Sonic Youth

The beauty of Sonic Youth is its ability to continue making albums — such as this year’s fantastic Sonic Nurse — without falling prey to nostalgia or recycling ideas. But when it comes to capturing the essence of the legendary New York City sound manipulator, there is no substitute for its raucous live show (though the band’s recently released Corporate Ghost DVD comes close). Art-school aesthetics abound both on the DVD and within the mystique of the band itself. But on Corporate, you can find a video for “Dirty Boots” that manages to capture the grunge romance of a Sonic Youth show: girl clad in a Nirvana shirt meets flannel-wearing boy and makes out with him as the band plays on.