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Sonic Youth is one of the most innovative and influential bands of the past 40 years.

From the start, they questioned everything about traditional musical forms and embraced the use of alternate tunings, dissonance, and speaker feedback.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, they became godparents of the grunge scene, ushering in a new generation of "serious" musicians, displacing the hair metal and bubblegum pop of the mid to late 1980s.

Since then, they have honed their own unique style of music, incorporating elements of modern classical music and minimalism. They are also known for their active participation in the contemporary visual arts community, an association that is reflected in many of their album covers.

In this memoir, we get the story of Sonic Youth from the perspective of co-founder Kim Gordon, who is the bassist for the band and one of its principal singers/songwriters. She is also the lone female member of the band and was married to band co-founder Thurston Moore for 27 years.

Much of the book is devoted to Kim's early years, including her childhood alongside her deeply psychologically disturbed brother, which clearly had a big impact on her future art. For example, listen to "I Love You Golden Blue" on their "Sonic Nurse" album, a favorite of mine.

We also get the perspective of Sonic Youth's connections to the broader modern art community and its impact on their music, which is all very interesting.

Another heavy focus of this memoir is the dissolution of Kim and Thurston's marriage due to Thurston's infidelity. This is a raw account from a woman who has been terribly wronged. Kim writes of Thurston's affairs and the breakup of their marriage with deep bitterness, which is totally understandable given the situation.

Somehow I think the main purpose of Kim writing this memoir was for her to vent her frustrations with Thurston. She is usually an emotionally reserved person, and this may have been the best outlet for her to release her anger.

Unfortunately, this anger also translates to her highly judgmental views of other female musicians. For example, consider her song "Mariah Carey and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream," which was released on their "Sonic Nurse" album under the title "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" to avoid legal action from Mariah Carey.

How should a self-avowed feminist musician respond to other female musicians who behave in a decidedly non-feminist fashion? I don't know the answer to that question, but Kim has certainly taken the approach of biting criticism.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this memoir and learning more about one of my favorite bands. However, be aware that the story is being told from just one highly jaded perspective.