Cargo Records

Rather Ripped

Exclusive vinyl edition of Sonic Youth's latest monsterpiece, Recorded and mixed at NYC's Sear Sound Studios, Hoboken's Water Music, the band's downtown Murray St. studio and at J Mascis's house in Amherst, MA. Vinyl-only cover art by artist Christopher Wool

Sonic Youth was birthed in 1981 in downtown New York City. Their eponymous debut followed in 82 and burned holes in bins at any record store crazy enough to carry it. For the next twenty-five years the group has continued to release beyond-category documents of sonic death-rock for discerning freak lovers everywhere. Rather Ripped, was recorded through the waning hours of 2005 into the dawn sunshine of 2006 at the venerable Sear Sound Studios in NYC's fading theater district. Mixed at Sear Sound and at Hoboken, NJ's Water Music by the golden ear of John Agnello, the album exhibits SY in positive vibration mode. Rather Ripped features twelve songs of for- ward motion and harmonic/melodic surprise with vocals shared by the frontline of Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo with Steve Shelley gluing the rhythms to the floorboards. The band bursts out of the barn with "Incinerate" contemplates holy war mind games on "do You Believe in Rapture?" and keeps cruising strong through track after track of risk-laden rock, finally floating away with the curious "Or"
This is a straight-up Sonic Youth field on fire, with a compact potency of rock 'n roll enlightenment. Rather ripped, indeed.

Track Listing

1. Reena
2. Incinerate
3. Do You Believe In Rapture?
4. Sleepin Around
5. What AWaste
6. Jams Run Free
7. Rats
8. Turquoise Boy
9. Lights Out
10. The Neutral
11. Pink Steam
12. Or