Video: Frida Hyvönen and Jenny Wilson, “Shadow of a Doubt” (Sonic Youth Cover)
- story Matthew Schnipper
Today is cover day on TheFADER.com. And like The XX’s reworking of “Do You Mind,” Frida Hyvönen and Jenny Wilson completely make over Sonic Youth’s quietly aggressive track “Shadow of a Doubt,” all the way back from 1986’s Evol, translating the guitar line into xylophone and the heavy bass racket into thick piano. Both women have very delicate voices, something Kim Gordon has never had, never needed to have, and their Scandinavian harmonizing of her sly confrontation transforms it completely, making it not a cover so much as a tribute. The video’s setting furthers that—the original clip is a simple shot of Gordon riding a train, her body still but continually moving, shot in pungent green and red. Hyvönen and Wilson, like they’ve retrieved the song from hell, play studiously in some sunny suburban mansion, bathed in a bright white light we have to stare into while they turn their backs to it.
Audio: Sonic Youth Streams Their Entire Album Online
- story THE FADER
It’s impossible to imagine a time when Sonic Youth were irrelevant, and it probably won’t ever happen considering most dudes are still trying to play catch up to Daydream Nation, an album SY put out in 1988. 1988! To be totally honest, The Eternal treads some water: Vocals are still monotone and guitars are still a hyper-controlled screech and skronk. But hey, treading water is great exercise! Plus, they are busy breaking ground all over the internet—documented the recording of The Eternal on Twitter and now streaming it in its entirety on a Facebook app. Get with the times, other bands from the ’80s!
Freak Scene #37: No Fun Fest Part Two
- story THE FADER
Every other Monday, Jamie Johns draws attention to the choicest selections of the weird underground. In this special edition of Freak Scene: a wrap up with photos by Diana Wong and video from the first two days of world class three day noise festival, No Fun Fest. Check here if you missed part one. Part two is after the jump.
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posted on Jun 1, 2009 in FREAK SCENE tags Carlos Giffoni, Cold Cave, Emeralds, No Fun Fest, Sonic Youth, Sons of God
Freeload: Sonic Youth, “Sacred Trickster”
- story THE FADER
The best Sonic Youth song is the tuff and grunty “Eliminator Jr.” from side two of the cassette of Daydream Nation. It is one of the only cassettes we kept from our youth, that and some Joy Division BBC session bootlegs. The song “Sacred Trickster,” from Sonic Youth’s forthcoming jillionth album The Eternal, kind of sounds like “Eliminator Jr.” junior. Kim is singing a brief feminist band-screed. Guitars are creakily melodic, metronomic and disharmonious. The word “levitate” is sung/breathed. The shit is fucking mystical and they are keeping it real!
Download: Sonic Youth, “Sacred Trickster” (Via Matador)
NYC: Thurston Moore Explains Fairly Straightforward David Bowie Videos
- story THE FADER
We try to make our way up to MoMA as often as possible, if only just to pound Bloody Marys at The Modern. But tonight there is extra incentive to visit as Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore introduces and discusses some of David Bowie’s music videos, which were recently gifted to the museum by Bowie as part of the museum’s Looking at Music series. It’s not exactly clear what Thurston is going to talk about since most of the early Mick Rock-directed videos are just Bowie standing there looking awesome, but we’re sure he’ll have something interesting to say. For a teaser, above is one that is surely in the exhibit, “Life on Mars?” from 1973, and here’s what we predict Thurston Moore will say about it: “His hair looks really great in this one.” Buy tickets here, and if you have iTunes you can pick up some of Bowie’s 1972 Peel Sessions in the UK Store today, as well.
Schnipper’s Slept On
- story THE FADER
Each Tuesday, FADER editor Matthew Schnipper highlights an underappreciated recent release he thinks we need to know about. This week it’s Sonic Youth’s album Washing Machine which you can purchase here. Listen to “Unwind” from the record below and read about it after the jump.
