Sonic Youth Members, Gear & Sound

US rock band

Genre

Rock New Wave Alternative rock Post-hardcore Blues rock Indie rock Art rock Experimental rock Avant-garde Punk rock Grunge Post-punk Noise pop Noise rock Dream pop Underground music No wave Modern rock Art punk College rock Noise Shoegaze dance rock

Members

Select a Sonic Youth band member to check out the music gear they use live and in the studio.

Thurston Moore

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Bassist

Groups:

Glenn Branca Ensemble Ciccone Youth The Backbeat Band Chelsea Light Moving The Peeper Puzzled Panthers Male Slut Wylde Ratttz To Live and Shave in L.A. Thurston Moore Band Society's Ills Rodney & The Tube Tops Mirror/Dash Original Silence Four Guitars Dream/Aktion Unit Diskaholics Anonymous Trio Dim Stars Caught on Tape Record Club

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Lee Ranaldo

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Composer

Groups:

Glenn Branca Ensemble Theoretical Girls Lucky Sperms Four Guitars

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Kim Gordon

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Bassist

Groups:

Free Kitten Ciccone Youth Body/Head Lucky Sperms Mirror/Dash Harry Crews

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Jim O'Rourke

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Bassist Composer Music Producer

Groups:

The Frogs Gastr del Sol Phunk Junkeez Diskaholics Anonymous Trio Original Silence Male Slut The Bells Bonjintan Brise-Glace Delivery Health Fenn O’Berg Kafka’s Ibiki Mimir ONJT + Plastic Palace People Yona-Kit Loose Fur

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Mark Ibold

Roles:

Bassist

Groups:

Pavement Free Kitten

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Steve Shelley

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

The Crucifucks Ciccone Youth Lucky Sperms Dim Stars Wylde Ratttz Male Slut

Needs more gear

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Richard Edson

Roles:

Drummer

No gear added

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Ann Demarinis

Roles:

Keyboardist

No gear added

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Bob Bert

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

Pussy Galore

No gear added

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Jim Sclavunos

Roles:

Bassist Drummer

Groups:

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Grinderman Teenage Jesus and the Jerks 8 Eyed Spy

No gear added

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Anne DeMarinis

Roles:

Drummer Keyboardist

No gear added

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About

Sonic Youth was a pioneering American band known for their influential blend of alternative rock, noise rock, and avant-garde music. Formed in New York City in 1981, the group initially consisted of Thurston Moore (vocals, guitar), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals), and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals), with drummer Steve Shelley joining in 1985. Their sound, characterized by experimental tunings and feedback, drew heavily from the no wave movement and the New York underground scene, earning them a lasting place in the pantheon of rock innovators.

How to Sound Like Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth's soundscape is marked by its raw, experimental edge, fusing dissonant harmonies with a chaotic yet structured approach to rock music. Their use of alternate guitar tunings and feedback loops creates a dense, textured wall of sound that is both aggressive and hypnotic. Key to their sonic identity are the Fender Jazzmaster guitars, heavily modulated through an array of effects like the Pro Co TurboRAT for distortion and the Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 for reverb. This combination of gear and technique allows for a sound that is at once abrasive and melodic, pushing the boundaries of rock music and inviting listeners into a world of sonic exploration.

Discography

Sonic Youth

1981

Confusion Is Sex (Plus Kill Yr. Idols)

1983

Bad Moon Rising

1985

Evol

1986

Sister

1987

Master-Dik

1987

The Whitey Album

1988

Daydream Nation (Deluxe Edition)

1988

Goo

1990

Dirty

1992

Live at the Continental Club (Live / 1986)

1992

Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star

1994

Live in Venlo, Holland (Live; 1983)

1995

Washing Machine

1995

A Thousand Leaves

1998

Invito Al Cielo (Syr 3)

1998

Silver Session (For Jason Knuth)

1998

Goodbye 20th Century (Syr 4)

1999

NYC Ghosts & Flowers

2000

Murray St.

2002

In The Fishtank 9

2002

Sonic Nurse

2004

Hidros 3

2004

Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui (Syr 6)

2005

Rather Ripped

2006

Rather Ripped (Sony Connect Version)

2006

The Destroyed Room

2006

J'accuse Ted Hughes / Agnes B. Musique (Syr 7)

2008

Battery Park, NYC: July 4th 2008

2009

The Eternal

2009

Simon Werner a Disparu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

2011

Smart Bar - Chicago (Live; 1995)

2012

Spinhead Sessions

2016

Live in Moscow (April, 1989)

2020

In/Out/In

2022

Live in Brooklyn, Ny.

2023

Walls Have Ears

2024

Hold That Tiger

2024

Get the Sonic Youth Sound

Want to sound like Sonic Youth? This gear comes straight from the setups of the band's members, based on proven sources. Dive into each artist's page for more detail and inspiration.