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Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon critical of "The Radiohead Model"

Posted by aubin on Monday, June 8, 2009 at 2:00 PM (EDT)

In a recent interview, veteran musician Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth had some comments for the donation-based model popularized (but not invented) by Radiohead for the release of their album, In Rainbows in 2007. In a Guardian interview, Gordon offered some criticism saying:

I don't really think they did it by themselves. They did a marketing ploy by themselves and then got someone else to put it out. It seemed really community-oriented, but it wasn't catered towards their musician brothers and sisters, who don't sell as many records as them. It makes everyone else look bad for not offering their music for whatever. It was a good marketing ploy and I wish I'd thought of it! But we're not in that position either. We might not have been able to put out a record for another couple of years if we'd done it ourselves: it's a lot of work. And it takes away from the actual making music.

Check out the rest of the interview here. Sonic Youth releases The Eternal tomorrow, on June 9, 2009.

Matador Records (49 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Seriously.

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mikexdude (June 8, 2009)

Radiohead could fall off the face of the earth and I wouldn't be phased at all. In fact, I think I'd be a little bit better...

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ffwoodycooks (June 8, 2009)

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eazyd2 (June 8, 2009)

agreed. same goes for sonic youth.

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AmericanRiot (June 8, 2009)

unfortunately, as Kim Gordon says, just cause Radiohead does it, it doesn't mean a lot of others will be able to follow suit

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SloaneDaley (June 8, 2009)

while I enjoy some of Radiohead and Sonic Youth's stuff they are both extremely inconsistent and have no idea why people lose their shit over them like they do. I get other bands people worship just fine (i.e. The Beatles, Pixies, The Smiths).

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ChuckieFinster (June 8, 2009)

I agree to a certain extent. OK Computer is a work of genius. For me, that trumps them having to be consistent at all. That being said, I enjoy The Bends and In Rainbows, but I could take or leave everything else.

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greg0rb (June 8, 2009)

If by inconsistent you mean "unafraid to expand and experiment with their sound" then sure. Neither band has put out a 'bad' album, only albums that are less amazing when compared to their best works. In my eyes SY > Radiohead, though both are great and doing that '>' thing is pretty dumb. My bad.

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thegimper (June 8, 2009)

Agreed for both bands.

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the_other_scott (June 8, 2009)

in before matt ramone complains about radiohead and sonic youth and hipsters and brooklyn and pitchfork media.

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AmericanRiot (June 8, 2009)

in all fairness, the world would be better without those things

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ffwoodycooks (June 8, 2009)

say what you want about pitchfork but, this review is awesome:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9464-shine-on/

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the_other_scott (June 8, 2009)

in all fairness, the world would not be better without sonic youth or radiohead. brooklyn's got some decent musical history, pitchfork is take it or leave it, and go look at pictures of the loved ones or the gaslight anthem and then complain about hipsters.

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SloaneDaley (June 8, 2009)

in a certain way but they aren't like the BAD hipsters with like sweat bands on their head all day and pirate shirts and yellow tights and snow shoes on.

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mikexdude (June 8, 2009)

There's no such thing as a good hipster.

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ffwoodycooks (June 8, 2009)

what about Mother Theresa?

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eazyd2 (June 8, 2009)

would

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kidgotham (June 8, 2009)

even now?

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SloaneDaley (June 8, 2009)

well okay a less hilarious looking hipster.

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veganboyjosh (June 8, 2009)

A dead hipster?

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AmericanRiot (June 8, 2009)

your world or mine. i mean to me it makes no difference if either band ever existed. the idea of brooklyn never existing was just comical to me, but you're right that it has had some worthwhile contributions. there is no need for pitchfork in the world, especially when you can check out anything by downloading it. why do people even read reviews anymore (or really ever did before)? i just hate how pitchfork is suppliment for substance of college radio kids opinions. and as i've stated a million times over, i do not like gaslight anthem. and sure the loved ones look fashionable. complaining about hipsters is passe anyways. they have been around for years and will remain around for years following the next stupid trend to remain kings and queens of the scene. the point is mattramone has some vaild complaints short of brooklyn (then again i've never really visited there).

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flood (June 8, 2009)

not to mention they ripped off the "method" from bands like Bomb the Music Industry! & Defiance, Ohio......

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ffwoodycooks (June 8, 2009)

radiohead has had an out for Jeff ever since that ASOB radiohead set.

