Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo to release ‘Between The Times & The Tides’ in March

The future of Sonic Youth may still be uncertain, but fans can at least take solace in Matador Records’ announcement today that guitarist/third vocalist Lee Ranaldo will release a new solo album called Between The Times & The Tides next spring — and judging by the recent live debut of the songs, it’s a fairly rock-oriented affair.

The album is due out March 20 on Matador, and features contributions from Wilco’s Nels Cline, Alan Licht, John Medeski, Sonic Youth bandmate Steve Shelley and ex-SY cohorts Jim O’Rourke and Bob Bert. No tracklist has yet been revealed, but Matador, in announcing the project, describes it as “equal parts smart, confident and loose in a manner that recalls some of our favorite rock’n’roll projects…yet sounds like a fantastic new band that was apparently being assembled right under our noses.”

Ranaldo, whose past solo work has veered toward more experimental sounds, debuted some of the tracks while opening for Wild Flag in New York last month, introducing the first song, “Angles,” as “kind of a love song that goes out to a couple dear friends of mine who are going through some shit right now,” according to Brooklyn Vegan — presumably a reference to the announced separation of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon.

Sonic Youth currently is performing in South America, a trek that wraps up Monday in Brazil. According to Matador, Ranaldo is planning to tour the new solo record in 2012.

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon announce separation; future of Sonic Youth uncertain
• Thurston Moore: New ‘Circulation’ video, tour dates, streaming concert, Sonic Youth reissue
• Sonic Youth’s ‘1991: The Year Punk Broke’ finally to be released on DVD this fall
• Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore to release ‘Demolished Thoughts’ in May