A Bite of Kim Gordon 🍪
The magnetic coolness of this artistic polymath and icon of rebellion
Monday Bites are bite-sized musician spotlights & playlists by Grace Lilly.
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• 3 min read •
“Wherever Kim ends up, she is the coolest person in the room.”
It’s hard not to be drawn to Kim Gordon. Her unpretentious coolness comes naturally, an undeniable aura that permeates everything she does.
A living legend, she co-founded one of the most culturally impactful bands of the 20th century, Sonic Youth. Her contributions to the band have been cited by music historians as a key influence in the development of grunge and riot grrrl, inspiring generations of female artists like Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and filmmaker Sofia Coppola.
As one of the only women in the male-dominated rock scene of the ‘80s and ‘90s, she had a unique ability to challenge and redefine the boundaries of music, art, and feminism.
“Women aren’t allowed to be kick-ass. I refused to play the game.”
She broke through the bullshit and biases to became one of the most legendary musicians of all time. And she’s still kicking ass: at 66 years old, she released her first solo album, No Home Record, to critical acclaim, and at 70, she got her first two Grammy nominations for her second solo album, The Collective.
But the best part about Kim Gordon is that even after all the accomplishments, she seems remarkably normal. Instead of being out and about, “she’d rather be at home grilling hot dogs.”
Same, Kim. Same.
Kim Gordon
The basics
🤝 American musician, singer, and songwriter
🤝 b. 1953 (Rochester, New York)
🤝 A key influence in the development of grunge, riot grrrl, alternative and indie rock
Why you should know her: With a voice described as “one of the great instruments in post-punk history,” Kim Gordon shattered expectations in the male-dominated alternative rock scene of the 1980s and 90s; her fearless approach has made her a role model for generations of aspiring musicians, especially women
If you like
✨ Nirvana
✨ Pixies
✨ Hole
✨ Bikini Kill
Known for
🏆 Being the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and a founding member of Sonic Youth
🏆 Working consistently as a visual artist throughout her musical career
🏆 Epitomizing an “ineffable, magnetic coolness”
🏆 Using her platform to challenge societal norms and question power structures; tackling issues like body image, misogyny, and sexual harassment in her lyrics
🏆 Acting in film & television for the last 20+ years, 46 acting credits
🏆 Her Sonic Youth album Daydream Nation, widely considered one of the greatest albums of all time; selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Recording Registry
🏆 Being a critically acclaimed solo artist, 2 Grammy Award nominations
Bite-sized facts
🍪 Born in Rochester, NY, she lived in British Hong Kong for 1 year during her childhood but was primarily raised in Los Angeles
🍪 Grew up listening to John Coltrane and jazz; her father was professor at UCLA and her mother was a seamstress who Kim described as “an unfulfilled artist”
🍪 Had one older brother, Keller (1949–2023) who she said was “the person who more than anyone else in the world shaped who I was, and who I turned out to be”
🍪 In high school, dated classmate Danny Elfman (lead singer of Oingo Boingo and composer of the The Simpsons theme song)
🍪 Studied dance in Toronto and later worked at an Indian restaurant to pay her tuition at Otis College of Art and Design in LA
🍪 In 1980, moved to New York City to start an art career; worked as a writer for Artforum and curated exhibitions at art galleries
🍪 By 27, Gordon had never played an instrument but was inspired to become a musician after seeing “No-Wave” bands perform downtown
“Punk rock was tongue-in-cheek, saying, ‘Yeah, we’re destroying rock.’ No-wave music is more like, ‘NO, we’re really destroying rock.’ It was very dissonant. I just felt like, wow, this is really free. I could do that.”
