
Sonic Life
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Thurston Moore
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By:
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Thurston Moore
About this listen
From the founding member of Sonic Youth, a passionate memoir tracing the author's life and art—from his teen years as a music obsessive in small-town Connecticut, to the formation of his legendary rock group, to thirty years of creation, experimentation, and wonder
"Downtown scientists rejoice! For Thurston Moore has unearthed the missing links, the sacred texts, the forgotten stories, and the secret maps of the lost golden age. This is history—scuffed, slightly bent, plenty noisy, and indispensable."—Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and Harlem Shuffle
Thurston Moore moved to Manhattan’s East Village in 1978 with a yearning for music. He wanted to be immersed in downtown New York’s sights and sounds—the feral energy of its nightclubs, the angular roar of its bands, the magnetic personalities within its orbit. But more than anything, he wanted to make music—to create indelible sounds that would move, provoke, and inspire.
His dream came to life in 1981 with the formation of Sonic Youth, a band Moore cofounded with Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo. Sonic Youth became a fixture in New York’s burgeoning No Wave scene—an avant-garde collision of art and sound, poetry and punk. The band would evolve from critical darlings to commercial heavyweights, headlining festivals around the globe while helping introduce listeners to such artists as Nirvana, Hole, and Pavement, and playing alongside such icons as Neil Young and Iggy Pop. Through it all, Moore maintained an unwavering love of music: the new, the unheralded, the challenging, the irresistible.
In the spirit of Just Kids, Sonic Life offers a window into the trajectory of a celebrated artist and a tribute to an era of explosive creativity. It presents a firsthand account of New York in a defining cultural moment, a history of alternative rock as it was birthed and came to dominate airwaves, and a love letter to music, whatever the form. This is a story for anyone who has ever felt touched by sound—who knows the way the right song at the right moment can change the course of a life.
©2023 Thurston Moore (P)2023 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Fall by Vogue, The Chicago Tribune, and The Guardian
"Downtown scientists rejoice! For Thurston Moore has unearthed the missing links, the sacred texts, the forgotten stories, and the secret maps of the lost golden age. This is history—scuffed, slightly bent, plenty noisy, and indispensable." —Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Underground Railroad and Harlem Shuffle
"I thoroughly enjoyed Thurston Moore's trip down the gauntlet of memory lane, dodging beer bottles and pools of blood as he balances the demands of art and survival. Plus I'm a sucker for anyone who name-checks Saccharine Trust. A raw, rollicking document." —Nell Zink, author of Avalon and Doxology
“Thurston Moore’s all-embracing memoir Sonic Life works the way Sonic Youth did, with raging appetite for experience, with velocity and nerve, with a total devotion to making art from the resolute stance of starry-eyed fan and unabashed permanent novice. His recall is as amazing as his generosity.” —Jonathan Lethem, National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author of Motherless Brooklyn
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A queer Latino punk rocker memoir
- By Armando on 02-18-25
By: Kid Congo Powers, and others
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It's So Easy
- And Other Lies
- By: Duff McKagan
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1984, at the age of 20, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle - partly to pursue music, but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then-decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide.
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This book just may save a life.
- By Katrina Hamilton on 10-16-16
By: Duff McKagan
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Heavier than Heaven
- A Biography of Kurt Cobain
- By: Charles R. Cross
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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When Kurt Cobain died by his own hand in April 1994, it was an act of will that typified his short, angry, inspired life. Veteran music journalist Charles R. Cross fuses his intimate knowledge of the Seattle music scene with his deep compassion for his subject in this extraordinary story of artistic brilliance and the pain that extinguished it.
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Great story - missing chapter 12
- By Mick on 02-15-07
By: Charles R. Cross
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Lou Reed
- The King of New York
- By: Will Hermes
- Narrated by: Will Hermes
- Length: 20 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Since his death ten years ago, Lou Reed’s living presence has only grown. The great rock-poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Reed’s life and legacy, dramatizing his long, brilliant, and contentious dialogue with fans, critics, fellow artists, and assorted habitués of the demimonde.
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Best Biography I’ve Ever Read
- By Sammy Criscitello on 11-21-24
By: Will Hermes
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The Name of This Band Is R.E.M.
- A Biography
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spring of 1980, an unexpected group of musical eccentrics came together to play their very first performance at a college party in Athens, Georgia. Within a few short years, they had taken over the world–with smash records like Out of Time, Automatic for the People, Monster and Green. Raw, outrageous, and expressive, R.E.M.’s distinctive musical flair was unmatched, and a string of mega-successes solidified them as generational spokesmen.
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Sometimes good guys win
- By Roger D. Plothow on 11-27-24
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Rebel Girl
- My Life as a Feminist Punk
- By: Kathleen Hanna
- Narrated by: Kathleen Hanna
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Kathleen Hanna’s band Bikini Kill embodied the punk scene of the 90s, and today her personal yet feminist lyrics on anthems like “Rebel Girl” and “Double Dare Ya” are more powerful than ever. But where did this transformative voice come from? In Rebel Girl, Hanna’s raw and insightful new memoir, she takes us from her tumultuous childhood to her formative college years and her first shows. As Hanna makes clear, being in a punk “girl band” in those years was not a simple or safe prospect.
