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Soundcheck

Wednesday, October 04, 2006
  • The Decemberists
    The Decemberists (copyright 2002/2003 Alicia J. Rose)

    The Price of Celebrity

    David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin all achieved monumental fame in their lifetime, and it wasn't always a good thing. Today on the show, we look at the impact of fame on musicians and celebrities of all kinds, and their fans. Also, the newest record from the indie band, The Decemberists, combines a tragic Japanese folk tale with a fair dose of rock'n'roll. The band brings their highly literate pop music by for a live performance.

The High Cost of Being Famous

The Sex Pistols, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and David Bowie are just some of the artists who achieved enormous fame in their lifetimes. We'll look at the impact of fame and the price that musicians, and fans, pay for celebrity.

The Decemberists

The Portland, Oregon-based band is known for theatrical performances and highly literate songwriting. Their newest record is called "The Crane Wife" and they'll perform live in the studio.
The Decemberists website

Available for purchase at The Decemberists at Amazon.com

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

Soundcheck

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.