What are musical influences on SY?
 

Hi there. I'm new at posting here, so I dunno if a thread like this one exists or if this topic is over debated here.. If exists another thread just like this, please close it. I'd like to know what are the Sonic Youth's influences since the early years till now. If there's some kind of link talking about it, please post here. Thanks for helping! :)

Velvet Underground,
New York Dolls,
Whole 70's Punk movement,
Branca
Some others, wait you'll get more.

slayer and celtic frost.

the funny thing is most people are going to think i'm kidding.

No wave scene, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, James Chance, DNA, Mars. No wave a big influence on them.

joni mitchell, grateful dead, hot tuna, the fall, alice cooper, mc5.

wikipedia was a big influence

bem vindo ao board tmangia!

suicide, john fahey, black flag, p.i.l., talking heads.

i/c/o/c, scissor shock.

destroy all monsters.

NY punk - if it hadn't been for NY punk, Thurston wouldn't have been in NY to meet Kim.

agree
 

yah 70's NY punk 80's black flag butthole surfers husker du..
also some early stuffs like stooges, VU, mc5..
and PiL, can, Neu!, neil young, joni mitchell, captain beefheart..
birthday party, einstursende neubauten


and i wonder if ther's any relations between 'the sonics..'
??

Well The Sonics were certainly raucous enough to have had an influence..

..and you know, most 70s classic rock certainly never leaves Thurston's listening rotation. Also, Steve listens to A LOT of blues.

Big Youth

sonic's rendevous band

OFF TOPIC
that comment was so hilariously random i had to mention it. id rep you or something but i dont know how and you look like youve got enough.

Sonny Vincent

If you listen to the Bush Tetras you can hear some influence (they have a song that goes "I don't wanna...I don't think so" like Kool Thing). Thurston and Lee played w/Branca and you can hear how that influnced their guitar sound (Lee also played w/Rhys Chatham, another NYC post NO Wave guitar composter) Branca and Chatham probobly also introduced the Idea of alternate tuneings... I'd also mention Television (the band) for their off the beaten path approch to the two lead guitar thing...

and ono yoko..

The Doors (e.g., 'The World Looks Red', 'Drunken Butterfly'), The Velvet Underground (e.g., 'Washing Machine', 'Little Trouble Girl'), The Pink Floyd (e.g., 'Death To Our Friends', 'Unwind'), The Stooges (e.g., 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' cover, 'Sleepin' Around'), etc., etc.

I would say any off Confusion is influence by No Wave, and VU, Branca is intwined in it definitely.

destroy all monsters.

ps: how many times can you people mention NO WAVE, VU and BRANCA?
























you know who else influenced them? the velvet underground...





































...and lydia lunch...





































...and branca.

Wow! So much useful replies!! Thank you guys, you're all very kind! :D Also, I didn't know Thurston was fan of 70's classic rock.. what bands does he like?

Hi! Thank you very much! :) Are you brazilian?

I went to the talk thurston had at MOMA, and the only band i remember him mentioning as an early influence were the New York Dolls.

the new york dolls: no shit. they did a cover of personality crisis.

Velvets + Grateful Dead + Slits + Can + Floyd + Television + Branca + Fall + PIL = Good Sonic Youth

Bratmobile + Pavement = Poo Sonic Youth

Heart- their song 'barracuda' is a major influence on 'drunken butterfly'. Kiss are sampled in 'Master-Dik'. These are the obvious ones, I'm sure he listens to a lot more, but I have been taken ill and I can't type much.

Thurston also really likes Sparks.

Can

why yes i am. mas eu nasci nos estados unidos.

Not mentioned:

Patti Smith
Gang of four
Joy Division
Led Zeppelin (Thurston and Steve, Kim doesn't like them however - probably because of their sexism)
Grateful Dead (Lee)
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, free jazz in general
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
REM
Serge Gainsbourg
Brigitte Fontaine
Minor threat
Jimi Hendrix
The Ramones
Fairport Convention
David Bowie