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i don't have a 'the first time i heard sonic youth' story, as, being a white kid who grew up in american suburbia during the early days of that now much maligned hype explosion known as 'alternative rock,' i can't remember a time in which they weren't fairly ubiquitous. i do remember that the first SY album i owned was 'goo,' which is maybe not my favorite of their records, but contains a couple of my all-time favorite sonic youth songs, like 'mote,' (probably my number one favorite SY track)
and 'titanium expose'
and 'kool thing.'
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i had the pleasure of seeing sonic youth live twice, once in 2004 on the 'sonic nurse' tour with jim o'rourke playing additonal guitar and bass (wolf eyes and xbxrx opened. it was pretty kick ass), and then in october 2010 at the matador 21 festival at the palms hotel and casino in las vegas (which ended up being one of their last ten concerts played in the US). i still have a setlist somewhere around from the 2004 gig. they did 'bull in the heather' and 'PCH,' but the setlist was mostly newer material. if i remember correctly, that paticular show found them playing for almost two hours, though. their set at matador was much shorter, but consisted entirely of stone classics, opening with the triple attack of 'tom violence,''schizophrenia,' and 'bull in the heather.' they played 'mote,' during which i thought i had never been so happy, but then they ended with 'shadow of a doubt' and 'death valley '69,' which is a song i NEVER in all my life thought i would see them perform live.
here is the full set, thought it doesn't start until 14.30.
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sonic youth were, for the longest time, one of those bands that people name-checked without their influence seeming too overt. sure, nirvana and mudhoney loved sonic youth and sonic youth, in turn, loved nirvana and mudhoney, but the influence (in both directions) was more subtle, sonic youth's music being more... i hesitate to say 'intellectual,' as it undermines the serious force their music was capable of delivering, but a band with as obvious and overt connections to both the new york-high art world and the lowbrow messiness of the american punk rock scene is something that doesn't come around too frequently. better to say that sonic youth were the band that people could cite as an influence if they wanted to be seen as being on the vanguard of guitar-based, 'experimental' rock'n'roll, without all the messy indie-ideological implications of admitting a love for fugazi. sonic youth were the band that lesser bands cited as an influence while knowing all along that their moves (the lesser bands') were too obviously careerist to ever have a successful career being weirdos, as SY did so wonderfully. i remember in the book our band could be yr life by michael azerrad, kim gordon sums up sonic youth's existence (particularly their first ten years) by saying 'we were influential by showing everybody that you could do whatever you wanted and still be successful' (that may not be an exact quote), which was true, but didn't hold as true for nirvana, for exapmple, whose 'nevermind,' while still being a great record, was most definitely not the punks-taking-over-the-asylum-with-raised-middle-finger statement everyone liked to say it was. instead, it was an exercise in compromise, something that sonic youth, in a similar position, would and could have never delivered. they sacrificed platinum level sales in favor of being the coolest band in the world.
sonic youth - touch me i'm sick (mudhoney cover).
mudhoney - halloween (SY cover)
these two songs were originally released together on a split 7" for the sub pop singles club.
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in late 2011, i recall, my friend tami (one of the few people i know who's as head-over-heels in love with a particular strain of music from america and england in the 80's and early-mid 90's, especially, as i am) asked me what i was going to do now that thurston moore and kim gordon had separated. at first, i didn't want to believe it, thinking that they would get back together, their relationship would persevere as so many lesser ones had. as it became more and more apparent that their marriage was over, and as my questions mounted as to what this would mean for the future of one of my favorite bands, i found myself becoming a bit frenzied. it sounds stupid and cliched, but a part of me that wanted to believe in the everlasting greatness of love died when i heard they were through.
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thurston moore was the first to release a post-SY album, 2011's 'demolished thoughts,' though i'm pretty sure it came before word leaked of his and gordon's separation. it's an acoustic album, produced by beck (which always makes me think of that part in the 'disconnection notice' video where thurston's writing 'i am NOT beck' in sharpie on a white t-shirt, presumably to wear during a performance). hearing it, one can almost be surprised to hear songs this pretty coming from thurston moore, especially as he always had the reputation of being the punk rock wild child of sonic youth.
thurston moore - benediction.
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lee was next to release a solo album, the most excellent 'between the times and the tides.' originally conceived as an acoustic record, it expanded to include steve shelley on drums (if kim and thurston's divorce was like breaking up a family, lee and steve are the kids who decided to skip custody battles and just run away from home), nels cline and alan licht on guitars and john medeski on keys. another sonic youth alum, bob bert (who played drums on a couple of their albums in the 80's), even makes an appearance, playing percussion on 'hammer blows' and 'shouts.' perhaps most surprisingly of all the post sonic youth musical activity, lee's work has found him to be a true master of pop song craft.
lee ranaldo - off the wall.
lee ranaldo - angles.
