By Steve Holtje, eMusic ContributorNow that indie rock's caught up to where Yoko Ono was on her 1970 debut LP, her new album – her most challenging in more than three decades – fits the zeitgeist perfectly. The 10-minute… more »
By Kevin O'Donnell, eMusic ContributorThey're one of the greatest bands to emerge in the last 30 years and have released as many consistent and interesting albums as bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and contemporaries Radiohead. They do… more »
By Kevin O'Donnell, eMusic ContributorSonic Youth had only played a handful of local New York shows when they cut this album in 1981 with their mentor Glenn Branca, the avant-garde composer known for his wild guitar symphonies. It's a… more »
By Kevin O'Donnell, eMusic ContributorIt's perhaps the single most important recording to come out of indie rock ever, cracking the code for hundreds of bands to follow, from Nirvana and Pavement to newcomers like Deerhunter and No Age. It… more »
By Kevin O'Donnell, eMusic ContributorIt's perhaps the single most important recording to come out of indie rock ever, cracking the code for hundreds of bands to follow, from Nirvana and Pavement to newcomers like Deerhunter and No Age. It… more »
By Kevin O'Donnell, eMusic ContributorRight from the gorgeous chiming riffs of opener "Schizophrenia," Sonic Youth clearly favored hooks and tune over noise and static for their fifth album. The band even ratcheted up their ambitions by holing up in… more »
By Kevin O'Donnell, eMusic ContributorFor their third album, Sonic Youth moved up to the bigger indie label SST and hired the tighter and more technically proficient drummer Steve Shelly to replace Bob Bert, resulting in the first album to… more »
By Kevin O'Donnell, eMusic ContributorSonic Youth's self-titled EP may have sketched out the band's artistic vision but their debut full-length is the band's mission statement—and a psychotic, dark, twisted, and often thrilling one, too. It kicks off with "(She's… more »
By Mike McGonigal, eMusic ContributorAs music fans, we are presented with something of a contradiction when it comes to the Christmas season: it's a lovely time of year, but musically... well, it pretty much sucks. Pardon me for me… more »