Happy 70th birthday to Lee Ranaldo, guitarist and co-founder of Sonic Youth, born February 3, 1956. Across decades of work, Ranaldo has relentlessly pushed the guitar beyond its traditional boundaries, pioneering new textures, tunings, and approaches to sound. Alongside his groundbreaking band output, he has released a series of critically acclaimed solo albums celebrated for their bold experimental spirit. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him No. 33 on its list of the “Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
Beyond the guitar, Ranaldo is also an accomplished writer, visual artist, and record producer. Watch him perform with his band The Dust—featuring Steve Shelley—in a live session at KEXP from December 8, 2013.
