SONIC YOUTH IN ITALY

Sonic Youth will travel to Italy in October for two concerts. The first will be in Milan October 9 at Alcatraz. The second show will be in Bolzano Oct 11 at the Stahlbau Pichler. This show is in coordination with the Oct 10 opening of the 'Sensational Fix' exhibition at MUSEION. Details at the calendar page.

SONIC YOUTH ON MATADOR RECORDS

From Matador Records:

"After rampant speculation, Matador Records can confirm the label will be releasing a new studio album from Sonic Youth sometime in 2009. Having fulfilled their contractual obligations to the Universal Music Group, Sonic Youth recently reached an agreement with Matador to release the band's 16th album of new material in all worldwide territories, save for Japan.

While Sonic Youth's status as one of the more innovative and influential bands of the past 30 years needs little explanation, the group's most recent recordings for Geffen --- 2006's 'Rather Ripped' being their final for the label --- rank amongst the current decade's best. For Matador, the opportunity to work in partnership with a group who've made such an profound impact on our roster/hometown/collective consciousness was one to jump at. Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley will commence recording the new Sonic Youth LP/CD this autumn and we look forward to sharing further details in the very near future."

SYR 8 'ANDRE SIDER AF SONIC YOUTH'

This installment of Sonic Youth's series of experimental + mostly instrumental releases will be available July 28 2008 in a CD-only edition self-released on the band's own SYR label .

This disk presents the complete 'Other Sides of Sonic Youth' improvised live performance from the 2005 Roskilde Festival in Denmark, featuring Sonic Youth (with Jim O'Rourke) and guests Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, and Japanese sound artist Masami Akita (aka Merzbow). The single piece performed was a structured improvisation which for 60 minutes added and subtracted musicians one by one until only Masami was left onstage. Black Sabbath followed. Available here.

SONIC YOUTH ETC.: SENSATIONAL FIX

The museum exhibition SONIC YOUTH ETC. : SENSATIONAL FIX focuses on the multidisciplinary activities of Sonic Youth since the band's formation in 1981. It features the band's collaborations with visual artists, filmmakers, designers and musicians, as well as a choice of other works selected by the band. Through the multidisciplinary output of Sonic Youth and related works by other artists in the exhibition, an alternative history of contemporary culture is being uncovered in which the division between 'high art' and 'low art' is being called into question, while issues are explored such as teenage rebellion, adolescent wanderlust, gender, fame, fashion, sexuality, and religion. The exhibition is initiated and curated by freelance curator Roland Groenenboom in collaboration with the band and will be presented in Bolzano, Italy (from 10 October 2008 to 4 January 2009), and Kunsthalle Dusseldorf, Germany (31 January to 26 April 2009). The Museum of Malmö, Sweden (from May 29 to September 20 2009). Further venues are currently in discussion, in Europe, the US and Asia. A complete description of the show can be found here. A catalog will be available in German, Italian, French, and English, published by Museion and LiFE. Two 7-inch vinyl records are included in the publication. Each side contains a specially sound piece created by one of the member of the band: info.

SOLO JAMMAGE

October 8 Lee performs with My Cat is an Alien and Ramona Ponzini in Verona Italy and films by Roberto Opalio at Interzona in Verona, Italy. October 13 Northampton Wools (Thurston/Bill Nace) open for the Dead C at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. October 29-31 Thurston curates noise gigs at Issue Project Room. Details at the calendar page.

MIRROR/DASH JACKET

From the New York Times: 50 Ways to Rock the P.T.A.

SEMINAL rock star that she is, Kim Gordon still has some rather common clothing issues. Like finding chic everyday pieces that work as well in New York as they do at her home in Northampton, Mass. "There's a need for clothes for cool moms," Ms. Gordon said. To fill the gap, she has started a clothing line called Mirror/Dash with her friends Melinda Wansbrough and Jeffrey Monteiro. The name is taken from her experimental music project with her husband and Sonic Youth bandmate, Thurston Moore. Their first piece: a military-style wool jacket inspired by Francoise Hardy.

"I know, every designer says they're inspired by Francoise Hardy," Ms. Gordon said. "But I've been listening to her records for 15 years." Additional designs will be offered throughout the year. For now, just 50 of the jackets will be sold. "Some people make limited-edition records - we're making a limited-edition jacket," she joked. More info.

