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August 2006

A Band's Best Friend?

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Music publishers are running the show these days when it comes to nurturing new musical talent. Find out how the publisher got ahead of the manager and record executive in launching up-and-coming careers. We also speak with Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Oliver Mtukudzi. One of the giants of southern African pop music, he is credited with pioneering his own genre, known as Tuku. Finally: last week's news that Pluto has been booted off the list of planets disturbed more than just a few astronomy buffs. The British composer Colin Matthews paid homage to the now "dwarf planet" in his 2000 composition "Pluto," and he joins us with his reaction to the news.


Behind the Fab Four

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

The Fab Four created a musical revolution, but they didn't do it on their own. Today on Soundcheck, meet Geoff Emerick, the recording engineer who worked alongside The Beatles as they went from amateur teen heart throbs to an international music sensation. Emerick was responsible for pushing the limits of recording technology on Revolver, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, Abbey Road and much more. Also, a live performance by the musician and inventor Bradford Reed. He's created a one-of-a-kind percussion instrument called the penicillina. He'll perform live in the studio.


Music Conservatories: Are they Worth it?

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

As students are heading back to school, US News and World Report has published its annual ranking of "America's Best Colleges," which includes a special category for music and arts schools. Today, we take a look at the list and at the state of higher education for music. Robert Morse, the magazine's data research director, explains the rankings. Also with us to look at music training and the job market is Chris Pasles, Staff Writer at the Los Angeles Times, and Robert Sirota, president of the Manhattan School of Music. Also: New Orleans trumpeter Maurice Brown talks about his career post-Katrina.


XM vs. Sirius: Battling Satellite Radio Services

Monday, August 28, 2006

Satellite has been called the Great Hope for radio: A medium with whole channels devoted to swing jazz, baroque classics, and African pop. But such niche channels have disappeared from XM and Sirius, and some experts are saying that may be connected to the huge financial losses that the rival satellite services are reporting. Today, Marc Fisher, a reporter for the Washington Post, compares the two services and explains how they're locked in a head-to-head battle. Also: gypsy jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel performs live songs from his new album, "Gypsy Rumble."


Latin Music on Main Street, U.S.A.

Friday, August 25, 2006

While the U.S. Senate advances a sweeping immigration bill, Latin music continues to boom. Between 2004 and 2005, Latin music sales jumped by 14% while overall music sales declined by 3.9%. Los Angeles Times reporter Agustin Gurza and Putumayo records president Dan Storper examine why. Also on the show: a live performance from Elizabeth and the Catapult, a young band that meshes classical piano sounds, soulful vocals, and funky rhythmic grooves. Finally, the backlash from bad-mouthing the Bush administration ousted the Dixie Chicks from the country community, but it earned them lots of credibility and, according to some critics, a fresh sense of purpose. We look at their bluegrass-meets-lite-rock CD, "Taking the Long Way."


An Electro-Pop Pioneer Returns

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Thomas Dolby may be best known for his 80s hit single, "She Blinded Me with Science." but these days he's a tech geek of a different sort. Today, the producer, inventor and entrepreneur, talks about founding his own company that created the polyphonic ringtone software used in over 100 million cellular phones. Also: Josh Ritter's third album, "The Animal Years" is out and it finds him expanding beyond the usual singer-songwriter mould into more adventurous territory. He joins us to share highlights. Finally, a look at "Sounds of Silence" a film that profiles underground Iranian rockers and rappers struggling with censorship. This is a repeat broadcast.


Muzak Attack

Wednesday, August 23, 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.


Music on the Brain

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

A study conducted by researchers from Montreal's McGill University earlier this year 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 to explain why a Puccini opera may make your heart flutter. Also, Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle. She's the world's most recorded musician, having been featured in nearly 1,000 Bollywood films over six decades. And finally, composer Michael Galasso discusses his collaboration with experimental director Robert Wilson on Henrik Ibsen's verse-drama "Peer Gynt." This is a repeat edition of Soundcheck


From Consoles to Concert Halls

Monday, August 21, 2006

Concert promoters and record labels are increasingly eager to present music found in popular video games. The video game industry itself is attracting many prominent composers and performers, from Snoop Dogg to Danny Elfman. Today, a look at the growing video game music industry with Tommy Tallarico, the producer of a two-hour video game music concert for orchestras, and a composer of music for many video games. Also with us is Billboard business editor Brian Garrity, and Martin Leung, a.k.a. The Video Game Pianist. Also, a talk with Jeff Chang, author of Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation, about recent trends in hip hop. And a live performance by Daryl Sherman and the bandleader Vince Giordano, featuring a musical toast to the twenties and thirties. This is a repeat broadcast of Soundcheck.