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in the immediate aftermath of sonic youth's breakup, kim gordon busied herself with visual art, hosting several exhibits and showing her own work. but eventually, she too got the itch to play music again, starting with ikue mori from DNA and eventually adding renowned experimental guitarist bill nace, with whom she eventually started a duo called BODY/HEAD. BODY/HEAD traffic in dual guitar pyrotechnics and heavy improvisation, but that's about all they share in common with sonic youth. of all the SY members' new groups, they are by far the most experimental, and as such, the one that casual sonic youth fans may have the hardest time getting into, especially those who feel that kim's songs are already an acquired taste. they're known for playing live in front of film projections, often of films by catherine breillat. excellent, challenging stuff.
BODY/HEAD - last mistress.
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thurston was next to get a band together. chelsea light moving released their debut self-titled album in march 2013. chelsea light moving are, of all the new projects, the most similar to sonic youth, though much closer to their mid-80's SST-era output than DGC-era 90's sonic youth. more dissonant and punky, i guess you could say. the tributes and shout-outs on this album are plentiful, from the band name (referring to steve reich and phillip glass' short-lived moving company) to songs about darby crash, william s. burroughs and frank o'hara. there's even a pretty awesome cover of the germs''communism eyes' to close the album out. it ranges from punky barn-burners like 'burroughs' to placid reveries like 'heaven metal.'
chelsea light moving - groovy and linda.
chelsea light moving - heavenmetal.
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i broke with chronological order above to mention BODY/HEAD, who actually released an EP in 2012, but their debut album, 'coming apart,' was released in september 2013 to high acclaim. i really can't say enough good things about the BODY/HEAD album. if you love kim's songs and you haven't listened to it yet, check it out. it's amazing.
BODY/HEAD - frontal.
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the most recent of the post-sonic projects to be released was lee ranaldo's latest album, 'last night on earth,' which finds him backed by new group the dust, comprised of alan licht on guitar, steve shelley on drums and tim l¸ntzel on bass. john medeski shows up again on keys and lee's sons sage and cody helped out with, respectively, backup vocals and photography/design. it continues in much the same vein as 'between the tides...,' with lots of pop melodicism which, though not completely absent in sonic youth (check out 'incinerate,' off 2006's 'rather ripped' or 'antenna,' from 2009's 'the eternal'), doesn't nearly prepare one for the beautiful bridge present in 'ambulancer,' for example. of all the post-SY material to be released, 'last night on earth' is the most immediately pleasing and satisfying, and holds up wonderfully to reapeat listens.
lee ranaldo/the dust - ambulancer.
lee ranaldo/the dust - home chds (live on KDHX).
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steve still hasn't fronted a band, which would be interesting to see, but otherwise, the bands formed from the dissolution have all been pretty excellent. and i find myself agreeing with something kim said in an interview about how when a band has been together for that long, one always wonders as a member of that band if it's pointless to keep putting out albums, knowing they'll be scrutinized against previous triumphs, which for sonic youth are plentiful, and how it's liberating to be in a new group because people's expectations are, if not lowered, than directed differently.
sonic youth is dead. long live sonic youth.
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p.s. Hey. So, writer/musician/artist and d.l. Rewritedept has a lovely and passionate Sonic Youth after-glowing post for you today complete with a very bold title, and I ask you to check it out as thoroughly as your time and interest level allow then say something about SY or whatever else to your guest-host. Thank you. And he has capped off the Day with a fantastic looking mixtape for you, which you will find embedded at the bottom of the p.s. It's a veritable feast, iow. Thank you, o kind and generous R! ** MyNeighbourJohnTurtorro, Hey. Nice to be back, thanks. I'm making an exhaustive overload of a Japan trip post, so soon everyone will know more than they surely care to know about our time there. I think Darius writes some fiction, but I don't think he's written another novel, yet anyway. He's slow and careful, I think. Authors like Darius? That's hard 'cos he's pretty singular. You might read the early books of Ishmael Reed, if you want, as he was a big influence on Darius. Reed's first two novels are really great: 'The Free-Lance Pallbearers' and 'Mumbo Jumbo'. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. No, I don't think you need to know the source material to get/like that novel at all. In general, her later novels look to be pretty fantastic. I'm beginning my CB-R experience now, and I'll let you know what I find. If I got the YnY goodie bag, it must be in a pile of mail that Yury accumulated for me, and which he has yet to hand over. I'll ask him later. Hopefully, it's long since here. Exciting! I'll check out that teaser trailer, thanks. Next week? Excellent. I'm sure you'll look and come off suave as hell, B. