SONGS: OHIA Didn't It Rain (Secretly Canadian) cd 13.98
The prolific Jason Molina and co. bring some scant shades of light into their usually achingly melancholic proceedings on what is -- if my counting is correct -- their ninth full length in less than five years (this count includes the three S:O albums from 2000!). And this productivity does not seem to dilute the quality of songwriting in any way whatsoever. Still the achingly lonely sensitive guy vocals to go with the melancholy acoustic guitar. As we've said many times beofre, fans of Will Oldham should check this loner out, you'll love it. So very nice!
RealAudio clip: "Steve Albini's Blues"
RealAudio clip: "Ring The Bell"

SONGS: OHIA Ghost Tropic (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
Songs: Ohia's fifth proper album is their most skeletal yet. This time around main man Jason Molina is accompanied by members of Appendix Out and Lullaby For The Working Class. The results are eight of the darkest folk tunes you will ever hear. The vocals are more desperate, the instrumentation is more varied (dig the creepy world instruments), and the overall ambience is downright coma-inducing. So what does it all mean? It means the lazy comparisons to other popular indie cum alt-country stars must stop now! This is the most original, most beautiful not-so-folk folk record you will hear all year.

SONGS: OHIA Hecla & Griper (Secretly Canadian) cd 8.98

SONGS: OHIA Mi Sei Apparso Come Un Fantasma (Paper Cup) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A live performance in Italy by Songs:Ohia is captured on this just-shy-of-an-hour-long cd. Jason Molina and co. deliver eight songs of which five are previously unreleased. Always weighted with much heavy melancholia and gut-wrenching sincerity, Mr. Molina's vocal style never fails to draw comparisons to those of Will Oldham, but on this release I'd also throw a bit of Jeff Mangum into the mix as well. It's backed by some very rich and moving quiet/loud instrumentation - sparse guitars and percussion that build and build to a dark apex then fall away leaving the vocals to linger.
RealAudio clip: "Being In Love"
RealAudio clip: "Untitled (track 6)"

SONGS: OHIA The Gray Tower / Black Link To Fire Link (Secretly Canadian) 7" 4.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A scant two songs from Songs: Ohia. Main man Mr. Jason Molina is joined by Jennie Benford and Matthew Derby. With the focus primarily on his vocals and guitar, he keeps his voice down low and subdues his usual emotive falsetto - perhaps to provide space for the dreamy female vocals on the title track? A very characteristically wistful record that will surely not disappoint S:O followers. These two tracks were recorded in the same sessions as their forthcoming album, but they apparently will not be included on it. So scoop 'em up now!

SONGS:OHIA s/t (Secretly Canadian) cd 7.98
Non-fans of Palace need not apply. Pretty long for an ep, which is good 'cause it's so slow and sad. Recommended.

SONGS:OHIA s/t (Secretly Canadian) cd 10.98
This band's single on the Palace Bros.' 7" label was possibly better than any Palace, and now here's the full-length. Housed in a nice hand-press-printed package too.

SONGS:OHIA The Lioness (Secretly Canadian) cd 13.98
It can be quite unnerving how similar Jason Molina's voice is to Will Oldham's. So the comparisons to Palace are inevitable, and this record isn't much of an exception. There does, however, seem to be a dramatic difference between Oldham's songs and Molina's songs, both musically and lyrically. While Oldham's songs are certainly beautiful and appalachian and 'old timey', Molina takes the same sound, but infuses it with an urgency and depth not always present on Palace records. It's like every song is sung with his last dying breath, or howled impotently at the gods intent on crushing his spirit. Dramatically theatrical emotions pour out of intense, slow motion country narratives. This time around, Songs:Ohia includes members of Arab Strap and Appendix Out, adding even more depressive murk and heart wrenching hopelessness.

SONGS:OHIA The Lioness (Secretly Canadian) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It can be quite unnerving how similar Jason Molina's voice is to Will Oldham's. So the comparisons to Palace are inevitable, and this record isn't much of an exception. There does, however, seem to be a dramatic difference between Oldham's songs and Molina's songs, both musically and lyrically. While Oldham's songs are certainly beautiful and appalachian and 'old timey', Molina takes the same sound, but infuses it with an urgency and depth not always present on Palace records. It's like every song is sung with his last dying breath, or howled impotently at the gods intent on crushing his spirit. Dramatically theatrical emotions pour out of intense, slow motion country narratives. This time around, Songs:Ohia includes members of Arab Strap and Appendix Out, adding even more depressive murk and heart wrenching hopelessness.

