Sonic Youth was an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass guitar, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, and rounded out the core line-up. In their early career Sonic Youth were associated with the no wave art and music scene in New York City. Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the hardcore punk ethos throughout the evolving American underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound.

Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star was originally released on May 3, 1994 and features a more low-key approach and references the band’s earlier work on the independent record label SST Records. The album contains quieter and more relaxed songs that deal with personal and political topics. Upon release, Experimental Jet Set reached No. 34 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. It was the band’s highest peak on the US charts until their 2009 album The Eternal reached No. 18. The song “Bull in the Heather” was released as a single and as a music video featuring Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who highlighted the band’s ability to create both noise and melody.