In the early 80s Sonic Youth regenerated the spirit of punk by creating their own spectacular brand of noise rock. Without them, much of the independent rock community that followed would never have come into being and it was a direct result of their influence that Nirvana releases Nevermind on a major label.

Drawing on interviews with the group and the people closest to them, Steve Chick gives a fascinating insight into this most fearless and adventurous of bands, charting their revolutionary path and exploring the aftershocks they left both on pop culture and the counter-culture.