Steve Shelley | |
|---|---|
 Shelley in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steven Jay Shelley |
| Born | June 23, 1962 Midland, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer |
| Instrument | Drums |
| Years active | 1983−present |
| Labels | Alternative Tentacles, Geffen, Smells Like, SST, Matador |
Steven Jay Shelley (born June 23, 1962) is an American drummer. He is best known as the longtime drummer of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, for whom he played from 1985 until their 2011 disbandment.
Shelley was born in Midland, Michigan and played in several mid-Michigan bands, including Faith and Morals and Strange Fruit, and was among the original lineup of the punk band The Crucifucks. Since 1985, he has performed with the noise rock band Sonic Youth, when he replaced Bob Bert.
After leaving the Crucifucks, he moved to Manhattan with a friend, living in the apartment of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon for dog sitting purposes while the band was in Europe. When the band returned, former drummer Bob Bert had left the band, and they hired Shelley as their drummer without an audition. [1]
In 1992 he founded the independent record label Smells Like Records, based in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Along with friend and Two Dollar Guitar musician Tim Foljahn, he helped advance Cat Power's musical career, serving as drummer on her first three albums. He also produced Blonde Redhead's debut self-titled album in 1995. Steve was able to track down Lee Hazlewood in 1997 and secure permission to reissue five of the finest titles of the Hazlewood back catalog. Smells Like Records also released a collection of standards recorded in 1997, which was the first new recording from Hazlewood released domestically in nearly two decades. In 1998 Shelley played on the soundtrack of the film Velvet Goldmine as a member of Wylde Ratttz, along with The Stooges' Ron Asheton, Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Don Fleming, Mark Arm of Mudhoney and Jim Dunbar.
Other significant work away from Sonic Youth includes recording and performing with an array of artists such as Christina Rosenvinge, Chris Lee, John Wolfington, Michael Powers, Michael Rother, Howe Gelb, and Enrique Morente. In 2007, Shelley recorded a number of tracks for the I'm Not There soundtrack with a supergroup called The Million Dollar Bashers, featuring Lee Ranaldo, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, Dylan bassist Tony Garnier, guitarist Smokey Hormel and keyboardist John Medeski. [2]
In February 2009, Shelley spent a weekend in Chicago recording with Chris Connelly, Sanford Parker, and Jeremy Lemos. [3] The results of this collaboration were released under the moniker The High Confessions by Relapse Records on July 20, 2010. [4]
In 2010, Michael Rother played shows in Europe with Shelley and Tall Firs guitarist Aaron Mullan as Halogallo 2010. [5] This group performs music "in the spirit of" NEU! including some tracks by Harmonia and from Michael Rother's solo albums. Other 2010 concert dates included the ATP New York 2010 music festival in Monticello, New York and Incubate 2010 in Tilburg, Netherlands. [6]
His enthusiasm for the music of Daniel Johnston and Townes Van Zandt led to his appearances in the documentaries The Devil and Daniel Johnston and Be Here to Love Me .
Shelley is also in charge of operating Sonic Youth's own record labels, SYR and Goofin'. In 2010, he started a new label called Vampire Blues whose inaugural release was a 7" by Hallogallo 2010.
In 2011 he joined Disappears. In 2012, he left the band due to scheduling conflicts.
From 2014 to 2017, Shelley played the drums for Sun Kil Moon on the albums Benji, Universal Themes and Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood . He also toured with Sun Kil Moon on select 2015 dates. [7]
| Date | Artist | Release | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Strange Fruit | On Top of the Hill | 7" Babel 01 |
| 1984 | Strange Fruit | Strange Fruit/Abiku | split 12" Babel 02 |
| 1985 | Crucifucks | The Crucifucks | Alternative Tentacles 38 |
| 1989 | Maureen Tucker | Life in Exile After Abdication | 50 Skidillion Watts 007 |
| 1990 | Daniel Johnston | 1990 | Shimmy Disc 028 (w/ Lee Ranaldo on "Spirit World Rising") |
| 1991 | Lucky Sperms | Lucky Sperms | 7" Ecstatic Peace! 15 (recorded in 1987) |
| 1991 | Dim Stars | Dim Stars | 3x7" Ecstatic Peace! 11 |
