Sonic Youth
Kim Gordon (left) and Thurston Moore performing live in Stockholm, 2005
Background information
Origin	New York City, New York, USA
Genre(s)	Punk rock Alternative rock Noise rock Experimental rock Post-punk No Wave
Years active	1981-present
Label(s)	Neutral Ecstatic Peace! Homestead SST Enigma DGC SYR Interscope
Associated acts	Ciccone Youth
Website	www.sonicyouth.com
Members
Thurston Moore Lee Ranaldo Kim Gordon Steve Shelley
Former members
Drums:' Bob Bert Richard Edson Jim O'Rourke Jim Sclavunos

Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Since 1985, the band's line-up has consisted of Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo (both vocals and guitar), Kim Gordon (bass guitar, guitar and vocals) and Steve Shelley (drums). From 2000 to 2005 Jim O'Rourke became a full-time member as a multi-instrumentalist. Before Shelley Sonic Youth went through several drummers, including Bob Bert, Richard Edson and Jim Sclavunos. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2400x1600, 333 KB) Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth live at Accelerator, Münchenbryggeriet, Stockholm, Sweden, 2005-07-07. ... Gordon in 2005 Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953, in Rochester, New York), is a musician, vocalist, and artist. ... Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and tallest member of the band Sonic Youth. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Lightning Bolt Live at the Southgate House 2005. ... Experimental rock or Avant rock is a type of art music based on rock and roll which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, and/or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique. ... Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... No Wave was a short-lived but influential music and art scene that thrived briefly in New York City during the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk scene there. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1981 Record labels established in 1981 list of years in music // January 10 - Revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadways Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith February 14 - Billy Idol leaves the band Generation... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Neutral Records is a independent record label. ... Ecstatic Peace! is an independent record label based in Easthampton, Massachusetts, founded in 1981 by Sonic Youth member Thurston Moore. ... Homestead Records is a New York City based sublabel of Dutch East India Trading. ... SST Records is a Lawndale, California based independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by Black Flag founder/guitarist 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 operates as one third of UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ... 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 UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ... Ciccone Youth is an experimental band which was formed in 1986. ... Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and tallest member of the band Sonic Youth. ... Lee Ranaldo at Ilosaarirock 2003 Lee Ranaldo (b. ... Gordon in 2005 Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953, in Rochester, New York), is a musician, vocalist, and artist. ... Steve Shelley is a drummer born 23 June 1963 in Midland, Michigan. ... Bob Bert is the lovable Fozzy Bear-esque Zelig-like drummer of American indie post-whatever. ... Richard Edson (born 1954, New Rochelle, New York) is an American actor and musician. ... ORourke in Stockholm 2005 Jim ORourke (born 1969) is an American musician and producer. ... Jim Sclavunos is a rock music drummer and percussionist. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and tallest member of the band Sonic Youth. ... Lee Ranaldo at Ilosaarirock 2003 Lee Ranaldo (b. ... Gordon in 2005 Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953, in Rochester, New York), is a musician, vocalist, and artist. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Steve Shelley is a drummer born 23 June 1963 in Midland, Michigan. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... ORourke in Stockholm 2005 Jim ORourke (born 1969) is an American musician and producer. ... Bob Bert is the lovable Fozzy Bear-esque Zelig-like drummer of American indie post-whatever. ... Richard Edson (born 1954, New Rochelle, New York) is an American actor and musician. ... Jim Sclavunos is a rock music drummer and percussionist. ...

In their early career, Sonic Youth were associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City. Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the punk rock ethos throughout the evolving American indie underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound. They have found moderate mainstream success, and are generally seen as one of the leading alternative rock groups of their time. No Wave was a short-lived but influential music and art scene that thrived briefly in New York City during the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk scene there. ... Lightning Bolt Live at the Southgate House 2005. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ... The DIY ethic (do it yourself ethic) refers to the ethic of being self-reliant and doing things yourself as opposed to paying others to do it. ... Alternative music redirects here. ...

