45 - Sonic Youth

It takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right now

At number 45 is veteran alternative rock band, Sonic Youth. Sonic Youth have not gotten much radio play in their career, but it isn't for lack of talent. In fact, if that was the case, you would hear them on there all the time.

Wiki - Sonic Youth is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore (vocals and guitar), Kim Gordon (vocals, bass, guitar), Lee Ranaldo (vocals and guitar), Steve Shelley (drums), and Mark Ibold (bass).

In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City. Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the hardcore punk ethos throughout the evolving American underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound. As a result, some consider Sonic Youth as pivotal in the rise of the alternative rock movement. The band has experienced success and critical acclaim throughout the last three decades, continuing into the new millennium, including signing to major label DGC in 1990, and headlining the 1995 Lollapalooza festival.

Sonic Youth have expressed a wide variety of influences, ranging from the influential protopunk musician Patti Smith to composer John Cage. The band has been praised for having "redefined what rock guitar could do", using a wide variety of unorthodox guitar tunings, and preparing guitars with objects like drumsticks and screwdrivers to alter the instruments' timbre.

Discography -

1982 Sonic Youth
1983 Confusion Is Sex
1985 Bad Moon Rising
1986 EVOL*
1987 Sister*
1988 Daydream Nation**
1990 Goo*
1992 Dirty
1994 Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
1995 Washing Machine
1998 A Thousand Leaves
2000 NYC Ghosts & Flowers
2002 Murray Street
2004 Sonic Nurse
2006 Rather Ripped
2009 The Eternal*

*=best albums
**=top-10 favorite album

10 favorite Sonic Youth songs

10 Death Valley '69
9 Star Power
8 No Way
7 Kool Thing
6 Bull in the Heather
5 Silver Rocket
4 Incinerate
3 Antenna
2 100%
1 Teenage Riot



next up: a band that celebrates March 11th