Thurston Moore | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Moore performing in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Mirror Fred Cracklin |
| Born | Thurston Joseph Moore (1958-07-25)July 25, 1958 (age 67) Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1976–present |
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| Formerly of | |
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Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958)[7] is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock bandSonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running theEcstatic Peace! record label. Moore was ranked 34th inRolling Stone's 2004 edition of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[8]
In 2012, Moore started a new bandChelsea Light Moving,[9] whoseeponymous debut was released on March 5, 2013. In 2015, Chelsea Light Moving disbanded after one studio album release.[10] Moore and the other members of the band continue to make music under his solo project and other bands.
Moore was born July 25, 1958, at Doctors Hospital inCoral Gables, Florida, to George E. Moore, a professor of music, and Eleanor Nann Moore. In 1967, he and his family (including brother Frederick Eugene Moore, born 1953, and sister Susan Dorothy Moore, born 1956) moved toBethel, Connecticut.[11] RaisedCatholic, he attended St. Joseph's School inDanbury, CT followed by St. Mary's School in Bethel and attended Bethel High School from 1973 to 1976. In the summer of 1963, he experienced his first exposure to rock music through his brother bringing home the record "Louie Louie" and bought him his first electric guitar.[12]
He enrolled atWestern Connecticut State University in fall 1976, but left after one quarter and moved to East 13th Street between Avenues A and B in New York City to join the burgeoningpost-punk andno wave music scenes.[13][14] It was there that he was able to watch shows by the likes ofPatti Smith and spoken-word performances byWilliam S. Burroughs.[15] At that time, the arrival of new groups changed his view on music and all of his records "got kind of put into the basement. And they were supplanted by [...] theSex Pistols andBlondie andTalking Heads andSiouxsie and the Banshees. It was a completely new world, a new identity of music that was an option for youth culture."[16] In 1980, he moved in with Kim Gordon to an apartment at 84 Eldridge St. below artistDan Graham, eventually befriending him, sometimes using records from Graham's collection for mix tapes.[17]
Once in the city, Moore was briefly a member of thehardcore punk bandEven Worse, featuring futureThe Big Takeover editor (and future Springhouse drummer) Jack Rabid. After exiting the band, Moore andLee Ranaldo learned experimental guitar techniques inGlenn Branca's "guitar orchestras".[13] Moore has spoken about influences on his music tastes at this time, including British bandsWire,the Pop Group,the Raincoats,the Slits, andPublic Image Ltd ("I used to have these fantasies in the 70s about leaving New York and coming to London to hang out with Public Image").[18]
Moore metKim Gordon in 1980 at the final gig ofthe Coachmen, the band he was in with J.D. King, Daniel Walworth (replaced by Dave Keay), and Bob Pullin. Moore, with Gordon, Anne Demarinis and Dave Keay formed a band, appearing under names like Male Bonding,[19]: 45 Red Milk,[19]: 45 and the Arcadians,[19]: 46 before settling on Moore's choice of Sonic Youth just before June 1981.[19]: 47 The band playedNoise Fest in June 1981 at New York'sWhite Columns gallery, whereLee Ranaldo was playing as a member ofGlenn Branca's electric guitar ensemble as well as in duo with David Linton as Avoidance Behavior.[20] Moore invited Ranaldo, who he had known when the Coachmen shared aCBGB stage with Ranaldo's 1970s band the Flux, to join the band. The new trio played three songs at the festival later in the week without a drummer.[21] Each band member took turns playing the drums, until they met drummerRichard Edson.[22] The band signed toNeutral Records, then toHomestead Records, and then toSST Records.[23]
Moore and Ranaldo make extensive use of unusual guitar tunings, often heavily modifying their instruments to provide unusual timbres and drones. They are known for bringing upwards of fifty guitars to every gig, using some guitars for one song only.[13] In 2004,Rolling Stone ranked Moore and Ranaldo the 33rd and 34thGreatest Guitarists of All Time.
Thurston Moore has explained the band's decision to sign withDGC Records at a time when many were fiercely dedicated toindependent record labels likeSST,Dischord andSub Pop:[24]
We noticedHüsker Dü's music hadn't changed when they signed to Warner. On the independent labels we dealt with, SST Records,Blast First Records andNeutral Records, if there was accounting, it was always somewhat suspect. With Geffen, we would get an advance that would allow us to be able to pay our rents, get health insurance, have a slightly better lifestyle, and maybe, just maybe, not have to work day jobs. We felt like we could negotiate a contract that would make sense.
