Soundcheck Archive
April 2006
T-Bone's Chops
Friday, April 28, 2006
Legendary producer T-Bone Burnett has been behind some of the biggest names in the music industry, from Bob Dylan to Elvis Costello. He also earned critical acclaim in the film world for his work on the soundtracks to "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and "Walk The Line". He takes the mic and plays some tunes from his new albums live in-studio. Then, a look into one of indie-rock's hottest events, The Coachella Festival. Plus,one lucky band explains how they earned a spot on the Coachella bill through a contest on Myspace. And acclaimed choreographer, director and producer Richard Move discusses his latest project.
Mental Illness and Creativity: Are The Two Linked?
Thursday, April 27, 2006
It is typically accepted that Robert Schumann, Thelonius Monk and Syd Barrett were all brilliant or influential musicians, but their other common link is less well known: They all suffered from some form of mental illness. Today, a look at the links between mental illness and creativity. Also: We all know the saying: Money doesn't grow on trees, but it seems that in Russia, digital music does. A number of Russian web sites -- such as allofmp3.com and mp3search.com -- charge an average of just 10 cents per song, and for high-quality music downloads. But are they legal? Australian journalist Charles Wright joins us to uncover this industry. And finally, Vikku Vinayakram, affectionately known as Vikku, is one of India's finest performers of the ghatam, an ancient percussion instrument of South India. He joins us to show why he's in such great demand in India.
The Jazz Musicians Go Marching In
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Mardi Gras may be over, but New Orleans is gearing up for another major cultural event, the city’s 37th Annual Jazz & Heritage Festival, the first since Hurricane Katrina. Artists ranging from Fats Domino to Bob Dylan are scheduled to perform. Find out whether Jazz Fest can revive the Big Easy. Plus, the WNYC Young People’s Radio Chorus return to Soundcheck to perform pieces by composers John Corigliano and Mark Adamo. And saxophonist Roy Nathanson shares his new solo album, the result of two years of workshopping at Brooklyn's club Barbes.
Films, Flamboyance and Flash
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
With the Tribeca Film Festival getting underway today in Manhattan, we get a primer on film snobbery courtesy of David Kamp and Lawrence Levi, authors of "The Film Snob*s Dictionary." They'll explore that intersection between rock snobbery and film snobbery, from "O Brother" mania to Ennio Morricone. Also: Extroverted Chinese pianist Lang Lang is the enfant terrible of the classical world, playing 150 concerts a year, selling truck-loads of CD's, and prompting strong reactions wherever he goes. Today he joins us to perform selections from his latest release, entitled "Memory." He also tells us about his busy extra-musical pursuits that range from a goodwill UNICEF ambassadorship to appearances on Sesame Street.
Brewing Musical Buzz
Monday, April 24, 2006
What is the sound of Starbucks? Earlier this month, Sonya Kitchel's CD, "Words Came Back to Me," became the second release in its "Hear Music Debut" label, sold in its coffee joints and in record stores nationwide. Today, a look at how Starbucks is cornering the market on mature, sultry-jazz pop with Mark Rahner, a reporter at the Seattle Times. Also: Baaba Maal will share his unique blend of Senegalese pop, traditional West African song, reggae and dance music. And finally, the Boston folk-rock duo The Weepies. They're not shedding any tears since their new album peaked at number one on the iTunes folk chart.
A New Face for the Guggenheim
Friday, April 21, 2006
Many of New York's most famous arts organizations have chosen new directors over the past year including the Guggenheim Museum, who named Lisa Dennison as its director and chief curator last fall. She joins us to talk about issues related to the future of this organization, about its curatorial mission, and its musical offerings, which include a Friday DJ series and the Works & Process concert series. Also: a visit with Northern State, a 20-something all-girl rap trio from Long Island whose sound is a mix of Beastie Boys-style rap and postfeminist attitude. Finally, composer Andrew Ford shares his piece "Scenes from Bruegel," which gets its inspiration from three paintings by the 16th-century Flemish master Pieter Bruegel, and which will be premiered by the New Juilliard Ensemble on April 24.
