Thurston Moore is a founding member of Sonic Youth and an icon of counterculture. Formed in 1981, and currently on hiatus, Sonic Youth were quintessential "downtown New Yorkers," drawing on noise, no wave, and hardcore punk to shape ideas of alternative, indie, and art rock in the underground and beyond. Their influence remains immeasurable. Moore has released many solo albums, most recently this year’s excellent Rock N Roll Consciousness. His wide-ranging collaborations include Yoko Ono, John Zorn, and Merzbow. Moore publishes poetry and music books through his Ecstatic Peace Library and in 2015, he released Stereo Sanctity, a collection of his lyrics and poems.