Their inspirations were the likes of 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 Cage. Sonic Youth 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 screwdrivers to alter the instruments' timbre. Glenn Branca (born October 6, 1948 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) is an avant-garde composer and guitarist. ... Protopunk is a term used to describe a number of performers who were important precursors of punk rock, or who have been cited by early punk rockers as influential. ... This article is about the rock band. ... This article is about the rock band. ... MC5 (short for Motor City Five) was a hard rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1964 and active until 1972. ... Patricia Lee (Patti) Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American musician, singer, and poet. ... Krautrock, also known as Kosmische Musik, is a generic name for the experimental music scene that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s. ... Can was a musical group formed in West Germany in 1968. ... For psychedelics, see psychedelic drug. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. ... The 13th Floor Elevators were a rock music group founded in Austin, Texas in late 1965. ... A work similar to Marcel Duchamps Fountain Avant garde (written avant-garde) is a French phrase, one of many French phrases used by English speakers. ... For the Mortal Kombat character, see Johnny Cage. ... A scordatura (literally Italian for mistuning) is an alternate tuning used for the open strings of a string instrument. ... A prepared guitar is a guitar which has had its timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instruments strings, including other extended techniques. ... A basic screwdriver made by Craftsman (slotted tip shown) A rechargeable battery-powered electric screwdriver from Black & Decker The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten, or to loosen and remove, screws. ... In music, timbre, or sometimes timber, (from Fr. ...

History

Formation and early history: 1977-1981

Sonic Youth's history began when guitarist Thurston Moore moved to New York City in early 1977.^[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. Ronaldo was a member of Glenn Branca's electric guitar ensemble, touring throughout the United States and Europe. After the breakup of the Coachmen, Moore began jamming with Stanton Miranda, whose band, CKM, featured a local artist called Kim Gordon.^[3] Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and tallest member of the band Sonic Youth. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Lee Ranaldo at Ilosaarirock 2003 Lee Ranaldo (b. ... Overlooking center of campus. ... Glenn Branca (born October 6, 1948 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) is an avant-garde composer and guitarist. ... Gordon in 2005 Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953, in Rochester, New York), is a musician, vocalist, and artist. ...

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 Ronaldo 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.^[4] Richard Edson (born 1954, New Rochelle, New York) is an American actor and musician. ...

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. 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] MC5 (short for Motor City Five) was a hard rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1964 and active until 1972. ... Fred Sonic Smith was the rhythm guitar player in proto-punk band the MC5. ... Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. ... Big Youth (Manley Augustus Buchanan) is a Jamaican DJ in the toasting tradition, mostly known for his albums during the 1970s. ...

Early releases: 1982-1985

Branca signed Sonic Youth as the first act on his record label Neutral Records. In December of 1981 the group recorded five songs in a studio in New York's Radio City Music Hall. 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.^[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. Neutral Records is a independent record label. ... Radio City Music Hall at Christmas 2005 Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Sonic Youth is the debut EP by Sonic Youth. ... Stranger than Paradise Stranger Than Paradise is an absurdist comedy film written and directed by American director Jim Jarmusch in 1984. ... Ferris Bueller redirects here. ... This article is about the 1989 film. ... Bob Bert is the lovable Fozzy Bear-esque Zelig-like drummer of American indie post-whatever. ...

During their early days as part of the New York music scene, Sonic Youth formed a friendship with noisy New Yorkers Swans. 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. 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] Swans were an influential American rock, experimental, folk and post-industrial band active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. ... Jim Sclavunos is a rock music drummer and percussionist. ... Confusion Is Sex is Sonic Youths second album, first released in 1983. ...

Sonic Youth had found themselves well-received in Europe, but the New York press largely ignored the local noise rock scene. 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.^[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" "I Killed Christgau With My Big Fucking Dick" before the two sorted out their differences amicably.^[10] Lightning Bolt Live at the Southgate House 2005. ... Big Black was a noise rock band founded in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that was active between 1982 and 1987. ... The Butthole Surfers are an American rock band founded in 1981 by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas. ... Pussy Galore was an American noise rock band that formed in Washington D.C. during 1985. ... The Village Voice is a New York City-based weekly newspaper featuring investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts reviews and events listings for New York City. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ...

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. 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.^[12] The album, recorded by Martin Bisi, was built around transitional pieces guitarists 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. Bad Moon Rising featured an appearance by Lydia Lunch on the album's single "Death Valley '69," inspired by the Manson Family murders. 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).^[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] London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... This article is about compression waves. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... Bad Moon Rising is the third album by the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, first released on Homestead Records in 1985. ... Martin Bisi is an American producer and songwriter. ... Lydia Lunch (born Lydia Koch on June 2, 1959 in Rochester, New York) is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress. ... Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 666 b. ... Homestead Records is a New York City based sublabel of Dutch East India Trading. ... Gerard Cosloy ran Homestead Records in the 1980s; DJd at WFMU; played in the group Air Traffic Controllers, and later founded Matador Records. ... Blast First is a noted sublabel of one time indie Mute Records. ... 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 Butthole Surfers, Big Black and Dinosaur Jr. ...

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. 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. Steve Shelley is a drummer born 23 June 1963 in Midland, Michigan. ... The Crucifucks were a Lansing, Michigan-based punk rock band formed in 1982. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ...

