- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
- Sonic Youth "Daydream Nation" 1988 (USA)
- After 20 years recording albums for the major label Geffen, Sonic Youth has returned to the "indie" world with their 2009 album The Eternal. So let's celebrate this week with their most recent indie release prior to the newest one, their much-heralded 1988 double-album masterpiece Daydream Nation. Famous for their funny guitar tunings and dissonant improvisational style, Sonic Youth's music has never-the-less become something like "classic rock", and no album makes a better introduction to the group than this one. The core members (Kim, Lee & Thurston) are approaching 30 years of playing together (something which almost never happens, particularly with American bands) -- and love 'em or hate 'em, pretty much every musician or record collector in the world knows who they are by now. "The Grateful Dead of Punk Rock!"
- For video this week, here's some recent performances of Daydream Nation tunes: "Teenage Riot" (live on the Jools Holland TV show), and an epic rehearsal version of "The Sprawl". And here's a couple more live clips of tunes from this record: "Silver Rocket" and "Cross The Breeze". Finally, here is their 1985 Manson Family-themed video for "Death Valley '69" (directed by Richard Kern).