Thurston Moore’s new memoir “Sonic Life” to recount path to Sonic Youth and beyond
Thurston Moore this fall will release a new memoir called “Sonic Life” that will trace his musical awakening, the formation of and decades-long run of Sonic Youth.
Thurston Moore this fall will release a new memoir called “Sonic Life” that will trace his musical awakening, the formation of and decades-long run of Sonic Youth.
Former Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore returns later this month with Rock N Roll Consciousness, first new album in two years, which was recorded with his current touring band that includes former SY compatriot Steve Shelley on drums and My Bloody Valentine’s Deb Googe on bass.
Nearing the end of a December swing across the West Coast, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo brought his new band The Dust — featuring SY drummer Steve Shelley — to TBS’ “Conan” show last night to perform “Lecce, Leaving,” the opening track to the band’s 2013 album Last Night on Earth.
Fans of Sonic Youth may still be struggling to get over the presumed end of the legendary noise-rock band, but there is good news ahead: The band’s four members all will be on tour in the U.S. this fall — albeit separately, for the most part — and three of the four have new music due out later this year.
For this week’s ‘120 Minutes Rewind,’ we offer up a clip of unusually good video quality, a nine-minute reel from summer 1990 that saw Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore and drummer Steve Shelley sitting down to talk about the band’s just-released ‘Goo’ album with host Dave Kendall.
Here’s video shot in the last week of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore covering the Rolling Stones’ ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)’ in Rio and bandmate Lee Ranaldo doing his take on Talking Heads”Thank You For Sending Me An Angel,’ before segueing into his own song ‘Fire Island (Phases),’ in Barcelona.
Sonic Youth wrapped up a short South American tour last night with a 70-minute set at the SWU Music & Arts Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil — something that normally wouldn’t be particularly newsworthy, except that it might have been the legendary noise-rockers’ final performance after 30 years together.
The future of Sonic Youth may still be uncertain, but fans can at least take solace in Matador Records’ announcement today that 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.
After 27 years of marriage and 30 years as bandmates, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon today issued a statement announcing they’ve separated, and while Sonic Youth will honor its South American touring commitments next month, the future of the band is uncertain.
This week’s new releases include a pair of 2CD sets from famed synthpop label ZTT Records (an expanded reissue of Propaganda’s ‘A Secret Wish’ and the Art of Noise comp ‘Influence’), as well as a blue-vinyl issue of Devo’s new ‘Something for Everybody’ and the debut from The High Confessions, featuring Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley and Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks).
New Jersey-based radio station WFMU is once again streaming full sets from the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain, today and Saturday, with performance on tap from Wire, Gary Numan, Soft Cell’s Marc Almond and Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera, among others.
Nearly overlooked amid the buzz surrounding Sonic Youth’s forthcoming, back-to-the-indies album is the band’s hefty new book, which is due to be published next week. […]