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. I think I read that New Yorker piece, hm, I'll check to make sure. Oh, and your fine guest-post will be launching here next Wednesday, the 29th. Thanks so much again! ** Rudyd, Hi, man. Yesterday, I thought I might have evaded jet lag this time, but last night it knocked me over, and it feels like it's gonna a bad case. I tend to get very bad jet lag, although I've been lucky of late. Not now it seems. Grr. Oh, jet leg for me just gradually turns me into a zombie. Bad sleep, bad days, terrible. Your version sounds hugely preferable. ** Steevee, Thanks for the jet lag luck. I think I'm going to need it. Nice review yesterday, and now I look forward to your interview. Cool. Everyone, why don't you click this and go read Steevee's interview with Alain Guiraudie, director of the very well-liked and admired film 'Stranger By the Lake', which many are saying is the best LGBTQ-themed film in ages. ** Chilly Jay Chill, Hi, Jeff. Ah, you were one of my CB-R nudgers, yes, I remember now. Thank you a lot for that. She's quite a discovery. Me too re: the jet lag vanishing, thanks. Oh, very cool about the Spotify mixtape. I'll go get myself a deep ear swallow. Everyone, if you have yet to hear the mixtape that Chilly Jay Chill made for the Electric Literature site recently, it's partly inspired by his superb novel 'Mira Corpora', and it's called HOW TO CONJURE AN ENDLESS NIGHT, and it's right here. ** Rewritedept, Hey! You're up, buddy. Thank you so much. It's very sweet. And I look forward to the mixtape too. The mock-up looks good, man. Funny too. If you don't mind setting that copy aside, I would be a grateful guy. ** Kyler, Hi, Kyler. Yeah, I was very happy to see that FB announcement while I was away. It's gonna be your year, man. Re: literature and maybe even re: your family. I hope you got some sleep. I've been up since 4 am, and it feels like 10:17 PM right now instead of AM. ** Martin Bladh, Hi, Martin! Oh, 'Gone', yeah, that's a good title, actually. Sure, that's fine and makes sense. Yeah, good call. I like that title. Thanks! I'm seeing Michael Salerno today, so I'll ask him if the scans have survived or not. You take care too. ** Paul Curran, Hey, Paul! It was so great to see you, not to mention to see you in fucking Tokyo. I'll give Zac your hi, and I'm sure he'll jet one right back to you. Yeah, as I was walking toward the subway, I thought, Oh fuck, I didn't take a selfie of us at Shibuya, so I certainly understand Len's disappointment. Cool, I'll go read that MS thing on Atticus, and that's very cool that Brad Listi interviewed him. Good guy, that Michael. Man, you take care! Love, me. ** Lee, Hi, Lee. I did have a total blast, thank you. I saw your email, so no need to resend it. I'll try to get to it today, jet lag-allowing. Yeah, I'm always trying to get what Pollard can do into novel form. 'Guide' was kind of a first big attempt, and I'll keep trying. I bet you can nail it. Lovely to see you, buddy. ** les mots dans le nom, Hi! That's okay about the posts, I totally understand, no problem, and thank you. Two weeks is short? Is it? Anytime in Japan feels too short, I guess, and if I were a rich man, it would have been longer. I guess it's short compared to the upcoming blog vacation re: the Patagonia/ Antarctica trip, which will put the blog into a rerun/silence-induced coma for a record setting month. Oh, that's okay about the Ken Price book. It was nice of you to even consider giving it to me. ** Adrienne White, Hi, Adrienne! Thanks for the welcome back, pal. Your kiddo is a Brownie? That's cool. I think my sister was one. Or maybe she was a Bluebird. Do Bluebirds still exist? Muses sounds great. I saw a few pix yesterday, and it looks great too. I liked 'Pacific Rim' okay, but I guess there so much hype on it, and, anyway, I saw it in very non-condusive circumstances, i.e. a tiny screen on a jet. I don't think I've ever read Lovecraft. Weird, right? Hm, a strange/unique Japan experience. I think I'm too jet lagged this morning to remember. I'm always blown away by how organized and polite people are there. Like ... Tokyo is the most populated city on earth, they say, and it is very packed, but it never feels oppressive at all because everyone treats each other so respectfully every second. They have this law there that you can't walk down the street smoking a cigarette, for instance. And Paul Curran explained to me that that's not because of health reasons, it's so that people won't burn holes in each others' clothes. ** Tosh Berman, Hi, Tosh. You get to stay in Tokyo for a month or more? You're so, so lucky. You'll be staying in Meguro, right? That's where we stayed, again at Hotel Claska. Oh, Dickon Edwards! He was a long-standing, regular d.l. of this blog in its early years, but I haven't seen him here or elsewhere in quite a while. Great, great guy. ** Misanthrope, I'm trying not to envy that snow and cold. And I'm almost successful in that envy crushing. Dude, sweet about the gym. I've never heard of Planet Fitness. It's like the McDonalds of gyms or something? Whatever works. ** Sypha, Hi, James! Feel much, much, much better, please! ** Gary gray, Hi, Gary. You can imagine that 'baroque disappearing act' is music to my ears. Or to my eyes, I guess. That sounds great. Dedicated and sometimes severe word removal is at the very center of my practice, so I offer my encouragement, naturally. I didn't get to the bot transcript yet. My jet lag interfered, but I will. And I'll use those new links too, you can bet. I just need a lot, and I mean a lot more coffee first. Thanks much for the welcome back! ** Okay. Go get with the Sonic Youth veterans and with the Sonic Youth-loving Rewritedept now, thank you. And give the latter's mixtape a listen too, why don't you? See you tomorrow.