Track of the Moment: Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth

           Rock out, like right now.  I mean it.  Just go crazy and start rocking out.  Doesn’t that sound stupid to say?  The idea of “Rocking Out” is equal parts energy, spontaneity and love of music.  You can’t ever be told to do it, but you can’t not do it when you hear the right music.  For everyone it might be slightly different music, but the principle is the same.  Daydream Nation was my first Sonic Youth album (I know because you never forget your first Sonic Youth album,) and I’m still rocking to it to this day. 

            The intro is an ambient rift that builds tension in a way that very few other albums can.  As it build up the drums are added, and when all the air has been sucked out of the room the main rift comes in.  The song is a little off the beaten path for these guys, but it still remains one of their best songs.  If this doesn’t make you rock out where you stand then you best be lookin’ else where (by that I mean a different article.  Please don’t leave!)

Track of the Moment- Im Not There by Bob Dylan covered by Sonic Youth

Soundtracks are an interesting thing, especially when the movie is a documentary and especially when that documentary is on Bob Dylan. I am talking about Im Not There, the surrealist film that categorizes the different sides of who many consider to be the best songwriter of all time. The soundtrack features songs by a number of famous groups playing Dylan tunes; it is good too featuring three songs by Stephen Malkmus of Pavement. My favorite track though has to be Im Not There, a cover by Sonic Youth. Dylans original song is likely his most mysterious, having only ever been released as a bootleg the tracks lyrics are obscure yet very excellent. Sonic Youth takes these lyrics and makes them their own without really downplaying what Dylan did. Thurston Moore delivers the tunes with a sort of deadpan ness that Dylan mastered and later would be picked up by other post punk artists.