic Youth Biography. AllMusic. com. Retrieved on 2007-02-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor
  2. ^ Azerrad, 2001. p. 233
  3. ^ Azerrad, 2001. p. 234
  4. ^ Azerrad, 2001. p. 235
  5. ^ Azerrad, 2001. p. 236
  6. ^ Azerrad, pg. 237
  7. ^ Azerrad, pg. 241
  8. ^ Azerrad, pg. 245
  9. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Township Jive Conquers the World: The 13th (or 14th) Annual Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". Village Voice. This article is about a New York newspaper For the Ottawa Hills Ohio magazine see The Village Voice of Ottawa Hills. March 3, 1987. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar)
  10. ^ Azerrad, pg. 246
  11. ^ Azerrad, pg. 248
  12. ^ Azerrad, pg. 250
  13. ^ Azerrad, pg. 248
  14. ^ Azerrad, pg. 252
  15. ^ Azerrad, pg. 252–53
  16. ^ Azerrad, pg. 258
  17. ^ Azerrad, pg. 261
  18. ^ Azerrad, pg. 262–63
  19. ^ Azerrad, pg. 265
  20. ^ Azerrad, pg. 266
  21. ^ Azerrad, pg. 268
  22. ^ Azerrad, pg. 270
  23. ^ Azerrad, pg. 271
  24. ^ Appleford, Steve (2005). 100% (http). lacitybeat. com. Retrieved on 2006-10-23. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC -
  25. ^ Jim O'Rourke Parts Ways With Sonic Youth, for Now (http). pitchforkmedia. com (2005). Retrieved on 2006-10-23. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC -
  26. ^ Sonic Youth Unveil Rarities Comp Tracklist (http). pitchforkmedia. com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-07
  27. ^ a b Azerrad, pg. 243
  28. ^ Azerrad, 273
  29. ^ Ignacio, Julia & Jaime Gonzalo. Sonic Youth: I dreamed of noise. Barcelona: RUTA 66, 1994. Pg. 51

External links

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