FREE KITTEN REUNITE - NEW ALBUM OUT NOW

Free Kitten, the band consisting of Kim, Julie Cafritz, and Yoshimi have recorded a brand new studio album which is available now on Ecstatic Peace! Records. Tracks: Erected Girl, Surf's Up, Seasick, Free Kitten on the Mountain, Roughshod, Help Me, The Poet, Billboard, Bananas, Monster Eye, Sway. More info.

NO WAVE: POST-PUNK. UNDERGROUND. NEW YORK.

A new hard cover book by Thurston and Byron Coley Abrams titled "No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980" is now available from Abrams Image Books . This is the first book to visually chronicle the collision of art and punk in the New York underground of 1976 to 1980. This in depth look at punk rock, new wave, experimental music, and the avant-garde art movement of the 70s and 80s focuses on the true architects of No Wave from James Chance to Lydia Lunch to Glenn Branca, as well as the luminaries that intersected the scene, such as David Byrne, Debbie Harry, Brian Eno, Iggy Pop, and Richard Hell.

Thurston Moore and Byron Coley have selected 150 unforgettable images, most of which have never been published previously, and compiled hundreds of hours of personal interviews to create an oral history of the movement, providing a never-seen-before exploration and celebration of No Wave.

TEEN AGE RIOT- THE VIDEO GAME

Performers of the video game Rock Band will have the opportunity to play the Sonic Youth song 'Teen Age Riot' in the upcoming second version of the game, along with the first track from 'Chinese Democracy'.

SONIC YOUTH FREE SHOW IN NEW YORK JULY 4 - PICTURES

Pictures of the Sonic Youth performance in Battery Park in Manhattan on July 4 with The Feelies can be seen here and here.

GOODBYE PSYCHIC EMPTY CONFUSION

Get yr library cards out, kids! Two new SY biographies have now come to fruition: 'Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth' by David Browne is now available from Da Capo Press. Sonic Youth cooperated with the author on this one. 'Psychic Confusion: The Sonic Youth Story' by Stevie Chick is available now from Omnibus Press in the UK. No band cooperation on this one, instead it pulls from sources far, wide and deep. Both offer their respective author's takes on the SY story from 1981 to the present.

In addition, 'The Empty Page: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth', a short story collection by a wide range of authors taking their cues from Sonic Youth song titles, will be published by Serpent's Tail in the UK on May 29, with a US release later in the year on Harper Collins. This book was edited by Peter Wild, with an introduction by Lee.

SYR 7 AVAILABLE NOW

The seventh installment of Sonic Youth's series of experimental + sometimes instrumental releases will be available on April 22, 2008 in a vinyl-only edition self-released on the band's own SYR label. The record is available now for presale at the sonicyouth.com store.

The A-side, 'J'accuse Ted Hughes' is a previously unreleased 22 minute drone-piece recorded by Sonic Youth at the All Tomorrows Parties Festival in the UK April 2001. At ATP the band previewed instrumental and early versions of songs from the then soon-to-be recorded 'NYC Ghosts and Flowers' and performed this premiere + exclusive performance of 'J'accuse Ted Hughes'.

The B-side, 'Agnes B Musique' is a soundtrack-style piece recorded at the band's own Murray Street Studio in 2001 for a never-to-be realized collaboration with French clothing designer Agnes B. This 18 minute long musical piece was recorded with a 5-piece version of SY, the 4 members of SY being joined by Jim O'Rourke who also mixed 'Agnes B Musique'.

BE INTERNET FRIENDS WITH SONIC YOUTH

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PARTY WITH ME PUNKER

Thurston has edited a new book of photos by Dave Markey and Jordan Schwartz. From Markey's site: "A book of unique photos taken during the We Got Power fanzine days (1981-83) covering the Southern California hardcore punk scene, edited by Thurston Moore. Featuring The Minutemen, Descendents, Black Flag, Red Cross, Redd Kross, Social Distortion, Big Boys, Butthole Surfers, Saccharine Trust, Gun Club, DRI, Suicidal Tendencies, Circle One, Mood Of Defiance, Civil Dismay, The Urinals / 100 Flowers, Sin 34, & many others. With writings from Joe Carducci, Janet Housden, Dez Cadena, Mike Watt, Jennifer Schwartz, David Markey, Jordan Schwartz, Jack Brewer, Keith Morris, Jeffrey McDonald, Steven McDonald, Tony Cadena, Eugene Tatu, Steve "Human" (Vandals), Sean Wheeler & many others. Where were you in '82? Coming in 2009 published by Abrams."Info."