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This book was so needed
- By Dana Landis on 07-06-24
By: Kathleen Hanna
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Corporate Rock Sucks
- The Rise and Fall of SST Records
- By: Jim Ruland
- Narrated by: Jim Ruland
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In Corporate Rock Sucks, music journalist Jim Ruland relays the unvarnished story of SST Records, from its remarkable rise in notoriety to its infamous downfall. With records by Black Flag, Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, and scores of obscure yet influential bands, SST was the most popular indie label by the mid-80s - until a tsunami of legal jeopardy, financial peril, and dysfunctional management brought the empire tumbling down. This investigative deep-dive leads listeners through SST’s tumultuous history.
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Warning: This book may lead to buying More stuff
- By Chris Lane on 05-11-22
By: Jim Ruland
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Mud Ride
- A Messy Trip Through the Grunge Explosion
- By: Steve Turner
- Narrated by: Lloyd Floyd, Steve Turner
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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In the late '80s and early '90s, Steve Turner and his friends—Seattle skate punks, hardcore kids, and assorted misfits—started forming bands in each other’s basements and accidentally created a unique sound that spread far beyond their once-sleepy city. Mud Ride offers an inside look at the tight-knit grunge scene, the musical influences and experiments that shaped the grunge sound, and the story of Turner's bands, Green River and Mudhoney.
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Great Story
- By Mr_GS on 07-06-23
By: Steve Turner
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Never Understood
- The Jesus and Mary Chain
- By: William Reid, Jim Reid
- Narrated by: William Reid, Jim Reid
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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William and Jim Reid, brothers and founding members of The Jesus and Mary Chain—a band that bridged the gap between the punk explosion and the emergence of grunge and Britpop—chronicle the chaos, confusion, and stories behind their music.
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A huge amount of complaining throughout the book. I love JAMC but, sheesh, there is a fair amount of "woe is me"
- By R. on 11-19-24
By: William Reid, and others
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Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
- A Memoir
- By: Carrie Brownstein
- Narrated by: Carrie Brownstein
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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From the guitarist of the pioneering band Sleater-Kinney, the book Kim Gordon says "everyone has been waiting for" and a New York Times Notable Book of 2015 - a candid, funny, and deeply personal look at making a life - and finding yourself - in music. Before Carrie Brownstein became a music icon, she was a young girl growing up in the Pacific Northwest just as it was becoming the setting for one the most important movements in rock history.
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fussy
- By Ex on 01-09-16
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Set the Boy Free
- The Autobiography
- By: Johnny Marr
- Narrated by: Johnny Marr
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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An artist who helped define a period in popular culture, Johnny Marr tells his story in a memoir as vivid and arresting as his music. The Smiths, the band with the signature sound he cofounded, remains one of the most beloved bands ever and have had a profound influence on a number of acts that followed - from the Stone Roses, Suede, Blur, and Radiohead to Oasis, The Libertines, and Arctic Monkeys.
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The best autobiography I've ever read!
- By Lulu P. on 01-24-17
By: Johnny Marr
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Goth
- A History
- By: Lol Tolhurst
- Narrated by: Lol Tolhurst, Budgie
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir, and a journey through Goth music and culture, exploring creative giants like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, and many more great bands that offered a place of refuge for the misfits of the ‘80s and ever since. Written by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, this book offers a riveting retrospective of the genre’s iconic movers and shakers, infused with stories from Tolhurst’s personal trove of memories.
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Lol’s life experiences and literary skills come together for this exquisite perspective on the subject
- By Marshall K. on 11-08-24
By: Lol Tolhurst
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Going Home
- A Novel
- By: Tom Lamont
- Narrated by: Jot Davies
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Going Home is a sparkling, funny, bighearted story of family and what happens when three men—all of whom are completely ill-suited for fatherhood—take charge of a toddler following an unexpected loss.
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Great Story
- By E G Neufeld on 03-12-25
By: Tom Lamont
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Face It
- A Memoir
- By: Debbie Harry
- Narrated by: Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Musician, actor, activist, and the iconic face of New York City cool, Debbie Harry is the front woman of Blondie, a band that forged a new sound that brought together the worlds of rock, punk, disco, reggae, and hip-hop to create some of the most beloved pop songs of all time. As a muse, she collaborated with some of the boldest artists of the past four decades. The scope of Debbie Harry’s impact on our culture has been matched only by her reticence to reveal her rich inner life - until now.
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Disappointed
- By Jessica Eastman on 12-23-19
By: Debbie Harry
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The Greatest Band That Ever Wasn't
- The Story of the Roughest, Toughest, Most Hell-Raising Band to Ever Come Out of the Pacific Northwest, the Screaming Trees
- By: Barrett Martin
- Narrated by: Barrett Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1992, the Screaming Trees were expected to become the next big band to come out of the Seattle music scene during the heyday of grunge. Except it never happened. It wasn't because the band didn't have great songs—indeed, the Trees were revered for their ability to write a great song that was both artistically original and commercially viable, which is no easy task. Other Seattle bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden were fans of the Screaming Trees, playing shows with them and collaborating on albums, long before their own bands broke through into the mainstream.