SONIC CATERING BAND Live From The Canteens Of Atlantis (Absurd) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I can hardly begin to describe the Sonic Catering Band without cracking up. The whole idea is completely silly, but totally brilliant. The Sonic Catering Band are as much about concept and execution as they are about sound. Basically, the members of the band prepare, cook, and consume a meal, while mic-ing every single step of the way, plates and pots, utensils and cuttlery, and processing, cutting, mixing and layering those sounds into gorgeous drone-y, clattery soundscapes. The concept has evolved, sometimes including band members' mothers brought in for the actual cooking and sometimes including the actual prepared food with the finished record. Their debut was a very limited (ten copies actually) cd-r / cd-sized cake (!) which obviously went out of print immediately, or at least got thrown in the fridge to keep fresh. And outside of a few singles, there hasn't been much else until now. Greek label Absurd has put together this massive 2 cd live document of EVERY SCB performance. Disc one is a dense collage drawn from all of the bands live performances while disc two is their final show in its entirety, unedited and un-fucked with. The sounds of cooking are transformed in the deft hands of the Sonic Catering Band into dense, throbbing soundscapes of pulsing, fuzzed out low end rumble, crackling, staticky clatter, upper register, tweeter shredding skree, and the clinking, distant ambient whir of dining and cooking and sitting down to a homecooked meal. You can even get all the recipes from their website and try them out at home! Think Total, Skullflower, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Lustmord, Angus Maclise, Jonathan Coleclough, and Troum all battling it out on Iron Chefs. Brilliant and delicious!
MPEG Stream: "Track 01, Disc 01"
MPEG Stream: "Track 02, Disc 01"

SONIC CATERING BAND Seven Transdanubian Recipes (Peripheral Conserve) cd 12.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
The Sonic Catering Band were a fairly recent discovery for us, even though they've been around for several years now, and they seemed a perfect match for our strange tastes here at Aquarius. A large ensemble, that physically, prepare, cook and consume meals, while the sounds of cutlery, cookware, conversation, cooking, and eating are all captured, recorded, tweaked and presented as their own strange sonic architecture. Their last double cd, a collection of live recordings, was a dreamy and drone-y collage of rumbles and whirs and purrs and hums. One of the best drone records we'd heard in a while. The new record takes an entirely different sonic path at least for the first half of the record, with the drones pushed to the background, supporting an abstract assemblage of percussive clatter, dynamic and dense. The website claims definitively and defiantly that there are no beats, however, there are abstract rhythms and almost-structures, that surface from the kitcheny chaos. The two final tracks though will have drone-freaks drooling. Two lengthy static explorations, into the deep, dark, rumbling depths of dronology, with throbbing pulses stretched into warm sheets of sound, hiss and whir spread out over everything like a thick layer of peanut butter, and a humming, reverberating thrum dripped over both tracks like sonic molasses. As an added bonus, the website explains that with the addition of several new members, and those members particular dietary requirements, the Sonic Catering Band are no longer a vegetarian entity. Thankfully, vegetarians can still enjoy the results, relatively guilt free.
MPEG Stream: "The Alimentary Canal By Night"
MPEG Stream: "The Lamb Is The Light Thereof"

SONIC FLOWER Heavy Sonic & Flower Groove (Leaf Hound) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A super fuzzed out, drug addled psychedelic 25 minute blast of flower power stoner rock from Japan. Huge riffs that groove and slither like the best sun baked stoner rock you've heard (Kyuss, Nebula, Fu Manchu). Not super original, but who cares when it's this groovy and this heavy and this rocking. All instrumental, so there's no vocals to muck up the works. Features members of serial killer obsessed Japanese stoner-sludge lords Church of Misery. One of those rare metal records that everybody here at AQ seems to dig.
MPEG Stream: "Cosmic Highway"
MPEG Stream: "Black Sunshine"

SONIC LIBERATION FRONT Ashe A Go-Go (High Two) cd 14.98

SONIC SUBJUNKIES Live at the Suicide Club (DHR Limited) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Rare to see a live electronica album, but for DHR it certainly works. Sonic Subjunkies manifest belligerent Amen drum & bass breaks, furious noise, and an occasional groove (which can be hard to find on the typical DHR release). The cd also features the first two out-of-print singles from the band.

SONIC YOUTH A Thousand Leaves (My So Called/DGC) 2lp 12.98
The cd version comes out this Tuesday (May 12) but the band-released vinyl version is here now. We figure every magazine in the universe is going to put these guys on the cover this spring, so you can read about them there instead of here.

SONIC YOUTH Anagrama (SYR) 12" 8.98
Completely wonderful four-song instrumental ep self-released by the band on their new label, aptly named Sonic Youth Records. Windy saw them play underneath the Brooklyn Bridge a few weeks ago. I'm not even much of a fan anymore, but this performance blew me away. No vocals, no verse-chorus-verse, it was all lovely melodic tension building up and up with glorious climaxes. And the drumming is all CH-ka ch-ka CH-ka ch-ka, nothing too bombastic, very subdued. Excellent direction for Sonic Youth to go, we say. Transparent red vinyl is extremely limited. Strongly recommended!

SONIC YOUTH Anagrama (SYR) cdep 8.98
Completely wonderful four-song instrumental ep self-released by the band on their new label, aptly named Sonic Youth Records. Windy saw them play underneath the Brooklyn Bridge a few weeks ago. I'm not even much of a fan anymore, but this performance blew me away. No vocals, no verse-chorus-verse, it was all lovely melodic tension building up and up with glorious climaxes. And the drumming is all CH-ka ch-ka CH-ka ch-ka, nothing too bombastic, very subdued. Excellent direction for Sonic Youth to go, we say. Transparent red vinyl is extremely limited. Strongly recommended!

