By Rya Backer

Last night I did something I haven't done in, like, three weeks: I watched "Gossip Girl." Why? Because in the last 10 minutes, one of my favorite bands in the history of recorded music, Sonic Youth, showed up.

If you were watching last night, then perhaps later we can talk about why Georgina Sparks is just the worst person the world (ruining a wedding? Making Dan break up with a celebrity?) and how outlandish Carter Baizen's story line is. Actually, I take that back — I never want to talk about how he tried to marry the cousin of the girl Nate was dating. (At least I think that's how it went.) But let's talk about Sonic Youth!

The best night that Rufus and Lily spent as a couple was a lot of years ago, while Rufus and his band Lincoln Hawk were opening for Sonic Youth. They stayed at a motel where they drank wine out of "Welcome Back, Kotter!" mugs (Rufus got Lily a Horshack mug, because you were wondering). Later in the episode, they got into a fight about what kind of wedding they ought to have, and there was a montage that involved them looking at pictures of each other (in their respective apartments, natch) while "Antenna," a track from Sonic Youth's very good 2009 release The Eternal played.

And then there was wedding drama. Read more...

TV phenomenon "Gossip Girl" is headed into its third season this fall, and on the fifth episode the show will feature a guest spot from a very special musical guest. Veteran New York indie kingpins Sonic Youth will appear as themselves on the show and play an acoustic rendition of the song "Starpower," which comes from their 1986 album EVOL. "Gossip Girl" executive producer Stephanie Savage told Entertainment Weekly that when she heard that guitarist Thurston Moore had used footage from the show during a concert, she jumped at the chance to get one of her favorite acts on the CW hit. "I hope they’re not making fun of us! I hope it was a cool, edgy homage! And it turned out that it was — tongue in cheek for sure, but definitely with love, and that they were fans of the show," she said. She wouldn't divulge the specifics of the performance, only saying that it occurs during a big event that involves Rufus and Lily and that fans should "draw [their] own conclusions."

This isn't Moore's first contribution to the show: Last season, he recorded a cover of the Ramones' "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" for a fashion show on an episode. Nor is this Sonic Youth's first trek to teen TV, as Moore and bassist Kim Gordon appeared on a fantastic episode of "Gilmore Girls" back in 2006 (along with their pair's daughter Coco). "Gossip Girl" is also no stranger to legendary bands, as they welcomed No Doubt to the show, who performed a cover of Adam and the Ants' "Stand and Deliver," which marked the first new recording for the band since they got back together. With a soundtrack that regularly features bands as diverse and cool as Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon, MGMT and the Ting Tings, "Gossip Girl" has picked up where shows like "Dawson's Creek" and "The O.C." left off as the definitive music taste-making TV show on the air.

This Sunday is Father's Day, so you still have time to get out and get your cards purchased and your barbecue equipment/ties/books about baseball purchased. Music history is full of father/kid collaborations, some awesome (Wilco's Jeff Tweedy jamming with his son Spencer) and some creepy (Nat King Cole's posthumous collaboration with daughter Natalie). Here are my five favorite family duos.

Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus: Billy Ray certainly had his own success in the early '90s, but he is enjoying a renaissance thanks to his ubiquitous daughter. Their collaboration "Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a surprisingly sweet ballad that deals directly with fatherhood.

Nas and Olu Dara: Jazz musician Olu Dara (born Charles Jones) has always had something of a complicated relationship with his son Nas (born Nasir Jones). But their collaborations have been nothing short of excellent. Dara played cornet on Nas' "Life's a Bitch" (from his landmark debut Illmatic) and most recently dropped in some vocals on "Bridging the Gap" (he also showed up in the video).
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So as many of you know by now, alt-rock godparents/gurus Sonic Youth are releasing the compilation Hits Are For Squares exclusively through Starbucks next month. (Starbucks? It’s that little mom & pop coffee shop by your house, and the house of every single individual you know.) And, being mature and comfortable with how basically every band has the right to cash in at some point, we wish we could actually get over this news. But instead, we are troubled, conflicted, perturbed.

First off, there’s, you know, the obvious: Why would one of the hippest bands on the planet, one of the few that’s been around for nearly 30 years without ever having a Mick-Jagger-in-spandex moment (remember "Dancing in the Streets"?), choose to release their music through the mocha-mega-frappo-latte outlet that pushes Mandy Moore CDs on you at the checkout? (Yes, we know they’ve also released much better fare, but you get what we’re talking about.) This is a bit like taking a reduced-fat cinnamon coffee cake and smearing it across the cover of Daydream Nation.

Secondly –- and actually more troubling! –- is this business with the celebrities. Because, in case you hadn’t noticed, this is a compilation of songs selected by famous people. Some of the “curators” we get, like Beck, Mike D, Raidohead, Gus Van Sant, Chloe Sevigny, and, hell, even Dave Eggers. We’d like to know what their favorite Sonic Youth tracks are. But what for freak’s sake are Portia De Rossi and Diablo Cody doing on this??

The complete track list after the jump. Read more...

My Bloody Valentine are going to headline All Tomorrow's Parties. We repeat: My Bloody Valentine.

Perhaps we're dating ourselves a bit by revealing that Loveless was one of the great make-out albums of our overly intense 'n' artsy junior-high years. If you haven't heard it, get off your Vampire Weekend-, MGMT-lovin' arse and appreciate the sexy, drone-y genius that is Kevin Shields.

Also in the lineup -- curated in part by MBV themselves -- are Built to Spill, Meat Puppets, Shellac (Steve Albini), Mogwai, and Aussie rockers The Drones. Remember, just a few thousand people will snatch up the ATP honor of living on-site for three entire days (no one-day passes), drinking, eating, breathing the music by a lineup this damned good.

Done.

The complete bill after the jump. Read more...