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Sonic Youth
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{{Short description|American rock band (1981–2011)}}{{About|the band|their debut eponymous EP |Sonic Youth (EP){{!}}Sonic Youth (EP)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
| factoids | ||||||
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| name | Sonic Youth| image = Sonicyouth2011lineup.png| caption = Final lineup of the band before their 2011 breakup; from left to right: Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Mark Ibold, Steve Shelley| alt = | image_size = | landscape = yes| background = group_or_band| origin = New York City, U.S.
| {edih} | {edih} | sonicyouth.com}} |
HistoryFormation and early history: 1977–1981Shortly after guitarist Thurston Moore moved to New York City in early 1977, he formed the group Room Tone with his roommates; they later changed their name to the Coachmen.{{sfn|Chick|2007|p=42}} After the breakup of the Coachmen, Moore began jamming with Stanton Miranda, whose band, CKM, featured Kim Gordon.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=234}} Moore and Gordon formed a band, appearing under names like Male Bonding,{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=45}} Red Milk,{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=45}} and the Arcadians{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=46}} before settling on Sonic Youth{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=47}} in mid-1981. The name came from combining the nickname of MC5’s Fred “Sonic” Smith with reggae artist Big Youth.{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=46}} 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.“{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=236}} The band played Noise Fest in June 1981 at New York’s White Columns gallery,{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=50-53}} where Lee Ranaldo was playing as a member of Glenn Branca’s electric guitar ensemble. Their performance impressed Moore, who described them as “the most ferocious guitar band that I had ever seen in my life”,{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=234}} and he invited Ranaldo to join Sonic Youth.{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=66-67}} The new trio 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.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=235}}Early releases: 1982–1985Branca signed Sonic Youth as the first act on his record label Neutral Records. In December 1981 the group recorded five songs at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The material was released as the EP Sonic Youth which, while largely ignored, was sent to a few key members of the American music press, who gave it uniformly favorable reviews.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=237}} The album featured a relatively conventional post-punk style, in contrast to their later releases. Edson then quit the group for an acting careerWEB, 2015-11-29, Growing up in Sonic Youth,www.salon.com/2015/11/28/growing_up_in_sonic_youth_partner/, 2021-05-21, Salon, en, and was replaced by Bob Bert.WEB, BOB BERT (PUSSY GALORE, LYDIA LUNCH RETROVIRUS, EX-SONIC YOUTH,...) - interview by Peek-A-Boo magazine,www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/interviews/bob-bert-pussy-galore-lydia-lunch-retrovirus-ex-sonic-youth-2019/, 2021-05-21, www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be, en, During their early days as part of the New York music scene, Sonic Youth formed a friendship with fellow New York noise rock band Swans.{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=83-86}} The bands shared a rehearsal space, and Sonic Youth embarked on its first tour in November 1982 supporting Swans.{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=86-89}} During a second tour with Swans the following month, tensions ran high and Moore constantly criticized Bert’s drumming, which he felt was not “in the pocket”.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=241}} Bert was fired afterwards{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=89-90}} and replaced by Jim Sclavunos,WEB, The Quietus {{!, Features {{!}} At Leisure {{!}} At Leisure: Jim Sclavunos Of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds On Tiki Cocktails|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/24844-jim-sclavunos-nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-interview-tiki-cocktail|access-date=2021-05-21|website=The Quietus|language=en-us}} who played drums on the band’s first studio album, 1983’s Confusion Is Sex, which featured a louder and more dissonant sound than their debut EP. Sonic Youth set up a tour of Europe for the summer of 1983. Sclavunos, however, quit the band 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.