SONIC YOUTH Confusion Is Sex (DGC) cd 12.98

SONIC YOUTH Confusion Is Sex (Original Recordings Group) lp 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SONIC YOUTH Corporate Ghost - The Videos 1990-2002 (Geffen) dvd 18.98
The title of this Sonic Youth dvd may say "The Videos", but it's so much more than a simple video compilation! This compiles all of their videos from 1990-2002, after they made the jump to the majors. The liner notes suggest a "pre-sellout" video compilation will follow, we're psyched to see that too. But this here DVD is chock full of all your favorites: "Dirty Boots", "Kool Thing", "Sugar Kane", "Youth Against Facism", "Bull In The Heather" and loads more. All with band and/or director commentaries. Bonus goodies include something called Sonic Spiel featuring Mike Watt, Jason Lee, Kathleen Hanna, Todd Hynes, Richard Kern and a bunch of other sonic pals. Also a Spike Jonze montage of his favortie SY memories, a fan letter film, and some secret extras. Pretty damn cool.

SONIC YOUTH Daydream Nation (Geffen) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Still boggles the mind that this underground New York art rock band somehow were permitted into the mainstream... y'know the big leagues, but it's that mammoth wealth of resources that allows the release of special reissue editions such as this one.
So, what's your fave Sonic Youth album? If you took a poll around here, chances are you'd hear the names of a select few of their early albums come up repeatedly - Bad Moon Rising, Evol, Goo, Sister maybe - but none may be quite as beloved as 1988's Daydream Nation. Simply put, in pretty much every aspect - album art, title, song sequence and the songs themselves - Sonic Youth nails it. It's a superbly realized art rock album that balances melodicism and dissonance, traditional song structures and soundscapes.
FYI, though, there's an expanded deluxe edition also available, with an extra disc of goodies, see elsewhere on our site for that review.
MPEG Stream: "Teenage Riot"

SONIC YOUTH Daydream Nation (Goofin) 4lp box 34.00
ALSO ON VINYL, WHOOHOO!
Still boggles the mind that this underground New York art rock band somehow were permitted into the mainstream... y'know the big leagues, but it's that mammoth wealth of resources that allows the release of special reissue editions such as this one.
So, what's your fave Sonic Youth album? If you took a poll around here, chances are you'd hear the names of a select few of their early albums come up repeatedly -- Bad Moon Rising, Evol, Goo, Sister maybe -- but none may be quite as beloved as Daydream Nation. Simply put, in pretty much every aspect -- album art, title, song sequence and the songs themselves -- Sonic Youth nails it. It's a superbly realized art rock album that balances melodicism and dissonance, traditional song structures and soundscapes.
The extras that make this version deluxe include a home demo version of "Eric's Trip" and an entire disc of unreleased live tracks from the Daydream era as well as some great covers of Kraftwerk, Mudhoney, The Beatles and Captain Beefheart.
MPEG Stream: "Teenage Riot"
MPEG Stream: "Kissability (Live)"
MPEG Stream: "Within You Without You"

SONIC YOUTH Daydream Nation - Deluxe Edition (Geffen) 2cd 31.00
Still boggles the mind that this underground New York art rock band somehow were permitted into the mainstream... y'know the big leagues, but it's that mammoth wealth of resources that allows the release of special reissue editions such as this one.
So, what's your fave Sonic Youth album? If you took a poll around here, chances are you'd hear the names of a select few of their early albums come up repeatedly - Bad Moon Rising, Evol, Goo, Sister maybe - but none may be quite as beloved as 1988's Daydream Nation. Simply put, in pretty much every aspect - album art, title, song sequence and the songs themselves - Sonic Youth nails it. It's a superbly realized art rock album that balances melodicism and dissonance, traditional song structures and soundscapes.
The extras that make this version deluxe include a home demo version of "Eric's Trip" and an entire disc of unreleased live tracks from the Daydream era as well as some great covers of Kraftwerk, Mudhoney, The Beatles and Captain Beefheart. Just in time to get us all psyched up for their upcoming live performance of this legendary album in its entirety! [Back in 2007 that is.]
MPEG Stream: "Teenage Riot"
MPEG Stream: "Kissability (Live)"
MPEG Stream: "Within You Without You"

SONIC YOUTH Dirty (Geffen) 2cd 28.00
This has actually been out for a while now and even though we were asleep at the switch, figured a bunch of you would still be psyched. However, of all the Sonic Youth records that could deserve the deluxe multi-disc reissue, very few of us would have chosen Dirty. How about Daydream Nation? Or even Goo? I guess it does make sense since Dirty was their commercial breakthrough record or whatever, so ultimately it really depends on where you hold Dirty in your personal SY pantheon. But this reissue is super nice, fully tricked out with a fancy double digipak, a slip cover, tons of photos and a big booklet. Contains the original album as well as 8 b-sides and 12 rehearsal recordings, 11 of which have never been released until now! Good stuff. Now how about a deluxe reissue of Sister or Evol?!?
MPEG Stream: "Sugar Kane"
MPEG Stream: "100%"
MPEG Stream: "Youth Against Fascism"

SONIC YOUTH Dirty (Goofin) 4lp box 30.00
This is the just released deluxe lp box special edition of the Dirty 2cd reissue that came out a few months ago. Of all the Sonic Youth records that might deserve the deluxe multi-disc reissue, very few of us would have chosen Dirty. How about Daydream Nation? Or even Goo? I guess it does make sense since Dirty was their commercial breakthrough record or whatever, so ultimately it really depends on where you hold Dirty in your personal SY pantheon. But this reissue is super nice, fully tricked out in a big fancy box, 4 thick vinyl lps, tons of photos and a big booklet. Contains the original album as well as 8 b-sides and 12 rehearsal recordings, 11 of which have never been released until now! Good stuff. Now how about a deluxe reissue of Sister or Evol?!?

