thurston "trees outside the academy”
(unofficial - shhh!)
It’s Thurston’s first solo outing since 1995’s Psychic Hearts. Of course, Thurston’s been releasing records here, there and everywhere mostly in the context of rowdy and rambunctious noise/improv escapades but this new one is killer diller SONGS! Unlike Psychic Hearts’ skeletal trio rock, this new jammer, 12 years post, has a far fuller bouquet of sonic depth and proves this Sonic dude to have a very real songwriting life outside of the legendary Sonic Youth (of which he is a founding figure, duh).
This newborn disc is 12 songs long. Thurston recorded primarily on acoustic guitar and bass, laying down the core of the tunes with drummer compatriot Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelly and violinist Samara Lubelski, a noted player from MV/EE and The Golden Road, Hall of Fame and other awesome gatherings as well as solo artiste.
Thurston grabbed John Agnello to record and mix the sucker after having a helluva good time with the bro from working on Sonic Youth’s 2006 killer Rather Ripped. They decided to work in Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis’ Bisquiteen studio (the top floor in J’s Amherst house actually) where Dino did their Beyond album. This worked out very nicely as it allowed Thurston to yell down the stairs every time he needed a shredding guitar solo and J would trundle up, plug in and BURN. Other guests on “trees outside...” are Christina Carter, she of Charalambides, and she of the most beatific, beautific voice on land, sea and air.
One track called Honest James has Thurston and Christina singing duet against a single acoustic guitar and it is a naked groove. The otherworldly Canadian musician Andrew Macgregor aka “Gown” plays some spectacularly understated and incredible guitar and Sunburned Hand of The Man’s John Moloney takes over the drum stool to absolutely flail on the pit snarling Wonderful Witches. And then there’s the 20 seconds or so of primal noise wave courtesy of American noise underground genius Leslie Keffer on Off Work.
Most of the tunes are lyric driven but there are a couple of majestic instrumentals like Trees Outside The Academy, which brings the album to a musical and breathless close. There’s also some weird cassette tape that Thurston found at his mom’s of him at 13 years old in the early 70s making some kind of sound-theatre. It’s kinda nuts, and it’s the last “hidden” track. Tracks like Frozen Gtr, The Shape Is In A Trance, Silver>Blue, Never Day and Fri/end (a theme song to the hippest TV show yet to be broadcast) will lead you in to a sparkling and heavy new world of Thurston’s heart, mind and soul.
Thurston Moore, for those of you just visiting planet Earth, has been playing music and liberating whatever ossifying standards rock n’ roll becomes threatened by since the late 70s when he walked the downtown jungle of punk/post-punk/no wave NYC and started the band Sonic Youth. Ever since he and the band have consistently stayed true to the authenticity and creativity of radical rock n roll idealism. From the experience of a life touring, writing, having a magical daughter with his amazing wife and partner Kim Gordon, Thurston has poured a heady brew into whatever speakers this new CD flows from. Take a sip, and pass it around.
Merry Whatever-you-call-it. Had the great good fortune of seeing the Youth play the Cleveland Agora a while back with the Boredoms. I can't really compare that show to others - too different, too great.
If you want anything reviewed in our new zine, or, heaven forbid an interview, my daughter and I would love it. Thank you.
Above all, enjoy some time off, if you can.
- Mike and Amber
We Have The Technology c/o Mike and Amber P.O. Box 1018 Mentor, OH 44061
Wow, thanks for adding me! I checked out your page about a week ago and was so pleased with the music from your newest album, that I ran to the nearest record store and bought it! All I have to say is that it hasn't left my cd player since! Rock on and keep doing what you do...cuz it's fresh.
The new album is everything I had hoped it would be. Dynamic and very soulful. Waiting through free jazz.. improvisation after improvisation. The only shame is we had to wait 12 years for it. Please don't let me turn 50 before the next one.