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=245}} Bert went on to play on the band’s Kill Yr Idols EP later in 1983.Sonic Youth were 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 with bands like Big Black, the Butthole Surfers, and Pussy Galore under the “pigfucker” label by Village Voice editor Robert Christgau.NEWS, Christgau, Robert, March 3, 1987, Robert Christgau, Township Jive Conquers the World: The 13th (or 14th) Annual Pazz & Jop Critics Poll, Village Voice, Another critic from The Village Voice panned a substandard September concert in New York.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} Gordon wrote a scornful letter to the newspaper, criticizing it for not supporting its local music scene, to which Christgau responded that the paper was not obligated to support them. Moore retaliated by renaming the song “Kill Yr Idols” to “I Killed Christgau with My Big Fucking Dick”, before the two eventually sorted out their differences amicably.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=246}}Closing a second European tour in late 1983, Sonic Youth’s disastrous London debut (where the band’s equipment malfunctioned and Moore destroyed it onstage in frustration) actually resulted in rave reviews in Sounds and the NME.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} When they returned to New York they were so popular that they were able to book local gigs regularly.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=248}} The following year, Moore and Gordon were married, and Sonic Youth recorded Bad Moon Rising, a self-described “Americana” album that served as a reaction to the state of the nation at the time.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=250}} 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 during tuning breaks;{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=248}} as a result, there are almost no gaps between the songs on the records. Bad Moon Rising featured an appearance by Lydia Lunch in “Death Valley ‘69”, which was inspired by the Charles Manson Family murders.WEB, 2019-07-30, Intense Humming Of Evil - 10 tracks that reference Charles Manson,www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/intense-humming-of-evil-10-tracks-that-reference-charles-manson-48034, 2021-05-21, NME, en-GB, Due to a falling-out with Branca over disputed royalty payments from their Neutral releases, Sonic Youth signed with Homestead Records in the US and Blast First in the UK (which founder Paul Smith created simply so he could distribute the band’s records in Europe).{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=252}} While the New York press ignored Bad Moon Rising upon its 1985 release, now viewing the band as too arty and pretentious, Sonic Youth gained critical acclaim in the United Kingdom, where the new album sold 5,000 copies.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|pp=252–253}}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 punk group The Crucifucks. Sonic Youth was so impressed with Shelley’s drumming after seeing him play live that they hired him without an audition.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=258}} Bert and Shelley both appeared in the music video for “Death Valley ‘69”, as Bert had performed the drums on the song, but Shelley was the group’s drummer when the video was filmed.SST and Enigma: 1986–1989File:Sonic Youth (1987 Monica Dee portrait).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|alt=|Sonic Youth in a publicity photo issued by SST to promote their fourth album, (Sister (Sonic Youth album)|Sister]] (1987). Left to right: Shelley, Ranaldo, Moore, Gordon.)Sonic Youth had long appreciated SST Records; Ranaldo said, “It was the first record company we were on that we really would have given anything to be on.“{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=261}} Sonic Youth signed with the label in early 1986 and began recording EVOL with Martin Bisi. The band gained national attention when signing with SST, making them the first band from the New York underground to gain such notice.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|pp=262–263}} 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 reviewed EVOL, describing the album as the “aural equivalent of a toxic waste dump.“{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=265}} The album was later called “a classic” by Neil Young.JOURNAL, April 1992, [Neil Young interview],www.thrasherswheat.org/ptma/Frenchguitar492pt2.htm, live, Guitar & Claviers,www.thrasherswheat.org/ptma/Frenchguitar492pt2.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20130703132857www.thrasherswheat.org/ptma/Frenchguitar492pt2.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20130703132857www.thrasherswheat.org/ptma/Frenchguitar492pt2.htm, July 3, 2013, February 28, 2013, Around the same time, the band collaborated with Mike Watt under the alias Ciccone Youth, which was a play on the names Sonic Youth and Ciccone, the surname of pop singer Madonna.WEB,www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/lp/lp7.html, The Whitey Album, live,www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/lp/lp7.