EARLY THURSTON CUT

An MP3 of one of the earliest recordings I did in NYC circa 78 with The Coachmen doing a no wave take on Link Wray's RUMBLE -

also a couple of photos and flyers - Thurston

HITS ARE FOR SQUARES

Sonic Youth released 'Hits Are For Squares' on Starbucks Music on June 10th. This exclusive compilation album features Sonic Youth songs chosen by friends of the band from the worlds of music, film and literature. Each contributor also offers a personal testimonial for their own selection from a unique and influential body of work spanning from 1981 to present. Amongst the selectors are Beck, Dave Eggers, Chloe Sevigny, Eddie Vedder, and Gus Van Sant. The compilation also includes an exclusive track from Sonic Youth, 'Slow Revolution' recorded with producer John Agnello. The album will be sold exclusively at select Starbucks stores in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia and DC. Available online here.

THURSTON MOORE - BUILT FOR LOVIN'

Thurston has a Limited Edition LP available on info. Preorder the record now from Lost Treasures of the Underworld. Description: " A scabrous grab bag of weirdo recordings assembled by Thurston Moore: hardcore basement slam jammer with Mark Ibold (bass) and John Moloney of Sunburned (drums), a rough demo cue made for an HSBC TV ad, a few noise b-sides from various lost releases and a couple of long psycho-bead kosmi-killersz. And some subterranean acoustic luv — all wrapped up n a pic disc with art by T Moore extracted from his Street Mouth series of collages......."

MASTER-DIK - FIRST TIME ON CD

Sonic Youth's 'Master-Dik' EP has been released on CD for the first time and is available exclusively through sonicyouth.com. Originally released between Sister and Daydream Nation this re-mastered EP includes the title track, a cover of the Ramones 'Beat on the Brat' and a sound collage of psycho-distorto-soundscapes recorded by the band while on tour and at Wharton's Palace of Confusion. Track List: 1. Master-Dik 2. Beat on the Brat 3. Under the Influence of The Jesus and Mary Chain/Ticket To Ride/Master-Dik(version)/Introducing the Stars 4. Ringo/He's On Fire/Florida Oil Drums/Westminster Chimes 5.Chinese Jam 6. Vibrato/Guitar Lick/Funky Fresh 7.Our Backyard 8. Traffik. Pick up yr copy exclusively at the sy.store.

CASSETTES, SINGLES, COMPILATIONS, TRIBUTES: PRODUCT AVALANCHE

Lee and Thurston have both contributed to the latest releases in Table of the Elements' Guitar Series, and you can read more about it here. Thurston, Lee, and Kim all are players on a new 3CD box set of Rhys Chatham's 'Guitar Trio'. Thurston will contribute to The Bored Fortress split 7" club. The subscribers to this series will receive 2 split 7 inches every other month. Other artists contributing include Vampire Can't, Charalambides and Magik Markers. Info. The Leslie Keffer live with Kim Gordon + Thurston Moore cassette is available now from Ecstatic Peace . Side K is Leslie and Kim duo live at The Flywheel in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Side T is Leslie and Thurston duo live at Bourbon Street in Columbus, Ohio. A new Bark Haze cassette featuring Thurston and Andrew "Gown" Mcgregor entitled 'Basement Psychosis" available now on Ecstatic Peace! w/ artwork by Dennis Tyfus. A Bark Haze/Traum split is out now on Music Fellowship as part of the Monolith series. The Monolith series combines two like-minded artists on the same one-sided, reverse-cut LP by hard-panning one recording to the right and the other recording to the left. Thurston also makes a DVD appearance in the new The Thing box set. In related news, the second LP by the Original Silence, entitled 'The Second Original Silence' is available as of August 11 on LP,CD, and DL. The Original Silence is Thurston, Jim O'Rourke, Mats Gustafsson, Terrie Ex of the Ex, Paal Nilssen-Love of the Thing, and Zu's Massimo Puppilo. Text of Light, featuring Lee and this time Steve as well have contributed to a compilation entitled Chamber Music which sets poems by James Joyce to music. And finally, Steve drums on the new Christina Rosenvinge record, which was recorded at Sonic Youth's studio.

