ThurstonMoore

So legendary New York art rockers Sonic Youth will appear on Gossip Girl on Oct. 12. And last year, front man Thurston Moore recorded a version of The Ramones' "Sheena is A Punk Rocker" with Be Your Own Pet's Jemina Pearl for the show.

What the hell is going on here? Since when do bands like Sonic Youth appear on and record songs for shows like Gossip Girl?

I know what some of you are thinking: The Flaming Lips showed up on the original Beverly Hills 90210 back in the '90s, teaching walking jockstrap Steve Sanders that alternative music can really "rock the house." But that was different. The Lips were riding the publicity buzz of their first breakout hit, "She Don't Use Jelly." Sonic Youth doesn't seem to be on any sort of publicity tour, and they certainly don't need to court the teen market to keep making records. So here's the explanation: It turns out Moore and wife/bassist Kim Gordon are big fans of Gossip Girl.