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20050319232613www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/lp/lp7.html,">web.archive.org/web/20050319232613www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/lp/lp7.html, 2005-03-19, Sonic Youth released one single in 1986 and one studio album in 1988 under the Ciccone Youth name.WEB,www.allmusic.com/artist/ciccone-youth-mn0000120960/biography, Ciccone Youth, AllMusic, August 13, 2014, Deming, Mark, live,www.allmusic.com/artist/ciccone-youth-mn0000120960/biography," title="web.archive.org/web/20141017075111www.allmusic.com/artist/ciccone-youth-mn0000120960/biography,">web.archive.org/web/20141017075111www.allmusic.com/artist/ciccone-youth-mn0000120960/biography, October 17, 2014, The 1986 single, “Into the Groove(y)”, was a cover of Madonna’s “Into the Groove” and was preceded by “Tuff Titty Rap”. The flip side of the record was Watt’s cover of Madonna’s “Burning Up” which had the altered title of “Burnin’ Up”. The Whitey Album included both Sonic Youth songs from the single plus a demo version of “Burnin’ Up”. The album also contained a cover of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” which was recorded in a karaoke booth.{{Citation|title=The Whitey Album - Ciccone Youth {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-whitey-album-mw0000199600|language=en|access-date=2021-05-21}}The 1987 Sonic Youth album Sister was a loose concept album 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.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=266}} Sister sold 60,000 copies and received very positive reviews, becoming the first Sonic Youth album to crack the Top 20 of the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics poll.WEB, Robert Christgau: Pazz & Jop 1987: Critics Poll,www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres87.php, 2021-05-21, www.robertchristgau.com, Despite their critical success, the band became dissatisfied with SST due to concerns about payments and other administrative practices.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=268}} 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 at NME, CMJ, and Melody Maker. In 2005, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.WEB,www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2005reg.html, The National Recording Registry 2005 : National Recording Preservation Board (Library of Congress), loc.gov, February 28, 2013, live,www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2005reg.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20130106083232www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2005reg.html,">web.archive.org/web/20130106083232www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2005reg.html, January 6, 2013, The lead single from the album, “Teen Age Riot”, was their first song to receive significant airplay on modern rock and college rock stations, reaching number 20 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.WEB,www.allmusic.com/album/daydream-nation-mw0000652888/awards, Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth: Awards, AllMusic, Rovi Corporation, January 22, 2013, 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.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=270}} 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.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=271}}Major label career and becoming alternative icons: 1990–1999{{Multiple image| align = right| direction = Horizontal| width = | image1 = Sonic1991.jpg| width1 = 210| caption1 = | image2 = Sonic Youth (1992).jpg| width2 = 200| footer = Moore and Gordon performing in the early 1990s| total_width = | alt1 = }}In 1990, Sonic Youth released Goo, their first album for Geffen. The album featured the single “Kool Thing” on which Public Enemy’s Chuck D made a guest appearance. The record was considered much more accessible than their previous worksWEB,www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sonic-youth-join-the-club-644622.html, Sonic Youth: Join the Club – Features, Music – The Independent, June 7, 2002, The Independent, independent.co.uk, February 28, 2013, dead,www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sonic-youth-join-the-club-644622.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20081224055743www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sonic-youth-join-the-club-644622.html,">web.archive.org/web/20081224055743www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sonic-youth-join-the-club-644622.html, December 24, 2008, and became the band’s best-selling record to date.In 1992, the band released Dirty on the DGC label. 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 turned actor Jason Lee. That song and “JC” discuss the murder of Joe Cole, a friend who worked with Black Flag as a roadie.