SONIC YOUTH Evol (Original Recordings Group) lp 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SONIC YOUTH Goo (Geffen) cd 11.98
The year punk broke? Depends on who you ask and if you care. But the documentary sporting that title centers around Sonic Youth and their tour after their first major label record came out, Goo, in 1990. In many ways this was the record that would shape the course of the indie-rock revolution of the 1990's. As it was more often then not Sonic Youth using their new found major label clout to help other bands get more exposure or even deals of their own (i.e. Dinosaur Jr, Mudhoney, Nirvana, etc.). Following up Daydream Nation must have been quite a daunting task and signing with a major label at that time was often the kiss of death for any self respecting band who had roots in the punk rock community. Yet somehow Sonic Youth found a way to forge a new road and rewrite all the rules. While Goo might be one of their more accessible albums it was by no means at all a sellout. SY had always had a pop element in their music and this record let them explore it much more deeply. While not their most critically acclaimed record, we've always had a huge soft spot for Goo, in fact it's Andee's favorite SY record ever! It was the record where SY got to let down their hair and have some fun. There is a playfulness and charisma to Goo that still kicks our ass. And odds are you probably already know and love a bunch of these Goo-tunes.
Aw Goo, a record that would help Sonic Youth reach the masses as it gave them a wider audience than previous albums. Goo launched a decade that would see so many bands flourish taking much inspiration from Sonic Youth. Everyone from Pavement to Sleater-Kinney, Unwound to Blonde Redhead. Years and years later, Goo still sounds so rocking and charming. One of the few bands who have made great records over the course of three decades!
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Boots"
MPEG Stream: "Kool Thing"
MPEG Stream: "Can Song"
MPEG Stream: "Number One (Disappearer/8 Track Demo)"

SONIC YOUTH Goo - Deluxe Edition (Geffen) 2cd 31.00
With the deluxe reissue and recent performance of Daydream Nation here in town just a week ago Sonic Youth has been on our minds quite a bit. So we figured we would list the deluxe version of their major-label debut Goo which came out a while back too.....
The year punk broke? Depends on who you ask and if you care. But the documentary sporting that title centers around Sonic Youth and their tour after their first major label record came out, Goo, in 1990. In many ways this was the record that would shape the course of the indie-rock revolution of the 1990's. As it was more often then not Sonic Youth using their new found major label clout to help other bands get more exposure or even deals of their own (i.e. Dinosaur Jr, Mudhoney, Nirvana, etc.). Following up Daydream Nation must have been quite a daunting task and signing with a major label at that time was often the kiss of death for any self respecting band who had roots in the punk rock community. Yet somehow Sonic Youth found a way to forge a new road and rewrite all the rules. While Goo might be one of their more accessible albums it was by no means at all a sellout. SY had always had a pop element in their music and this record let them explore it much more deeply. While not their most critically acclaimed record, we've always had a huge soft spot for Goo, in fact it's Andee's favorite SY record ever! It was the record where SY got to let down their hair and have some fun. There is a playfulness and charisma to Goo that still kicks our ass. And odds are you probably already know and love a bunch of these Goo-tunes. Of all the deluxe SY reissues so far this is the one whose bonus material is the most rewarding. The proper album is on one disc followed by 5 tracks of out-takes and b-sides (including a Neon-Boys cover) and the second disc has some totally great 8-track demos as well as a killer cover of the Beach Boys' "I Know There Is An Answer" a good decade before it became all the rage to love The Beach Boys again. Aw Goo, a record that would help Sonic Youth reach the masses as it gave them a wider audience than previous albums. Goo launched a decade that would see so many bands flourish taking much inspiration from Sonic Youth. Everyone from Pavement to Sleater-Kinney, Unwound to Blonde Redhead. Seventeen years later and Goo still sounds so rocking and charming. One of the few bands who have made great records over the course of three decades!
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Boots"
MPEG Stream: "Kool Thing"
MPEG Stream: "Can Song"
MPEG Stream: "Number One (Disappearer/8 Track Demo)"

SONIC YOUTH Goo - Deluxe Edition (Goofin') 4lp 36.00

SONIC YOUTH Goodbye 20th Century (SYR) 2cd 16.98
Sonic Youth and the usual suspects (cohorts Willy Winant, Jim O'Rourke, Christian Marclay, and others) team up to pay tribute to a variety of avant-garde 20th Century composers, performing works by the likes of Steve Reich, Cornelius Cardew, John Cage, Yoko Ono, James Tenney, Pauline Oliveros (who specifically wrote a piece for this), Takehisa Kosugi, George Maciunas, Christian Wolff and more. Yes, this is totally pretentious but the music ain't bad at all, lots of bowing, grating, droning, scraping, banging, screaming, etc. The cd version includes a Quicktime video of the band happily hammering nails into the keys of piano (a Fluxus conceptual piece by Maciunas). As a Yoko Ono fan, though, I am a bit miffed that the best SY could do was have Kim and Thurston's kid Coco cover her "Voice Piece For Soprano" (which means, scream for twelve seconds) - but I guess that's as much Ono's fault as theirs, in a way.

