Neon Musical Insight

Ok, so we already knew that legendary acts Tortoise and Sonic Youth would be apart of the latest installment of Beck’s Record Club series, but we weren’t quite sure what memorable album they would take on. I’m sure our last guess would probably of been Yanni’s Live at the Acropolis, but, well, it sort of is.

Check out what Beck had to say on the project:

“This installment of the Record Club takes on ‘Yanni Live At The Acropolis’. The original album featured Yanni with a full orchestra at the Athenian Acropolis. A TV special of the concert was played repeatedly on PBS through the mid 90’s. To flesh out and capture the complex arrangements, several studio musician heavyweights were brought in to read a heavily doctored score with interpolations of everything from Stravinsky to Shania Twain (look for others). Beck and Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth provided auxiliary music and noise, with Thurston improvising lyrics over the previously instrumental track ‘Santorini.’ The new lyrics give the track an added urgency and pathos. Tortoise show up later on a few other tracks.”

Take the jump and watch the video for the first song “Santorini”.

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On his newly created blog Flowers & Cream, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth has taken the liberty to blog about all the things that fancy him pretty much whenever he feels like it. Yesterday, Moore revealed an artist named Strange Brew out of “Ypsilanti or Ann Arbor or somewhere around Detroit killer city.” We all know how fond Mr. Moore is of Michigan music and artists like Iggy Pop, so it comes as no surprise that his latest discovery also hails from the same home state as the Godfather of Punk.

Strange Brew has a debut cassette out entitled Daddy Issue on indie label Pleasure Dome tapez in which Moore described as being “noize, informed by the distinction of Michigan psyche noise harsh wall basement jam scene.” Whatever that means.

Moore went on to interview Strange Brew in the post as well. To read it, head here.

Releasing 17 albums and remaining relevant is no small feat. Sonic Youth has remained one of the most innovative, compelling, (insert adjective here) band for the past 25 years, and they’re not done yet. Guitarist Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth recently said to the BBC about the possibility of recording a new album:

“We’re most probably going back into the studio next year.”

That’s not the only thing coming from them next year. Before they hit the studio to record the follow-up to last years The Eternal, Sonic Youth plans to record the soundtrack for an unnamed French teen film.

Ranaldo added about the project: ”We met the director in Paris and we liked what we saw.”

To top it all, the band are conducting a thorough “archival house clean” at their studio in Hoboken, where they are locating tapes that date back thirty years in which they play to digitize and let’s hope, one day release. An exciting upcoming year to be a SY fan.

I’ve decided to run a top 10 list of 80’s albums based on my opinion (which can be argued as being factual) solely. The 80’s unfortunately catches a bad general rap from mainstream society that typically only remembers the fond times for it’s blonde feathered bangs, and drunken metal/acoustic ballads (I’m pointing my finger at you Bret Michaels.) But I know you, the reader can recall a more innovative, and intellectual time, where bands held pretentious outlooks because they damn right deserved to. I may be talking like I lived through this colorful decade, but truth has it that I was actually only born in the middle of it. Still, these albums have changed my life, and the natural views that I have to surviving in this crazy world.

I could only imagine what it must’ve been like living and experiencing some of these bands live, and first getting your hands on a 7″ like “Unsatisfied” or ” Ceremony.” The reason why I chose to run only the top 10 (as opposed to 25 and so forth) of the decade is because I like the notion of the ten greatest albums over a ten year span. Keeps things interesting…

So without further ado, I present my Top 10 Finest Albums of the 1980’s.

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