Last summer, we posted details and a trailer to a new documentary about legendary Beat writer William S. Burroughs, which features interviews with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, Laurie Anderson, the great Genesis P-Orridge, directors John Waters, Gus Van Sant, and David Cronenberg (of course), Jello Biafra, Patti Smith, and Stooge Iggy Pop. While a theatrical release date for William S. Burroughs: A Man Within was still in question at the time as festival screenings were still on the horizon, indieWIRE reports today that the doc will hit theaters, DVD, and television within the year.

Distributed by Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch’s film company, Oscilloscope, the documentary will also be offered at digital retail outlets this fall. What’s more, PBS will air the film within their “Independent Lens” series.

I, for one, can’t wait to see this film. Did I mention that Sonic Youth and Patti Smith provide the soundtrack while the guy who played RoboCop (Peter Weller) narrates? ‘Tis true. Check out the trailer (complete with a wonderful Iggy Pop freakout) below:

Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha has been protesting immigration issues in Arizona since long before the state’s government passed its über-controversial SB 1070 immigration law, but now he has a few famous friends along for the ride. Citing the infamous mid-1950s Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott inspired by Rosa Parks during the civil rights movement, the rock singer/activist has recruited 19 other well-known musical acts (plus Michael Moore) for a boycott of the state, aptly dubbed the Sound Strike. In a statement to the press (via Pitchfork), Sound Strike laid out the importance of their cause:

Polish writer/director/designer Dawid Marcinkowski’s homage to Jean-Luc Godard 1965 classic Alphaville, cult film The Saragossa Manuscript (also from ‘65), and French novelist/musician Vernon Sullivan (aka Boris Vian) is quite a treat for fans of experimental film and music alike. Titled Sufferrosa, the über-cryptic online film has 3 alternate endings, was filmed in 20 different locations, consists of 110 scenes, and features a soundtrack by Sonic Youth, Memory Tapes, Lee Ranaldo’s Text of Light, Tarwater, Stereo Total, Exploding Star Orchestra, Glass Candy, and many more.

Pretty intense, right? Get this: Sufferrosa is also non-linear and some aspects of the plot “depend entirely on the viewer’s choice.” What’s more, said interactive plot involves the imprisonment of a private detective on a tropical island by Professor Carlos von Braun, “a scientist who is engaged in the process rejuwenalisation - a rejuvenation for women.”

When he isn’t composing French film soundtracks, covering Burt Bacharach with Jim O’Rourke, or performing noise music with children, Thurston Moore has been known to dust off the ol’ acoustic 12-string for a few decidedly non-art-rock love songs. Dig For Fire and Other Music hosted a so-called Lawn Party at Austin’s SXSW this year in which Moore performed “a song [he] wrote for a girlfriend” called “Friend,” “You Lost Your Lover,” and other songs from a forthcoming solo album tentatively set for release this fall.

Fortunately for those unable to attend this year’s festivities, Babelgum is streaming beautifully recorded, professionally shot footage from the event, which includes a brief chat with Moore, as well as his performance of the aforementioned new tunes. Each of the two videos below include a separate segment in which Califone and Anni Rossi perform, as well.

Check out Thurston’s solo songs below and head over here for a host of videos from the event, including performances by the XX, Dum Dum Girls, Memory Tapes, Holly Miranda, Toro Y Moi, Sharon Van Etten, and many more:

As we mentioned he would last fall, Thurston Moore has now launched his own publishing company, Ecstatic Peace Library, and it looks like the Sonic Youth guitarist has hit the ground running. Now available on their official site are releases from Kim Gordon, Moore himself, James Hamilton, director Dave Markey, poet Charles Plymell (with forward by Mike Watt), and, Mirror/Dash Ono member, Yoko Ono.

Though all of these releases are notable in a number of ways, Ono’s limited-edition book, Fly Me, is perhaps the most unusual. From the description:

Fly Me is a handbound book that unfolds to become a kite, featuring seven pages of individual messages or instructions composed by Ono. These messages are designed to be read by all, in the sky on a windy day. You simply unfold the page you wish to fly and attach the paper to the bamboo frame included to construct a massive (30 × 36 inch) diamond-shaped kite.

(Artists are taking to the skies lately, no?) Ono’s airborne advice ranges from “Imagine Peace,” of course, to “FLY” (duh), and “kiss.” Check out more limited Ecstatic Peace Library releases here.

As we mentioned just before the holidays last year, Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo revealed to BBC 6Music that the band’s agenda this year includes a live DVD, a “soundtrack for a French teen film,” and prep work for their 17th album. The quote sparked rampant speculation, of course, as to what film Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, and Mark Ibold were recording new music for (a Michel Gondry flick?), until today…

At the tail end of last week, the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival lineup was announced, and though the words “Sonic Youth” were nowhere to be found therein, a cursory bit of sleuthing brings us this: Sonic Youth have written and recorded the soundtrack to Simon Werner a Disparu, director Fabrice Gobert’s new film about a teen murder mystery outside of Paris.

The stage of L.A.’s famous Hollywood Bowl has been graced by a host of classic bands over the past century, including the Beatles, the Doors, Pink Floyd, and many more, but the lineup for a triple bill on September 30 will firmly add a few indie rock giants to the famous venue’s canon. The Daily Swarm reports that the newly-reunited Pavement, No Age, and Sonic Youth will share the Bowl for that fateful night this fall.

Good news for roadies: though you’ll need to break down each band’s equipment between sets, Mark Ibold’s bass rig can remain in place for both of his current bands, Pavement AND Sonic Youth.

The singer of our favorite Burt Bacharach tribute band gave a “Dissertation on White Noise” for kids between ages 8 and 12 at Partners & Spade’s so-called Avant Garde Preschool last weekend, and though we’re not sure what Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore covered in the lecture, we do have a glimpse of his noise jam session with a few pupils.

Watch as Thurston and Bill Nace (Northampton Wools) guide children on the art of twiddling effects pedal knobs while hitting a distorted electric guitar with a stick and messing with the whammy bar below: