A musician, composer, visual artist, writer and producer, Lee Ranaldo is best known as part of seminal underground rock outfit Sonic Youth. Growing up in Long Island, he developed a love for psychedelic rock and early punk before finding his way into New York City’s thriving avant-garde and no wave scene in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. After performing in a number of groups, including Glenn Branca’s electric guitar orchestra, he cofounded Sonic Youth alongside Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. During the band’s 30-year run, Ranaldo’s role was often understated – he contributed a few songs to each album – and absolutely essential, as his textural guitar work provided a counterweight to Moore and Gordon’s hypnotic back-and-forth.
