Q&A: Storm brewing over Starbucks disc surprises Moore

By Michael PaolettaFri Jun 29, 6:55 PM ET

In an interview published recently in Pitchfork, Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore mentioned that the band needed to record a new song for a Starbucks compilation. Within minutes of his remarks hitting the Internet, chat rooms and the band's fan sites were awash in cries of "foul" and "sellouts."

For many, the idea of the ultimate indie art band getting into bed with the ultimate mainstream lifestyle brand was pure blasphemy.

The compilation in question, "Hits Are for Squares," is a co-release by Starbucks Entertainment and Universal Special Markets. Scheduled for release early next year, it will be sold at select Starbucks locations in eight U.S. markets (including New York, Chicago and Seattle) as well as online at hearmusic.com.

In addition to one new, exclusive track, the limited-edition CD features Sonic Youth songs hand-picked by Chloe Sevigny, Dave Eggers, Michelle Williams and other Sonic Youth enthusiasts. Participants also will each write a few words, explaining their selections, for the liner notes.

To make sense of the Starbucks situation, Billboard caught up with Moore in Cologne, Germany, where Sonic Youth -- guitarist Lee Ranaldo, drummer Steve Shelley and bassist Kim Gordon (Moore's wife) -- was in the midst of a European tour.

Q: Are you surprised by the uproar your comments have caused in the blogosphere?

Moore: I never thought of it as being more radical than recording for Universal Music. They're both corporations that have ties to things that people find sort of problematic.

The compilation came out of the idea that I wanted "Rather Ripped" to be in Starbucks stores because that's where people were seeing CDs. They aren't going into record stores anymore. So, we approached Starbucks. But it was too late. You usually have to get that (process) going six months prior to the release. So we thought, "Let's make a record that would be very appealing to that situation."

Q: Why do you believe people are so up in arms about Sonic Youth aligning itself with Starbucks?

Moore: I guess, for some, Sonic Youth represents something that they don't really equate with Starbucks. But I kind of like the absurdity of it. Sonic Youth has always, in a way, made itself available to the super mainstream.

Q: How so?

Moore: We've always had access to the MTV culture and being there -- without selling the kinds of numbers or records that MTV bands sell. It's sort of interesting to go there and represent ourselves. Doing a release through Starbucks is similar.

Q: What are your expectations for this compilation?

Moore: In a way, Sonic Youth has a branded name. People know the name, but not necessarily our music, which might be a little too outsider for some. And when they do hear a little something, it doesn't tell the whole story. I thought it would be interesting to have a CD available in a store like Starbucks where the casual consumer can sort of have access to (our music) more readily.

Q: What does the new track on the compilation sound like?

Moore: It doesn't exist yet. A lot of it has to do with finding the time to go into the studio and recording it. We were just in the studio, but we were recording a Bob Dylan song to give to (film director) Todd Haynes to listen to, because he's making a surrealist Bob Dylan biopic ("I'm Not There").

Q: In September, your first solo project in 12 years, "trees outside the academy," arrives via Ecstatic Peace. Will you be doing any live shows to support it?

Moore: I'll definitely do some live shows. Hopefully, I'll get together the group that plays on the record, including Steve Shelley. Samara Lubelski from Brooklyn plays the electric violin, which acts as a second instrument on almost every track. J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. plays some killer guitar all over the record. And I play all the acoustic guitar and bass on it. It's a pretty heavy song-based record. I feel really good about it.

Reuters/Billboard

Believe it or not professional musicians have to sell their music to survive.

Hard to believe when all that music just 'appears' free on the internet.

The cheapskate generation (who incidentally probably have more money than any other generation of kids in all of history) are going to kill music.

It is only in a market like this one that the smaller, less recognizable bands can survive. The Arcade Fire, The National, CYHSY!, Fiery Furnaces, Animal Collective, etc. wouldnt have had a chance fifteen years ago.

You say kill music, but the internet, file sharing, cheaper/alternative ways to purchase music is the only thing that could have saved music.

thanks for your insight, but Ill stand by mine. Im a pretty firm believer that the sheer scope of music we have today could not have been bred in the culture of late 80's/early 90's commercialism.

Believe it or not professional musicians have to sell their music to survive.

Hard to believe when all that music just 'appears' free on the internet.

The cheapskate generation (who incidentally probably have more money than any other generation of kids in all of history) are going to kill music.

I mean that bands can come out today, get a little word of mouth and sell 50K-100K records pretty easily. Now I know that isnt necessarily the marker of success, but with technology the way it is, DIY recording, the ease of free publicity and the ability for people to hear something before they commit $15 to buying it allows for the less mainstream bands to have a mainstream impact.

And by scope I mean volume, specifically volume of quality bands that would not have had an opportunity in the musical world of 15-20 years ago.

And i don't think the world has changed that much from 1993 when a band like Pavement or Sebadoh got zine love, and then got a big push from 120 minutes.

And i don't think the world has changed that much from 1993 when a band like Pavement or Sebadoh got zine love, and then got a big push from 120 minutes.

It is only in a market like this one that the smaller, less recognizable bands can survive. The Arcade Fire, The National, CYHSY!, Fiery Furnaces, Animal Collective, etc. wouldnt have had a chance fifteen years ago.

You say kill music, but the internet, file sharing, cheaper/alternative ways to purchase music is the only thing that could have saved music.

So, you think the advent of the internet has done nothing for the ability of non-mainstream music to market itself?

your argument falls flat due to the fact all of those bands are terrible (except the national)

I think what he is saying is that there were literally thousands of non mainstream acts who did fine marketing themselves BEFORE the internet.