At this point in their career, Sonic Youth present a paradox: they’re radicals that are also reliable entertainers. However far out they might go, they eventually come back to something that sounds vaguely like 1987’s “Schizophrenia”: fast, strummy guitar lines, a hazy vocal track, a driving rhythm section, harmonies twisting like vines, a colossal racket wrapped around a deceptively catchy tune that threatens to explode at any moment. The intent is to expand the number of possibilities - see their “serious music” side projects for an example of how far they’re willing to go in this pursuit - but truthfully, they’re not that far off from AC/DC when you look at the big picture. more ›

I missed the boat on getting as many CDs reviewed as I wanted to in 2008 (a subtle hint at a 2009 resolution of mine) so here are some stellar albums that deserve more than the short mention they are receiving below: more ›

Just a teeny bit shy of Daydream Nation's twenty-year anniversary in June, Sonic Youth is hitting up festivals this summer with their performance of their classic album, in its entirety. Their first stop is in Chicago on July 13th as part of the Pitchfork Music Festival in collaboration with ATP’s Don’t Look Back Series. From there, the foursome (Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, and Steve Shelley) will move onto dates in Berkeley, Los Angeles, Munich, Berlin and three shows in London. more ›