The Next Big Ring

Friday, August 18, 2006

The hot new ring tone you hear might not come from Bubba Sparxxx but from Chet Baker. Blue Note announced that they’re releasing jazz hits as ring tones for an older demographic. Can ring tones appeal to older people too? Tune in as we talk tones, and take your calls, with executives at Billboard and Blue Note. Also, we’ll have a live performance with Rain Phoenix and her psychedelic pop band, Papercranes.


Immigrant Song

Thursday, August 17, 2006

New census figures show that immigrants from Mexico, China, India and Guyana have grown in huge numbers throughout New York City. Today, find out what your new neighbors are listening to -- from Mexican rock to a rap group from Chinatown. Also on the show: Duncan Sheik, a pop singer who hit the charts in the mid-90s with "Barely Breathing," and who recently made a mark in a new arena with his hit Off-Broadway musical "Spring Awakening." He joins us in advance of his appearance at Spiegeltent near the South Street Seaport. And finally, a live performance by Indian Ocean, a band from New Delhi whose unique music fuses Indian folk, jazz and rock.


Following The Long Tail

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The hot best seller, "The Long Tail," is causing a sensation with its claims about how the Internet is rewriting the old rules of commerce, especially when it comes to digital music sales. The book’s Chris Anderson joins guest host Anthony DeCurtis to discuss his blockbuster ideas and address his critics. Also: a live performance by songwriter Vienna Teng. She worked as a software engineer at Cisco for two years before she decided to quit and pursue her dream as a singer-songwriter. She explains why she traded in one keyboard for another.


The Old School Comes of Age

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Today, a look at the re-emergence of rappers from the hip-hop heyday of the late '80s and early '90s. Did the industry leave them behind? Or have they been shaking up the underground all these years? Joining us is the rapper C.L. Smooth, whose new album "American Me" arrives in September, and Mark Anthony Neal, author and Associate Professor of Black Popular Culture at Duke University. Also on the show: jazz bassist Charlie Haden. He is currently playing a week at the Blue Note with his hard-swinging Quartet West. He joins us to talk about the group's first 20 years together. And finally, Ratatat, an electronic duo from Brooklyn who make clever, synth-driven post rock, joins us to share cuts from their second album, "Classics."


Meltdowns Abound

Monday, August 14, 2006

From Fiona Apple’s nervous breakdown to U2’s malfunctioning giant lemon, no musician is immune to the catastrophe of the onstage meltdown. We’ll speak with Mike Errico of Blender.com about the most infamous instances of absurd sets, drunken lead singers and other concerts gone bad. Also: Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thompson of the socially conscious hip-hop band The Roots talks about the band's latest record. And, a live performance by singer-songwriter Todd Snider, whose latest songs are about the lost art of accountability.


Blockbuster Scores

Friday, August 11, 2006

Composer Hans Zimmer has written two of this year’s major film scores: The Da Vinci Code and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. As "Pirates" enters its fourth week near the top of the box office rankings, Zimmer joins to talk about scoring that film. Also: the music industry has been celebrating Mozart’s 250th birthday this year with new CDs and special concerts. We’ll speak with one critic who finds it all pretty tedious. And: Imaad Wasif, a Vancouver-born singer/guitarist who has recently joined the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s, plays live in the studio.


What the Troops are Listening To

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Thirty-five years ago, American soldiers in Vietnam got their music from transistor radio tuned to Armed Forces Radio, which featured a limited playlist of rock hits from the Doors and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Today, tech-savvy soldier's -- weaned on PlayStation, Napster and the Internet -- have access to an infinite range of music and digital entertainment. Rolling Stone associate editor Evan Serpick explores the soundtrack to the war through conversations with U.S. soldiers currently serving or recently returned from Iraq. Also: DJ Spooky has always been one of the New York's most adventurous DJ's, having remixed the film "Birth of a Nation," written a book on turntablism and media theory, and collaborated with Slayer's drummer. This weekend, he's curating a program of international DJ music at Central Park's SummerStage, and he joins us today with a preview.


Who wants my MTV?