Sweeney Todd
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Tony Award winner Patti LuPone joins us to talk about her role in the Broadway revival of Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd." The production finds her singing -- and playing the tuba. Also: Music boxes are typically small, delicate items, but imagine creating one large enough to walk through. We hear about a sound installation in Queens known as Fluxbox. And a look at the Dance Theatre Workshop's new production, "Sourcing Stravinsky," which features six different choreographer's takes on the composer.
Indie Rock's Closet Choral Composer
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has become a darling of the indie-rock scene over the past few years known for his lush, theatrical pop songs. But he doesn't only write for solo voice. He's just composed a choral work called "Bloom," drawing on the poetry of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson and today he joins us along with the WNYC Young People's Chorus who give a live performance. Also: Michael Christie, the new music director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic discusses his first season on the job. Finally, a preview of the sixth annual Jammy Awards, which take place at Madison Square Garden Thursday night and celebrate bands who jam in the tradition of the Grateful Dead. Dean Budnick, senior editor of Relix Magazine and founder of Jambands.com joins us.
Muzak Attack
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Muzak is all around us, even if it doesn’t sound like the elevator music of yester-year. Find out how it influences our spending habits. Plus, Charles Busch. The '80s fringe-theater playwright, novelist, and drag performer stops by to talk about directing his first movie, "A Very Serious Person," which opens next week as part of the TriBeCa Film festival. Finally, composer Yehudi Wyner joins us on the phone from Italy to discuss winning the 2006 Pulitzer Prize.
Do Musical Tastes Ripen With Age?
Monday, April 17, 2006
Do your musical tastes stop changing at a certain age? At what point does age "appropriateness" start to enter into what new music you add to your established favorites? At a time when it's increasingly common to find adults over 40 wearing the latest fashions from Urban Outfitters and staying up all night attending rock concerts, that question is more relevant than ever. Joining us to look at the changing generation gap is Ann Powers, pop music critic of the Los Angeles Times, and Adam Sternbergh, a writer for New York magazine. Also: Violinist Midori has made the switch from child prodigy to mature artist more successfully than most. She joins us to talk about her latest projects, which involve bringing audiences to contemporary music.
Franz Ferdinand
Friday, April 14, 2006
Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand stop by to talk about their rise to fame and their take on British pop. Then, in an age when the Pope has an iPod, it's perhaps no surprise that a group of Jesuit priests is offering daily prayer sessions as podcasts. A look at "Pray as You Go." And finally, singer-songwriter Mark Erelli shares his new CD, with its decidedly unusual take on 9/11.
Listening to Pop Music Puts Teens in the Mood
Thursday, April 13, 2006
A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill shows that pre-teens with high sexual media diets have sexual intercourse at greater rates in their teen years. We'll speak to the lead researcher and we'll take your calls. And, we look at pop music for Passover from the 1950s and 1960s. Also: a conversation with composer Yaov Gal whose newest opera features the story of Moses.
From Music and the Mind, to the Queen of Bollywood
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
A study conducted by researchers from Montreal's McGill University this past weekend had conductor Keith Lockhart, musicians in the Boston Symphony, and their audience members wearing special sensors in an unusual attempt to monitor their emotional responses to music. Dr. Daniel Levitin, a cognitive neuroscientist who is a member of the McGill team, joins us. Find out why a Pucini opera may make your heart flutter. Also, composer Michael Galasso discusses his collaboration with experimental director Robert Wilson on Henrik Ibsen's verse-drama "Peer Gynt." And Bollywood movie star Asha Bhosle, the world’s most recorded musician.
