Kim Gordon’s favourite guitar tunes
New York has always been a breeding ground for cool guitar music. The Velvet Underground spawned from the city in the early 1960s, pairing avant-garde twangs with Lou Reed’s unrestricted lyricism. In the 1970s, the city gave us enduring icons like the Ramones, Television, the New York Dolls, Talking Heads, the list goes on. And by the dawn of the 1980s, Kim Gordon was ready to join them.
Taking up the bass guitar and occasional vocals for Sonic Youth, Gordon began forging her place in a long line of guitar-wielding luminaries from the Big Apple. She forged now-iconic basslines for some of the noise rockers’ biggest hits, such as the droning ‘Kool Thing’ and the catchy ‘Sugar Kane’, all while becoming one of the leading figures in feminist punk.
As she straddled bass duties, vocal parts, and more visual mediums of art, infusing each endeavour with a real zest for creativity and experimentation, she became the blueprint. Even now, as she continues to make waves with her innovative solo work, she remains a figure that budding bassists and guitar bands look to as a reference point.
You might also look to Gordon, then, for recommendations within that sphere. Luckily for Sonic Youth enthusiasts, she’s more than willing to divulge them. During an appearance on BBC 6 Music, the Sonic Youth singer shared a list of some of her favourite songs. It was an expectedly eclectic mix, ranging from hyperpop icon Charli XCX to jazz greats like Alice Coltrane, but it was dominated by artists from within her own scene.
Gordon littered the playlist with huge names from the indie and alternative rock scene. She gave a shout-out to Irish shoegazers My Bloody Valentine, including ‘when you sleep’ from their seminal 1991 record Loveless on the list. She also featured fellow New York dwellers Television, Mancunian post-punk staples The Fall and punk and poet PJ Harvey.
Mazzy Star’s iconic ‘Fade Into You’ also makes an appearance. Since its initial release on So Tonight That I Might See in the early 1990s, the song has become an essential track in the dream-pop genre. Between Hope Sandoval’s airy vocals and the gentle, swaying tambourines that punctuate them, it’s easy to see why.
But not all of Gordon’s picks are from mammoth icons of the scene. She also brings in some slightly lesser-known picks, including a fuzzy, minimal take on Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ by Swedish singer Stina Nordenstam. With gently stirring strings and darker plucks, the cover seems like an amalgamation of Gordon’s sonic interests.
‘Le goudron’ by Brigitte Fontaine is another more intriguing pick. Bending twangs underscore her gorgeous French words in a fairly simple yet stunning track. Between the more well-known names, Gordon sprinkles in some hidden gems which will make the perfect addition to your indie music playlists.
A list spanning her New York City predecessors, dream-pop and shoegaze icons, and some lesser-known picks that show off her depth of knowledge in the genre, Gordon has collated the perfect playlist of indie rock tracks. It’s essential listening for fans of Sonic Youth or of Gordon. Find the full list below.
Kim Gordon’s favourite indie songs
- The Fall – ‘Gut Of The Quantifier’
- The Stooges – ‘Ann’
- DNA – ‘Blonde Redhead’
- J Mascis – ‘See You At The Movies’
- Heron Oblivion – ‘Your Hollows’
- PJ Harvey – ‘Shame’
- Gold Dime – ‘Hindsight’
- Television – ‘Venus’
- Talk Normal – ‘In a Strangeland’
- Brigitte Fontaine – ‘Le goudron’
- Stina Nordenstam – ‘Purple Rain’
- Aimee Mann – ‘Save Me’
- Nico – ‘It Was A Pleasure Then’
- My Bloody Valentine – ‘when you sleep’
- Mazzy Star – ‘Fade Into You’
