Quite Possibly the Best Interview Ever

Nardwuar is known his unique interviewing skills and capturing off guard reactions... but this 1991 interview with

Sonic Youth rules them all. Head to toe... Thurston's outfit holds the key to freedom and an era? Lee Ronaldo on the other hand... is a bit of a wank.

Mmm.. I'll say nothing further, see for yourself. (Watch both parts!)

Sonic Love feat. [The Eternal]

  Penetrating skulls since 1981, Sonic Youth needs no approval. This collective group of individuals stem beyond the coattails of post punk: their unorthodox tendencies and uncompromising experimental style have dry humped the dimensions of music as a whole.

 Of course, its never been about making music comfortable: it was a statement and an attitude behind the music that separated the circles from the squares. Being part of a scene that was more centered on the ideology than the formulation of a proper song wasn't something for everybody. No wave was off key, questionable and sometimes painful; it stripped music to primitive sounds and encouraged an open and conceptually minded approach.

  For a movement that began as an ear bleeding blast to the preconceived monkey bands of the late 1970s, the long standing impact of the no wave is remarkable. EG- The new age revival. Noise bands have since resurfaced all over the place as well as groups like Black Dice, Liars and Holy Fuck who take on similar experimental get-ups. Although new stuff doesn't register the same shock value, its still interesting to see a break from the usual and exploration within our digital landfill of a world.

  Seasons change, babies loose purity, the polar bear population declines -- Sonic Youth... still doing what they do. Just about 30 years of making music and maintained such great artistic integrity. [what is that] The band has always pushed priority on the experimental value within music with vigor hearts; boundaries are deeper, darker, delusional and open for discussion. Ultimately, this is why Sonic Youth rules.

--

   The new album, The Eternal, is a serge of many sounds: it seems to bridge formalities between psychedelia, easy listening and distorted instrumentals into one appropriately disheveled package. Hits of old school Sonic blend within this fusion in the best of ways.

  As their 16th studio album, the band is past the point of needing to impress. Realistically, they could release an album of dirty cat calls and get away with it. But check it: The Eternal is not a dirty cat call. The playlist is unpredictable and across the spectrum: heavy/light, slow/fast, happy/sad, controlled/plastered, girl/boy. It takes the listener on a 60 minute time trip that embodies the fluidity of a real life journey. Utilizing this album throughout your own day to day activities will likely make you a more interesting person. (On an extreme side note: I'm thinking a sequel to 1967's The Graduate where Ben and Elaine's runaway love takes a turn for the worst. Sonic Youth replacing the Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack would make for an interesting viewing. Hmm...)

  This album embodies so much of what Sonic Youth is about, and with a refined wisdom. Kim's taunting whispers in Massage the History. Classic guitar banters in Walkin' Blue. Poison Arrow's undeniable evocation of a Lou Reed classic. Washing Machine revival in Calming the Snake. There is a light, happy-go-lucky appeal to Antenna...  and some pissed off noise jams in Anti Orgasm.  ETC ETC ETC. The Eternal is a spontaneous dose of old school Sonic and new time tales.

Favourite Tracks:

Calming the Snake

Massage the History

What We Know

Ladies in 2009

2009 is shaping up to be an impressive year for the ladies of music. Through the mass feed of new & upcoming albums rise a number of undeniably kick ass women who exude innovation, personal truth and perspective. Below are a few top ladies in music who have made some waves this year.

_______________________________________________

Natasha Khan

The Bat For Lashes front woman has set quite a stir with the band's latest album Two Suns. I've had this album on steady rotation and would safely say its one of the best compilations I've heard in a while. Tracks float like daydreams within themselves as well as collectively. Khan's sound is a method of escapism that bares resemblance to Bjork's soft and wondering "All is Full of Love" era. The album haunts as much as it uplifts, all the while invoking a sort of surreal, higher state of being. Khan radiates qualities of a dreamer and the purity of a woman deep inside her own soul. This girl is timeless and a personal comfort.

_____________________

Karen O

Its Blitz is probably one of the most hyped albums of the year thus far. Some loved, some not so much, but after a series of live performances and the debut video of "Zero"... one cannot deny Karen O is still 93 times cooler than everybody else. She continues to rock her insane stage costumes (Footage from Coachella shows her in some sort of mirror suit with wings) while displaying weird and slow moving dance moves (I've seen deep set lunges on more than one occasion). I love this woman-- she proves such versatility within YYY the discography, but always emanates the same raw, kill-your-idols kind of attitude. Stemming beyond today's pop culture superstars, she's more likely to channel rockers of times past: Patti Smith, Kathleen Hanna, Siouxsie Sioux. Karen O is oldschool cool.

_____________________

Alison Mosshart

Alison Mosshart of The Kills is an obvious choice. The Kills hype exploded a while ago but flakes of awesomeness continue to sprinkle down upon us. Mosshart has been expanding her repertoire, as she has joined forces with Jack White in the band, The Dead Weather. I've only seen a bit of live footage, which didn't give me the best sense of their sound... however, the collaboration of these two individual talents smells like a win.

The Kills also have a new EP out titled Black Balloon... which is great but also strange, since Black Balloon was a track on their last album. (My favourite!) Perhaps it was a song flew under the radar? Not ready to let it go? Whatever the case, Alison Mosshart  writes word magic, makes mmhmm musical sounds, and keeps us guessing. 'Nuff said.

_____________________

Kim Gordon

Well duh. I won't even get into it... the woman is L-E-G-E-N-D. But I will say this: Sonic Youth will never die... literally. Their 16th(?) album, The Eternal, will be released in early June. The band has been popping around the UK, performing with the likes of Klaxons and YYYs, and will follow up with a summer tour through North America. (No Canadian dates yet..) The free download track "Sacred Trickster" features Kim killing it on vocals. As if we needed anymore proof that she owns all of our souls.

Through the years, Kim has always stood out as a woman of substance and autonomy, which is such a positive thing considering there have been certain limitations for women in music. She was able create a career as a female rocker-- in the male dominated 80's no wave scene--- and develop a strong image & commentary to place her on equal footing with her peers. As a hip, hip lady-- we can all take a little something from Kim Gordon....

_____________________

Emily Haines

   The lead singer of Metric is a woman of many tasks. Between her solo work, Broken Social Scene and Metric, Emily Haines provides an interesting range.

  The new album, Fantasies, is what the fans might hope for. Its got the airy, rockable-movable, patent Metric vibe but with more emphasis on drums, bass, guitar and a newfound melody at the forefront. This album parallels with the easy lightness of summer months and I think I'll keep it on hand. [Suggested Track: Satellite Mind]

_____________________

Kim Deal

The Breeders waited a solid 6 years in between albums, but it looks like they are making up for lost time. Kim Deal and the band have followed up last year's Mountain Battles with a brand new EP titled Fate to Fatal.

And its a pleasant surprise. Much more experimental this time around, the title track [Fate to Fatal] plays like a Velvet Underground classic with its chaos and self destructing form. Pixies fans will likely appreciate the direction of this album, as Kim brings it home but continues to evolve. Good album. Pixies Rule.