Sonic Youth is an experimental rock group formed in New York City in 1981. The band consists of Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), his wife Kim Gordon (vocals, bass, guitar), Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) and Steve Shelley (drums)

In their early career Sonic Youth were associated with the no wave art and music scene in New York City, but have outlasted most associated bands.

Initially inspired by the experimentation of Glenn Branca and The Velvet Underground and the heavy garage rock of The Stooges, they are known for using a variety of unorthodox guitar tunings, and for applying screwdrivers, drumsticks or other preparations to guitars to alter the instruments’ timbres.

Members of the band have released books of poetry and prose (a beatnik influence is evident in both their writing and lyrics), produced, written and performed in films (such as “1991: The Year Punk Broke”, “Perfect Partner”, “(this is known as) the blues scale” and ... read more »