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The album features artwork by Los Angeles–based artist Mike Kelley.BOOK,archive.org/details/twentiethcentury00doss, registration, 227, sonic Youth dirty cover kelley., Twentieth-Century American Art, Doss, Erika Lee, Oxford University Press, 2002, 978-0192842398, Dirty features a guest appearance by Ian MacKaye on the track “Youth Against Fascism”. In 1993, the band contributed the track “Burning Spear” to the AIDS benefit album No Alternative, produced by the Red Hot Organization.MAGAZINE, Sinclair, Tom, 1993-11-11, No Alternative,www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/no-alternative-187472/, 2021-05-21, Rolling Stone, en-US, In 1994, the band released Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, their best-charting release in the United States to date at No. 34 on the Billboard 200.{{sfn|George-Warren|Romanowski|2005|p=913}} Moore and Gordon’s daughter, Coco Hayley Moore, was born later that year, and many of the songs from the album were never played live because there was never a full tour to support the album due to Gordon’s pregnancy.WEB, Sonic Youth: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star,pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sonic-youth-experimental-jet-set-trash-and-no-star/, 2021-05-21, Pitchfork, en, In 1994, the band released a cover of The Carpenters’ 1971 hit “Superstar” for the tribute album If I Were a Carpenter.WEB, Visconti, John, 2020-01-31, “If I Were A Carpenter”: An Unlikely Tribute Album,www.culturesonar.com/if-i-were-a-carpenter-an-unlikely-tribute-album/, 2021-05-21, www.culturesonar.com, en-US, The band headlined the 1995 Lollapalooza festival with Hole and Pavement.{{sfn|George-Warren|Romanowski|2005|p=913}} By that time, alternative rock had gained considerable mainstream attention, and the festival was parodied in The Simpsons episode “Homerpalooza” in 1996, which featured voiceovers from the band. They also performed the final credits theme for that episode.WEB, With ‘Homerpalooza,’ ‘The Simpsons’ Made Being Too Old to Rock Cool,www.vice.com/en/article/gy54ww/with-homerpalooza-the-simpsons-made-being-too-old-to-rock-cool, 2021-05-21, www.vice.com, October 16, 2017, en, The album Washing Machine was released in 1995 and represented a shift in Sonic Youth’s sound, away from their punk rock roots and toward experimental and longer jam-based arrangements.WEB, Washing Machine,ew.com/article/1995/09/29/washing-machine/, 2021-05-21, EW.com, en, Starting in 1997 they released a series of improvisational albums grouped under the title SYR with song titles and liner notes in various languages.WEB, 2011-01-07, A Guide To…Sonic Youth Records / SYR,ihrtn.net/a-guide-to-sonic-youth-records-syr/, 2021-05-21, I Heart Noise, (SYR3: Invito al ĉielo), released in 1998, featured Jim O’Rourke who later became an official band member.{{Citation|title=SYR 3: Invito Al Ĉielo - Sonic Youth, Jim O’Rourke {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/syr-3-mw0000036155|language=en|access-date=2021-05-21}} Various songs from the SYR series were added to Sonic Youth’s live performances, and others inspired tracks on the next proper Sonic Youth album, A Thousand Leaves, released in 1998.{{Citation|title=A Thousand Leaves - Sonic Youth {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-thousand-leaves-mw0000596964|language=en|access-date=2021-05-21}}Later DGC period: 2000–2006(File:Sonic Youth (Copenhagen 2000) (3674544213).jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.8|Sonic Youth performing in Copenhagen in 2000)On July 4, 1999, Sonic Youth’s instruments and stage equipment were stolen during a tour in Orange County, California. Almost 30 guitars and basses were stolen; some were recovered over the next 13 years.WEB, Pelly, Jenn, Sonic Youth Recover Stolen Guitars After 13 Years,pitchfork.com/news/47906-sonic-youth-recover-stolen-guitars-after-13-years/, 2021-05-21, Pitchfork, September 24, 2012, en-US, WEB,www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=2699&IssueNum=122, 100% – Los Angeles CityBeat, Appleford, Steve, June 10, 2005, LA CityBeat, lacitybeat.com,www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=2699&IssueNum=122," title="web.archive.org/web/20061021015511www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=2699&IssueNum=122,">web.archive.org/web/20061021015511www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=2699&IssueNum=122, October 21, 2006, February 28, 2013, Forced to start from scratch with new instruments, they released the album NYC Ghosts & Flowers in 2000 and opened for Pearl Jam during the east coast leg of that band’s 2000 tour.NEWS, Powers, Ann, 2000-08-29, POP REVIEW; Pearl Jam, Progressive As Always, en-US, The New York Times,www.nytimes.com/2000/08/29/arts/pop-review-pearl-jam-progressive-as-always.html, 2021-05-21, 0362-4331, In 2001, Sonic Youth collaborated with French avant-garde singer and poet Brigitte Fontaine on her album Kékéland.WEB, Brigitte Fontaine: Kekeland,pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3143-kekeland/, 2021-05-21, Pitchfork, en, The following year, Sonic Youth participated in the first outing of the All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival and curating the ensuing compilation album.