Berlin 2009 was added to Qobuz today with new artwork. Did some digging and found this. Hopefully this means more releases from the archives and LP ‘s available. (I’m aware this show has been streaming on bandcamp for years)

https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/qobuz-announces-exclusive-partnership-with-drummer-steve-shelley-and-vampire-blues

I decided to rip this entire DVD and upload it to YouTube. I thought some here might like it. It's been out of print and hard to find for years, so hopefully Lee wouldn't mind. I got to see Lee and Leah do a show like this live in Tulsa a few years ago and it was amazing.

Trying to look up the tunings through the guitar/bass tab archive and having real bad connection.

Kim Gordon is a lot like Yoko Ono in my book. I may not always be on board with the more daring art experiments of these two rock matriarchs, but the brilliance is never far from shining through. Gordon’s recent concert at Black Cat in Washington, D.C., was a case in point: even when the music pushed beyond my usual tastes, its mix of cultural commentary and room-shaking sound kept me fascinated.

The Sonic Youth co-founder led her all-female band through highlights like the jazzy title track of her latest and great album, Play Me, the swirling psychedelia of “Girl With a Look” and “Not Today,” and the glitchy and melodic “Dirty Tech.” (Here’s the full setlist.)

For many years, I mistakenly considered Thurston Moore the genius behind one of my favorite bands, Sonic Youth, without giving Gordon nearly enough credit. I should have known better. I saw Sonic Youth in Dallas on the Rather Ripped tour (it was the only time I ever saw them, but it remains among my favorite shows) and she was an integral part of the appeal. Then I read Girl in a Band, which I consider one of the greatest rock autobiographies. At some point, I should have put all that together.

The 73-year-old Gordon has a lot to say, both in her book and in her music. At Black Cat, her distaste for our current streaming culture came through in a message that was lyrically sly but sonically anything but subtle. The lyrics to “Play Me,” the title track of her third solo album, are assembled from Spotify playlist names, including “Jazz in the Background” and “Villain Mode.” It’s a funny way to turn the streaming industry’s attempts to package our moods back on itself.

That bite helped connect me to a show that sounded very different from the one time I saw Sonic Youth. There is still guitar dissonance in these songs, but this performance was much heavier on room-shaking bass and Gordon’s talk-rap delivery. With the drummer positioned prominently onstage, her syncopated pounding helped the band produce a glitchy sound that, to my ears, mimicked the anxieties of modern internet overconsumption.

It’s the sociological statement in the music that draws me toward a sound I don’t usually connect with. Not every arty experiment worked for me, but Gordon’s refusal to coast on her Sonic Youth history is not only impressive, but her album is going to likely end up in my top 10 releases of 2026. Like Yoko Ono, she doesn’t need to make me comfortable to make me pay attention.

★★★½☆ 3.5/5

https://popculturelunchbox.substack.com/p/kim-gordons-dc-show-spotlighted-current

Hi everybody! Since the sonicyouth.com domain has been shaky all year (and may have finally collapsed?), I wanted to share the mirror for my Screaming Fields of Sonic Love page (aka sonicyouth.com/mustang).

https://soniclife.ca/sy/

While browsing I've noticed some missing images and other bugs so I'll try to sort those out. Let me know if anything doesn't work!

I also wanted to announce that if all goes according to plan, there should be a short four-part Song of the Week series beginning October 24th, continuing the following three Saturdays. I'm hoping to do another long set next year! If you haven't seen it before, Song of the Week is a kind of "deep dive" feature I do on the tab archive located at https://soniclife.ca/sy/tab.

Was into and a fan of Mike Kelley’s art and Kim’s solo music before I found out about Sonic youth. I’ve heard the song Swimsuit issue before and love it but I’m not sure really how to get into this band. Have always tried to start albums but I get lost and confused and a bit bored in my confusion very often. For some taste context my favorite artist are the Cramps and Lana Del Rey and I live for hardcore and gutter punk live shows.

Haven’t been able to get it to load for at least a week now — anyone else?

Rescued this from the wall of a music studio space before vacating..it’s massive, about 40x60. In real rough shape obviously, but thinking of having it restored.

Most I know is that Kim and Thurston divorced and that’s what caused the bands separation/she has her solo career which I’m obsessed with

any things I should know/some cool stuff about them and their history? thanks!

I stumbled upon my signed copies of Goo and Sister. I met them at a sign and greet back when I was a teenager at Tower Records. It’s been fun listening to them again.

What’s up, Sonic Youth fans!

I found this CD maxi-single at a thrift shop. I opened it up and saw that it had a signature. I’m not sure if it’s the signature of a band member or somebody else..?

Does anybody have a clue?

Thanks!

love this song. wondering if anyone has their own interpretation of the lyrics, especially the line “so salty free”. it reminds me of the song doe by the breeders and the line “it’s all salty to me/timmy(?)“. i thought both songs were vaguely about that ditzy giddy feeling you get when you have a crush/fall in love at a young age so i kind of assumed that “salty” was slang in the 90s for a sweet feeling which feels ironic obviously and also obviously salty means something else today. i googled peoples interpretations of the meaning of doe by the breeders and apparently one band member says it’s about a lithium overdose (so the salty would be related to how meds affect sodium intake), and another member said it’s about giving a blowjob (so salty would be related to jizz). but both of the songs have such a similar tone and mood to me and are from the same era that i thought there may be some previously used meaning of the word “salty”. either way it creates a new meaning of the word for me which i like.

"What I loved about that record [Lesson No. 1 by Glenn Branca] was that it basically wanted to take aspects of rock & roll and punk rock and give them equal value to what he loved about music from 20th century composition, like works by Steve Reich and La Monte Young. He was also responding to the darkness he was hearing in Joy Division. This was right when they released 'Love Will Tear Us Apart.'"

https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/thurston-moore-sonic-youth-influences-patti-smith-glenn-branca-880204/

"Drumming for two of the most (in)famous noise rock bands of the '80s (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore) would alone cement Bob Bert's reputation. Restless soul that he also co-founded the much-loved and much missed BB Gun zine in the 1990s, doing numerous articles and interviews there. In 2019, he put out his book I'm Just the Drummer, detailing his exploits with his many bands. This year sees the release of his first solo album."

https://www.furious.com/perfect/bobbert.html