From the AV Club:
Indie rock's most celebrated marriage appears to be over, and the band built on that union might follow. Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore announced in a statement that they are separating after 27 years of marriage. "Sonic Youth, with both Kim and Thurston involved, will proceed with its South American tour dates in November," the statement reads. "Plans beyond that tour are uncertain. The couple has requested respect for their personal privacy and does not wish to issue further comment."
Sonic Youth has five shows scheduled for next month, in Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Chile, and Brazil. It most recent album, the group's 16th, is 2009's The Eternal. Gordon and Moore have a 17-year-old daughter, Coco, who is a member of the band Big Nils.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/kim-gordon-and-thurston-moore-announce-separation,63472/
Usually I wouldn't care about the divorce of members of a band, but that statement reads very ominously. If this is the last we see of Sonic Youth as we know it (and Sonic Youth without Thurston or Kim isn't Sonic Youth) I would be bummed. This isn't like REM's breakup, where even REM's most ardent fans would have to admit that the last decade hasn't been that great for the band. Sonic Youth has been making outstanding albums for the past 10 years after a brief stumble in the late 90s/early 00s; their last four albums (Murray Street, Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped, The Eternal) can stand toe to toe with their great albums of the 80s and 90s.
30 years is a long time to be a band (and 27 years is a long time to be married) but it is a real shame that one of my favorite bands of all time might be ending when they are still creating great music.