{{Citation|title=All Tomorrow’s Parties 1.1: Sonic Youth Curated - Various Artists {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-tomorrows-parties-11-sonic-youth-curated-mw0000592380|language=en|access-date=2021-05-21}} The album Murray Street was released in 2002 and saw the addition of Jim O’Rourke as a full-time member on guitar, bass, and keyboards.{{Citation|title=Murray St. - Sonic Youth {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/murray-st-mw0000660436|language=en|access-date=2021-05-21}} During this period the band participated in the production of the documentary film Kill Your Idols, directed and produced by Scott Crary and covering the history of punk rock in New York City. The film was released in 2004.WEB, KILL YOUR iDOLS. {{!, 2004 Tribeca Festival|url=https://tribecafilm.com/festival/archive/512d01dd1c7d76e0460024e4-kill-your-idols|access-date=2021-05-21|website=Tribeca}}In 2003 Sonic Youth released a split 7-inch single with Erase Errata.{{sfn|Browne|2008|p=378}} The next Sonic Youth album, Sonic Nurse, was also released in 2004.{{Citation|title=Sonic Nurse - Sonic Youth {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sonic-nurse-mw0000333060|language=en|access-date=2021-05-21}} The band was slated to perform in the 2004 Lollapalooza tour along with acts such as the Pixies and the Flaming Lips, but the tour was canceled due to lackluster ticket sales.WEB, Lollapalooza Canceled; Organizers Cite Poor Ticket Sales,www.mtv.com/news/1488569/lollapalooza-canceled-organizers-cite-poor-ticket-sales/, 2021-05-21, MTV News, en, O’Rourke departed in 2006 and was replaced by ex-Pavement member Mark Ibold for touring purposes.WEB, Stains on the Sidewalk: We Downed Beers in Chinatown with Former Pavement Bassist Mark Ibold,www.vice.com/en/article/65zyvk/pavement-mark-ibold-interview-secret-history-drinking, 2021-05-21, www.vice.com, August 13, 2015, en, (File:Sonicyouthcolor20 (2756189278).jpg|thumb|Additional guitarist Jim O’Rourke with the band in concert in 2004)Rather Ripped was released in 2006 and was noted as a return to the band’s earlier sound, due both to the departure of O’Rourke and the recovery of some of the instruments that had been stolen in 1999.{{Citation|title=Rather Ripped - Sonic Youth {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/rather-ripped-mw0000775736|language=en|access-date=2021-05-21}} On May 9, 2006, Kim and Thurston made a special guest appearance on WB teen drama show “Gilmore Girls” (season 6, episode 22), performing an acoustic version of their new song, “What a Waste”, alongside their daughter Coco. Sonic Youth played the Bonnaroo Festival later that year.WEB, June 28, 2006, Sonic Youth @ Bonnaroo 2006,www.brooklynvegan.com/sonic-youth-bon/, 2021-05-21, BrooklynVegan, en, In December 2006 they released (The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities). The compilation featured tracks previously available only on vinyl, tracks from limited-release compilations, B-sides to international singles, and some material that had never before been released. This marked the band’s final Geffen release.WEB,www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/39443/Sonic_Youth_Unveil_Rarities_Comp_Tracklist, Pitchfork: Sonic Youth Unveil Rarities Comp Tracklist, Maher, Dave, October 30, 2006, Pitchfork Media, Pitchfork,www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/39443/Sonic_Youth_Unveil_Rarities_Comp_Tracklist," title="web.archive.org/web/20061111145357www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/39443/Sonic_Youth_Unveil_Rarities_Comp_Tracklist,">web.archive.org/web/20061111145357www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/39443/Sonic_Youth_Unveil_Rarities_Comp_Tracklist, November 11, 2006, February 28, 2013,Matador period: 2007–2011In 2007, the band became one of the earliest big-name rock bands to play in China when they were brought in for a tour by the music company Split Works.WEB,www.spli-t.com/splitworks/sonic-youth-china-tour-2007/, Sonic Youth China Tour 2007_Split Works, Split Works, spli-t.com, February 28, 2013, dead,www.spli-t.com/splitworks/sonic-youth-china-tour-2007/," title="web.archive.org/web/20130317032710www.spli-t.com/splitworks/sonic-youth-china-tour-2007/,">web.archive.org/web/20130317032710www.spli-t.com/splitworks/sonic-youth-china-tour-2007/, March 17, 2013, In 2008 they released a compilation album on Starbucks Music, called Hits Are for Squares, with the tracks selected by other celebrities.WEB, Deller, Alex, Review of Sonic Youth - Hits Are for Squares,www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/dzq4/, 2021-05-21, www.bbc.co.uk, en-GB, Later in 2008, Sonic Youth ended their relationship