Pitchfork: Sonic Youth Begin Tour Tonight

Rather Ripped hits stores today and since it's been four years since the last Sonic Youth album, Kim, Thurston, Lee, and, umm, new touring member (and former Pavement bassist) Mark Ibold are making up for lost time with a tour schedule that has them playing basically every day through September. After that they take some time off, presumably so Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore can see Coco off to school, before hitting a few European festivals in December, including the Moore-curated All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas fest. It all starts tonight at CBGBs.

Besides the previously announced August dates with Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth have added a few more shows, the most recent additions being two nights in Brooklyn with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. On top of those appearances, Sonic Youth performs on both XM Radio and David Letterman June 16, Jimmy Kimmel on July 11, the Australian program Rove Live on July 25, and Conan O'Brien on August 9. Whew!

For those extra special fans who patronize indie record stores in the Los Angeles-area, Sonic Youth has a present for you. The first few to purchase Rather Ripped today at Lou's in Encinitas, Fingerprints in Long Beach, Rhino in Claremont, Mad Platter in Riverside, Bionic in Huntington Beach and Cypress, and Sea Level and Amoeba in Los Angeles will receive a free pass to an SY show at a secret location on July 8. Now if only the music industry could give away free concert tickets with every album. Dates:

06-13 New York, NY - CBGB *
06-14 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom &
06-15 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club (early show)&
06-15 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club (late show)&
06-17 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel &
06-18 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo &
06-19 Atlanta, GA - Earthlink Live &
06-21 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom +
06-22 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
06-23 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ +
06-24 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room +
06-26 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall +
06-27 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre +
06-29 Missoula, MT - UM Theatre +
06-30 Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre +
07-01 Portland, OR - Roseland Ballroom +
07-03 Sacramento, CA - Empire +
07-04 Reno, NV - Reno Hilton +
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 %
07-15 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium %
07-16 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium %
07-18 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium %
07-22 Byron Bay, Australia - Splendour in the Grass Festival
07-24 Melbourne, Australia - Palace
07-26 Sydney, Australia - Enmore
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)
08-04 Detroit, MI - State Theater $
08-05 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-06 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
08-11 Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Park Pool ^
08-12 Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Park Pool ^
08-24 St. Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair $
08-25 Council Bluffs, IA - Stir Cove at Harrah's $
08-26 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant $
08-28 Columbus, OH - Promowest Pavilion $
08-31 Allentown, PA - Allentown Fair $
09-01 Syracuse, NY - New York State Fair $
09-03 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
12-08 Somerset, England - Butlins Minehead (ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas)
12-10 Somerset, England - Butlins Minehead (ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas)
12-11 Brussels, Belgium - Les Halles
12-13 Paris, France - Zenith