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Soundcheck / August 11, 2006

Soundcheck

Friday, August 11, 2006
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  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

    Blockbuster Scores

    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.

The Magic of Movie Music

German-born composer Hans Zimmer got his start in the world of pop music as a member of The Buggles, whose hit "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first music video to be aired on MTV. He's gone on to write over one hundred film scores and earned an Academy Award for Best Original Score, a Golden Globe, an American Music Award, a Tony and two Grammy Awards for the "The Lion King." Today he talks about scoring two of this year's blockbuster films, "The DaVinci Code" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

An Invitation to Introspection

Vancouver, B.C., multi-instrumentalist Imaad Wasif has just hit the road playing back-up for the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, but he's also releasing his own solo cd, filled with songs about isolation, self-obsession and redemption. He'll play live in the studio.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Music critic David Hurwitz tells us why, in Mozart's 250th anniversary year, there's absolutely nothing to celebrate.

Introducing our Video Contest

Soundcheck

John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.

In Studio: Angel Deradoorian

Soundcheck

The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.

Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico

Soundcheck

Cucu Diamantes went from a tough childhood in Havana, Cuba, to an art school in Rome to underground New York City, where she co-founded the Latin alternative band Yerba Buena.

In Studio: Stephanie McKay

Soundcheck

The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.

The Decemberists

In Studio: The Decemberists

The Portland, Ore., band's latest album, "The Hazards of Love," is a concept album with a mythological flair. They joined Soundcheck to play live for a studio audience in WNYC's Greene Space.

headphone

Sound Off

Soundcheck

Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.