SONIC YOUTH Goodbye 20th Century (SYR) 2lp 16.98
Sonic Youth and the usual suspects (cohorts Willy Winant, Jim O'Rourke, Christian Marclay, and others) team up to pay tribute to a variety of avant-garde 20th Century composers, performing works by the likes of Steve Reich, Cornelius Cardew, John Cage, Yoko Ono, James Tenney, Pauline Oliveros (who specifically wrote a piece for this), Takehisa Kosugi, George Maciunas, Christian Wolff and more. Yes, this is totally pretentious but the music ain't bad at all, lots of bowing, grating, droning, scraping, banging, screaming, etc. The cd version includes a Quicktime video of the band happily hammering nails into the keys of piano (a Fluxus conceptual piece by Maciunas). As a Yoko Ono fan, though, I am a bit miffed that the best SY could do was have Kim and Thurston's kid Coco cover her "Voice Piece For Soprano" (which means, scream for twelve seconds) - but I guess that's as much Ono's fault as theirs, in a way.

SONIC YOUTH Helen Lundeburg / Eyeliner (Sonic Youth) 7" 4.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hot off the heels of their most recent reissue campaign come 2 brand new songs from Sonic Youth. These were two of the last recordings made in the band's Murray Street studio. Two Thurston sung tracks that recall the darker and angrier side of SY. These won't be on the new album Rather Ripped coming out this summer, so SY enthusiasts you know you gotta get this.

SONIC YOUTH Hits Are For Squares (Geffen) 2lp 30.00
Yes the cover art is pretty terrible! And yes this seems like a last contractual commitment to Geffen, but you can't deny what's in the grooves on this double vinyl. Some of the best Sonic Youth tracks of all time as chosen by some of their most famous fans. Folks like Gus Van Sant, Beck, Chloe Sevigny, Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, Dave Eggers, Mike Watt, Mike D, Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, and more select the Sonic Youth track that speaks to them the most. So we get an awesome collection of their songs like "Bull In The Heather", "Tom Violence", "Expressway To Yr Skull", "Rain On Tin", "Shadow Of A Doubt", "100%" and more.
So yes all that is a fancy way of saying this is a best of Sonic Youth record of sorts. And full disclosure this was originally released by Starbucks on cd a few years back. hence the cover. But if you ignore all that, you get two slabs of wax full of amazing songs by one of the best bands of all time.

SONIC YOUTH Hold that Tiger (Goofin') cd 13.98
Sister-era glorious din, live from 1987, remastered by Wharton Tiers. Includes two Ramones songs in the encore. Excellent stuff, much better than 1000 Leaves.

SONIC YOUTH J'accuse Ted Hughes (SYR POB) 12" 10.98
Another chapter in SY's more out/free/improv adventures.

SONIC YOUTH Murray Street (Geffen) cd 17.98
It's Sonic Youth's 21st year; this is their 16th album, the 2nd of a "proposed trilogy about the cultural history of lower Manhattan," and the 1st album to feature Jim O'Rourke on bass and the three guitar approach from Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, and Kim Gordon. All of those things tend to be much more interesting than what is hangin' out on "Murray Street." There's nothing wrong with this album, but it's really a very safe album with pleasant K Records guitar jangle, careful use of harmonics, unassuming rhythmic shuffles. Thurston tends to most of the singing, probably due to the fact that Kim's voice has aged horribly and sounds more gravelly / off key than ever (as her two songs attest). Even the presence of the monstrous sax duo of Borbetomagus on one track doesn't really lift this album out of mediocrity. I'd have to defer to Vice Magazine in a rare moment of clarity for them: "If confusion was next and this is the truth, tell me lies and let me live in the past."
RealAudio clip: "Empty Page"
RealAudio clip: "Plastic Sun"
RealAudio clip: "Radical Adults Like Godhead Style"

SONIC YOUTH Murray Street (Goofin') lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's Sonic Youth's 21st year; this is their 16th album, the 2nd of a "proposed trilogy about the cultural history of lower Manhattan," and the 1st album to feature Jim O'Rourke on bass and the three guitar approach from Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, and Kim Gordon. All of those things tend to be much more interesting than what is hangin' out on "Murray Street." There's nothing wrong with this album, but it's really a very safe album with pleasant K Records guitar jangle, careful use of harmonics, unassuming rhythmic shuffles. Thurston tends to most of the singing, probably due to the fact that Kim's voice has aged horribly and sounds more gravelly / off key than ever (as her two songs attest). Even the presence of the monstrous sax duo of Borbetomagus on one track doesn't really lift this album out of mediocrity. I'd have to defer to Vice Magazine in a rare moment of clarity for them: "If confusion was next and this is the truth, tell me lies and let me live in the past."

