Library Group
Sonic Youth
New York noise-rock group, formed 1981, whose lineup included Jim O'Rourke from 1999 to 2005.
Formed in New York City in 1981 out of the No Wave scene by Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, and Lee Ranaldo, Sonic Youth built a body of work around unorthodox guitar tunings and preparations that reshaped what rock guitar could do, drawing on the overwhelming volume and noise of fellow New Yorkers Borbetomagus and influencing alternative and indie rock through the 1980s–2000s. Jim O’Rourke first appeared on the group’s improvisational SYR3 (1998) before becoming an official member from 1999 to 2005, playing bass, guitar, and keyboards and producing NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2000) and Murray Street (2002). The band disbanded in 2011.