August 12-18, 2004

musicpicks

Sonic Youth

Photo By: Taylor Croth

ROCK/POP

Listening to Confusion Is Sex back in the day, who would have predicted Sonic Youth would be relevant, let alone productive elders, 20 years later? With a steady stream of sonic love — 19 albums and counting — they've become a little too reliable for their own good. So which Sonic Youth comes to us now? Evol's whispery lovers? Dirty's pop tunesmiths? Silver Sessions' white noisemakers? Their latest, Sonic Nurse (DGC), has all of that. While "Paper Cup Exit," Lee Ranaldo's sole turn at the mic, falls short of his standards, Thurston Moore is always good for a few packed jams; "Stones" and "Dripping Dream" do nicely. But the biggest treat is Kim Gordon, reining herself in after sowing a few too many screaming fields over the past years. She's back to her Dirty tricks on "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream," then channeling Nico on "Dude Ranch Nurse." When they take it to the stage, there'll be plenty of bliss from the band and a bit of misguided machismo from the boys in the pit. Count on it.

Tue., Aug. 17, 8 p.m., with Fursaxa, Bardo Pond and Magic Marker, $18.75, Electric Factory, Seventh and Willow sts., 215-336-3300.

—M.J. Fine