It's been nearly three decades in Sonic Youth's saga, yet the band's art-rock blitz sounds as vital as ever on their 15th studio album, The Eternal. With DIY on the rise and a new wave of lo-fi making indie circles swoon, their influence is undeniable. The band itself has even ditched the major labels, releasing the record on Matador. The album reveals a wise maturity; while the cacophony of grinding, oddly tuned guitars remains a central element, there's a patient, poignant melodicism that lingers. Spacey drones and vocals slither around dead-on drums for a sound that remains as fresh as their name suggests.
Members Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Steve Shelley and Lee Ranaldo took some time out of their busy schedules promoting the album to give us individual playlists of their favorite songs. It's an interesting look inside the minds of each of them, from Moore's obscure punk picks and Gordon's My Bloody Valentine crush to Shelley's diverse oldie loves and Ranaldo's fondness for folk.
Play here, and follow along with their comments for each song, after the jump.
Thurston Moore
John Fahey, "Sligo River Blues": Sounds like a river made from music.
Billie Holiday, "Strange Fruit": Sounds like misery and beauty in an embrace.
The Germs, "Caught In My Eye": Sounds like the war cry of every anguished late '70s American punk.
Black Flag, "Rise Above": Sounds like radical youth culture blasting a hole in the lame fabric of systemized control.
Saccharine Trust, "We Don't Need Freedom": Sounds like a new way of blasting the truth out of the hands of fascists.
Minutemen, "Cut": Sounds like a smart way to break away from the television lie machine.
John Coltrane, "Impressions": Sounds like an artist painting in real time while the rest of the world is rewarded by his beauty.
Bikini Kill, "Rebel Girl": Sounds like an instant crush song for the girl you wanna make out with NOW.
The Slits, "Typical Girls": Sounds like the coolest girls ever making sure you know they are the coolest girls ever.
Richard Hell, "Who Says?": Sounds like a punk rock protest against the happy-face fake patrol.
The Velvet Underground, "Sunday Morning": Sounds like the perfect day in N.Y.C., either post-lovemaking or potentially pre-.
The Fugs, "Frenzy": Sounds like a perfect way to read William Blake and Allen Ginsberg and still have time to get seduced by the hippie girl from the floor above.
Kim Gordon
Oliver Nelson, "Stolen Moments": I'm a sucker for a sad melody.
X-Ray Spex, "Oh Bondage Up Yours!": I like the ripping sound of her voice; it goes with the lyrics.
The Germs, "What We Do is Secret": Great lyrics and smeary vocal style like a punk Louis Armstrong.
New York Dolls, "Personality Crisis": Whatevs. I just like it.
Buffalo Springfield, "Out of My Mind": Gives one a perspective on dealing with the hippie/fame thing and how it was uncool.
Judee Sill, "Jesus Was a Cross Maker": She was such a good arranger, writer, singer ...
The Carpenters, "Superstar": She really made other people's words her own.
My Bloody Valentine, "Soon": I like the whole Glider EP; lovely and mysterious.
My Bloody Valentine, "Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)": Hard to listen to just one of their songs.
The Stooges, "T.V. Eye": Makes my skin prickle.
Steve Shelley
William DeVaughn, "Be Thankful For What You Got": Still today when walking the streets of N.Y.C., strangers sing the chorus to me ... makes me smile.
Bob Dylan, "I Was Young When I Left Home": So much sadness for such a young singer -- more came later.
Big Star, "Holocaust": The sound of falling apart, disappointment, fading beauty + loss. Beautiful shambles.
Peppermint Harris, "I Got Loaded": Driving across Italy listening to Peppermint Harris + Amos Milburn + Tom Waits.
Percy Mayfield, "Hit the Road, Jack": I first heard this on Bob Dylan's radio show (my favorite DJ). Percy had this all worked out before Ray Charles ever recorded it and hit the road to the bank. Beautiful a cappella arrangement.
Etta James, "I'd Rather Go Blind": Chess Records' mesh of soul + Southern sounds. Pure heartbreak.
Stranger & Patsy, "Down By the Trainline": Bubbling bongos and Patsy's beautiful voice help convince us -- later followed by Tom Waits' just-as-wonderful "Down There By the Train."
Faces, "Debris": Secret weapon and heart and soul of the Faces -- Ronnie Lane.
Lucinda Williams, "Which Will": Lucinda covering Nick Drake.
Scott Walker, "Jackie": "If I could be for only an hour/ If I could be for an hour every day."
The Impressions, "I've Been Trying": Before "Curtis" and "Superfly" Curtis Mayfield made such tender recordings with his trio the Impressions.
Lee Ranaldo
Sandy Denny, "Bushes and Briars": A winter journey on the wind.
The Nerves, "Hanging on the Telephone": I need to hear this every day and jump around!
Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch, "Lua": Simply one of the most beautiful songs ever, and this is a wonderful reading of it.
Neil Young, "Bandit": Late period Neil, in High School Musical mode -- for that low string buzz.
Nick Cave, "Avalanche": A beautiful version of a frightening Leonard Cohen song, or is it the other way 'round?
The Grateful Dead, "Brokedown Palace": Harmonies to break your heart, and one of Rob Hunter's most haunting, "eternal" lyrics.
John Martyn, "One Day Without You": Somehow this song breaks my heart every time.
Joy Division, "The Eternal": Not close to, but rather closing ...
Bob Dylan, "Odds and Ends": One of the most joyous rockers of all the basement songs.
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
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