Sacred Trickster

Album: The Eternal (2009)
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Songfacts®:

  • This was the opening track of the New York alternative rock band Sonic Youth's 16th studio album. It was their first release for three years, marking the longest period in between studio albums to date by the band. It was also their first record since Pavement bassist Mark Ibold joined the band.
  • The band explained in publicity materials that on this hardcore track, Kim Gordon sings, "salutes to French painter Yves Klein and Western Massachusetts noise artist Noise Nomads."
  • The Eternal debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200 survey, giving Sonic Youth their best ever album chart position. Their previous highest peak had been the #34 slot that Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star reached in 1994.
  • The music video seems to be a homage to the 1966 film The Battle of Algiers, which was based on the Algerian war. One scene depicted three FLN women disguising themselves in French fashion in order to plant bombs disguised as purses in the French colonial sector of Algiers. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Julian - Kahnawake, QC

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