Artist Sonic Youth

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Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth has been so hip it hurts (in a good way) since starting out in 1980. That’s notable for what it signals about the band’s origins as a New York no-wave upstart, but it’s far more notable for how it still stands, nearly 30 years later. The image of Thurston Moore bobbing his shaggy mop onstage alongside Kim Gordon bouncing, Lee Ranaldo whirring, and Steve Shelley pounding counts among the most elemental in alternative rock. And it stands to look especially striking here as the band (now also with new bassist Mark Ibold, formerly of Pavement) plays behind The Eternal, Sonic Youth’s extremely tuneful and solid 16th album.

Updated 07/20/2009