S/D: Post-1995 Sonic Youth indie-label artwank projects

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Search: The performance of Pauline Oliveros' "Six for New Time" on Goodbye 20th Century is among the best things they've done, completely original structurally, tense, creepy, explodes at all the right moments. The rest of the first disc is pretty good as well. I like how KG's whispers fit into the shifting sounds of the first track.

Destroy: SYR1 & 2 seem like pretty inessential and uninspiring post-rock. Most of Silver Sessions seems a little bland and simplistic and to end before it gets anywhere. I was listening to SYR 3 a couple days ago. It seems to stand up much better. Along with the better moments on Goodbye 20th Century, it seems to offer genuine promise re how the band can continue to make itself relevant. Fuck Shit Up, a jam featuring TM & LR with Christian Marclay seemed totally pointless to me when I owned it, at least beyond the first 10 minutes or so.

― sundar subramanian, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you start the burning pile of records with the release of "Dirty". You can save the Diamond Sea single, but the rest of "Washing Machine" must go and everything thereafter.

― Nude Spock, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Burn Daydream Nation w.its famously poor production. I've never much liked Marclay as a performer — er on the one record I own that he performs on.

― mark s, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The duo recs that Thurston did with Nels Cline -- Pillow Wand and In-Store are worthwhile. Thurston's solo record is good too.
― dan, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

oops
― dan, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Search: I think SYR3 is the best Sonic Youth release of the 90's in terms of doing what it's trying to do well. there are times when i would rather listen to other sonic youth records in a very vague way, but there are times when i _must_ listen to nothing but SYR3.
in fact i would extend the above statement to say that SYR3 is the best SY record of the nineties. it has atmosphere/mood which is missing from all of their post-DN releases.
i agree about the Pauline Oliveros piece on SYR4, and i also think that the track w/ Kim Gordon yelling "let's go let's got etc." (one of the Cage tracks i think?) is a highlight of their work. it is exciting in a restrained way.
Destroy:
SYR2: boring.
the rest are okay.
ps: the first time i heard SYR3 i was very angry and thought that SY were stealing my money.
― Paul Barclay, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

SYR 2 is actually okay. i was listening to it the other day. it's not as good as SYR 1 or 3, but if it were the only one they released, it would hold up, i think--it's less ambitious than the others, and quieter.
i was also listening to the nyc ghosts and flowers LP. i decided to give it a chance after hating it when it came out. it was okay, or maybe i just care a little less.
the sonic youth art show that was in town here was excellent.
― nick b, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Marclay's "Records" is good, esp. his attempts at 'pop'. Owning it on CD seems a bit silly, but it's nice to have it. I don't much like his artier collaborations, he's not a great improviser for a start. (Sorry sundar, not heard any of these SY things, but I!m interested in hearing "Goodbye..." now)

― Jeff W, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yeah i like marclay's noise-sculp releases: i'm being rockist haha in re "performer in real time" skillZoR

― mark s, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, I like 'Records', 'More Encores', 'Record Without A Cover' and 'Footsteps' by Marclay, and thought his 'Guitar Drag' vid was one of the best things in Toop's 'sound art' exhib at the Hayward, but 'Fuck Shit Up' really sucked (got rid of it v. quickly) - there didn't seem to be any kind of 'sonic marriage' between the turntables and the guitars, and it just sounded like a shapeless, formless mess.

Yeah, SYR4 is prob. the best rec SY have made since (insert yr fave here). When I saw them playing it live, the opener - James Tenney's 'Having Never Written A Note For Percussion' - was awe-inspiring, a great rising wave of sound crashing against the audience (those that weren't too busy shouting out for '100%' etc, anyway.) Still not quite sure why SY have got O'Rourke in to play bass for 'em, but his involvement w/ SYR 3 and 4 does seem to have sharpened their improv 'chops'.

