If It's Too Loud...

What I find most interesting about each member of Sonic Youth's post Sonic Youth output is how diverse, yet still within the Sonic Youth universe it all is. Thurston's Chelsea Light Moving is the heavier, more punk side. Kim Gordon's Body/Head is more experiemental element, much more like their SYR series. Lee Ranaldo's first album with The Dust (which features SY's Steve Shelley on drums) takes and expands on the more psychedelic output SY had been playing with. There is still some of the noise and aggression, but he adds a melody little seen before. Given my own personal taste, I'm surprised I like this more than the other two Sonic Youth releases this year. Maybe since Lee always had kind of a third songwriter role in Sonic Youth that he feels less obligated by or bound to a previous style.  Head on over to Lee Ranaldo's website to get some more information, including current tour dates. You can also listen to the full album Lecce, Leaving  below. ...

Photo by  Catherine Ceresole This level of amazingness pretty much never happens. Lee Ranaldo, Rolling Stone 's 33rd greatest guitarist of all time, ran a guitar clinic in NYC last month. At Other Music he gave a demonstration showing some of his more unusual techniques he has utilized for playing a guitar. Everyone who was able to attend got an up close look at how he uses pedals, drum sticks, a bow, hanging a guitar from the ceiling, etc. Video has surfaced of the event, which you can watch below. The highlights for me were the bored teenager who had to have been dragged by his dad, and Lee telling the crowd not to be precious with their instruments. Check out Lee Ranaldo's website here . Also, make sure to see Lee Ranaldo and The Dust supporting their fantastic new album when they come to your town. Dec 10 San Jose, CA — The Blank Club,   w Bill Orcutt/Jacob Felix Heule duo Dec 11 San Francisco, CA — The Chapel,   w Bill Orcutt/Jacob Felix Heule duo Dec 1...

A little more than a week before Lee Ranaldo's 2nd post-Sonic Youth album   comes out, there's a new song to help build excitement before Last Night On Earth  comes out. "Ambulancer" heads down the direction that Sonic Youth had been heading with A Thousand Leaves  and Murray Street.  It's equal parts post punk noise and psychedelic jam band rock. It's noisy while staying absolutely lovely, and might just be the perfect jumping on point for Deadhead friends you may have. Lee Ranaldo has always been Sonic Youth's George Harrison (less songs than the ones you get most of the credit, but with some of the most solid songs in the catalog) and Last Night On Earth  is shaping up to be his All Things Must Pass. It's unfortunate this album will get less attention than Body/Head or Chelsea Light Moving because it lacks the potential for tabloid-like lyric analysis when it's shaping up to be such a solid release. Last Night On Earth is due out on 10/18 on...