SONIC YOUTH NYC Ghosts & Flowers (Geffen) cd 16.98
"NYC Ghosts & Flowers" finds Sonic Youth writing songs that are textural and rhythmic in their instrumentation, while placing a good deal of emphasis on the voice to carry the melodies of the songs. Superstar producer Jim O'Rourke did everything he could to make this record sound great - capturing all of the chiming resonance with a crystalline clarity, yet he couldn't get the band to write energy into the tracks, as Sonic Youth seemed determined to make a relatively quiet, mellow record. Nor could he stop Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo from singing really poorly. But said singing is kept to a minimum, making this a pretty great SY album, heavy on the melody with some spoken word pieces (that, amazingly, AREN'T annoying or cringe-inducing) and some great pop hooks. Fans of "Anagrama", volume 1 of Sonic Youth's selfreleased eps, will love this.

SONIC YOUTH Oz '93 Tour Edition (Geffen Australia) cdep 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We managed to get a hold of a couple copies of this 5 track single which Sonic Youth produced in support of their 1993 Australia and New Zealand tour. The first cut 'Sugar Kane' was from their 1992 "Goo" album, while the rest of the tracks were unreleased, including a New York Dolls cover ('Personality Crisis') and an Alice Cooper cover ('It's My Body'). Definitely fits in with the same hypno-alt-rock that Sonic Youth had produced for "Goo" and "Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and No Star." Once these are gone, they will not be coming back.

SONIC YOUTH Rather Ripped (Geffen) cd 15.98
Rather Ripped is a rather right-on title for this new SY album. Stripped down and back to basics, the core group of SY is back (Jim O'Rourke is out) and have made a totally great rock record. Poppy and catchy, but without losing their knack for soundscapery skree. Kim Gordon sounds more present and commanding then she has in a while (and a lot less whiney and singsongy), and Thurston is at his dreamiest and most laidback. This is the first SY record in ages to immediately seep into your soul after only a few listens. The great thing about SY is how they truly are A BAND. The sum of their parts comes together to create something WAY more fully realized then any of them could make on their own. Lee Ranaldo sings his song with so much intensity and his guitar sound remains totally, unmistakably his. Steve Shelley continues to keep the beat simple and solid, letting the rest of the band stray and wander. And of course Kim & Thurston are right up front effortlessly demonstrating that it's totally possible to age with dignity and passion while continuing to seriously rock. While it seems like some folks stopped listening to SY at some point in the past, "their last good record" (Daydream Nation, Dirty, etc.), the truth is, that unlike almost any other band around, Sonic Youth have been making really great records for the last quarter-century (totally check out recent under appreciated outings like Murray Street and Sonic Nurse). There is an ethos and undying spirit in their songs that continues to thrive and grow, change and mature, and it still gives us goose-bumps and has us throwing our fists into the air!
MPEG Stream: "Do You Believe In Rapture?"
MPEG Stream: "What A Waste"
MPEG Stream: "Incinerate"

SONIC YOUTH Rather Ripped (Goofin') lp 12.98
Also on vinyl!
Rather Ripped is a rather right-on title for this new SY album. Stripped down and back to basics, the core group of SY is back (Jim O'Rourke is out) and have made a totally great rock record. Poppy and catchy, but without losing their knack for soundscapery skree. Kim Gordon sounds more present and commanding then she has in a while (and a lot less whiney and singsongy), and Thurston is at his dreamiest and most laidback. This is the first SY record in ages to immediately seep into your soul after only a few listens. The great thing about SY is how they truly are A BAND. The sum of their parts comes together to create something WAY more fully realized then any of them could make on their own. Lee Ranaldo sings his song with so much intensity and his guitar sound remains totally, unmistakably his. Steve Shelley continues to keep the beat simple and solid, letting the rest of the band stray and wander. And of course Kim & Thurston are right up front effortlessly demonstrating that it's totally possible to age with dignity and passion while continuing to seriously rock. While it seems like some folks stopped listening to SY at some point in the past, "their last good record" (Daydream Nation, Dirty, etc.), the truth is, that unlike almost any other band around, Sonic Youth have been making really great records for the last quarter-century (totally check out recent under appreciated outings like Murray Street and Sonic Nurse). There is an ethos and undying spirit in their songs that continues to thrive and grow, change and mature, and it still gives us goose-bumps and has us throwing our fists into the air!
MPEG Stream: "Do You Believe In Rapture?"
MPEG Stream: "What A Waste"
MPEG Stream: "Incinerate"

SONIC YOUTH s/t (Geffen) cd 11.98
The greatest debut ep of all time? Maybe bold words but for some of us this is it. Sonic Youth's debut record came out in 1982 yet it sounds as relevant and amazing today as it ever has. It was on this record that they would help shape the course of interesting rock music for the next few decades. Raw and pulsating. Sensual and sexy. Creating tension and mood with a touch that never feels forced and always hits its mark. We could listen to this record over and over and over and in fact since we got this reissue we have been doing just that. For some weird reason when DGC reissued most of the Sonic Youth back catalog in 1995 they failed to reissue this. Why is beyond us but sometimes those corporate folks don't always know what's best. Luckily on this most recent batch of SY reissues this record has finally been given the attention it so totally deserves. Added to the original ep are a handful of live tracks from the early era of the band. Showing their most raw and no-wave inspired side with guts proudly worn on their sleeves. A record you got to have!
(The one down side, for those of you who had this on cassette, the tape version on the flipside, had the song info printed in reverse and the b side was the whole record played backwards! Would have been cool to include that on the reissue. Oh well...)
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Want To Push It"
MPEG Stream: "She Is Not Alone"
MPEG Stream: "The Burning Spear (live)"