| 1991 | Nikki Sudden | Whiskey Priest | 7" Singles Only Label 228 |
| 1992 | Jad Fair | I Like It When You Smile | Paperhouse 009 |
| 1992 | Richard Hell | 3 New Songs | 7" Overground 24 |
| 1992 | Mosquito | Down | 7" ERL 9 |
| 1992 | Makigami Koichi | Koroshi No Blues | Toshiba EMI 6496 |
| 1992 | Dim Stars | Dim Stars | Caroline 1724 |
| 1992 | Free Kitten/Mosquito | Split | 7" Time Bomb 09 |
| 1992 | Mosquito | U.F.O. Catcher | Time Bomb 13 |
| 1993 | Mosquito | Oh No... | Psychoacoustic 6 |
| 1993 | Mosquito | Time Was | SLR 05 |
| 1993 | Two Dollar Guitar | Lost Bird | 7" SLR 06 |
| 1994 | The Raincoats | Extended Play | SLR 012 |
| 1995 | Male Slut | Male Slut | 7" Stomach Ache 57 |
| 1995 | Cat Power | Dear Sir | Runt 6 |
| 1995 | Thurston Moore | Psychic Hearts | DGC 24810 |
| 1995 | Mike Watt | "Tuff Gnarl" Ball-Hog or Tugboat? | Columbia Records C2-66464 |
| 1996 | Cat Power | Myra Lee | SLR 019 |
| 1996 | Cat Power | What Would the Community Think | Matador OLE-202 |
| 1998 | Mark Eitzel | Caught in a Trap... | Matador OLE-179 |
| 2000 | Hungry Ghosts | Alone, Alone | SLR 039 |
| 2001 | Christina Rosenvinge | Frozen Pool | SLR 042 |
| 2001 | John Wolfington | John Wolfington | SLR 043 |
| 2001 | Chris Lee | Plays & Sings Torch'd Songs... | SLR 045 |
| 2004 | Christina Rosenvinge | Foreign Land | SLR 050 |
| 2006 | Michael Powers | Prodigal Son | Baryon 006 |
| 2006 | Christina Rosenvinge | Continental 62 | SLR 053 |
| 2007 | The Million Dollar Bashers | I'm Not There | Columbia COLB 12038 |
| 2007 | John Wolfington | American Dreamsicle | SLR 054 |
| 2007 | Thurston Moore | Trees Outside the Academy | Ecstatic Peace! E#91C |
| 2008 | Matt Madly | Checkered | P.O.S. 062808 |
| 2008 | Christina Rosenvinge | Tu labio superior | Warner Spain 25646 93707 |
| 2009 | Anna Ternheim | Leaving on a Mayday | Emarcy 06025178719-15 |
| 2009 | Samara Lubelski | Future Slip | Ecstatic Peace! E#110 |
| 2010 | D-W/L-SS | D-W/L-SS / JBe | 7" Sixgunlover SGL018 |
| 2010 | The High Confessions | Turning Lead into Gold With the High Confessions | Relapse 7084 |
| 2010 | Hallogallo 2010 | Blinkgurtel / Drone Schlager | 7" Vampire Blues VB 01 |
| 2010 | Circle of Animals | Destroy the Light | Relapse 7104 |
| 2011 | Israel Nash Gripka | Barn Doors and Concrete Floors | CRS CSCCD1073 |
| 2011 | Disappears | Live at Echo Canyon | Plus Tapes |
| 2011 | Spectre Folk | The Blackest Medicine, Vol. II | Woodsist |
| 2012 | Disappears | Pre Language | Kranky |
| 2012 | Lee Ranaldo | Between the Times and the Tides | Matador OLE-980 |
| 2012 | M. Ward | A Wasteland Companion | Merge |
| 2012 | Spectre Folk | Ancient Storm | Vampire Blues VB 02 |
| 2012 | Chris Lee | Bury the Kings | Vampire Blues VB 03 |
| 2012 | Lee Ranaldo | Between the Times and the Tides: Demos | Lazy8 01 |
| 2012 | Lee Ranaldo | Between the Times and the Tides: Alternate Mixes | 7" Lazy8 02 |
| 2012 | Lee Ranaldo/J Mascis | "Albatross" Just Tell Me That You Want Me – Tribute To Fleetwood Mac | Hear Music HRM-33327 |
| 2012 | Carice van Houten | See You on the Ice | EMI 9782242 |
| 2012 | Samara Lubelski | Wavelength | De Stijl IND115 |
| 2013 | Dyveke Kuloy | Gabriel | 7" |
| 2013 | Howe Gelb | The Coincidentalist | New West Records |
| 2013 | Lee Ranaldo and The Dust | Last Night on Earth | Matador OLE-1041 |
| 2013 | Lee Ranaldo and The Dust | The Rising Tide | Lazy8 03 |
| 2013 | Lee Ranaldo and The Dust | El Blues De La Revolución | 7" El Segell Del Primavera PS006 |
| 2014 | Sun Kil Moon | Benji | Caldo Verde |
| 2014 | Admiral Freebee | The Great Scam | Sony Music 0888430378728 |
| 2014 | Thurston Moore | The Best Day | Matador OLE-1062 |
| 2015 | Sun Kil Moon | Universal Themes | Caldo Verde |
| 2016 | Kino Kimino | "Bait Is For Sissies" | Ghost Ramp |
| 2017 | Sun Kil Moon | Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood | Caldo Verde |
| 2017 | Cinnamon Tapes | Nabia | Balaclava Records |
| 2017 | Thurston Moore | Rock n Roll Consciousness | Caroline |
| 2017 | Jessica Lea Mayfield | Sorry is Gone | ATO Records |
| 2018 | Riviera Gaz | Connection | Hearts Bleed Blue |
| 2019 | Sick Gazelle | Odum | War Crimes Records |
| 2020 | Thurston Moore | By the Fire | Daydream Library |
| 2024 | Winged Wheel | Big Hotel | 12XU |
Sonic Youth was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, rounding out the core line-up. Jim O'Rourke was also a member of the band from 1999 to 2005, and Mark Ibold was a member from 2006 to 2011.
