Two interesting updates from Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore arrived this evening, the first being a new title for his forthcoming Beck-produced solo LP, and the latter: Moore’s clarification of the response he offered in an interview with a Spanish newspaper to Steve Albini’s latest rant.
As previously reported, Beck produced Moore’s next solo album, which features collaborations with harpist Mary Lattimore and violinist Samara Lubelski. We now know, however, that the LP no longer dons the divine-aspiring title of Benediction, as it was revealed today that Demolished Thoughts will reach our ears later this year via Matador Records.
On Tuesday, we mentioned part of a Q&A with El País in which Moore commented on engineer/musician/outspoken “sellout” theorist Steve Albini’s recently stated opinion that Sonic Youth “should be embarrassed about” signing to a major label and “becom[ing] a foot soldier for that culture’s encroachment.” While the article published a quote reading, “Steve has opinions based on a myopic point of view which of course does not extend to the manufacturers of his pants,” Moore himself contacted us today, noting an important (given their Albini feud history) misquote: “I said panties not pants. Lost in translation, Thurston Moore.”
We confirmed with Sonic Youth’s management tonight that Thurston sent us the note, so there you have it. Turns out that he was recalling Albini’s 1989 Rapeman song “Kim Gordon’s Panties,” which followed a wonderfully odd prank back in the ’80s.
On that note, let’s enjoy part of Gordon’s priceless reaction to being asked about the song in the aforelinked article:
Lisa Carver: You really never listened to the song? You aren’t interested to know what he thinks of your panties?
Kim Gordon: He mixes the lyrics so low, what’s the point?
(Photo by Jimmy Fontaine)