LogFAQs > #955604682

158. Sonic Youth Teen Age Riot (1988)
from the album Daydream Nation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvDuATZCY8I

Key lyrics:
It takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right now

Teen Age Riot exists in a weird space, the definitive track from a band who otherwise sound nothing like this. At the same time, its not exactly a typical alternative rock anthem thanks to its length and odd structure. The song begins with a hazy, sing-song intro, Kim Gordon throwing out vague yet demanding phrases. This stops after eighty seconds, only for a different sound to break through the silence. This second section carries the rest of the track the intro almost exists as a distinct entity, but the burst away from that section helps generate the sense of velocity that makes this so enticing.

What makes Teen Age Riot so distinctive is the sense of noise rock underpinning everything. This song is outright sunny in its presentation, but the frenetic energy comes straight out of a harder genre. Its as if Sonic Youth wrote one of their typically chaotic pieces and then redesigned it as a summer anthem. Most metal acts would never dare sound this cheery, while punk acts penning similar songs largely lack the technical drive to make something so complex. Sonic Youth redesigned their style for Teen Age Riot, showing even the most niche genre could be made accessible. As the intro track to one of the strongest and noisiest albums of the 1980s, Teen Age Riot was a perfect invitation welcoming, but just complex enough to prepare an unassuming audience.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/