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Sonic Youth - 'The Eternal'

post #1 of 24
4/2/09 at 7:22pm
Thread Starter 
Releases in June. First non-Geffen record in almost 20 years. (That is, first non-Geffen, non-'experimental' record, as they've released quite a bit on their own SYR label.)

I'm curious -- I liked some of Rather Ripped a lot, and they're still a serious live band. I like that Pavement's Mark Ibold is officially in as bassist, though I'm not really sure how much he's played in the studio. I liked the idea of Jim O'Rourke being in the band more than the reality, and so I'm looking forward to seeing how this arrangement works out.

There's at least one track available, captured at a recent live show.

http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/12640-calming-the-snake/
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post #2 of 24
4/2/09 at 8:08pm
One of my most-anticipated releases of the year. They've got a great track record going.

From what I can hear of 'Calming The Snake' sounds very promising.

Album art and tracklist:

http://stereogum.com/archives/album-...rt_052291.html
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post #3 of 24
4/3/09 at 12:09pm
There was a streaming sound collage of new tracks circulating a while back (on their site maybe?). For obvious reasons, it's not the best basis for forming an opinion on the new album, but considering what that sounded like, "Calming the Snake," and the Daydream Nation-heavy setlist that Stereogum posted yesterday, it sounds like they just might be returning to their classic late 80s/early 90s sound. This possibility has me more excited about a Sonic Youth album than I've been in years.
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post #4 of 24
4/3/09 at 12:55pm
Sounds like good news. I really like the album art too, which is good because Rather Ripped's cover sucked.
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post #5 of 24
4/3/09 at 3:47pm
Always look forward to any new Sonic Youth release. I think the last three albums have all had some great stuff on them after a bit of a sag in the late '90s, but only Murray Street really held together as a full album.

Anyway, that new track is very "Cross the Breeze", and if it's any indication of what to expect from The Eternal, that's more than fine by me.

And I'd certainly love to have seen them play through that full setlist.
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post #6 of 24
4/3/09 at 3:52pm
Thread Starter 
I love that re-learning all the Daydream Nation songs has actively put many of them back in the setlist rotation. I didn't get to see any of the Don't Look Back shows where they played the record, but this implies that I'll have a chance for a bunch of it sometime soon.

(I did see Thurston's Don't Look Back show for Psychic Hearts, which was OK, and when I saw SY tour Rather Ripped, they were already dropping Daydream songs into the set more than usual.)
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post #7 of 24
4/3/09 at 4:31pm
I saw the Daydream Nation Don't Look Back set here in the UK. It goes without saying that it was great, but they really seemed to be enjoying playing that material and a lot of the energy from that seeped into the Rather Ripped stuff that they played for the second half of the show.

It was a big change from the Sonic Nurse tour, which I enjoyed well enough but they'd sort of slipped into doing the five-minutes-of-feedback-and-white-noise-with-strobes thing after each and every song, which didn't make for a very cohesive set and it certainly alienated a lot of the crowd.

It's even good to see they they're even throwing early stuff like the Burning Spear and Shaking Hell into sets now too. I hope they're drawing on parts of that sound for the new stuff too.

More to the point, it might mean that I'll finally get to see them do Brother James and Kill Yr Idols live one day.
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post #8 of 24
4/3/09 at 4:38pm
Thread Starter 
Shaking Hell was played on the RR tour, too; we got it here in ATL.
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post #9 of 24
4/3/09 at 5:03pm
Jealous! I think we got Drunken Butterfly and Kool Thing on that one.

Anyway, I had a root round YouTube and dug up this live version of No Way from the new album. It's more along the lines of their recent material, but it sounds decent enough.
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post #10 of 24
4/20/09 at 1:05pm
Thread Starter 
New song 'Sacred Trickster' is on Matador's web site. Basic rocker, but I can dig it.

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matabl...how-in-london/

I didn't get either of the 7"s from this weekend, so I'll have to find someone with those so I can at least hear the demo from the split with Jay Reatard.
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post #11 of 24
4/20/09 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
New song 'Sacred Trickster' is on Matador's web site. Basic rocker, but I can dig it.

