Sonic Youth

Profile:

Sonic Youth, initially comprised of guitarist / vocalists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, guitarist / bassist / vocalist Kim Gordon and drummer Richard Edson, were formed in New York City in 1981. A product of the No-Wave music scene of the late 1970s, the group had their roots in abrasive, experimental music, with Moore and Ranaldo having previously worked with the experimental composer Glenn Branca. The band were joined in 1985 by drummer Steve Shelley, and recorded 15 albums together, as well as many side and solo projects. Their work has been consistently challenging and innovative, and they are widely regarded as one of the most intriguing and influential bands of their time. This view has been added to by the strength of their record "Sonic Nurse", which also featured the talents of Jim O'Rourke. O'Rourke left the band in 2005. In 2006, Mark Ibold joined the group.

In September 2011, Sonic Youth went on "indefinite hiatus" following the separation of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore (the couple had been married since 1984).More

Sites:

sonicyouth.com, saucerlike.com, Facebook, MySpace, luxnet.at, Bookogs, scaruffi.com,Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, Filmogs, Posterogs

Aliases:

Ciccone Youth, Cushion Toy, Sonic Death, Sonic Youth With Friends

Members:

~~Anne DeMarinis~~, ~~Bob Bert~~, ~~Jim O'Rourke~~, ~~Jim Sclavunos~~, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Mark Ibold, ~~Richard Edson~~, Steve Shelley, Thurston Moore

Variations:

Viewing All | Sonic Youth

Chronic Youth, S.Y., Sonic, Sonic Youth & Guests, Sonic Youth Etc., Sonic-Youth,sonicyouth, Sonik-Youth, SY, The Sonic Youth, The Sonic-Youth, The Sonik-Youth, Youth

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Marketplace17,581 For Sale

Vinyl and CD

4Recent Releases

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Albums

Sonic Youth

Neutral Records (3)

1982

Confusion Is Sex

Neutral Records (3), Neutral Records (3)

1983

Sonic-Death Sonic-Youth Live

Ecstatic Peace!

1984

Bad Moon Rising

Blast First, Homestead Records

1985

Evol

SST Records

1986

Walls Have Ears ‎(2xLP, Num)

Not

NOT 1 (BUT 2)

1986

Sister

SST Records

1987

"Sister" Interview Disc ‎(LP)

Blast First

CHAT1

1987

Daydream Nation

Enigma Records (3), Blast First

1988

Goo

DGC

1990

Goo Demos ‎(CD)

Sonic Death, Sonic Death

1301, SY 1301

1991

Hold That Tiger

Goofin' Records, Goofin' Records

1991

Dirty

DGC

1992

Live At The Continental Club

Sonic Death, Sonic Death

1992

Live In Bremen ‎(LP, Num, Pic)

Not On Label (Sonic Youth)

none

1994

Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star

1994

1995

1995

Live Venlo, Holland 12.27.83

Sonic Death

1995

Blastic Scene - SY Ao Vivo Em Lisboa, 14.7.93. ‎(CD, Album)

Moneyland Records, Moneyland Records

MLR 001 95, MIR 001 95

1995

1998

1999

2000

2002

2004

Reviews Show All 13 Reviews

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The-Earth-Looks-Flat

July 8, 2019

In my opinion Sonic Youth were a really great band. I've only just recently really got into them and am working my way through their studio albums, haven't heard anything I don't like at all. From Confusion Is Sex through to Rather Ripped and quite a few in between I have found them consistently inventive and interesting, there aren't many bands I would say that about! Also they have one of the best band names ever, it just works perfectly and sounds right!

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dennedenned

July 3, 2019

Maybe the best Band ever existed?
In my opinion they got close to it!

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sonicmatt77

November 13, 2016

I don't usually like to comment on here, but the first comment on this page should do nothing but reiterate the positive comments of rose1978 below. The Motörhead comparison is spot on, especially in terms of longevity and for what they mean to so many. They sounded like no other and despite the obvious influence they have had down the years on all manner of musicians, no other sounded quite like them.

Did they change my life? Well without the enduring love I have had for their music since I was a teenager, I simply wouldn't be 'me' at all. Along with the music of Swans they have created something that has bonded with me on a cellular level. They are and always will be part of me and in my blood...I owe them the warmest thanks and love for everything they've given me. I'll never forget attending their gig in the Forum in London some years back. My friend who I had turned on to them and I were treated to an amazing set and I can still feel the shiver that travelled down my spine when the unmistakable intro to Schizophrenia kicked off the the night...wow...

Can't wait to see Thurston with Swans at the Roundhouse next year. The same venue I saw Sonic Youth play Daydream Nation in full. THANKS FOREVER SONIC YOUTH!

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porfido

July 25, 2016

edited over 3 years ago

had to sell all theyr records after seeing the tall foxy (...) guy in every single documentary about 80's music.. not worth much.. did they really discover art ? anyway, I can understand art students like them, guess they are "cool"

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rose1978

August 8, 2015

edited over 4 years ago

Sonic Youth is something "PURE & ORIGINAL" in rock idiom. Sonic Youth is something unique. Sonic Youth has CHARACTER & ATTITUDE. Sonic Youth for alternative rock is like Motorhead for hard rock n roll music. Their music is simple & complex at the same time. They changed listener's & musician's status wordwide. Also they re from Big Apple.....RESPECT!

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pengyone

March 26, 2011

edited over 8 years ago

Sonic Youth pioneered a new approach to making music, a fusion of post punk and art rock that focused more on the music and the moods created by it, rather than a traditional verse/chorus arrangement. This can be powerful (Joni/Daydream Nation) and beautiful (Beauty Lies in the Eye/Sister) in equal measure.

The band began using non-traditional guitar tunings and methods to produce an awe-inspiring sound that had never been heard before. On Confusion is Sex, this sounds very raw, but by Sister, this sound had been perfected. For me, Sister is the band's peak. The epic Daydream Nation that followed is often hailed as their best, but nothing comes close to the sheer experimentation that resulted in Cotton Crown (Sister).

By Goo, the band had moved to the David Geffen label and perhaps due to the pressure of following up on Daydream Nation, the album sounds over produced and stifled, lacking the creative energy of their earlier releases. This was recaptured to some extent on Dirty, however the band moved away from their sonic experimentation roots to a new, more commercial sound from here on in.

I would list them as the most creative band since Pink Floyd by a mile. Sister and Daydream Nation are works of true genius.

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blind_squirrel

January 1, 2011

edited over 8 years ago

Very underrated band in my opinion. Consistent with the high quality of their releases over such a long span.

I notice they're even widely unknown to people who actually care about indie / alternative rock and go to a lot of gigs, listening to Bloc Party, Maximo Park and the like (well, at least a few years back - you get the picture), for example, which seems unfair.

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Alastis

February 13, 2006

edited over 13 years ago

Who would've thought that 20 years down the road SY will still be playing music and moreover will be featured in cartoons ?
But it is happening, despite the fact that they're were one of the most abrasive bands around in the 80's and even though they lessened a volume little bit by now, it still holds true to some extent. Of course, its not always hits in case of SY and there are plenty of misses in my humble opinion, but still...
They put "noise" in "noise rock" and did almost inevitable - forced masses to appreciate loud and filthy distorted sound, as opposed to traditional pop/rock wankery.

Reply Notify me 8 Helpful