WhenSteve Albini accused corporate labels of ripping off artists, Moore wrote in response that a band "getting butt fucked by corporate labels [must] be reallystupid". He defended the band's decision to sign with DGC Records explaining that they knew what they were getting into and viewed it more as "buying in" than "selling out".[24]
In 2011, Moore and his wife, Sonic Youth bassistKim Gordon, separated; shortly afterward, Sonic Youth went on indefinite hiatus.[25] Though his marriage was ending Moore never claimed that Sonic Youth was finished.[26]
In addition to his work with Sonic Youth, Moore has also released albums as a solo artist. He and Gordon released a few songs as Mirror/Dash. Moore establishedProtest Records as an online gesture of activism but the project has since lapsed. Moore has collaborated with scores of musicians, includingMaryanne Amacher,Lydia Lunch,[27]: 30–34 Don Dietrich and Jim Sauter ofBorbetomagus,[27]: 35–41 DJ Spooky,William Hooker,Daniel Carter,Christian Marclay,[27]: 113–115 Mike Watt,Loren Mazzacane Connors,[27]: 70–73 Dredd Foole,[27]: 134–135 William Winant,the Thing,Nels Cline,Cock E.S.P.,John Moloney,Glenn Branca,[27]: 19–23 Yamantaka Eye,Beck,[27]: 116 My Cat is an Alien,[27]: 139–140 John Russell, Steve Noble, John Edwards,Haino Keiji,John Zorn,Yoko Ono,Takehisa Kosugi, and others. Moore was a member of the earliest incarnations ofSwans in 1982 and '83, playing bass guitar.[28][29]
In the early 1990s, Moore formed the side bandDim Stars, withRichard Hell,Don Fleming,Steve Shelley with a guest appearance byRobert Quine. Moore performed solo on the side stage of the 1993Lollapalooza tour. Additionally, Moore contributed backing vocals to "Crush with Eyeliner", which appeared onR.E.M.'sMonster. He played Fred Cracklin in theSpace Ghost Coast to Coast episode dedicated toSonny Sharrock. In 2000 he contributed improvised guitar pieces for a collaborative project with conceptual artist/guitarist Marco Fusinato.[30] Since 2004, he has recorded and performed with the noise collectiveTo Live and Shave in L.A., the lineup of which also featuresAndrew W.K. He recorded with the band at Sonic Youth's former studio inManhattan, and later performed with them at theGeorge W. Bush "anti-inaugural" Noise Against Fascism concert in Washington, D.C., which Moore curated, named in reference to Sonic Youth's 1992 song "Youth Against Fascism". Moore curated the "Nightmare Before Christmas" weekend of theAll Tomorrow's Parties music festival in 2006.[31]
In 2007, Moore's label Ecstatic Peace released a solo album titledTrees Outside the Academy. The album was recorded atJ Mascis' studio inAmherst, Massachusetts. The album features Sonic Youth drummerSteve Shelley and violinistSamara Lubelski. The album also features collaborations between Mascis andCharalambides' Christina Carter, who performs a duet with Moore on the track, "Honest James".[32]
In 2008, Moore and formerBe Your Own Pet vocalistJemina Pearl recorded a cover of theRamones song "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" for theGossip Girl episode "There Might Be Blood".
Since 2008, Moore has provided narration for a variety of documentaries on theNational Geographic Channel. His work includesInside: Straight Edge and theHard Time series about life in prison.
In 2012, Moore and Kim Gordon released a collaborative album withYoko Ono titledYokokimthurston.[33] Also that year, Moore joined theblack metal super groupTwilight.[34] He then started a new band calledChelsea Light Moving. Their first track, "Burroughs", was released as a free download.[9] Theireponymous debut album came out in 2013. The release coincided with the SXSW Festival where they made numerous appearances including a free show at Mellow Johnny's bike shop. He played guitar on "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" alongsideRon andRussell Mael in a 2013Sparks concert at theUnion Chapel, Islington, London. In 2014, Moore releasedThe Best Day, a solo album featuringSteve Shelley andMy Bloody Valentine'sDebbie Googe as rhythm section, andJames Sedwards on guitar.[6][35]
In 2018, Moore presented at London'sBarbican Centre his work 'Galaxies', an experimental 12-string guitar ensemble. Among the twelve person orchestra were Deb Googe,Jonah Falco,Ray Aggs, Joseph Coward and others. In 2019, Moore releasedSpirit Counsel, an avant-garde rock three-disc box set.[36][37] The first track, "Alice Moki Jayne", is a 63-minute long song named for the spouses ofJohn Coltrane,Don Cherry, andOrnette Coleman.[37] The 28-minute "8 Spring Street" is named for the former address ofGlenn Branca.[37] The 55-minute final track, "Galaxies (Sky)", was inspired by a poem bySun Ra.[37]
In 2020, Moore released a solo album entitledBy the Fire which featured guitarist James Sedwards and bassist Debbie Googe as on the earlierThe Best Days album.[38] In 2021, Moore surprise-released an instrumental album entitledScreen Time.[39]
Moore is an executive producer of the industrial metal opera "Black Lodge" byDavid T. Little andAnne Waldman featuring Timur and the Dime Museum, in 2023 onCantaloupe Music.[40]
His most recent album,Flow Critical Lucidity, was released on September 20, 2024.[41]
In 1994, Moore teamed up with Greg Dulli ofthe Afghan Whigs,Don Fleming of Gumball,Mike Mills ofR.E.M., andDave Grohl ofNirvana/Foo Fighters, to form the Backbeat Band, which recorded the soundtrack album to the movieBackbeat. In 1998, Moore played on the soundtrack of the filmVelvet Goldmine as a member ofWylde Ratttz. Moore composed original music for such films asHeavy (1995),Bully (2001), andManic (2001). In 2007, Moore also appeared with noise/improv group Original Silence, featuring Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, guitarist Terrie Ex, Jim O'Rourke, saxophonistMats Gustafsson and bassist Massimo Pupillo. The group released the live albumThe First Original Silence in 2007, on Oslo (Norway) label SmallTown Superjazz, and a second albumThe Second Original Silence in 2008.[42]
Moore scored the 2022 HBO miniseriesIrma Vep.[43]
Moore runs the record labelEcstatic Peace! Beginning in 1993, this label jointly released records with rock criticByron Coley's label,Father Yod, as Ecstatic Yod Records.
