2002

2002-06-25

United States

Murray Street is the first album by the band to feature Jim O'Rourke as an official fifth member to bolster the group's sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Street_(album)

2000

United States

2000

2000-05-16

United States

A highly experimental album, NYC G&F is considered to be a reaction to the theft of the band's instruments in July 1999, when several irreplaceable guitars and effects pedals were stolen. NYC Ghosts & Flowers was the first album since Bad Moon Rising in which the band used prepared guitar. As a result of the theft, the members of Sonic Youth relied upon "old guitars in their studio, unearthing instruments they hadn't used in years" which "along with equipment purchased to fulfill the remaining [...] dates [of the tour], would serve as the foundation for six new songs written over the next month", in addition to "Free City Rhymes" and "Renegade Princess", which were written prior to the tour. The band members later acknowledged that "the gear theft was somewhat of a blessing, if [also] a rather unwelcome and unpleasant one, in that it truly forced them to 'start over' and approach creating music with brand new boundaries".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYC_Ghosts_%26_Flowers

1998

1998-05-12

United States

The first album recorded at Echo Canyon (Sonic Youth's personal studio from 1996-2006), and built with the money they had made at the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. Since the band had an unlimited amount of time to work in their studio, the album features numerous lengthy and improvisational tracks that were developed unevenly. The span of nearly three years between Washing Machine and A Thousand Leaves also represented the longest gap between studio albums in Sonic Youth's career at the time. Thurston Moore explained that the band needed a break, noting that they had been touring non-stop for 16 years. He said, "We're having children, we're getting older, let's just cool out a little bit and build this workshop, and go that way, work that route. In many ways this album marks the start of what would be the final incarnation of the band Sonic Youth, tonally, creatively and otherwise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Thousand_Leaves

1995

1995-09-26

United States

Washing Machine features more open-ended pieces than its predecessors and contains some of the band's longest songs, including the 20-minute ballad "The Diamond Sea", which is the lengthiest track to feature on any of Sonic Youth's studio albums. Released shortly after the band headlined the 1995 Lollapalooza music festival, Washing Machine reached No. 58 on the US Billboard 200 chart and No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the band for exploring new challenges as well as the guitar playing of band members Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo. It was ranked No. 18 in The Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop critics' poll.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing_Machine_(album)

1994

1994-05-10

United States

Unlike its predecessor Dirty, Experimental Jet Set features a more low-key approach and references the band's earlier work on the independent record label SST Records. The album contains quieter and more relaxed songs that deal with personal and political topics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimental_Jet_Set,_Trash_and_No_Star

1992

1992-07-21

United States

Dirty is the most guitar heavy album released by Sonic Youth to this point in their discography. Some songs mark the first appearance of three or more guitars in a single SY song. Produced by Butch Vig, Dirty has an unmistakable quality to its sound. It's raw and dirty, evoking the popular grunge scene of the early 90's, but it's also sweet and melodic at points.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_(Sonic_Youth_album)

United States

Following the death of bandmate and best friend D. Boon, Mike Watt was suffering from depression. As part of an effort to encourage him to start playing music again, the Ciccone Youth project was conceived in New York city by Sonic Youth members and Mike Watt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whitey_Album

1988

1988-04-05

United States

Originally written and performed by Madonna.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whitey_Album

1988

United States

1989

United States

Originally written and performed by Robert Palmer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addicted_to_Love_(song)

1988

1988-04-05

United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whitey_Album

1988

1988-04-05

United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whitey_Album