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moore was ranked 34th in Rolling Stone's 2004 edition of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
Lee Mark Ranaldo is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a co-founder of the rock band Sonic Youth. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Ranaldo at number 33 on its "Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list. In May 2012, Spin published a staff-selected top 100 guitarist list, ranking Ranaldo and his Sonic Youth bandmate Thurston Moore together at number 1.
Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on October 18, 1988. The band recorded the album between July and August 1988 at Greene St. Recording in New York City, and it was released by Enigma Records as a double album.
Robert Bertelli, better known professionally as Bob Bert, is an American rock drummer.
A Thousand Leaves is the tenth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on CD and cassette on May 12, 1998, by DGC Records. A double-LP vinyl issue had been released three weeks earlier, on April 21, 1998, by My So Called Records. It was the band's first album recorded at their own studio in Lower Manhattan, which was built with the money they had made at the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. Since the band had an unlimited amount of time to work in their studio, the album features numerous lengthy and improvisational tracks that were developed unevenly. The highly experimental extended plays Anagrama, Slaapkamers met slagroom, and Invito al ĉielo were recorded simultaneously with the album.
Smells Like Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey, formed by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley in 1993. Groups that have recorded under the label include Blonde Redhead, Cat Power, The Raincoats, and The Rondelles.
Neu! were a West German krautrock band formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother following their departure from Kraftwerk. The group's albums were produced by Conny Plank, who has been regarded as the group's "hidden member". They released three albums in their initial incarnation—Neu! (1972), Neu! 2 (1973), and Neu! 75 (1975)—before disbanding in 1975. They briefly reunited in the mid-1980s.
Confusion Is Sex is the debut studio album by American noise rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in 1983 by Neutral Records. It has been referred to as an important example of the no wave genre. AllMusic called it "lo-fi to the point of tonal drabness, as the instruments seem to ring out in only one tone, that of screechy noise".
EVOL is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Released in May 1986, EVOL was Sonic Youth’s first album on SST Records, and also the first album to feature then-new drummer Steve Shelley who had just replaced Bob Bert.
Murray Street is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 25, 2002, by DGC Records. Murray Street is the first album by the band to feature Jim O'Rourke as an official fifth member to bolster the group's sound.
Michael Rother is a German experimental musician, best known for being a founding member of the influential bands Neu! and Harmonia, and an early member of the band Kraftwerk.
Mark Arm is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the vocalist for the grunge band Mudhoney. His former group, Green River, was one of the first grunge bands, along with Malfunkshun, Soundgarden, Skin Yard, the U-Men, and others. He is also the manager of the Sub Pop warehouse and previously worked at Fantagraphics Books.
Tall Firs are an American, New York City based underground electric folk rock band, originally formed in 1990 by teenagers Dave Mies and Aaron Mullan in Annapolis, Maryland. Their album, Tall Firs, was completed and released sixteen years later in 2006 on the independent music label Ecstatic Peace!.
Donald Gene Fleming is an American musician and producer. Besides fronting a number of his own bands, Fleming has produced Sonic Youth, Screaming Trees, Teenage Fanclub and Hole.
"Death Valley '69" is a song by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth and featuring Lydia Lunch. The song was written and sung by Thurston Moore and fellow New York musician Lunch, and recorded by Martin Bisi in 1984.
Sammy was the partnership of guitarist Luke Wood and guitarist/vocalist Jesse Hartman. The band was initially signed to Smells Like Records, the label owned by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley. Later the band signed to DGC/Geffen. The band was signed to Fire Records in the UK and Europe.
Smart Bar Chicago 1985 is a live album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on November 13, 2012, on Goofin' Records. It features a live 4-track recording of the band's performance at the Smart Bar in Chicago, Illinois, on August 11, 1985, during the tour in support of Sonic Youth's second studio album, Bad Moon Rising (1985).
Jesu / Sun Kil Moon is a collaborative studio album by American indie folk act Sun Kil Moon and British experimental act Jesu, released on January 21, 2016 on Caldo Verde Records and Rough Trade. The album also features guest musicians Will Oldham, members of Low, Rachel Goswell of Slowdive, and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. Jesu and Sun Kil Moon including drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth played six shows in February and March 2016 to support the album.
Wylde Ratttz were an American punk rock supergroup. Composed of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley, Ron Asheton, Don Fleming (Gumball), bassist Mike Watt (Minutemen), Jim Dunbar, and Mark Arm (Mudhoney) the band provided the music for Ewan McGregor's Curt Wild character in the film Velvet Goldmine.
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| SYR series | |
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