SONIC YOUTH Silver Session for Jason Knuth (SKR) cd 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's what the fine folks at Revolver have to say about this special release: "Recorded during the Thousand Leaves sessions when another band's incessant metallic-funk bled through the walls and interrupted SY's vocal overdubs. All of their guitars plugged into all of their amps, all turned to '11,' in a fight-back, feedback squealing eat-my-fuck reverie. Cheesy drum machines were added for some rhythmic fun, and the whole war was recorded, and then mixed and processed into eight tracks and thirty-one minutes of pulsing, soaring, sonic love. This CD is released as a benefit with all proceeds earned to go to the San Francisco Suicide Prevention Hotline, and is dedicated to longtime fan Jason 'Sonic' Knuth."

SONIC YOUTH Simon Werner A Disparu (SYR) cd 13.98
As much as we dig pretty much all the Sonic Youth records, from Evol to Sister, Daydream Nation to Dirty, even Rather Ripped and Murray Street, we definitely find ourselves a little partial to the group's SYR releases, various records that for whatever reason the band opted to release themselves, the sound usually well removed from the indie noise pop of their proper records, and focusing on collaborations, live performances, odds and ends, and even soundtracks.
Simon Werner A Disparu is a collection of music SY recorded last year for the latest film by French director Fabrice Gobert. The group approached it like any musician scoring a film, watching the rushes and dailies, and crafting their songs and sounds into cues that fit the action on screen. But when it came time to release those recordings separate from the film, the band decided to return to the studio and rework the various cues into SY songs, creating altered versions and new compositions by taking those various cues and the numerous sonic fragments employed for the score, and weaving them together, layering them on top of each other, pulling them apart and reconfiguring them, essentially transforming the score into what is now less a soundtrack, and more an actual Sonic Youth record. And a pretty great one at that.
Performed by classic SY lineup: Thurston, Kim, Lee, and Steve (with longtime SY collaborator Jim O'Rourke on one track), from the first track it's immediately recognizable as Sonic Youth, dark and mesmerizingly droney, shuffling rhythms, percussive guitar scrape and crunch, that gives way to a woozy loping slightly gnarled groove, rife with spidery guitar melodies and swirling guitar ambience. "Alice Et Simon" is up next and is classic Sonic Youth, it's almost impossible to keep from constantly expecting Thurston's vocals to come in any second, but they never do, instead the band weave a lush bit of softly atonal jangle and crystalline chordal shimmer. And so it goes, a series of instrumental SY jams, all propulsive motorik drumming, low slung bass thrum, and a gorgeously cacophonic symphony of angular guitars, from warm melodies to grinding crunch, chiming chords over warped melodic squiggles, all wreathed in plenty of crackle and buzz and the occasional strange effects.
The final track finds the band joined by Jim O'Rourke for a sprawling 13 minute epic, droney and krauty, the sound shifting from shuffling jangle to super melodic slow build moodiness, to full bore psychedelic chaos to abstract ambient free noise exploration, culminating in a gorgeous droned out hypno-kraut outro.
So good! And makes us want to see the movie now too!
MPEG Stream: "Theme De Jeremie"
MPEG Stream: "Alice Et Simon"
MPEG Stream: "Les Anges Au Piano"
MPEG Stream: "Chez Yves (Alice Et Clara)"

SONIC YOUTH Simon Werner A Disparu (SYR) lp 14.98
As much as we dig pretty much all the Sonic Youth records, from Evol to Sister, Daydream Nation to Dirty, even Rather Ripped and Murray Street, we definitely find ourselves a little partial to the group's SYR releases, various records that for whatever reason the band opted to release themselves, the sound usually well removed from the indie noise pop of their proper records, and focusing on collaborations, live performances, odds and ends, and even soundtracks.
Simon Werner A Disparu is a collection of music SY recorded last year for the latest film by French director Fabrice Gobert. The group approached it like any musician scoring a film, watching the rushes and dailies, and crafting their songs and sounds into cues that fit the action on screen. But when it came time to release those recordings separate from the film, the band decided to return to the studio and rework the various cues into SY songs, creating altered versions and new compositions by taking those various cues and the numerous sonic fragments employed for the score, and weaving them together, layering them on top of each other, pulling them apart and reconfiguring them, essentially transforming the score into what is now less a soundtrack, and more an actual Sonic Youth record. And a pretty great one at that.
Performed by classic SY lineup: Thurston, Kim, Lee, and Steve (with longtime SY collaborator Jim O'Rourke on one track), from the first track it's immediately recognizable as Sonic Youth, dark and mesmerizingly droney, shuffling rhythms, percussive guitar scrape and crunch, that gives way to a woozy loping slightly gnarled groove, rife with spidery guitar melodies and swirling guitar ambience. "Alice Et Simon" is up next and is classic Sonic Youth, it's almost impossible to keep from constantly expecting Thurston's vocals to come in any second, but they never do, instead the band weave a lush bit of softly atonal jangle and crystalline chordal shimmer. And so it goes, a series of instrumental SY jams, all propulsive motorik drumming, low slung bass thrum, and a gorgeously cacophonic symphony of angular guitars, from warm melodies to grinding crunch, chiming chords over warped melodic squiggles, all wreathed in plenty of crackle and buzz and the occasional strange effects.
The final track finds the band joined by Jim O'Rourke for a sprawling 13 minute epic, droney and krauty, the sound shifting from shuffling jangle to super melodic slow build moodiness, to full bore psychedelic chaos to abstract ambient free noise exploration, culminating in a gorgeous droned out hypno-kraut outro.
So good! And makes us want to see the movie now too!
MPEG Stream: "Theme De Jeremie"
MPEG Stream: "Alice Et Simon"
MPEG Stream: "Les Anges Au Piano"
MPEG Stream: "Chez Yves (Alice Et Clara)"