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Not Quite the Whole Story
- By Gorgatron on 09-18-24
By: Barrett Martin
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Sellout
- The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994–2007)
- By: Dan Ozzi
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Seasoned music writer Dan Ozzi chronicles this embattled era in punk. Focusing on eleven prominent bands who made the jump from indie to major, Sellout charts the twists and turns of the last “gold rush” of the music industry, where some groups “sold out” and rose to surprise super stardom, while others buckled under mounting pressures. Sellout is both a gripping history of the music industry’s evolution, and a punk rock lover’s guide to the chaotic darlings of the post-grunge era.
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A pedant’s note
- By Luke on 11-21-21
By: Dan Ozzi
What listeners say about Sonic Life
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- David Beale
- 11-09-23
I feel like I just lost my new best friend
After 18 hours of hearing one of my most admired idols in music and art waxing poetic about his life and practice, I feel like I just lost my new best friend. Equally a love letter to punk rock and NYC, two establishments close to my own heart, this is as much a memoir as it is a manifesto to living in the image of one’s art.
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- Alec Stieve
- 12-19-23
Very Informative and Interesting
As a Sonic Youth fan I really enjoyed it, but as a black metal fan it was disappointing that Thurston didn’t even acknowledge his time in the black metal supergroup Twilight in the early 2010s
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- Nicole
- 11-18-23
Overwhelmed with gratitude for this person
This artfully catalogued and written memoir is a masterclass in music history. An absolute must read. A reminder that being there are is kind of a super power. I hope he writes another book.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-27-23
Treasure trove memoir of lore from Punk’s Waldo
I am delighted by how nerdy this book is it’s genuinely charming the adoration and romance in Thurston’s writing. Reminds me a bit of his hero Patti Smiths humble poetic style in the excellent Just Kids memoir.
Better than this band is your life, not quite as good as please kill me this purely in regards to its status as a condensed punk history which are two great books that’s high praise. This is all from personal anecdotes not interviews or second hand accounts.
Which that I could see how the reverence can read annoying, but rules imo I’m a geek and love sonic youth. Reassuring to know one of my musical heroes is as obsessive and passionate as his fans still.
Thurston’s specificity is charming not annoying to me as a music geek and his monotone pretentious delivery I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just finished the whole book audiobook in like 2 days was a delight. Hari Krishna
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- Anonymous User
- 01-07-25
important 70’s/80's NYC scene history
Moore's autobiography functions more as history of the music and art scenes he was in than a typical autobiography. This makes for a fascinating listen for rock and roll dipshits like myself.
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- Joselo
- 12-11-23
Take out your notepads
Thurston Moore shares stories involving any number of musicians and bands that he's crossed paths with and is excited about, which range from household names to the obscure. I looked them all up and discovered some gems. If only for that, this audiobook is already worth its ticket price.
As an author, he is fluid and keeps things neat and simple. He doesn’t often write about complex emotions, which makes part of the book feel somewhat anecdotic, but engaging, nevertheless. He seems most enthusiastic about his introduction to punk rock at an early age. My favorite passages are those in which he describes the urban wasteland in New York during the late '70s, his own frailty reflected in the lost souls that wandered the streets and buildings.
Moore's celebration of the music world is gracious and sincere, with cameo appearances by several rock legends. He seems happy to belong to their circle. Sonic Youth, although not your typical celebrities, have earned their place among the greats and are revered by a niche audience (as their album title, "Experimental Jet Set and No Star," suggests, something I hadn't quite picked up on before).
I was a casual fan of the band during my own sonic youth, and still listen to their music, as well as Moore's solo work (which is some of his best). I went to a few of their concerts, including one in Barcelona, in which he claims to have felt disconnected from the audience. I was out of my mind that night and sat on the floor in the back of the room with a total stranger, also likely out of her mind, and remember being moved by the shared enjoyment of their raw, distorted sounds. I didn’t realize it then, but it may possibly be my tavorite moment at any rock concert. I've actually gained more respect for him and the band over time, and this book helped me better understand where he was coming from, which I'm thankful for.
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- Jeremy Williams
- 05-20-24
Sonic life forever!
The mental sonic toothpaste for your sonic tooth the sonic you booked we needed and deserved this covers. Everything highly recommended!
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- Sam Berger
- 03-19-24
Fantastic in every way!
Thurston takes you through possibly the most thorough, personal trip of new and alternative on the edge music scape of the last 40+ years better then anybody else has, ever. If you love music you need to read this.
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- Damian Konopka
- 11-30-23
Completely blown away again
Just like Sonic Youth did for my taste in music, Thurston double triple strums this epic book to life. His writing like his lyrics is ethereal. All the stories about famous bands and musicians and artists made this a hard book to even pause.
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- b. mccann
- 06-06-24
Sonic Book
This is the Sonic Youth book I’ve been waiting for! So much better than that “Girl In A Divorce” one, or whatever it was called. “Sonic Life” is actually about the band!
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