SST and Enigma: 1986-1989

Sonic Youth had a long fascination with influential indie label SST Records. 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 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 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."^[19] On 1987's Sister, Sonic Youth continued refining their blend of pop-music song structures with uncompromising experimentalism. 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).^[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. SST Records is a Lawndale, California based independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by Black Flag founder/guitarist Greg Ginn. ... Side 2 LP Label EVOL is a Sonic Youth album, released in 1986. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Sister is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1987 on SST Records. ... Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction. ... Fraternal twin boys in the tub The term twin most notably refers to two individuals (or one of two individuals) who have shared the same uterus (womb) and usually, but not necessarily, born on the same day. ...

Music sample:

"Teen Age Riot" Image File history File links Sonic_Youth_Teenage_Riot. ...

From Daydream Nation

Problems listening to the file? See media help. Daydream Nation is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1988. ...

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. The 1988 double LP Daydream Nation was a critical success that earned Sonic Youth substantial acclaim. 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. 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.^[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] 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. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... Daydream Nation is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1988. ... College Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the Canada. ... Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was (until its closure) the worlds oldest weekly music newspaper. ... This article is about the magazine. ...

Major label career and alternative icons: 1990-1999

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. "Kool Thing" became the song that most casual music fans associate with the band. 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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 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 operates as one third of UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ... Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name Chuck D, is an American rapper, composer, actor, author, radio personality and producer. ... Rap redirects here. ... Public Enemy, also known as PE, is a hip hop group from Long Island, New York, known for their politically charged lyrics, criticism of the media, and active interest in the concerns of the African American community. ... This article is about the American grunge band. ... 1991: The Year Punk Broke was a 1992 documentary directed by Dave Markey showcasing a late 1991 European tour of a number of punk and punk-inspired bands. ...

In 1992, the band released Dirty (DGC). 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. 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. The album features artwork by Los Angeles-based artist Mike Kelley. Dirty is an album by Sonic Youth that was originally released on June 7th, 1992. ... A standard skateboard An old-school skateboard A skateboard is a four wheeled platform used for the activity of skateboarding. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... For the musician and bandleader, see Spike Jones. ... Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American actor and professional skateboarder. ... Joe Cole (April 4, 1961 - December 19, 1991) was a roadie for Black Flag and Rollins Band. ... Mike Kelleys Frankenstein, 1989 Mike Kelley (born 1954 in Detroit, lives and works in Los Angeles) is one of the most influential artists to emerge from west coast art scene in the United States since the 1980s. ...

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. 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. 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. Coco Hayley Gordon Moore (born July 1, 1994) is the daughter of Sonic Youths husband-and-wife team of bassist/vocalist Kim Gordon and guitarist/vocalist Thurston Moore. ... Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, first released in May 1994. ... // Tibetan Freedom Concert Inception With the release of the Beastie Boys album Ill Communication in 1994, the Milarepa Fund was born. ...

Sonic Youth on The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza"

The band headlined the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. 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. They also performed the final credits theme for that episode. Image File history File links Simpsons_Sonic_Youth. ... Image File history File links Simpsons_Sonic_Youth. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Homerpalooza is the twenty-fourth episode of The Simpsons seventh season and originally aired on May 19, 1996 as part of the season finale. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Homerpalooza is the twenty-fourth episode of The Simpsons seventh season and originally aired on May 19, 1996 as part of the season finale. ...

Kim Gordon collaborated in Free Kitten, and started an MTV-adored clothing label X-Girl, based in Los Angeles. 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. 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. Free Kitten was a 1990s collaboration between Sonic Youths Kim Gordon and Pussy Galores Julie Cafritz. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... William Hooker (born 1946) is a jazz drummer and composer. ... Nels and his Jazzmaster. ... Don Dietrich is a saxophonist and founding member of New York City based improvisational group, Borbetomagus. ... Christian Marclay (born 1955) is a visual artist and musical composer based in New York, who is exploring the pattern languages connecting sound, photography, video, and film. ... Mission of Burma is a post-punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, USA comprising guitarist Roger Miller, bassist Clint Conley and drummer Peter Prescott, with Bob Weston (originally Martin Swope) as tape manipulator and sound engineer. ... Smells Like Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey formed by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley in 1995. ... Cat Power is the stage name of American singer/songwriter Charlyn Chan Marshall (born Charlyn Marie Marshall on 21 January 1972). ...

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. 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. A Thousand Leaves is the 12th album by Sonic Youth. ... Front-loading washing machine. ...

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 twenty-five minutes long.) Front-loading washing machine. ...