Baseball's Greatest Hits
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Few sports have inspired a broader range of music than baseball. Major songwriters and composers have tackled baseball as a subject; several players are musicians themselves (Bernie Williams, Denny McLain); and just about every big star these days has a personal theme song that plays when they go up to bat. Today, as the Yankees open their home season in the Bronx, a look at baseball's soundtrack with Tim Wiles, director of research at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Also: with Passover approaching, we visit with Aaron Bisman and Jacob Harris, who together run JDub Records, a Jewish record label and production company that was behind the success of Hasidic reggae singer Matisyahu. They're also part of a trend towards making Jewish culture hip. Finally: The British punk act Art Brut, one of the most ubiquitous bands at this year's South By Southwest Festival, joins us.
Re-Mixing the Masters
Monday, April 10, 2006
David Byrne and Brian Eno are reissuing their classic 1981 collaboration "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" with a twist. The musicians are inviting fans to edit, remix & sample two tracks from the album. We’ll look at that experiment and talk with a forensic musicologist on the legal ramifications of sampling. Also: DJ and percussionist Karsh Kale shares his new album, "Broken English," which blends South Indian music with electronica and hip-hop. And composer/soprano Joan LaBarbara shares music inspired by Virginia Wolff.
Rock and Rolling into China
Friday, April 07, 2006
The Rolling Stones arrived in Shanghai this week for their first-ever concert in mainland China. The Stones clearly see big benefits to reaching out to an untapped market of over a billion people, yet less certain is how much the Chinese themselves will care for Western rock. Kaiser Kuo, a rock musician, journalist, and China bureau chief of the magazine Red Herring, joins us with some analysis. Also: Gary Nunez and Plena Libre have become contemporary champions of Plena -- the traditional rhythm of Puerto Rico. This musical genre has roots in African music and dance. The group joins us to preview their latest CD. Finally, The American Music Conference has released a new survey on the 100 best communities for music education in America. A look at who made the list.
Rock's Urban Myths
Thursday, April 06, 2006
From Ozzy Osbourne biting off a bat head to Charles Manson auditioning for the Monkeys to the idea that Paul McCartney is Dead – we’ll look at Rock’s Greatest Urban Legends. Also: how a new European law aimed at limiting lead content in electrical items threatens to silence some of the world’s most-cherished pipe organs. And: a visit with boundary-smashing cellist Matt Haimovitz. He’ll share his latest CD featuring Romanian gypsy music…and Led Zeppelin.
The Rise and Fall of Instruments
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
The ukulele is up, the pipe organ is down. So what moves the market of musical instruments? We'll find out what brings certain strings and drums into fashion and what condemns others to obscurity. Also, the life and the controversy behind Stradivari’s violins. And: the hip and young Calder String Quartet.
You Had to Be There
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
From the Beatles at Shea Stadium to Woodstock and Live Aid, classic concerts are both musical and social events. Today, what separates a classic concert from the merely routine performance. Joining us is Rolling Stone editor Joe Levy. Also: The Kronos Quartet has been a familiar face in New York lately with various cross-cultural performances. Kronos violinist David Harrington and pipa player Wu Man discuss their collaborations. And, a conversation with Babs Mollere, general manager of the Louisiana Philharmonic. The orchestra is returning to New Orleans this month after nearly seven months away.
Glam No More?
Monday, April 03, 2006
Is Joe Six-Pack the new symbol of rock ‘n’ roll stardom? Some argue that earnest indie rockers want to be just like you and me. But others argue that emo bands have brought flamboyance and glam back to the rock world in a big way. Today, a conversation with New York Times pop music critic Kelefa Sanneh, and with Marc Hogan, a writer who recently detailed this trend on the Web site Pitchfork Media. Also: stage director Sir Jonathan Miller talks about his stripped-down, casual-dress production of Bach's St. Matthew Passion at BAM. Finally: Erika Sunnegardh went from waitressing to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in just 18 months. The Swedish-American soprano joins us to talk about her debut debut Saturday as the replacement for star Karita Mattila in a performance of Beethoven's "Fidelio."
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