SONIC YOUTH Slaapkaamers (SYR) 12" 8.98
Second EP in the Youth's self-released series. This one is similar but a bit noisier than the first, with Kim's vocals featured on one piece. The word from Thurston is that SOME of the vinyl copies are on teal-colored vinyl, the rest are black.

SONIC YOUTH Slaapkaamers (SYR) cdep 8.98
Second EP in the Youth's self-released series. This one is similar but a bit noisier than the first, with Kim's vocals featured on one piece. The word from Thurston is that SOME of the vinyl copies are on teal-colored vinyl, the rest are black.

SONIC YOUTH Smart Bar Chicago 1985 (Goofin') cd 13.98
A rollicking group-authorized live artifact from arguably the best period of Sonic Youth's 30+ year history. This live set at Chicago's Smart Bar from 1985 made between the albums Bad Moon Rising and Evol was performed just as Steve Shelley joined the band and includes many tracks from the eps of that period such as Kill Yr Idols, Death Valley '69 and the Flower/Halloween single. Including songs from the self-titled ep and their debut Confusion is Sex, there's also a little known track called "Kat 'n' Hat" from a limited magazine release that serves as a twangy instrumental palette cleanser between the first half and the second half of the set. This is one of the best examples of SY's early live sound with lots of their most vital songs freeforming hard into noisy, beautifully dissonant sheets of sweaty adrenaline-fueled feedback and no-wave-ish industrial din. Vinyl version comes with download card. Nostalgic Youth!
MPEG Stream: "I Love Her All The Time"
MPEG Stream: "Kat 'n' Hat"
MPEG Stream: "Secret Girl"
RealAudio clip: "Expressway To Yr Skull"

SONIC YOUTH Smart Bar Chicago 1985 (Goofin') lp 17.98
A rollicking group-authorized live artifact from arguably the best period of Sonic Youth's 30+ year history. This live set at Chicago's Smart Bar from 1985 made between the albums Bad Moon Rising and Evol was performed just as Steve Shelley joined the band and includes many tracks from the eps of that period such as Kill Yr Idols, Death Valley '69 and the Flower/Halloween single. Including songs from the self-titled ep and their debut Confusion is Sex, there's also a little known track called "Kat 'n' Hat" from a limited magazine release that serves as a twangy instrumental palette cleanser between the first half and the second half of the set. This is one of the best examples of SY's early live sound with lots of their most vital songs freeforming hard into noisy, beautifully dissonant sheets of sweaty adrenaline-fueled feedback and no-wave-ish industrial din. Vinyl version comes with download card. Nostalgic Youth!
MPEG Stream: "I Love Her All The Time"
MPEG Stream: "Kat 'n' Hat"
MPEG Stream: "Secret Girl"
RealAudio clip: "Expressway To Yr Skull"

SONIC YOUTH Sonic Nurse (Geffen) lp 14.98
Now on vinyl...Okay it's going to be difficult, but we're going to try our best to avoid making medical puns. Have Sonic Youth fallen into a total stasis? Sure seems so. When you realize they're now nearing their quarter century mark, it's hard to fault them. Really their newest could be seen as the album on which the band found their comfort zone. Mature, mellow and without much of an edge. Forget all those press comparisons you might've read that this is like Wolf Eyes meets Fleetwood Mac. That's just bullshit ad-copy. For one thing, there isn't a hint of Wolf Eyes (besides Thurston Moore's inaudible personal fondness for them), and the only place with even a glimmer of the 'Mac is in "I Love You Golden Blue" where they blatantly snag the keyboard line from "Dreams". No, Sonic Nurse finds them being less the innovative trailblazers and more the elder statesmen with nothing to prove. They seem to no longer feel the need to issue new sonic challenges to the young punks, falling back instead on ideas they've explored quite a bit in the past (the recent past mind you). All of the Kim Gordon woozily sung songs follow the same pattern of the traditional SY song structure, dissolving into their tried'n'true noisy swell of guitar feedback. The melodic jangle of the last few albums is even more evident in the strummy pop and sing songy arrangements. So all you SY fans that simply want "more Sonic Youth", look no further. Very dreamy and pleasant and familiar. Those looking for something new might need to look elsewhere.
MPEG Stream: "Dripping Dream"
MPEG Stream: "I Love You Golden Blue"