November 25, 2020 Playlist

"A Thousand Leaves" by Sonic Youth (1998)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Sonic Youth "A Thousand Leaves"  1998 (USA)
Jimi Hendrix was born 78 years ago this week. He reimagined the sounds an electric guitar could make, and was basically the most influential musician ever on his instrument. For my money, only one group has taken Jimi's feedback and extended techniques further in the 50 years since he passed away. Sonic Youth was a NYC "art punk" band born at the dawn of the 1980's who broke up at the beginning of the 2010's. Their first batch of records defined the "indie rock 80's", and they nearly rode the "grunge" wave to mainstream popularity in the early 90's. However, although their 1990-1995 albums adopted classic rock song structures (hooks and choruses etc.), a band that includes dissonance as a major part of their signature sound is never going to get much airplay in the USA. Probably realizing this themselves, in 1997 they started releasing more experimental, improvised music on their own indie label (called SYR = Sonic Youth Records, of course). The next "major label rock" album they released in 1998 continued the return to their noisy artsy roots and is one of their loosest, and best, records. I've long been one who appreciated the joke that "Sonic Youth is the Grateful Dead of punk rock", and A Thousand Leaves tracks like "Karen Koltrane", "Wildflower Soul" and especially "Hits Of Sunshine" really make that case.
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
Blue CheerSecond Time AroundVincebus Eruptum1968USA
The FirebirdsReflectionsLight My Fire1969UK
Jimi HendrixStepping StoneWar Heroes1971USA
William Shatner Crossroads (Robert Johnson / Cream)The Blues (N)2020 (Cleopatra)Canada (Quebec)
Fuzz
(with Ty Segall) 		End ReturningFuzz III (N)2020 (In The Red)USA
 
 
Population II
 		Il Eut Un Silence Dans Le Ciel
("There Was A Silence In The Sky")		À la Ô Terre (N)
("To The Earth")		2020 (Castle Face)Canada (Quebec)
Chris Forsyth with Garcia Peoples Mystic Mountain (live)Peoples Motel Band (N)2020 (Algorithm Free)USA
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard The Hungry Wolf Of FateKG (N)2020 (Flightless/ATO)Australia
FEMM Chewing Gum Cleanersingle (N)2020 (FEMM's Agency Syndicate)Japan/USA
   
 
Sonic YouthFemale Mechanic On DutyA Thousand Leaves
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1998USA
Sonic YouthWildflower SoulA Thousand Leaves
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1998USA
Sonic YouthKaren KoltraneA Thousand Leaves
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1998USA
Jimi HendrixCherokee MistBoth Sides Of The Skyrec. 1960's, rel. 2018USA
   
 
The Moving SidewalksPluto - Sept. 31stFlash1969USA
ZZ TopI'm Bad, I'm NationwideDegüello ("Decapitation")1979USA
RedboneMaggiePotlatch1970USA
ParliamentRed Hot MamaFirst Thangs (compilation)rec. 1970-72USA
Quin Kirchner At This Point In TimeThe Shadows And The Light (N)2020 (Astral Spirits)USA
   
 
John ColtraneOmOmrec. 1965, rel. 1968USA
Alice ColtraneA Love Supreme (John Coltrane)World Galaxy1972USA
   
 
Traysh The Koi Pond Is Empty
   --> Japanese Boogie, 1983 (live)		A Sleeping Village (N)2020 (self released)USA
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