On June 15, 2007, Thurston Moore announced that Sonic Youth was recording a new song for a compilation album under Starbucks Entertainment.

[3] The band initially reached out to Starbucks to promote their fourteenth studio album Rather Ripped (2006) in the company's coffeehouses, however, this suggestion was halted by a six-month approval process.

[3] The fifteen previously released songs were individually selected by celebrities for inclusion, including Catherine Keener, Mike D, Beck, Radiohead, Portia de Rossi, Diablo Cody, Allison Anders, Dave Eggers, Mike Watt, Eddie Vedder, Michelle Williams, Flea, Gus Van Sant, David Cross, Chloë Sevigny, and The Flaming Lips.

Heather Phares of AllMusic praised the album, in which she stated that it "works surprisingly well as an introduction to Sonic Youth's sound and approach.

"The World Looks Red" written by Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Jim Sclavunos and Michael Gira.