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. 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. SYR3 was the first to feature Jim O'Rourke, who went on to become an official band member. Map of New Jersey highlighting Hoboken Image of Hoboken taken by NASA (red line shows where Hoboken is). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... SYR is also the IATA airport code for Syracuse Hancock International Airport. ... This article is about the language. ... SYR5 is a 2000 album by Kim Gordon, DJ Olive and Ikue Mori. ... ORourke in Stockholm 2005 Jim ORourke (born 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. The album received mixed reviews, but most critics praised the group's efforts at popularizing and reinterpreting the composers' works. For the Mortal Kombat character, see Johnny Cage. ... Yoko Ono Lennon (小野 洋子 Ono Yōko), born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese-American artist and musician. ... Stephen Michael Reich (born October 3, 1936) is an American composer. ... Christian Wolff (born March 8, 1934) is an American composer of experimental classical music. ... Christian Marclay (born 1955) is a visual artist and musical composer based in New York, who is exploring the pattern languages connecting sound, photography, video, and film. ... William Winant is a percussionist. ... Wharton Tiers, (born in Philadelphia in 1953) is engineer and producer for bands such as Sonic Youth, Glenn Branca, Dinosaur Jr, Helmet, and Gumball. ... Takehisa Kosugi (小杉武久; surname Kosugi; b. ...

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). 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. Usenet (USEr NETwork) is a global, decentralized, distributed Internet discussion system that evolved from a general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name. ... Tracklist Free City Rhymes Renegade Princess Nevermind (what was it anyway?) Small Flowers Crack Concrete Side2side StreamXsonik Subway NYC Ghosts & Flowers Lightnin Categories: Album stubs | Sonic Youth albums ... This article is about the rock group. ...

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.A. The festival was originally scheduled for October 2001, but it was delayed until March the following year due to the attacks. A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... All Tomorrows Parties logo projected at festival. ...

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. This was followed in 2004 by the release of Sonic Nurse, an album similar in sound and approach to its immediate predecessor. "Pattern Recognition," a song named after the 2003 William Gibson novel, finds SY once again using Gibson's work for inspiration. As the opening track on the record, SY clearly signals a return to the postmodern well. 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). 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. 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. When the band toured later that year, they played extensively from their 1980s catalog. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x2400, 323 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Jim ORourke (musician) User:Andersju/gallery ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x2400, 323 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Jim ORourke (musician) User:Andersju/gallery ... Murray Street is a 2002 album by Sonic Youth. ... Sonic Nurse is an album by Sonic Youth, released on June 7, 2004. ... For other persons named William Gibson, see William Gibson (disambiguation). ... Postmodernity (also called post-modernity or the postmodern condition) is a term used by philosophers, social scientists, art critics and social critics to refer to aspects of contemporary art, culture, economics and social conditions that are the result of the unique features of late 20th century and early 21st century... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ... Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known as Eminem or Slim Shady, is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning American rapper, record producer and actor from the Detroit, Michigan area. ... Late Night with Conan OBrien is an Emmy Award-winning American late night talk show that is syndicated worldwide. ... May 26, 2006 opening monologue of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is the full name of NBCs The Tonight Show hosted by Jay Leno, debuting on May 25, 1992. ... Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring rock, alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. ... The Pixies are an American alternative rock music group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. ... The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983) are an American alternative rock band. ...

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.^[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.^[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. Los Angeles CityBeat is a free alternative weekly founded in June of 2003. ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... For other uses, see Synthesizer (disambiguation). ... Pavement was an influential American indie rock band in the 1990s. ... Mark Ibold (b. ...

Rather Ripped was released in Europe on 5th June 2006 and in the USA on 13th June 2006. 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. In December Rolling Stone magazine made it their number three Album of the Year 2006. Rather Ripped is the title of an album by Sonic Youth, which was released on June 13, 2006. ... Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring rock, alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. ... This article is about the magazine. ...

The band released The Destroyed Room: B-sides and Rarities in December 2006. 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

Main article: Sonic Youth's alternate tunings

Kim Gordon walking over her bass, the Netherlands, 1991

Sonic Youth's sound relies heavily on the use of alternate guitar tunings. 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. 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 ... 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 article is about Sonic Youths alternate tunings. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Open tuning. ... A scordatura (literally Italian for mistuning) is an alternate tuning used for the open strings of a string instrument. ... Blues music redirects here. ... Ostrich Guitar is an alternative guitar tuning in which all the guitar strings are tuned to the same note (often D). ... This article is about the rock band. ... For the prequel to Ico, see Shadow of the Colossus. ... The neck of a guitar showing the first four frets. ... A drum stick is an item used to hit percussion instruments to produce sound. ... A Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fingerboard and three-tone sunburst finish. ...