'MMMR' - the alb that Thurston and Lee made w/ Loren Mazzacane Connors and Jean-Marc Montera in 1997 - is also outstanding, a really nasty gtr noise-fest that features brilliant playing/interaction from all four of 'em.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If SYR3 recaptures DN, then Silve Sessions is almost a Kill Yr Idols B4 They Kill Thsmselves. Which is a nice thing.

― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

another vote here for In-Store and Pillow Wand. I lurve Nels Cline. It's guitar hero porn all the way.

Thurston's art wank is very spotty - like the 10" w/ Tom Surgal - the a-side is worthless, but the flipside "Lydia's Moth" is great, and i'm not sure exactly why. also, that dubious "Root" remix record had its moments, Luke Vibert's "Moore Shit" being the best.

I used to have a big soft spot for Lee's solo stuff, but it hasn't aged well for me at all. Amarillo Ramp (for Robert Smithson) is a great record, though - 5 unrelated, completely different tracks that all work on their own levels.

each of the first SYRs has one killer track - "Anagrama", "Stil", and "Radio-Amatoroj" respectively, IMO. SYR4 left me cold, and SYR5 pretty much broke any attempt at completism I had going.

Free Kitten, again, has not aged well, but "Sentimental Education" had moments, mostly the weirdo remix tracks; "Never Gonna Sleep" is awesome.

and while it doesn't really fit into 'artwank' per se (more 'rootsy' than anything, if that), I am Two Dollar Guitar's biggest fan. Really. Steve's done more good work with TDG than SY in the past 5 years, if you ask me.

hm...i could probably do a top 10 list of side projects for each member.

― al, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

four years pass...

SYR 6 out now on eMusic!

SYR 6: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui

3 tracks, 65 minutes. Any reports?

― sleeve (sleeve), Friday, 16 December 2005 22:14 (twenty years ago)

More info:

This CD edition of the SYR series is a recording of the benefit concert held at and for The Anthology Film Archives on April, 12 2003. Sonic Youth performed with drummer/percussionist Tim Barnes. Part of the proceeds of this CD will again benefit the Anthology Film Archives.

Cover scan at:
http://www.kungfunation.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=375

11 bucks!

― sleeve (sleeve), Friday, 16 December 2005 22:19 (twenty years ago)

no sufjan, no credibility.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 16 December 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

Have to admit I'm more interested in the forthcoming reissue of their 1st EP. I should sell my SST CD ASAP :P

Six For New Time is the only song I liked off Goodbye 20th Century. The rest of it bored me, unfortunately.

I still haven't listened to the first 3 SYR releases.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Friday, 16 December 2005 22:42 (twenty years ago)

Free Kitten are very hit & miss for me, and mostly miss. I like a few of their songs a lot though - Harvest Spoon, Call Back, Never Gonna Sleep, Guilty Pleasures etc.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Friday, 16 December 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

SYR 6: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui has been out as an audience bootleg for a year or so. IMO the best of all the SYR series (although I haven't heard the "official" release yet). Tim Barnes guests on percussion. It's abstract, restrained and heavily textured. Sounds like there is some synth and/or no input mixing board/feedback loop stuff too. RIYL Supersilent, Vibracathedral Orchestra and Late '60s Miles.

― MadMaryWilliams (MadMaryWilliams), Saturday, 17 December 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

"Six For New Time" is indeed the high point of SYR 4.

Colonel Poo, you should really give SYR 1 and 2 a chance. Some good stuff on those. 3 is my least favorite by far.

― sleeve (sleeve), Saturday, 17 December 2005 02:53 (twenty years ago)

I will do at some point, I actually own all the 1st 3 SYR releases but somehow seem to have neglected to actually listen to any of them!

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Saturday, 17 December 2005 03:09 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

new Free Kitten record is available now on the Ecstatic Peace! site...

― stephen, Tuesday, 20 May 2008 23:04 (seventeen years ago)

eleven years pass...

I just listened to SYR 8 (hour-long improv with Mats Gustafson and Merzbow) for the first time. I actually found it really satisfying.

― Feel a million filaments (Sund4r), Wednesday, 29 April 2020 20:32 (five years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.