🍪 In 1981, joined the short-lived band CKM where she met Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo; started dating Moore and at 28, formed Sonic Youth with him and Ranaldo
🍪 At 29, released Sonic Youth’s first unnamed EP (considered by the band to be their first album), and at 31, married Thurston Moore
🍪 Got her first commercial hit in 1990 with Sonic Youth’s album, Goo; went on tour with Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr. to promote the album
🍪 Developed an immediate kinship and big-sisterly, “maternal bond” with Kurt Cobain, who was inspired by Sonic Youth and even wore a Sonic Youth shirt for Nirvana’s last show before he passed
🍪 In 1991, debuted as a producer on Hole’s first album, Pretty on the Inside; received critical acclaim and later achieved cult status
🍪 In 1994, gave birth to her only child, daughter Coco
🍪 Sonic Youth released their final studio album, The Eternal, in 2009 and disbanded after 30 years in 2011 when Gordon and Moore separated after 27 years of marriage
🍪 Was diagnosed with DCIS breast cancer during her divorce, which was successfully treated with surgery
🍪 After disbanding Sonic Youth, published a memoir, Girl in a Band (2015) and immersed herself in producing art
“I almost feel like I'm making up for lost time. I feel like I owe it to myself. Because my whole life I wanted to be a visual artist. I really got sidetracked into music.”
🍪 Released her first solo album in 2019 (No Home Record) and her second in 2024 (The Collective); got her first 2 Grammy nominations and widespread critical acclaim
Fashion
🕶️ Starting in 1993, Gordon co-owned X-Girl, a women’s streetwear clothing company in LA
🕶️ The first X-Girl store was opened in Los Angeles in 1994 and actress Chloë Sevigny modeled for the clothing line
🕶️ Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze were involved in the brand’s early promotion, including its first fashion show in Soho
🕶️ In September 2008, Gordon launched a limited-edition fashion line called Mirror/Dash
🕶️ Was inspired by French musician Françoise Hardy and based on the idea that “there’s a need for clothes for cool moms”
Music projects
In addition to Sonic Youth and her solo work, Kim Gordon has also formed a variety of collaborative music projects since the 1980s:
🎸 1989 — Harry Crews: started this hardcore punk and crossover thrash supergroup and released the album, Naked in Garden Hills
🎸 1992 — Mirror/Dash: started this short-lived project with Moore and released the single, “Electric Pen”
🎸 1993 — Free Kitten: formed this musical project with Julia Cafritz, and released their debut album Nice Ass, in 1995
🎸 2002 — The Supreme Indifference: joined this musical collaboration that involved Gordon, Jim O’Rourke and Alan Licht
🎸 2013 — Body/Head: started this noise guitar project with experimental guitarist Bill Nace, and released an album, Coming Apart
🎸 2015 — Glitterbust: formed this experimental musical group with guitarist Alex Knost, releasing a self-titled debut album in March 2016
Visual art
In addition to being a musician, Kim Gordon is also a visual artist who has been exhibiting her work for nearly 30 years. She paints, sculpts, collages, and creates sound and video installations, often exploring themes of deconstruction and re-composition.
🎨 1996: exhibited her paintings in the Baby Generation show at Parco gallery in Tokyo
🎨 2000: her exhibition Kim’s Bedroom was shown in the Netherlands; included drawing, paintings, and live music
🎨 2003: featured in the Gothenburg Biennale and exhibited an installation art collaboration called Club In The Shadow in New York City
🎨 2005: released an artist’s book, Kim Gordon Chronicles Vol. 1; in 2006, released Kim Gordon Chronicles Vol. 2 featuring her drawings, collages, and paintings
🎨 2013: held multiple art exhibitions including The Show Is Over at Gagosian Gallery in London and Design Office with Kim Gordon — Since 1980 at White Columns, New York
🎨 2014: presented newly created Wreath Paintings throughout the Fitzpatrick-Leland House under the name “Design Office”
🎨 2019, opened her first North American museum solo-exhibition, Kim Gordon: Lo-Fi Glamour, at The Andy Warhol Museum; featured a commissioned score for Andy Warhol’s silent film Kiss (1963-64)
In film & TV
📺 Last Days (2005): made her first acting appearance as a record executive in this Gus Van Sant film loosely based on the last days of Kurt Cobain’s life
📺 Gilmore Girls (2006): played a street troubadour in Season 6 with Thurston Moore and their then-11-year-old daughter, Coco, who was a fan of the show; performed the Sonic Youth song “What a Waste”
📺 Boarding Gate (2007): played a textile exporter in this thriller by French writer-director Olivier Assayas
📺 I’m Not There (2007): appeared in this Todd Haynes film inspired by the life of Bob Dylan playing fictional folkie Carla Hendricks
