From the beginning, Sonic Youth was disparaged as art-damaged by the hordes of willfully artless punks, and no doubt the guitarist's residence in the nation's experimental music capital (New York City) lent him an insider's view of up-to-the-minute developments in "sculpted noise" as an art form. So the germ was always there. I guess Moore has long known that one man's jazz is another's noise. And since he's always held earth-quaking volume and brutal tonality in the highest regard, it makes sense that given his relative security as a major-label pop star, he can now embrace pure sonic blasts with artful abandon.
Among heady company in his latest trio with raucous yet refined percussionists Tom Surgal and William Winant, the high-decibel torrent runs deep. But it's tempered with an invaluable grasp of group dynamics. Rockers and improv fiends will find much common ground.
-- Sam Prestianni
Thurston Moore, Tom Surgal, and William Winant appear on Thursday, Dec. 26, at 9 p.m. at Slim's, 333 11th St. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door; call 522-0333.