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matabl...how-in-london/

I didn't get either of the 7"s from this weekend, so I'll have to find someone with those so I can at least hear the demo from the split with Jay Reatard.
The guitars are a lot gnarlier sounding than on their recent basic rockers, though, and Shelley's fills are more energetic. It could practically fit on Goo or Dirty, in fact. It's kind of a slight song, but it could bode really well for the rest of the album.
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post #12 of 24
4/20/09 at 1:29pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, listening to it a couple more times (and with headphones) there's a lot of Daydream/Goo sound to it. Which is fookin' awesome.

EDIT: I need to get this in the car, now. It's perfect for cruising around ATL as summer comes on.
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post #13 of 24
4/20/09 at 2:00pm
Thread Starter 
Here's 'No Garage' from the split with Jay Reatard; not sure if it'll appear in different form (and with a different title) on the record.

http://hypem.com/track/803381/sonic+youth+-+no+garage
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post #14 of 24
4/20/09 at 8:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
New song 'Sacred Trickster' is on Matador's web site. Basic rocker, but I can dig it.

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matabl...how-in-london/

I didn't get either of the 7"s from this weekend, so I'll have to find someone with those so I can at least hear the demo from the split with Jay Reatard.
LOVE. Short and sweet.
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post #15 of 24
4/21/09 at 9:42pm
First impressions of The Eternal:

http://thequietus.com/articles/01524...track-by-track

After hearing 'Sacred Trickster' and now reading this, I'm totally stoked.

Leak. Right. Now.
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post #16 of 24
4/28/09 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
LP pre-order at Matador.

http://www.matadorrecords.com/store/...catalog_id=365

2xLP, ltd ed. live LP recorded in 2008 and some other swag, including digital download that activates tomorrow. $35. Little expensive, but maybe the live LP is good...
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post #17 of 24
4/28/09 at 1:49pm
I may finally see these guys this summer. I've had opportunities before, but I was always afraid I'd be disappointed since it seemed like they'd moved away from the material I liked the most; now, it sounds like they're getting back to that Daydream Nation sound, which excites me to no end.
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post #18 of 24
4/29/09 at 11:25am
I'm going to be out of town when they play here. This is horseshit.
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post #19 of 24
5/1/09 at 10:01am
Thread Starter 
Another new track, 'What We Know', live on Jools Holland. And it's a Lee song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVlveLlgBs8
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post #20 of 24
5/3/09 at 2:18pm
Album leaked.

So awesome. My fave Sonic Youth track of this decade has been 'Pattern Recognition' off of Sonic Youth, and many of the tracks on this album remind me of that tune, production-wise and aesthetically. There's just so much going on my first listen became too overwhelming. But further listens have proved to be intoxicating and very rewarding.

This is something special. Really special.
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post #21 of 24
5/3/09 at 10:43pm
This keeps on getting better and better. If this doesn't make my top 3 of the year, I'll be shocked.

I just noticed my post above references the album Sonic Youth...*ahem*...that should say Sonic Nurse.
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post #22 of 24
5/15/09 at 1:22am
Favorites right now: 'Anti-Orgasm', 'Leaky Lifeboat', 'What We Know', 'Poison Arrow', 'Malibu Gas Station', 'Thunderclap', 'Walkin Blue'.

The Eternal could be one of the most "universal" Sonic Youth albums in that it seamlessly blends their penchant for pop hooks with their exquisite musicianship and noise. There's meat to these tunes that was lacking on Rather Ripped (which I liked but couldn't fully embrace with its vacuous execution and studied approach).

I know the band left Geffen because of the mainstream pressures placed on them or what have you, but the irony, though, is that The Eternal might be more accessible and hook-filled than either Sonic Nurse or Rather Ripped. That's not a complaint. Believe me. The Eternal proves that a rock band (let alone a veteran one) in 2009 can be adventurous, vital, exciting, AND addicting at the same time. I couldn't ask for anything more, really.
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post #23 of 24
6/9/09 at 10:34pm
Out today.

I'd love to hear what others think of the album.

My opinion hasn't changed. Still love it.
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post #24 of 24
6/10/09 at 12:47pm
I'm digging it. I think it gets better as it goes along. A lot of attention are being placed on its early songs, which I understand. But I feel like it's kinda back-loaded...which is actually pretty cool.
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