📺 Girls (2014): appeared in the season three premiere of the hit HBO show; played Mindy, a recovering drug addict in Jessa’s rehab support group
📺 The Nightmare (2015): played a schoolteacher and contributed to the soundtrack of this German horror film that premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival
📺 Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (2018): played a supporting role in this Gus Van Sant comedy-drama
Songs & dates
♫ 1983 Sonic Youth releases their first studio album, Confusion is Sex; called “an important example of the no wave genre” and “the band’s funniest, hardest-rocking, and most underrated album ever”
♫ 1987 “Schizophrenia,” “(I Got A) Catholic Block,” and “Stereo Sanctity” become fan-favorite songs from Sonic Youth’s 4th album, Sister
♫ 1988 “Teen Age Riot,” “Silver Rocket,” “Candle,” and “Providence” are released as singles from Sonic Youth’s 5th album, Daydream Nation, which receives widespread critical acclaim; considered to be their greatest work
♫ 1994 “Bull in the Heather” is released as a single off Sonic Youth’s 8th album, Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star; reaches No. 34 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart
♫ 1995 “Little Trouble Girl” and “The Diamond Sea” are released as singles off Sonic Youth’s 9th studio album, Washing Machine; reaches No. 58 on the US Billboard 200 chart and No. 39 on the UK Albums chart
♫ 2009 Sonic Youth’s 15th album, The Eternal, reaches No. 18 on the US Billboard Top 200 Chart; their final studio album, described as “a rock & roll ass-kicker”
♫ 2019 “Murdered Out,” “Sketch Artist,” “Air BnB,” and “Hungry Baby” are released as singles off her first solo album, No Home Record
♫ 2024 “Bye Bye” is released as a single off her second solo album, The Collective; gets her first two Grammy nominations
She said
⭐ “I never really thought of myself as a musician. I’m not saying Sonic Youth was a conceptual-art project for me, but in a way, it was an extension of Warhol. Instead of making criticism about popular culture, as a lot of artists do, I worked within it to do something.”
⭐ “You sorta want to get lost and you hope that the audience gets lost with you... You can feel if they’re listening, you can feel if there’s some connection.”
⭐ “It’s amazing how many things you can do when you’re just pretending.”
⭐ “Women make natural anarchists and revolutionaries...”
⭐ “I’ve done art on my own, and I’ve also collaborated with other people to make art. And collaborating with other people is always interesting because you end up doing things you probably wouldn’t do otherwise.
⭐ “Basketball and ping-pong are my two forms of exercise.”
We love Kim
Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill
💗 “She was a forerunner, musically. Just knowing a woman was in a band trading lead vocals, playing bass, and being a visual artist at the same time made me feel less alone. As a radical feminist singer, I wasn’t particularly well liked. I was in a punk underground scene dominated by hardcore dudes who yelled mean shit at me every night, and journalists routinely called my voice shrill, unlistenable. Kim made me feel accepted in a way I hadn’t before. Fucking Kim Gordon thought I was on the right track, haters be damned. It made the bullshit easier to take, knowing she was in my corner.”
Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys
💗 “Wherever Kim ends up, she is the coolest person in the room. But I know her, and I know she’d rather be at home grilling hot dogs."
Kim Gordon Playlist
I gathered my fav Gordon songs, from me to you with love. Like & save on Spotify and listen all week 🎧
Where to start
“Bull in the Heather”
Watch Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna in this Sonic Youth music video for their 1994 song “Bull in the Heather”
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Kim Gordon with Kim Deal
Performing for the first time together anywhere, Kim Gordon and Kim Deal sing “Little Trouble Girl” from Sonic Youth’s album Washing Machine
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Music video with her daughter
Coco Gordon Moore stars in this music video for her mother’s single, “Bye Bye” from her solo album, The Collective (2024)
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Directing with Spike Jonze
In 1993, Kim Gordon co-directed The Breeders’ music video for “Cannonball” with Spike Jonze. Check it out:
Down the rabbit hole
If you wanna dive even deeper:
1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
This film documents Sonic Youth’s European tour with Nirvana in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The Ramones and Gumball.
Watch for free on Youtube.
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