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the_other_scott (June 8, 2009)

the difference is that Radiohead could've charged $19 a CD and still would've sold at least 150,000 copies. BTMI (who I can't stand) and Defiance, Ohio (who are great) don't really have that luxury. They need that model to help get their music out there.

the radiohead model, however, in the case of a band that big, does annoy me. like Kim said it was kind of shticky and a total marketing ploy. there was nothing "DIY" about it.

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scorpiondeathlock (June 8, 2009)

i think sonic youth is insanely overrated. I mean Radiohead is as well, but I still enjoy alot of their work especially The Bends. But I just never really got into sonic youth.

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TheMike (June 8, 2009)

Sonic Youth is great when they write real songs. I streamed the new album today and am quite impressed.

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ChuckieFinster (June 8, 2009)

I agree with the first sentence, I haven't heard the album yet.

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DrGunn (June 8, 2009)

i hate whenever a female fronted band gets posted about on this site and every comment involves whether or not she's hot. but seriously, kim gordon is 55 and still way hot. also i love this band.

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eazyd2 (June 8, 2009)

i jsut googled that bitch and she isnt hot. she looks like that bitch that write about the harry potter.

also, you are a sexist pig.

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TheeValiantRA3 (June 8, 2009)

for whatever strange reason i cannot entirely explain, i googled kim smith instead of kim gordon. kim smith is much hotter.

oh, sexist pigs get laid way more than non-sexist pigs. non-sexist pigs end up as "just friends". being a sexist pig can be a good or bad thing depending on how much priority you put on getting laid.

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dev (June 8, 2009)

Word cannot express how much fuck your post.

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scorpiondeathlock (June 8, 2009)

j.k. rowling>kim gordon.

yeah thats right. i read all the harry potter books, how do you want to handle it?

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DrGunn (June 8, 2009)

outside. with revolvers.

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Matt_Freeman (June 8, 2009)

Grumble grumble grumble

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shrapnel (June 8, 2009)

Flea is a better bass player than you

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ChuckieFinster (June 8, 2009)

Yeah, but Matt puts out better music.

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TheeValiantRA3 (June 8, 2009)

More importantly, Matt does not look retarded.

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LeightonESmith (June 8, 2009)

Kim Gordon has Kissability.

Fuck I love this band, can't wait to hear this new album.

Donation based models only work for bands with profile.

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TheMike (June 8, 2009)

She makes a good point.

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ChadReligion (June 8, 2009)

I think she's just jealous

But I still like Sonic Youth way more than Radiohead

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kevgren (June 8, 2009)

I remember Sonic Youth appearing on The History of Punk on VH1 and I think it was Lee saying: "Green Day sold over one million records when no punk band has ever sold over one million records, therefore Green Day are not a punk band."

By that time, Nevermind the Bollocks and at least two Clash albums had gone platinum. Meanwhile, Sonic Youth continued to hammer out made up chords on custom, detuned guitars which would later hilariously get stolen from then.

Check and mate.

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lostandclowned (June 8, 2009)

We are so similar.

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kevgren (June 8, 2009)

Yeah, we should probably start a band.

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sugarfull (June 8, 2009)

What do you mean by "made up chord"?

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kevgren (June 8, 2009)

I know there's no such thing as a made up chord. It's just an easy term to slander them. I like a couple Sonic Youth songs and, admittedly, haven't given them a fair chance in a while. They just focus so much of being avant garde and a-melodic that they get on my nerves, and then acting like they're punk high priests because they play atonal music gets on my nerves.

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allfornot (June 8, 2009)

That next to last sentence was one of the most hilarious things i've read in a while.

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the_creeps (June 8, 2009)

people who don't think of an idea before someone else thinks of an idea are not stoked

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Irish_Punk_Is_Gimmickry (June 8, 2009)

Give 'em hell!

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oneborneveryminute (June 8, 2009)

Sonic Youth are pompous asses. I'm pretty sure Radiohead isn't producing albums with other bands in mind. And anyone who says Radiohead is overrated does not know much about music. That's like saying the Beatles didn't make quality music.

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kevgren (June 9, 2009)

I'll definitely say Radiohead is overrated, because they get so much credit for essentially making ambient dance music. I love The Bends, and I like a song here or there since then. They've done some great things, but they are not on the level of the Beatles, The Ramones, or They Might Be Giants.