Sonic Youth: celebrity DIY

Abstract

In New York City's early '80s music scene and beyond, the band Sonic Youth represents a special case of the celebrity’s concept. It cannot be reduced to the record sales or scandals, like other famous people. They don’t have the typical self-destructive streak of the stars of the show business, which is the basis of the fortune and, at the same time, the defeat of other musicians. They don’t even have the cult of personality, which has destabilized other crews of the time. However Sonic Youth, during their three decades of career, have been able to find a space in the music scene, to involve a broad segment of audience and lovers; becoming a kind of model for younger generations of musicians. Furthermore, the members of Sonic Youth can be considered such as influencers ahead of his time, thanks to their ability to find new talents. The present study aims to analyze the concept of celebrity applied to the Sonic Youth language, from 1981 (starting year) to 1994, the year of Experimental Jet Set, Trash No Star album, which brings the group to that DIY (Do-It-Yourself) punk ethics that denotes them from the beginning; to plot the New York’s environment in which they fit; and how the entry into the mainstream world changes the aesthetics of the group. In other words, the research is a breakthrough of the band's long career, marking the highlights that made them the Sonic Youth.