with Geffen, due to dissatisfaction with how the label had promoted their last several albums.WEB,www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/144958-sonic-youth-poised-to-take-indie-label-plunge, Sonic Youth Poised to Take Indie Label Plunge, Pitchfork, Solarski, Matthew, August 26, 2008, Pitchfork Media, Pitchfork,www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/144958-sonic-youth-poised-to-take-indie-label-plunge," title="web.archive.org/web/20080828201345www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/144958-sonic-youth-poised-to-take-indie-label-plunge,">web.archive.org/web/20080828201345www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/144958-sonic-youth-poised-to-take-indie-label-plunge, August 28, 2008, February 28, 2013, They then signed with independent label Matador Records,WEB,observer.com/2008/09/sonic-youth-goes-indie-again-alice-in-chains-returns/, Sonic Youth Goes Indie Again; Alice in Chains Returns, Observer, McDonald, John S. W., October 9, 2008, observer.com, Observer, February 28, 2013, live,observer.com/2008/09/sonic-youth-goes-indie-again-alice-in-chains-returns/," title="web.archive.org/web/20121006194255observer.com/2008/09/sonic-youth-goes-indie-again-alice-in-chains-returns/,">web.archive.org/web/20121006194255observer.com/2008/09/sonic-youth-goes-indie-again-alice-in-chains-returns/, October 6, 2012, which released the album The Eternal in 2009.WEB, Breihan, Tom, Sonic Youth Confirm New Album: The Eternal,pitchfork.com/news/34610-sonic-youth-confirm-new-album-the-eternal/, 2021-05-21, Pitchfork, February 12, 2009, en-US, During this period they collaborated with John Paul Jones on the soundtrack for a performance at Merce Cunningham Dance Company to honor the company’s founder.WEB,pitchfork.com/news/34166-sonic-youth-work-with-led-zep-bassist-on-dance-piece/, Sonic Youth Work with Led Zep Bassist on Dance Piece, News, Pitchfork, Thompson, Paul, Phillips, Amy, December 3, 2008, Pitchfork Media, Pitchfork, February 28, 2013, live,pitchfork.com/news/34166-sonic-youth-work-with-led-zep-bassist-on-dance-piece/," title="web.archive.org/web/20130207054115pitchfork.com/news/34166-sonic-youth-work-with-led-zep-bassist-on-dance-piece/,">web.archive.org/web/20130207054115pitchfork.com/news/34166-sonic-youth-work-with-led-zep-bassist-on-dance-piece/, February 7, 2013, In 2010 the band scored and composed the soundtrack of the French thriller-drama Simon Werner a Disparu, which premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival.WEB,70.32.78.35/sonicnews/?p=773, Simon werner a disparu at Cannes ” Sonic Youth News, April 15, 2010, 70.32.78.35, February 28, 2013, live,70.32.78.35/sonicnews/?p=773," title="web.archive.org/web/2012022307150370.32.78.35/sonicnews/?p=773,">web.archive.org/web/2012022307150370.32.78.35/sonicnews/?p=773, February 23, 2012, The soundtrack was released in 2011 as (SYR9: Simon Werner a Disparu), an entry in experimental SYR series.Disbandment: 2011–2013(File:Sonic Youth Chile 2011.png|alt=|thumb|Sonic Youth performing in Santiago, Chile in November 2011)On October 14, 2011, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore announced that they had separated after 27 years of marriage.WEB,www.spin.com/2011/10/kim-gordon-and-thurston-moore-announce-split/, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore Announce Split, Spin, Newswire, Ganz, Caryn, October 14, 2011, Spin (magazine), spin.com, February 28, 2013, live,web.archive.org/web/20130406211946/https://www.spin.com/2011/10/kim-gordon-and-thurston-moore-announce-split/, April 6, 2013, Sonic Youth’s label Matador explained that plans for the band remained “uncertain”, despite previously hinting that they would record new material later in the year.WEB,www.nme.com/news/sonic-youth/59821, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore Announce Marriage Split, News, nme.com, October 15, 2011, NME, nme.com, February 28, 2013, live,www.nme.com/news/sonic-youth/59821," title="web.archive.org/web/20130219063355www.nme.com/news/sonic-youth/59821,">web.archive.org/web/20130219063355www.nme.com/news/sonic-youth/59821, February 19, 2013, Sonic Youth performed their final concert on November 14, 2011, at the SWU Music & Arts Festival in Itu, São Paulo, Brazil. The following week, Lee Ranaldo stated in an interview that Sonic Youth would be “ending for a while”.MAGAZINE,www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lee-ranaldo-on-the-future-of-sonic-youth-20111128, Lee Ranaldo on the Future of Sonic Youth, Matthew, Perpetua, November 28, 2011, Rolling Stone, rollingstone.com, February 28, 2013, live,www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lee-ranaldo-on-the-future-of-sonic-youth-20111128," title="web.archive.org/web/20130202084533www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lee-ranaldo-on-the-future-of-sonic-youth-20111128,">web.archive.org/web/20130202084533www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lee-ranaldo-on-the-future-of-sonic-youth-20111128, February 2, 2013,Post-disbandment activities: 2013-PresentIn November 2013, Ranaldo said in response to the question of a possible reunion, “I fear not. Everybody is busy with their own projects, besides that Thurston and Kim aren’t getting along together very well since their split… Let [the band] rest in peace.” Thurston Moore updated and clarified the matter in May 2014: “Sonic Youth is on hiatus. The band is a democracy of sorts, and as long as Kim and I are working out our situation, the band can’t really function reasonably.“WEB, Sound City Liverpool onstage interview,soundcloud.com/dave-8-2/thurston-moore-onstage-interview, 8 May 2014, live,web.archive.org/web/20140508151949/https://soundcloud.com/dave-8-2/thurston-moore-onstage-interview, 8 May 2014, In her 2015 autobiography Girl in a Band, Gordon refers several times to the band having “split up” for good.In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonic Youth sold official face masks based on the artwork from the album Sonic Nurse, with proceeds going to charities Brooklyn Community Bail Fund, Bed Stuy Strong, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.WEB,www.brooklynvegan.com/sonic-youth-selling-sonic-nurse-covid-19-shirt-mask-for-charity/, Sonic Youth selling ‘Sonic Nurse’ COVID-19 shirt & mask for charity, Brooklynvegan.com, May 28, 2020, 21 June 2021, The same year, an extensive archive of live recordings from throughout the band’s history was released on Bandcamp.WEB,daily.bandcamp.com/lists/sonic-youth-live-albums-guide, Digging Through Sonic Youth’s Bandcamp Archives, 18 June 2020, Daily.bandcamp.com, 21 June 2021, In January 2022, a new single “In & Out” was released ahead of the March release of the rarities EP In/out/In.WEB, Peacock, Tim, 2022-01-19, Sonic Youth Announce New Rarities Collection, In Out In,www.udiscovermusic.com/news/sonic-youth-rarities-collection-in-out-in/, 2022-02-06, uDiscover Music, en-US, The five-track EP featured previously unissued outtakes recorded between 2000 and 2010.In the Fall of 2023, (Sonic Life: a Memoir), a hardcover memoir written by Thurston Moore, was published by Doubleday.weblink Review of Sonic Life: A Memoir at The Guardian In it Moore recounts the history of Sonic Youth.Musical style and influencesSonic Youth is considered a pioneering band in the noise rock and alternative rock genres. Their music has also been labelled experimental rock, indie rock, and post-punk.Alternative tuningsSonic Youth’s sound relied heavily on the use of alternative tunings. Scordatura on stringed instruments has been used for centuries and alternative 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 & Nico). Michael 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 drum stick 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.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=243}}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.“{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=243}} Rather than re-tune for every song, Sonic Youth generally used a particular guitar for one or two songs, and would take dozens of instruments on tour. This would be the source of much trouble for the band, as live performances of many songs relied on specific guitars that have been uniquely prepared or otherwise altered for those exact songs.WEB, Bienstock, Bienstock, October 2018, Sonic Youth to Sell Guitars and Amps Used Throughout the Band’s Career on Reverb.com,www.guitarworld.com/news/sonic-youth-to-sell-guitars-and-amps-used-throughout-the-bands-career-on-reverbcom, 2021-05-21, guitarworld, en,InfluencesMoore said that Sonic Youth was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground,WEB,www.vulture.com/2014/03/thurston-moore-on-art-rock-and-early-sonic-youth.html, Thurston Moore on Art Rock and Early Sonic Youth, Vulture.com, 28 March 2014, 20 January 2018, MAGAZINE,www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/remembering-lou-reed-tributes-from-friends-and-followers-20131107/thurston-moore-0978566, Remembering Lou Reed: Thurston Moore, Rolling Stone, 7 November 2013, 20 January 2018, along with The Stooges, Glenn Branca, Patti Smith, Wire,MAGAZINE,www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/wire-pink-flag-20120525, 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Wire, Pink Flag, Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, rollingstone.com, May 31, 2009, February 28, 2013, live,www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/wire-pink-flag-20120525," title="web.archive.org/web/20130305153524www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/wire-pink-flag-20120525,">web.archive.org/web/20130305153524www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/wire-pink-flag-20120525, March 5, 2013, Public Image Ltd, and French avant-gardist Brigitte Fontaine. They were also influenced by 1980s hardcore punk; after seeing Minor Threat perform in May 1982, Moore declared them “the greatest live band I have ever seen”.