Sonic Youth announce dates performing the Daydream Nation album live in the US this summer. The first US date is at the Pitchfork Music Festival on July 13, with shows on July 19 at the Berkely Community Theater in Berkely, CA and July 20 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles to follow. Ticket info at the tour page. Also keep an eye out for the 'Daydream Nation' Deluxe Edition 2xCD/4xLP in 2007.

New York’s most influential avant-garde rock band Sonic Youth announced today that they will begin their summer tour with a show at the legendary New York City club CBGBs on June 13th. Sonic Youth spent much of the 80s performing at CBGBs and last played there in 1992. 25 years later the band returns to the site where it all began in support of their new Geffen Records CD Rather Ripped which will be released on June 13th.

Sonic Youth will continue their summer tour with various headlining dates, a stop at the Bonnaroo Arts & Music festival in Tennessee, west coast dates with Pearl Jam, Lollapalooza in Chicago, and will announce more late summer dates shortly. Joining the band on the road will be their touring bass player, Mark Ibold from Pavement.

Rather Ripped was recorded in the waning hours of 2005 into the dawn sunshine of 2006 at the venerable sear Sound studios in New York City. Partially mixed there and at Hoboken, NJ’s Water Music by John Agnello it exhibits Sonic Youth in positive vibration mode. Twelve songs of forward motion and harmonic /melodic surprise. Rather Ripped also see the band return to their nucleus formation of Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley.

Earlier this year saw the reissue of three of the most daring, innovative and compelling soundvisions in modern music--Sonic Youth’s landmark 1982 debut album, its legendary twisted pop opus under the pseudonym Ciccone Youth and band member Thurston Moore’s sole solo album.All remastered, Sonic Youth,. The Whitey Album and Moore’s Psychic Hearts were reissued by Geffen/UMe March 14, 2006

Sonic Youth's breakthrough 1988 album, Daydream Nation, will be one of 50 recordings added to the Library Of Congress' National Recording Registry. This registry, which adds 50 recordings deemed worthy of preservation each year, looks for songs, speeches and other recordings that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." Recordings have to be at least 10 years old to be nominated, and can be nominated by anyone to be reviewed by the Registry's board. Daydream Nation was inducted this year along with Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day."

We're happy to announce that Sonic Youth has been invited to play Arthur Magazine's ArthurFest at Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles. The festival will be held September 4-5 and Sonic Youth will be joined by Sleater-Kinney, The Black Keys, Cat Power, Olivia Tremor Control, and many others. Head over to Arthur Magazine for more info and stay tuned to the tours page for more SY dates!