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Girl in a Band
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
Often described as aloof, Kim Gordon opens up as never before in Girl in a Band. Telling the story of her family, her life in visual art, her move to New York City, the men in her life, her marriage, her relationship with her daughter, her music, and her band, Girl in a Band is a rich and beautifully written memoir. Gordon takes us back to the lost New York of the 1980s and '90s that gave rise to Sonic Youth, and the Alternative revolution in popular music the band helped usher in-paving the way for Nirvana, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins and many other acts. But at its core, Girl in a Band examines what partnership means-and what happens when it dissolves.
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aconeyisland
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Amandakay
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Pickpick

Love her! Haven‘t stopped listening to Sonic Youth since!

AmyG Good book! 5y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Christinak
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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”From the beginning, I had a feeling that Courtney, who was cunning, smart, and #ambitious, asked me along only because she wanted my name associated with the record. “

#QuotsyMar19 #31DaysOfNonFiction

GrilledCheeseSamurai I friggen love Sonic Youth! 😍 6y
42 likes1 comment
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charl08
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Paraphrase: "when I (Kim Gordon) lived in New York in the 80s, you might have got mugged or knifed and felt unsafe walking the streets, but at least it was Authentic (have I mentioned I moved there from LA?)" So bizarre how nostalgia works.

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charl08
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Love these neon covers on books about pop.

TrishB I recognise most of those titles from hubby‘s shelves! 6y
charl08 @TrishB a music fan? 6y
TrishB Massive one! Loves any books about any musical genre- even if he‘s not particularly into the artist. 6y
48 likes1 stack add3 comments
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WellReadCatLady
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Always liked Sonic Youth‘s music but don‘t know much about the members. Changing that!

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parttimedomestic
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this incredibly personal memoir. I am a fan of Sonic Youth, and Gordon delivers on some backstage gossip, but I really loved her musings on being a woman in a world that often devalues us.

39 likes1 stack add
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SuperPunkNinja
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Listening to this right now and I keep thinking, "Damn, Courtney Love is going to need some aloe for all those sick burns Kim is giving her!" ?

vivastory 😂 She never comes across very well in any music memoirs I've read 7y
SuperPunkNinja @vivastory Somehow I'm not surprised! 😂 7y
Weaponxgirl Lmao! Am I the only one excited to read a good Courtney love biography eventually? She is fascinating to watch from a distance it has to be said 7y
See All 8 Comments
Weaponxgirl There's a YouTube clip of her drunk throwing her makeup at Madonna trying to get her attention and crashing the interview. It makes me laugh every time I watch it as she falls of her chair at the end 😂 7y
SuperPunkNinja @Weaponxgirl I'm going to need to see that! 7y
Weaponxgirl Just type Courtney love Madonna into YouTube and you shall receive. It's 7 min long but well worth it 7y
SuperPunkNinja @Weaponxgirl Thanks! I love a train wreck. 7y
43 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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CherryPie
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Pickpick

INTP: a memoir.
If that resonates with you, read it.

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CherryPie
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I approach adulthood sideways.

#randombookquote

somebooksaround Great quote! 7y
MelAnn This is great! 7y
25 likes3 comments
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CherryPie
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Random current read. Not a fan of Sonic Youth. Saw them in the 80's only because we were in the same scene. This memoir was featured on the Overdrive homepage. Chosen on impulse. Surprisingly enjoyable. #currentread

JackOBotts I just finished this, as well. My sister was the SY fan growing up, but I appreciate hearing more of Gordon‘s story. 7y
Leftcoastzen I listened to the audiobook, wasn‘t a huge fan of SY,but always interesting to hear the perspective of a woman in the music . 7y
CherryPie @JackOBotts @Leftcoastzen Big fan of memoirs! Have to make an effort to read other genres. Kim's done a good job of keeping me reading. Enjoyed meeting her family. She seems like a good egg. 7y
26 likes3 comments
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JackOBotts
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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I wouldn‘t call myself a Sonic Youth fan; my exposure to the band came through my sister, and I loved some of their more “popular” singles. I learned about Gordon‘s (& the band‘s) roots in art/performance first, then music, and I want to (re)visit their catalogue in the weeks ahead. I loved X-Girl dresses 😍 and remember making trip to its NYC location in the 90s. The clothing line inspired my AIM screen name! 😆

AmyG Loved this book. 7y
42 likes1 comment
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JackOBotts
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Starting Kim Gordon‘s memoir this morning, and looking forward to the artistry of her words.

hermyknee ♥️ 7y
AmyG Wonderful book. 7y
52 likes2 comments
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DarcysMom
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟
#nonfiction2018
#overdrive

