Pitchfork

The Library of Congress' National Recording Registry documents America's history in sound. Its mission is to preserve recordings "that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." For the past six years, the library has annually inducted a number of new additions to the registry, including "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "The Lord's Prayer", the first-ever recording of "Stars and Stripes Forever", pioneering folk, jazz, and blues works, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Public Enemy, and Nirvana. So basically, this thing is, like, a big deal.

This week, the Library of Congress announced the 50 inductees to its 2006 class. Mamie Smith's "Crazy Blues", President Calvin Coolidge's inauguration, the first trans-Atlantic telephone conversation, Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill", Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day", Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street", the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced, Frank Zappa's We're Only in it for the Money, Wendy Carlos' Switched-On Bach, Gil Scott-Heron's The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life were among those that made the cut.

And so was Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. Whoa. Was somebody in Washington reading Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1980s list?

Here's what the National Recording Registry's website had to say about the album:

"Pioneer members of New York City's clangorous early 1980s No Wave scene, Sonic Youth are renowned for a glorious form of noise-based chaos. Guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo had previously performed with Glenn Branca's large guitar ensembles, and their alternative guitar tunings and ringing harmonies attest to this apprenticeship. On Daydream Nation, their third album, the group's forays into outright noise always return to melodic songs that employ hypnotic arpeggios, driving punk rock rhythmic figures and furious gales of guitar-based noise. Bassist Kim Gordon's haunting vocals and edgy lyrics add additional depth to the numbers she sings."

Dude! The Library of Congress wrote that! The Library of frickin' Congress! Do we live in a great country or what?

Of course, the thrill of being honored by one of our nation's highest institutions will pale in comparison to Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon's previously-reported appearance on the May 9 season finale of the WB's hit series "Gilmore Girls". Along with their daughter Coco, the pair will perform an acoustic version of the song "What a Waste", from the forthcoming Sonic Youth album Rather Ripped (due June 13 on Geffen).

Joe Pernice, Yo La Tengo, Sparks, Sam Phillips, and actress/singer/comedienne Mary Lynn Rajskub will also make guest appearances on the show. It's likely that Lane will have a heart attack...and we'll have to wait until next season to see if she pulls through.

And what would a Sonic Youth news story be without information on some side project or other?

If the Gilmore gals are really on top of it, they'll reference the new Perfect Partner box set, released by Electra Productions this week. A souvenir from a music/film performance that toured across Europe in 2005, the set includes music, art, and other show-related artifacts. Perfect Partner, dreamed up by Gordon, artist Tony Oursler, and filmmaker Phil Morrison, featured Gordon, Moore, Jim O'Rourke, Ikue Mori, DJ Olive, and Tim Barnes improvising music to a film projection starring Michael Pitt (hot guy from The Dreamers and Last Days; his band Pagoda is on Moore's Ecstatic Peace label).

Included in the package are a vinyl 12" with a recording of the project on its A side and an etching by Gordon and JD Walsh on its B side, autographed prints by Gordon and Oursler, a Perfect Partner poster with artwork by Gordon, Oursler, and Walsh, a script of the film, and, best of all, a glitter bumper sticker.

Only 500 were made, so they're pretty expensive (£75, which is about $130). Still, a glitter bumper sticker!

Also on the market right now from Important Records are a 7" and book/CD by Sonic Youth six-stringer Lee Ranaldo. The 7", Vancouver Ambients 1-4, is the sixth installment in the label's Arts & Crafts series. Pressed on clear vinyl and packaged with a screen print designed and signed by the man himself, it was recorded with the all-star lineup of Alan Licht on guitar, Christian Marclay on turntables, and William Hooker on drums.

The book/CD is a combination mail-order exclusive featuring an autographed copy of Ranaldo's tome Road Movies (featuring photos by his wife, Leah Singer) and the disc Ambient Loop for Vancouver.

Both the single and the combo pack are limited to 500 copies.

Fiiiiiinally, we'd like to remind you that Sonic Youth have a bunch of shows coming up, including a mini-tour with Pearl Jam, sets at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and All Tomorrow's Parties' "Nightmare Before Christmas" in December, curated by Moore.

Daydream nations:

04-19 Paris, France - "Le Mouv" on Radio France
04-20 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino
06-14 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
06-17 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel * 06-18 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Festival $
07-06 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand #
07-07 San Diego, CA - Cox Arena #
07-09 Los Angeles, CA - Forum #
07-10 Los Angeles, CA - Forum #
07-13 Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl #
07-16 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium #
07-18 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium #
07-29 Yuzawa-machi, Japan - Naeba Ski Resort (Fuji Rock Festival) ^
08-03 Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center (92.3 K-ROCK Presents Kuyahoga) +
08-05 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza) +%
12-08-10 Somerset, England - Butlins Minehead (ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas) &

* with Be Your Own Pet
$ with Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Ben Folds, Common, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, Atmosphere, Amadou & Mariam, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Magic Numbers, Dungen, Andrew Bird, et al
# with Pearl Jam
^ with Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Franz Ferdinand, the Hives, Mogwai, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scissor Sisters, Snow Patrol, Super Furry Animals, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wolfmother, the Zutons, et al
+ with Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, Secret Machines, the Hold Steady, She Wants Revenge, Wolfmother, the Go! Team
% with Kanye West, Wilco, the Raconteurs, Queens of the Stone Age, the Shins, Sleater-Kinney, the New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, Built to Spill, Gnarls Barkley, Feist, Iron & Wine, Ryan Adams, Andrew Bird, Common, et al
& with Iggy & the Stooges