BOTW (April 22-28)

After a rousing ‘one night only’ here in Shanghai, this week’s 'Band Of The Week' is the perennial Sonic Youth.


(LtoR) Lee, Thurston, Kim, and Steve

To be honest, I had them lined up for this week four weeks ago when I got the tickets but that’s beside to point. (I talk more about the show in my revised post from that night, so look below this post for that. Plus I added a bazillion photos and videos.)

When people write or talk about Sonic Youth they often use words like ageless, ever-young, w/o age, sans aging, etc. (ok maybe just ‘ageless’) But the reason people say this is because they’re REALLY old for what they do; the married couple at the core of this band are 49 and 53! They’re not the Stones up there playing hits they wrote in their 20’s, they’re a band out there in the prime of their career whose current songs stand tall beside their classics. (and they play them w/ the intensity they had in their 20's)

Before you go searching your favorite download source or youtube, Sonic Youth isn’t for everyone; they’re not even for ‘most.’ SY plays melodic noise rock that hints at punk riffing one minute and meanders into feedback walls the next. They’ve been at this for over 25 years; no one does what they do and I don’t think anyone could if they tried. Some SY loyalists would weep over this statement but I think their last 3 albums (Murray Street, Sonic Nurse, and Rather Ripped) are some of the best albums the band has made. Ya these albums don't have some of the grit that drove the band's earlier albums but their sound is getting more melodic, more musical. It's their best work since the first 6 years of the 90's.

New stuff:

Incinerate (live on Letterman in 2006)


Empty Page (2004)


Reena (2006)


Older stuff:

Kool Thing (1996ish)


100% (in this video you see Jason Lee and Spike Jonze as the lead actors)


Silver Rocket


More videos to explore:

Do You Believe In Rapture? (2006)

Disconnection Notice (2004)

Incinerate (Live on Rove 2006)

Silver Rocket (Live early 90's)

Recommendations:

older:
Kool Thing
100%
Silver Rocket
Sugar Kane
Teenage Riot
Candle
Mote
Sunday
Skip Trace
Diamond Sea
Junkie's Promise

Last 3 albums:
Empty Page
Disconnection Notice
Unmade Bed
Dripping Dream
Stones
Peace Attack
Pink Steam
Reena
Incinerate
What A Waste

more videos and mp3's can be found here.