AmyG I loved this book. Big Kim Gordon fan. 7y
Readergrrl Oh, wow! Sonic Youth!!! This brings me right back to warm summer nights during my college years!! ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
JackOBotts This is on my 2018 reading list...your review has it next in line! 🙌🏼 7y
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ReadingRover I‘ve dying to read this. I don‘t know what the hold up is. I was voted Queen of Grunge in high school 😂 I‘ve seen Sonic Youth three times in concert! 7y
DarcysMom @AmyG I am really glad I read it - I am a much bigger fan now. 😁 7y
DarcysMom @JackOBotts @ReadingRover I would love to know what you think once you've read it. 7y
JackOBotts I‘ve just finished her memoir. My exposure to Sonic Youth came through my sister (who loaned me the book...which I gifted to her), though I‘ll say my knowledge was very limited. I liked learning about the band‘s/Gordon‘s roots in art/performance first, then music. I want to delve back into their catalogue...listen to their early albums. What I know (& enjoy) was their later, more “mainstreamed” music. 7y
63 likes1 stack add8 comments
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DarcysMom
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AmyG I loved this book. 7y
GrilledCheeseSamurai Yaaaaaaaas! I'm a huge Sonic Youth fan and I've been wanting to read this book for awhile now. Stacked! 👌 7y
79 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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DarcysMom
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vivastory I ❤ Sonic Youth 7y
DarcysMom @vivastory Yes! I was listening to them earlier today. ❤❤❤ Their cover of Superstar is one of my favorites. 7y
Scurvygirl Swoon! 😻 7y
readordierachel Their cover of Superstar is one of my favorites too! So good. 7y
78 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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KOTK
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
Pickpick

I found this insightful, funny, sad and warming. Beatiful reflections on her life and the times past and she actually feels v free. Full of the hope and excitememt of the era leading to disillusionment with life, the music scene and love. Strong strong character though throughout

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BestDogDad
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Pickpick

Kim talks about her upbringing in California, moving to New York, getting in to art, forming the band Sonic Youth which became an inspiration for many other bands in indie rock / alternative rock, and being a mother. As a strong feminist woman in rock in the 80s - 00s, which was dominated by men, she had a lot of interesting experiences and doesn't pull any punches.

The band and her 27 year marriage with cofounder Thurston Moore ended in 2011.

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BestDogDad
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BestDogDad
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Sonic Youth in a nutshell.

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BestDogDad
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I like this take on male friendships.

I had time to kill over the lunch hour so I checked out the photos in the paper version and collected some of my favorite quotes.

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BestDogDad
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A quote about not selling out. Sonic Youth never tried to appeal to the mainstream.

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BestDogDad
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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"I don't know what to think of Kim's sleepy, laid-back narration", said I. And then I realized I listened to the first three hours at .75x speed. In my defense, Audible's controls are super complicated. ?

EllieDottie 😂 I've done that before!!! 7y
BestDogDad Ha, ha! Now it seems like she's talking too fast. 7y
10 likes2 comments
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BestDogDad
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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My next audiobook. Sonic Youth fan here.

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Sweettartlaura
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Pickpick

I was never the biggest Sonic Youth fan. But Kim Gordon was always cool. To hear her very Insider memoir of 30+ years in the NY rock scene is to see how intimate it was.
And then there is her own life, taking place across the globe, skirting even the Manson family at one point.
Hers is at once an Artist's life, a Woman's life, & an American life. I recommend it.

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HardcoverHearts
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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I have loved Sonic Youth since the Evol album came out and have been really interested in the enigmatic, quiet but dynamic Kim Gordon. In reading this, I felt like I was able to break through the shy reserve and know her history and influences a bit more. Worth a purchase if you like alternative music, women in the music business, or women in the art world. On sale in ebook form...

22 likes2 stack adds
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PixieDust
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Panpan

I came outta this really not liking her. She's super pretentious, a transphobe, and I felt some level of girl hate... outside of that this book is not well written. The structure is horrible! The last half is also horrible she made every chapter about the eras of their albums and some chapters are only a couple of pages long... this whole thing felt rushed... she has talent, a way with words but she just doesn't know how to use it.

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tracyramone
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Pickpick
10 likes2 stack adds
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trumanpeyote
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Mehso-so

Something tripped me up while reading this. I can't put my finger on what. I hunted down a photo of Kim's flip-up sunglasses, though.

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librarymail
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
Pickpick

Loved her descriptions of Los Angeles, her writing is thoughtful and poetic.

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Maggim
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Panpan

Turns out what 16 year old me thought was bold bad-assery was actually just spoiled bitchery. I hate it when my heroes reveal their ordinary and baser human natures.

Rabbitandraven Hindsight like this is both a super rough and somewhat amusing part of aging, yes? 8y
Maggim Goodness it is. 8y
2 likes2 comments
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Emilyc
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
Mehso-so

I did enjoy the book, but was bummed that she did not go into detail about how she went from never having played bass or guitar, to playing bass in this iconic band. Who taught her to play? How long did it take for her to become proficient and confident with bass?

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Lisacarlson
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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TGIF.

4 likes3 stack adds
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Kristina
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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Listening to this one on Audible. I've always been fascinated with Kim Gordon.

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Sahana23
Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
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"Someone once wrote that in between the lives we lead and the lives we fantasize about living is the place in our heads where most of us actually live."

4 likes3 stack adds