Sonic Youth

It's been nearly three decades in Sonic Youth's saga, yet the band's art-rock blitz sounds as vital as ever. With DIY on the rise and a new wave of lo-fi making indie circles swoon, their influence is undeniable. The band itself has even ditched the major labels, releasing The Eternal on Matador. The album reveals a wise maturity; while the cacophony of grinding, oddly tuned guitars remains a central element, there's a patient, poignant melodicism that lingers. Spacey drones and vocals slither around dead-on drums for a sound that remains as fresh as their name suggests.

It's amusing to think that the fiercely freaky Sonic Youth were a major-label act for nearly
20 years. The Eternal marks their literal return to indie rock — and that's no big whoop,
since they've always done pretty much what they want anyway. The irony is that The
Eternal might be their most concise record ever. It's also a rock & roll ass-kicker. The Eternal
sums up almost everything this band has done over three decades, punk sneers... More >