THURSTON 'TREES OUTSIDE THE ACADEMY'

'Trees Outside the Academy', Thurston's first record of solo songs since 1995's 'Psychic Hearts', is now available. The album was recorded by Rather Ripped producer John Agnello at J Mascis' Amherst studio and Mascis guests on the album along with Christina Carter, Andrew Macgregor, John Moloney, and Leslie Keffer. The album also features Samara Lubleski on violin and Steve Shelley on drums. A vinyl LP picture disc is available from Cargo UK and Ecstatic Peace! More info at ecstaticpeace.com.

NO FUN

No Fun Productions announces the release of Nothing Make Any Sense, the new CD featuring a live recording of Nels Cline/Carlos Giffoni/Alan Licht/Lee Ranaldo. Also from No Fun comes the 'deep basement cosmosis' of Thurston's 'Sensitive/Lethal'. On CD. Northampton Wools: Thurston/Bill Nace (plus this time Nancy Garcia) will also take part in No Fun Fest 2008 which will take place at the Knitting Factory NYC in May 2008. Lee has also been added to the No Fun Fest line up. Lee will perform his "Blind Piece #2" on May 18th with drummers Pete Nolan (Magik Markers) and Tom Surgal (White Out).

ARTWORK UPDATE

Lee has a soundwork as part of Both Lee and Leah Singer will participate in 'Possibilities of Action. The Life of the Score', a show on the visual possibililties of modern scores both musical and otherwise. Lee will have 2 score-works in this show, including his 7 sheet "Madonna Generation" score, written for computer controlled guitar. Presented at MACBA, Barcelona. Show runs June 16-October 5, 2008.

KIM IN THE MOVIES

After her appearance in Todd Haynes 'I'm Not There', Kim will soon return to your DVD player in a new Oliver Assayas ('Demonlover', 'Irma Vep') film titled 'Boarding Gate.' The film which features Asia Argento debuted at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and is now out on DVD. Kim will also be in a new short film directed by Ali Raza which focuses on a short story created by Miranda July.

NUMBER 79

The Sonic Youth song 'Silver Rocket' from Daydream Nation is the 79th greatest guitar song of all time, according to Rolling Stone magazine; coming in behind Sleater-Kinney's 'Dig Me Out' at 44 and the Beatles 'I Saw Her Standing There' at 45.

BOOKS PART 2

It's So You: Kim is amongst the 35 women contributors to the book It's So You which deals with personal expression through fashion and style. Kim's article "wonders if getting caught without underwear is the ultimate Hollywood celebutante fashion statement". Thurston meanwhile has edited a book called 'Punk House' with photos by Abby Banks. Over 300 images of fifty houses in twenty-five cities in the USA to enlighten the uninformed on the phenomenon. Some images from the book are in the new Arthur Magazine, where you can also find the latest Bull Tongue column by Thurston and Byron Coley.

LOST IN THE ARCHIVES - NEW MIXTAPE Vol. 6 + VIDS

Mix Tape #6 is up. Just click on the cassette on the front page and listen as it streams. We've included a couple of songs from the new Deluxe Edition of Daydream Nation, songs that might be considered outtakes from Daydream Deluxe, one song from Thurston's upcoming Ecstatic Peace! record and a few rarities or oddities that could've wound up on the Destroyed Room LP. There's also new video up of SY shot by Jonas Mekas. Keep checking the Store, MP3 and Video pages for new additions. Also check out our babysite at: myspace.com/sonicyouth.

BASTILLE DAY BLUES

Berkeley Poet Richard Krech offers this.

NEW LOWER PRICES AT THE SY.COM STORE

Prices have dropped once again at the sonicyouth.com store. Single-disk CD's from Geffen are now $11 and the Deluxe Editions are $25. Certain select t-shirts, CD's, and LP's have new, lower prices. SYR 7 12"'s will soon be avilable for preorder. Also available are new skateboards, summer tour posters and several DVD's. Plus an ever-changing selection of Sonic Youth merchandise.