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" (Azerrad, 273). 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.... I thought hardcore was very musical and very radical".^[28] Patricia Lee (Patti) Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American musician, singer, and poet. ... This article is about the rock band. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Hardcore punk, now commonly known as 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 DC in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. ... This article is about the type of dance. ... Stage diving is the act of leaping from a concert stage into the crowd below. ... Pogoing is a dance move or series of moves where one tends to jump up and down, with arms at ones sides. ...

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 as well as European musique concrete (as evidenced by songs such as "Providence" on the album Daydream Nation). For a 1988 Peel Session, Sonic Youth covered three Fall songs and "Victoria" by The Kinks, also covered by the Fall. Sonic Youth has featured album art by several well-known avant-garde visual artists such as Mike Kelley and Gerhard Richter. For the Mortal Kombat character, see Johnny Cage. ... Henry Cowell (March 11, 1897 – December 10, 1965) was an American composer, musical theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. ... Musique concrète is the name given to a class of electronic music produced from editing together fragments of natural and industrial sounds. ... Daydream Nation is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1988. ... For other persons named John Peel, see John Peel (disambiguation). ... This article is about the band. ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... A work similar to Marcel Duchamps Fountain Avant garde (written avant-garde) is a French phrase, one of many French phrases used by English speakers. ... Mike Kelleys Frankenstein, 1989 Mike Kelley (born 1954 in Detroit, lives and works in Los Angeles) is one of the most influential artists to emerge from west coast art scene in the United States since the 1980s. ... Gerhard Richter (born February 9, 1932) is a prominent German artist. ...

Discography

Main article: Sonic Youth discography

• Sonic Youth (1982)
• Confusion Is Sex (1983)
• Bad Moon Rising (1985)
• EVOL (1986)
• Sister (1987)
• Daydream Nation (1988)
• Goo (1990)
• Dirty (1992)
• Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (1994)
• Washing Machine (1995)
• A Thousand Leaves (1998)
• NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2000)
• Murray Street (2002)
• Sonic Nurse (2004)
• Rather Ripped (2006)

// Studio albums EPs Compilations and live recordings Singles 1985 - Flower/Halloween 1986 - Flower/Satan is Boring 1986 - Halloween II 1986 - Into the Groove(y) (as Ciccone Youth) 1986 - Starpower 1988 - Teenage Riot 1989 - Candle 1990 - Kool Thing 1990 - Disappearer 1992 - 100% 1992 - Youth Against Fascism 1993 - Sugar Kane 1993 - Whore... Sonic Youth is the debut EP by Sonic Youth. ... Confusion Is Sex is Sonic Youths second album, first released in 1983. ... Bad Moon Rising is the third album by the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, first released on Homestead Records in 1985. ... Side 2 LP Label EVOL is a Sonic Youth album, released in 1986. ... Sister is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1987 on SST Records. ... Daydream Nation is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1988. ... Goo is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990. ... Dirty is an album by Sonic Youth that was originally released on June 7th, 1992. ... Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, first released in May 1994. ... Front-loading washing machine. ... A Thousand Leaves is the 12th album by Sonic Youth. ... Tracklist Free City Rhymes Renegade Princess Nevermind (what was it anyway?) Small Flowers Crack Concrete Side2side StreamXsonik Subway NYC Ghosts & Flowers Lightnin Categories: Album stubs | Sonic Youth albums ... Murray Street is a 2002 album by Sonic Youth. ... Sonic Nurse is an album by Sonic Youth, released on June 7, 2004. ... Rather Ripped is the title of an album by Sonic Youth, which was released on June 13, 2006. ...

References

• Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life. New York: Little, Brown, 2001.
• Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sonic Youth". All Music Guide. Retrieved June 13, 2005.
• Foege, Alec. Confusion is Next: The Sonic Youth Story. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994.
• Ignacio, Julia & Jaime Gonzalo. Sonic Youth: I dreamed of noise. Barcelona: RUTA 66, 1994.
• Prendergrast, Mark. The Ambient Century: From Mahler to Trance, the Evolution of Sound in the Electronic Age. Bloomsbury, 2000. ISBN 1-58234-134-6

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 is a book by Michael Azerrad (ISBN 0-316-78753-1). ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Village Voice is a New York City-based weekly newspaper featuring investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts reviews and events listings for New York City. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

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Sonic Youth

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Sonic Youth

• Sonicyouth.com
• Sonic's ghostsite with a very extended information archif by Chris Lawrence
• Sonic Youth at Geffen Records