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Sonic Youth The Eternal
By Vish Khanna
Undergoing a significant renewal, Sonic Youth return with The Eternal, a relatively concise encapsulation of their bold, culture-altering aesthetic. It's no surprise that leaving Geffen for Matador to release their pop records has done little to alter the band's sound; like few other artists, Sonic Youth resolutely do whatever they please. That said, over the past decade, there's been an appropriate gravity to Sonic Youth's albums, as though a crippled NYC was sucking for air in their work. The Eternal is certainly heavy but also possesses a distinctive levity, both lyrically and within the arrangements, some of which recall Sonic Youth's early '90s work. Adding Pavement bassist Mark Ibold to the fold and pairing him with drummer Steve Shelley gives songs like "Sacred Trickster" and "Antenna" a certain bounce, while Kim Gordon is the perfect pop culture crank on "Anti-Orgasm" and "Malibu Gas Station." For the first time ever, Gordon, Thurston Moore, and Lee Ranaldo harmonize on each other's songs, which brightens up spooky songs like "Poison Arrow" and "Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso)." The Eternal demonstrates that it's foolish to ever take Sonic Youth's effortless cool for granted; their latest chapter is off to a gorgeous start.
Is The Eternal a particularly fun record for Sonic Youth?
Lee Ranaldo: We always have fun making our records but I would agree that this one has a certain lightness to it that is pretty special. I think we're just at a really good place in what we're doing these days. After playing with Jim O'Rourke, we went back to a quartet for the last record. Then we got asked to play Daydream Nation for some shows and we were all really surprised by the intensity of that music and, in some ways that really influenced The Eternal.
Why move to Matador?
Geffen wanted to do more records with us but we thought it was time to do something different, based on the state of the music business. We were certainly appreciated there but the difference is also profound; Matador is a label full of music lovers who aren't just concerned with the bottom line and they're super-psyched to have us. Otherwise, we've been doing this for so long that the process is really ingrained within the four of us. We're pretty self-motivated and moving to Matador won't change the way the records sound. (Matador)
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Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another
Mclusky is dead. It happened four years ago, get over it. Future of the Left, however, are alive and well. And to prove it, the Welsh trio have the album that should finally free them of their albatross. With their ace debut, 2007's Curses, FOTL may not have shook off all of the Mclusky-isms
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Tiny Vipers - Life On Earth
Aching, haunting, and ethereal, the music of Seattle songstress Jesy Fortino is surprisingly accomplished considering her relative newness. Performing as Tiny Vipers, she has now released her second proper album, Life On Earth, following 2007's fantastic Hands Across The Void. And whil
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We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
There's something in the loch water of Scotland, and no, I don't mean any monsters. Over the last couple years, bands like the Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit have confirmed that the region of Glasgow has found its own sound built on driving rhythms, shimmering guitar textures and uplifting anthe
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Arietta - Migration
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Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
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Bachelorette - My Electric Family
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Bachelorette - My Electric Family
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Ben Lee - The Rebirth of Venus
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Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
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Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
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Bricolage - Bricolage
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Chester French - Love The Future
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The Church - Untitled #23
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City Center - City Center
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Clues - Clues
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Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
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The Curious Mystery - Rotting Slowly
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Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange
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Doll - Inside the Dollhouse
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Eels - Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire
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Ex Norwegian - Standby
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Great Bloomers - Speak of Trouble
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Great Northern - Remind Me Where The Light Is
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Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
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Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From a Stone
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Heat From A DeadStar - Seven Rays Of The Sun
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The High Strung - Ode to the Inverse of the Dude
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Hopewell - Good Good Desperation
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HotKid - Someday Somehow
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The Hundreds and Thousands - The Hundreds and Thousands
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Ida Maria - Fortress ’Round My Heart
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The Intelligence - Fake Surfers
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Jack-O & the Tennessee Tearjerkers - The Disco Outlaw
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Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
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Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, The Commuter
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Jeffrey Novak - After The Ball
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Jets Overhead - No Nations
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Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds - Dracula Boots
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Lee Harvey Osmond - A Quiet Evil
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The Lovely Feathers - Fantasy of the Lot
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The Lovely Feathers - Fantasy of the Lot
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The Lovely Sparrows - Bury the Cynics
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Magik Markers - Balf Quarry
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Marilyn Manson - The High End of Low
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Matt Krefting - I Couldn’t Love You More
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Maximo Park - Quicken the Heart
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Most Serene Republic - …And the Ever Expanding Universe
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The Novaks - Things Fall Apart
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The Paint Movement - Our Eurythmy
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Papa Roach - Metamorphosis
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Paul “Snoflake” Taylor - Share It!
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Pick a Piper - Pick a Piper
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Pilot Speed - Wooden Bones
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Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood
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Pony Up! - Stay Gold
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Rubies - Explode From the Center
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Screen Vinyl Image - Interceptors
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The Skeletones Four - Aaaaahhh!!!
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The Soundcarriers - Harmonium
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Sports - The Band
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Still Life Still - Pastel
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Still Life Still - Pastel
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Thee Oh Sees - Help
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Think About Life - Family
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Tragically Hip - We Are the Same
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Various Artists - Songs for Eric
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Various Artists - Not Given Lightly: A Tribute to the Giant Golden Book of New Zealand’s Alternative Music Scene
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Walk Off The Earth - My Rock
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Wand - Hard Knox
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The Warlocks - The Mirror Explodes
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White Rabbits - It’s Frightening
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The Wooden Birds - Magnolia
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Wooden Shjips - Dos
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Years - Years
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