How Sonic Youth’s “Bad Moon Rising” Captured the Dark Side of America
Before they became the patron saints of noise rock, before the major labels and festival headlining slots, Sonic Youth were a band lurking in the dark corners of the New York underground. And in 1985, they released Bad Moon Rising, an album that captured both the decay of America and the restless experimentation of a band on the verge of something bigger. This is the story of that album and how it still resonates more than 40 years later.
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✓ The Censorship of Sonic Youth’s Sister: https://youtu.be/Vf6W0XSv-gk
✓ On Thurston Moore’s Memoir Sonic Life: https://youtu.be/0uUF8ZanaxY
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 On the Verge of Something Bigger
1:02 Sonic Youth Beyond No Wave
2:24 A Different Kind of Apocalypse
5:20 A Look Inside Bad Moon Rising
8:04 The Warped Legacy of Bad Moon Rising
CLIP CREDITS:
How Bad Reagan Was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXrXtW89c9A
Sonic Youth Gila Monster Jamboree – January 5th, 1985 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQLl9URnfm0
Sonic Youth with Lydia Lunch – Death Valley ’69 https://youtu.be/y2Gf0MmRz9g?si=3n2QtTELTdHl1LJ7
Sonic youth 120 minutes (X-Ray) Sept 28, 1986 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux1wRsaI8jQ
Judith Barry Head in Box Video https://youtu.be/tC9p-DTYTm4?si=B6U-Cm8nwtKoNjbv
Richard Kern You Killed me first Death Trip films 1985 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYAwf83VjAI
Kim Gordon (Interview on WNYU 1986) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA6jWxkoh74
#sonicyouth #badmoonrising #thurstonmoore #kimgordon #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #vinylcollection #andyfenstermaker #vinylchannel #poeticwax #musicessay #musicstory #albumstory #musichistory #albumhistory #musicdocumentary
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@AndyFenstermaker
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
Next, find out the story behind the censorship of Sonic Youth's "Sister" https://youtu.be/Vf6W0XSv-gk
@Choops6969
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
awesome video.
@mightyturkeyneck1349
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
"Bad Moon Rising" is the Sonic Youth companion piece to Springsteen's "Nebraska".
@e_rock9342
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
Wrong photo for Bob Bert lol
@jfdblues
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
So weird how my favorite music of my teen years is now the "classic " music of today. My dad's record collection was pretty radical and I love all the "classic rock" of the 60's and 70's. Now the stuff we used to think was so far out that we listened to is the classic stuff of my youth lol. Bad moon rising is still way ahead of it's time. Sonic youth is sort of like the velvet underground of the 80's in a way
@markferguson3745
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
Hard to grasp now, but back in Kurt Cobain's day, most Alt music was very regional.There was NY, Boston,D.C., Athens, Cleveland, LA , and the Pacific NW for a few decades pre internet/ social media.Generally speaking, they were pretty different scenes.
A lot of younger people tripped when Reagan was elected, just like Trump, only without today's absurd political division.The Left of 2025 is so far Left, – it's actually totalitarian.
@nikoskukoc
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
❤❤❤❤❤❤
@DragosBlackmilk
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
someone had to say it about this record. it's always been one of their best – glad to see it getting some appreciation
@crayoniii
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
Some albums I listen to at very specific instances. Bad Moon Rising is for late October, when few leaves are still on the trees and decay is settling in. The days are short, the nights long, and the sky always cloudy. I want to hibernate and let the beautifully noisy drone induce a fever dream. God I love Sonic Youth.
@DrDude-jl2jm
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
Sonic youth is so cool. It’s sad how they can scare a lot of folks away because their music isn’t the most accessible. I even thought it was a lot when I started with daydream nation but I quickly fell in love with them. I’ve always thought this record was underrated. Thanks for talking about it.
@SkinnyEatWorld95
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
Ahhh yes, Sonic Youth, the band that I have always tried to get into and somehow never can😅
They have a cool history though.
@madbun1312
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 am
no. that tash. fucking no. unsubbed and never coming back
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