{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=273}} He also saw The Faith performing in 1981 and had a strong admiration towards their records.WEB,www.dischord.com/faith-thurston-moore, Faith-Thurston-Moore, Dischord Records, dischord.com, February 28, 2013, live,www.dischord.com/faith-thurston-moore," title="web.archive.org/web/20130412220336www.dischord.com/faith-thurston-moore,">web.archive.org/web/20130412220336www.dischord.com/faith-thurston-moore, April 12, 2013, 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.“{{sfn|Ignacio|Gonzalo|1994|p=51}}Moore and Ranaldo expressed on numerous occasions their admiration for the music of Joni Mitchell, such as this quote by Thurston Moore: “Joni Mitchell! I’ve used elements of her songwriting and guitar playing, and no one would ever know about it.“WEB,www.guitarplayer.com/article/sonic-youth-on-their-stripped-down-rather-ripped-album/8638, guitarplayer: Sonic Youth on Their Stripped-Down Rather Ripped Album, November 14, 2006, live,www.guitarplayer.com/article/sonic-youth-on-their-stripped-down-rather-ripped-album/8638," title="web.archive.org/web/20120716202327www.guitarplayer.com/article/sonic-youth-on-their-stripped-down-rather-ripped-album/8638,">web.archive.org/web/20120716202327www.guitarplayer.com/article/sonic-youth-on-their-stripped-down-rather-ripped-album/8638, July 16, 2012, Additionally, as with Sonic Youth, Joni Mitchell has always used a number of alternative tunings.WEB, Video Lesson: Inside Joni Mitchell’s Inventive Guitar Style {{!, Acoustic Guitar|date=December 12, 2018|url=https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-joni-mitchells-inventive-guitar-style/|access-date=2021-05-21|language=en-US}} The band named a song after her, “Hey Joni”. 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.MembersFinal lineup
Former members
Timeline{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20PlotArea = left:110 bottom:120 top:5 right:10Alignbars = justifyDateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/2011TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyLegend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1981ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1981Colors =
id:voc value:red legend:Vocals
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4BackgroundColors = bars:barsScaleMajor = unit:year increment:4 start:1981ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1981LineData = # Studio albums
id:g value:green legend:Guitars id:key value:purple legend:Keyboards id:b value:blue legend:Bass id:dr value:orange legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album id:Lines1 value:gray(0.5) legend:Extended_play id:bars value:gray(0.95)
at:01/03/1982 color:Lines1 layer:back # Sonic Youth
PlotData =
at:01/02/1983 color:black layer:back # Confusion Is Sex at:01/03/1985 color:black layer:back # Bad Moon Rising at:01/05/1986 color:black layer:back # EVOL at:01/06/1987 color:black layer:back # Sister at:01/10/1988 color:black layer:back # Daydream Nation at:26/06/1990 color:black layer:back # Goo at:21/07/1992 color:black layer:back # Dirty at:03/05/1994 color:black layer:back # Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star at:26/09/1995 color:black layer:back # Washing Machine at:12/05/1998 color:black layer:back # A Thousand Leaves at:16/05/2000 color:black layer:back # NYC Ghosts & Flowers at:25/06/2002 color:black layer:back # Murray Street at:08/06/2004 color:black layer:back # Sonic Nurse at:13/06/2006 color:black layer:back # Rather Ripped at:09/06/2009 color:black layer:back # The Eternal
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from
}}bar:Kim Gordon from:start till:end color:voc bar:Kim Gordon from:start till:01/02/1992 color:b width:3 bar:Kim Gordon from:01/02/1992 till:end color:b width:7 bar:Kim Gordon from:01/02/1992 till:end color:g width:3 bar:Thurston Moore from:start till:end color:voc bar:Thurston Moore from:start till:end color:g width:3 bar:Lee Ranaldo from:01/07/1981 till:end color:g bar:Lee Ranaldo from:01/07/1981 till:end color:voc width:3 bar:Jim O’Rourke from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2005 color:b bar:Jim O’Rourke from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2005 color:g width:7 bar:Jim O’Rourke from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2005 color:key width:3 bar:Mark Ibold from:01/07/2006 till:end color:b bar:Mark Ibold from:01/07/2006 till:end color:g width:3 bar:Anne DeMarinis from:start till:31/08/1981 color:key bar:Richard Edson from:08/07/1981 till:01/05/1982 color:dr bar:Bob Bert from:01/05/1982 till:01/09/1982 color:dr bar:Bob Bert from:01/07/1983 till:01/07/1985 color:dr bar:Jim Sclavunos from:01/09/1982 till:01/07/1983 color:dr bar:Steve Shelley from:01/07/1985 till:end color:dr DiscographyStudio albums
References{{reflist|30em}}Bibliography
External links{{Commons category|Sonic Youth}}
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