Ciccone Youth

Ciccone Youth is a lovely little side project from members of Sonic Youth (Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Steve Shelley, Lee Ranaldo), and Mike Watt (of Minutemen, Dos, Firehose fame). All these dudes got together in 1986, and decided to make ‘The Whitey Album,’ (a play on the Beatles’ ‘White Album’). ‘Whitey’ consists of a bunch of amazing experimental psych/art/noise rock, heavy hip hop elements, and some of the whitest white boy rapping ever released (courtesy of Mr. Moore). There are also three spectacular covers including Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love,” (Kim Gordon’s brilliant karaoke rendition), Madonna’s “Into the Groove,” and “Burnin’ Up.” And in case you were wondering, their name is in fact derived from Madonna’s given surname, Ciccone.

Like many side projects, Ciccone Youth was rather short lived. They never played a live show, and after the release of ‘Whitey,’ not much was heard from them, apart from the occasional mention in future Sonic youth songs. There is also a lot of mystery and speculation surrounding the band and how they came to be. Rumor has it, that after the death of fellow Minuteman and childhood friend D. Boone, Mike Watt went on a journey to ‘find himself’ so to speak. During this time he was oddly drawn to Modonna and her music. He went home to San Pedro California and recorded a cover of ‘Burnin’ Up’ on his four-track, with Black Flag’s Greg Ginn on guitar. Sonic Youth later released this cover along with their contributions (“Into the Groovey,” and “Tuff Titty Rap”) on a 7-inch, under the title Ciccone Youth. And so it goes....