Moore and other Sonic Youth members published the irreverent music zine calledSonic Death. Moore reviewed new music inArthur in a column entitled "Bull Tongue" written jointly withByron Coley. Since the demise ofArthur,Bull Tongue exists as a fanzine edited by Coley and features underground music writing. Moore created, with Chris Habib, the website Protest Records, named for its protest against United States' invasions in the Middle East.
Moore was the editor/overseer of the 2005 bookMix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture. He published a highly influential list of collectible free jazz records in Grand Royal magazine.[44]
Ecstatic Peace Library is the book publishing company founded by Thurston Moore and visual book editor Eva Prinz in 2010.[45] The company publishes mainly poetry, but also a collection of books about theearly Norwegian black metal scene,experimental jazz from the 70s and other niche subjects.
In the fall of 2023, a hardcover memoir written by Moore calledSonic Life: A Memoir was published byDoubleday.[46]
In 2015 Moore was appointed honorary professor at theRhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC) inCopenhagen, Denmark, where he periodically conducts workshops and master classes.[47]
Moore isanti-capitalist,[48] and since the 1980s, Moore and his bandmates have been described asanarchists,[49] a label Moore has denied.[50] However, in 2013, he would commend theOccupy Wall Street protests by announcing his support for itsanarcho-communist elements.[51]
Since the founding of Sonic Youth, Moore and members of the band have been famously critical of the music industry[52] and what he calls the monopolization of youth culture, with Moore stating in 1991 during filming ofThe Year Punk Broke,
People see rock and roll as youth culture, and when youth culture becomes monopolized bybig business, what are the youth to do? I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture ...
Since 2004, Moore has participated in acultural boycott of Israel, likening thecountry to an apartheid state[53] and criticizing bands likeDinosaur Jr. andRadiohead[54] for performing in the country.
In June 2016, Moore endorsed the candidacy ofBernie Sanders, releasing a track featuring excerpts from Sanders' speeches to coincide along his endorsement.[55]
In November 2019, along with other public figures, Moore signed a letter supportingLabour Party leaderJeremy Corbyn describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergentfar-rightnationalism,xenophobia andracism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him in the2019 UK general election.[56]
In October 2022, Moore expressed support for former presidentLula in the2022 Brazilian general election.[57]
On June 9, 1984, Moore married Sonic Youth bassist/vocalistKim Gordon. They have a daughter: Coco Hayley Moore (b. July 1, 1994), a fashion model. On October 14, 2011, the couple announced that they were separating[25] due to an extramarital affair Moore engaged in with art book editor Eva Prinz, who was also married at the time.[58] Moore and Gordon divorced in 2013. As of 2017,[update] Moore was residing inStoke Newington,London, with Prinz.[59][60] Moore and Prinz were married in late 2020.[61]
Moore released his memoirs,Sonic Life: A Memoir, in October 2023.[62]
Moore uses a large selection ofFender guitars during Sonic Youth gigs, most frequently aJazzmaster. His primary stage amp has been thePeavey Roadmaster paired with aMarshall cabinet. He has used theProCo Rat,Big Muff, andMXR Blue Box pedals in various combinations to achieve his uniquedistorted andfeedback-laden guitar sound.[63]
Moore is a key figure in the popularization and resurrection of theFender Jazzmaster. In 2009,Fender introduced a Lee Ranaldo signature edition of a Sapphire Blue Transparent version featuring twoFender Wide Rangehumbucking pickups and a Forest Green transparent finish for Moore, equipped with a pair ofSeymour Duncan Antiquity II Jazzmastersingle-coil pickups.[64]
In 2016,Yuri Landman made a special 10-string drone guitar for Moore at the request ofPremier Guitar.[65]
_(Vol._I).jpg)
Selected studio albums
Sonic Youth / Ciccone Youth
Mirror/Dash
Male Slut
Foot
Dapper
Diskaholics Anonymous Trio
The Bark Haze
Northampton Wools
Original Silence
Caught on Tape
Other groups
| Studio albums | |
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| Extended plays | |
| Live albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Other albums | |
| SYR series | |
| Singles |
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| Video albums | |
| Books | |
| Side projects | |
| Related articles | |
