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Soundcheck

Tuesday, November 15, 2005
  • Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music by Chris Willman
    Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music by Chris Willman (The New Press)

    Country Comes to Town

    New York's been overrun by country music for the past week. Today, we speak with Entertainment Weekly’s senior writer Chris Willman for a round-up of the week’s events. We'll get his take on so-called Red state music here in Blue state territory. And, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. Cash's life is being celebrated in a new film coming out at the end of this week. We’ll take an in-depth look at the story of the Folsom prison recording. And we speak with New Yorker writer Sasha Frere-Jones about hip hop…from Houston.

Rednecks & Bluenecks

As New York's first-ever Country Music Association Awards get underway, we take look at the politics of country music with author Chris Willman.
» Country Music Association Web site
» More on Chris Willman's Rednecks and BluenecksWeb site

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison

The story behind the classic recording with author Michael Streissguth.
» Review of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.

Hip hop in Houston

How Houston is hopping to a hip hop beat with Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker magazine.

Best Live Performances of 2008

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We revisit memorable in-studio performances from Toumani Diabaté, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, and others.

The Year in Music and Branding

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Pop music and advertising go together like peanut butter and jelly. Grey Group music director Josh Rabinowitz shares his picks for the best song picks and ad campaigns of 2008.

Critics Week

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Music writers look back at the year's best pop, rock, hip hop, classical, jazz, Latin and world albums. Plus: the worst music of the year and the best online music. Read our critics' lists here. And don't forget to cast your vote in our best-albums poll.

Noteworthy New York

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We have invited musicians and artists to help us select their favorite cultural destination in the neighborhood where they live. From parks and coffee shops to bowling alleys and museums, the options are as diverse as our group of contributors.