Biography of Sonic Youth

When Sonic Youth began as a downtown New York band in the early '80s, they rejected most traditional rock & roll formalities such as Western tuning and song structure. With screwdrivers randomly stuck into their guitar necks, the quartet created discordant, droning, mantra-like songs that were quietly forceful. As they matured, their material became more accessible and the songs more conventional, even as they retained their discordance. By the early '90s, Sonic Youth was approaching mainstream acceptance.The band had several releases before their sound crystallized. Sonic Youth, Confusion is Sex, Kill Yr Idols, and Sonic Death document a band learning to express their complex ideas. These releases are often coarse and brash, sometimes unlistenable, and frequently startling in their power. (In the independent label boom of the early '80s, many bands were able to develop publicly, creating exciting and innovative music without the pressure of widespread acceptance; by the '90s, with the growing major-label dominance, this artistic risk-taking was largely squelched.)With 1985's Bad Moon Rising, the songs gained a focus so that moods and styles which formerly had spread across several releases could be accomplished in one album. Death Valley 69, a collaboration with Lydia Lunch, foretold the band's next direction: subverting the conventions from within. As their developing fascination with Madonna indicated, pop music and its far-reaching power had become an attraction. EVOL ("love" spelled backwards) was comprised of catchy rhythms and melodies, even some hooks; however, a menacing darkness remained - dominated, in fact. Vocals were split pretty evenly between Kim Gordon, bassist, and Thurston Moore, guitarist; Lee Ranaldo also played guitar, and the lineup was solidified with drummer Steve Shelley. EVOL remains a high point for the band, with provocative songs that force us, even after punk, to question what was commonplace in pop.Sister found them largely embracing the rock aesthetic, though with little sacrifice to their own code. The album retains its menace and punkish attitude while totally rocking out. It's sort of the other side of the EVOL coin. They achieve a similar end, but instead of using spacious and brooding songs, they play hard, succinct, and tight. Daydream Nation is a double album that warrants its indulgences; if the songs run long, they're worth it. When "Total Trash" devolves into a furious jam, its cacophony is beautiful, surpassed only by the surprise return to structure. The appeal of the "Teen Age Riot" single brought the band a greater audience, and if it seems to compromise their stance, in the context of the album it makes perfect sense. After nearly a decade of acute observations and distinctive music, Sonic Youth signed to a major label, retaining creative control. Though 1990's Goo is not a sell out, it doesn't advance the band in the leaps their previous few albums had. Mostly it sounds like Daydream Nation rehashed. However, the corporate machine helped them develop a still-larger following, and Sonic Youth's past indicates that a pause to regroup is usually followed by a burst of new creativity. ~ Robert Gordon