hitssquares

Sonic Youth McCarren Pool presale, hits are for squares

Hits are for squares

Washington Post: Let’s talk about commerce. Some of your fans went ballistic when news came out that Sonic Youth was doing a Starbucks compilation, “Hits Are for Squares.” Not very indie of you, etc., never mind that you recorded for Universal Music. Explain, please.

Thurston Moore: I was basically looking for different avenues of distribution. The reality is that nobody’s going to record stores anymore – but they’re going to Starbucks to buy teas and coffees and donuts. It’s just another store for God’s sake. I know a lot of people apply a lot of issues to Starbucks and say they have some kind of nefarious business. I don’t know anything about it; I’m sure there are some young radicals who can set me straight on that. But I kind of like the absurdity of it, the [expletive] you of it. I appreciate that people are watching us, but whatever.

We put together this compilation of our songs chosen by people in the public eye who we knew were fans – actors, writers, musicians, artists. And it came out pretty well. Our original cover idea was a picture a friend of ours took in a Starbucks in New York. A homeless guy had his head down on stained copy of the New York Times, and there were some college kids in the picture, which looked like a bombed out Starbucks waiting room. We sent that in and they said: “No!” (Laughs.) Even though it’s the interior of a real Starbucks. Our friend then took a picture of a yuppie wearing white headphones, which we used. And it’s kind of subversive really.

A presale has started for the Sonic Youth McCarren Pool show.