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

MTV made its debut 25 years ago last week. The channel that began with music videos went on to give us reality shows like "The Real World," "Beavis and Butthead" and "Laguna Beach: The Real OC." Today, on the heels of yesterday's announcement that Google will distribute MTV programming starting later this month, we debate the significance of the channel. Has its dominance been eroded or does it remain a force in youth culture? Also on the show: Ollabelle, a band that mixes elements of traditional country, gospel and blues music, and which comes out of the vibrant roots scene of the East Village. Today they perform music from their second album, "Riverside Battle Songs."


Labels, Lenine and Liszt

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

It's been an especially tough year for the record industry. American album sales fell 5 percent during the third quarter. Weekly album sales recently hit a 10-year low. And recently, after months of talks, EMI and Warner Music Group announced that they were pulling the plug on a proposed merger that would have created the world's second largest music company. But according to Gerd Leonhard, an industry consultant and co-author of the book "The Future of Music," music fans have much to be optimistic about. Also: Lenine, one of Brazil's most celebrated songwriters, who mixes funk, rock and his native maracatu, performs live in the studio. And finally, Leon Botstein, conductor, historian and president of Bard College, talks about his school's upcoming festival devoted to Franz Liszt, arguably the most controversial composer of the 19th century.


From Dylan to Springsteen, How One Producer Spotted Major Talent

Monday, August 07, 2006

Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, and Bruce Springsteen are just a few of the names that the producer John Hammond helped discover and sign to record deals in a six-decade career. Journalist Dunstan Prial tells Hammond's story in the new book, "The Producer: John Hammond and the Soul of American Music," which he discusses today. Also: the young singer-songwriter Kelley McRae has just released "Never Be," her debut album that fuses gospel, country and blues. She joins us with a live performance. Finally, just as the Fulton Fish Market made its way to The Bronx, a traveling performance space known as Speigeltent has landed in its old home at South Street Seaport. Speigeltent's program director Tommy Kriegsmann tells us what to expect.


Trip Back To The '60s

Friday, August 04, 2006

Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who discovered the now-banned hallucinogenic drug LSD, recently celebrated his 100th birthday today. We look at it shaped music of the Hippy movement and beyond. And, a conversation with Thandiswa, an South African pop star whose gained a reputation for being the voice of a new generation of young people in South Africa. Finally, a look at "Backmasking." That's the practice of inserting hidden messages in songs that are revealed when played backwards. THIS IS A REPEAT BROADCAST


From Adult Pop to Kiddie Rock

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Singer Norah Jones has teamed up with some fellow New York musicians to form The Little Willies, performing country-flavored songs by Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson. The group joins us today to share music from their self-titled debut album. Also: music for little kids increasingly means big bucks in an otherwise sluggish period for the music industry. Last week, all three top positions on the Billboard sales chart were occupied by albums made for children: the soundtrack to the Disney movie "High School Musical," Jack Johnson's soundtrack to the film "Curious George" and "Kidz Bop 9," the latest in an ongoing series. Joining us is Robert Levine, a journalist who wrote about the phenomenon for the New York Times and Brady Rymer, a children's music perfomer. Finally, Jay Trachtenberg from KUT-radio previews the 20th annual South by Southwest Festival. THIS IS A REPEAT BROADCAST


Singing Mice

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Not long ago, researchers identified a new singing style specific to mice. Which raises this question—what makes it singing, and makes it...noise? Today on Soundcheck, we speak with John Potter, editor of the Cambridge Companion to Singing. And, Puccini may be a staple of opera houses and an inspiration for Broadway’s RENT, but he’s often regarded as a "guilty pleasure." Author Will Berger joins us with a reassessment of the world’s most popular composer. And, conductor Robert Kapilow offers his perspective on what makes a recording a "must-have." THIS IS A REPEAT BROADCAST


Fair Pay... or Foul Play?

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Executive pay is a hot-button issue in the corporate world but the debate over compensation is playing out in the arts arena as well. We look at the disparity in salaries between top arts executives and rank-and-file musicians -- and whether that's even a problem. Joining us is Wall Street Journal reporter Jacob Hale Russell, and Jesse Rosen, vice president and chief program officer of the American Symphony Orchestra League. Also: Sitar virtuoso Nishat Khan joins us to share the classical music of India – a music that's been in his family for some 400 years. THIS IS A REPEAT BROADCAST