So legendary New York art rockers Sonic Youth will appear on Gossip Girl on Oct. 12. And last year, front man Thurston Moore recorded a version of The Ramones' "Sheena is A Punk Rocker" with Be Your Own Pet's Jemina Pearl for the show. What the hell is going on here? Since when do bands like Sonic Youth appear on and record songs for shows like Gossip Girl?
I know what some of you are thinking: The Flaming Lips showed up on the original Beverly Hills 90210 back in the '90s, teaching walking jockstrap Steve Sanders that alternative music can really "rock the house." But that was different. The Lips were riding the publicity buzz of their first breakout hit, "She Don't Use Jelly." Sonic Youth doesn't seem to be on any sort of publicity tour, and they certainly don't need to court the teen market to keep making records. So here's the explanation: It turns out Moore and wife/bassist Kim Gordon are big fans of Gossip Girl.
No, really. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Moore said, "Kim [Gordon] and I are pretty fanatical viewers of the show. It's sort of our dose of Shakespeare every week."
OK, now I get it. They watch Gossip Girl for the same reason I watch reruns of The Nanny – for the awfulness. The brilliant, blinding, but intoxicating awfulness. I totally get it. Dude.
Moore's daughter Coco is also a fan of the show. She shot the photo above of Moore with Gossip Girl stars Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick. Moore said he'd like to join the show for a recurring role. "I'd love to be a 51-year-old ex-indie rocker who hangs out in some capacity. Maybe I can be kind of an art-rock nemesis to Dan Humphrey or something," he told Rolling Stone.
Now that would be something.
The band will perform "Star Power," from the 1986 album "EVOL," on the show. Stream the song below:
Star Power - Sonic Youth
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-04-2009 @ 3:15PM
J. said...
They were also on that Gilmore Girls show. I think there's a pattern here.
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9-07-2009 @ 7:09AM
Alex K. said...
"Since when do bands like Sonic Youth appear on and record songs for shows like Gossip Girl?"
Pretty much since "The O.C." came along, a show by Josh Schwartz, who is also the creator of "Gossip Girl" bands like Modes Mouse, The Walkmen or The Killers appeared on such shows. It's mostly due to music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who also works on both shows.
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9-04-2009 @ 8:06PM
Midnight13 said...
On one hand I could cry and moan that a band I've loved for over ten years is doing a show I wouldn't normally watch unless you strapped me to a chair and pryed my eyes open ala "A Clockwork Orange". On the other I can say Sonic Youth do whatever the hell they want, hipsters be damn. They have nothing to prove, they've been making some of the most creative and artful rock for over 30 years. They've earned the right to be as underground or in your face mainstream as they want. And I'm still going to love them.
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10-06-2009 @ 6:56PM
genghis goetz said...
As a big fan of seasons one and two, I have to say, season three has been a massive fucking snoozefest so far. Maybe thurston will redeem it somehow. There's not a pie on earth that dude doesn't have his finger in.
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