Bass God

....and I nearly threw up. Apparently radio stations are testing out the song Karen Revisited from their new album Murray St. to see if it'll jive well with the masses. It's bad enough that in recent months we've lost great bands like The White Stripes to the public and MTV domain but the thought of Sonic Youth being overexposed in this way is almost too much to bear. Let's hope this isn't the case. Incidentally I'm wondering what other SY fans think of the new one, post your comments here.

Matt

Having just seen them in Dallas little over a week ago, I've been on a massive SY kick lately, and have been playing the hell out of Murray Street. I was just thinking the other day that although they've been around for nearly twenty years, I've still never heard a SY song on any radio station that I can recall (although, my town's radio stations totally suck anyways).

It would sound strange to hear them on the radio, but my first exposure to them (either hearing a song or seeing a video) came in 1994 when "Bull in the Heather" was on MTV--I believe it was even on Beavis & Butt-head at one point.

That's just as much "over-exposure" as "Karen Revisited" being played on the radio, IMO.

Hopefully, the brain-dead Linkin Park and Nickelback fans won't be smart enough to catch on. . .

NP: SY, Sister

RevLiver

Back in 94 "Bull in the Heather" got pretty regular airplay for a month or two in NYC on KRock or the old Q104.3, whichever one was the "altrock" station at the time. That's the only time I've ever heard Sonic Youth on the radio, excluding college radio.

Jepthah

SY have been exposed to the masses through MTV and radio play several times with no huge results. Remember "Cool Thing" with Chuck D? Or "100%"?

I can't imagine that the band or longtime fans seriously give a crap, by and large.

Applejack

Bands like this getting exposure is a good thing.

Who wouldn't want a band that they like to get popular? Then at least you get to hear them on the radio, and there is a better chance that they will keep making albums and touring.

I'd give my right eye if things like this would happen everywhere, bumping the real crap off of the radio. Just because something is popular doesn't make it less good.

atlantamoi

Uh, I doubt Sonic Youth is ever going to be more popular than they were 7 or 8 years ago. Remember, they DID headline Lollapalooza in 1995. I think it was either "Sugar Kane" or "100%" that was played quite a bit in '93 on the commercial alternative station here in Atlanta. I don't think you have much to worry about with today's pathetic radio formats. At least these guys are still around... they are amazing live.

fazeem

anyone realize that Jason Lee (the actor from numerous movies) was features skateboarder (his previous profession) in the video for "100%"?

grunter

The local alt-rock station near Dartmouth used to play the hell out of "Dirty Boots."

But maybe that was just a local thing.

Pikul

Boy, if radio could only stop sucking while not playing our favorite bands at the same time....

fallow

There was a radio station around here that played The Diamond Sea a couple times, but I don't think that it ever really clicked. I haven't had money to go out and buy Murray Street, but I do have some cash coming tommorrow. I'm going to pick that and another God Speed album up.

I'm rather ambivalent about the bands I like becoming popular. One side of me wants the band to do well and continue to progress and makes records. The other side of me doesn't want a band to become watered-down with popularity...when they stop making certain types of sound because it isn't widely accepted by a mainstream audience. Case in point, I don't think Sonic Youth's sound will ever catch on because its not very clean and poppy; its more raw and messy in a distorted kind of order. However, mainstream audiences can surprise you (I never thought I would hear a Modest Mouse song in an MGD commerical, much less see one of their albums selling the top 50). SY...I can't imagine them catching on right now. Mass musical taste just isn't moving in that direction.

atlantamoi

Really? Are you talking about a college station? I can't imagine them playing that song in it's full length on a commercial station.
One of the most incredible concert experiences of my life was when they played this song in concert. Saw them do it twice in '95.

cdollaz

A local station here in Houston played Diamond Sea as well. There is a single edit that is normal radio-length.

fallow

No no, haha they wouldn't play all 20 mins of that song. It was only about 5 mins or so.

atlantamoi

Hmmm, wonder what that edit of "Diamond Sea" sounds like. I really can't fathom a short version, but I'm sure it would make sense if I heard it.

ChrisKnudsen

Yeah, when I lived in Seattle, 107.7 played a lot of Sonic Youth songs actually. I remember "Diamond Sea" was on the charts for months and remembered play for "Cool Thing." "100%" and "Bull in the Heather" being quite popular, too.

On the note of favorite bands becoming big, it can have mixed reactions. I am a huge Presidents of USA fan and have been before they got signed to a label. Then when the album came out, it was huge. Presidents were all over the nation. I think the album sold 100,000 copies in Seattle alone. The Presidents did songs exclusively for Seattle airplay like their live recording of "super model" was huge until they re-recorded it to be called, "super-sonics" and this was long before the 2nd album came out. Then when "II" came out, no one seemed to care anymore. I was angry at this because they didn't get too much success, that might have led to their break-up and I hated the mainstream crowd for it. But they are back together now so I am not angry anymore. Now I think it was cool that the band at least caught a sniff of success instead of always just being poor muscians. Those musicans always remember the hardcores that they started.

Now if it was to me, I would be an Indie rockstar anyday over being a arena rock one. Just a rockstar that the cool kids know. I would be on KRS or Matador or even Mint records would be my perfect label.

cdollaz

That's Kool Think, with a K