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Soundcheck / December 13, 2006

Soundcheck

Wednesday, December 13, 2006
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  • Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
    Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

    Whose Song Is it Anyway?

    Sampling has always been at the heart of hip-hop, but as the genre finds its way onto more T.V. commercials, and film soundtracks, artists find they have to pay up when they borrow without permission. Today, we'll hear how some DJs are avoiding legal hassles by writing their own samples. Also: Find out how baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky went from fronting a Soviet-era metal band to taking bows at at the Metropolitan Opera. And finally: the story behind those point of purchase CDs at Pottery Barn and Banana Republic.

Plagiarism or Sampling?

Sampling can make a hit song, but it can also lead to a lawsuit: Artists must pay up when they borrow without permission. Guests include Pete Miser, a solo hip-hop artist, DJ, and self-made hip-hop scholar; and Jon Price, who works in sample clearances.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Velvety-voiced baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky takes time out from his busy Metropolitan Opera schedule to share his latest recordings.

Counter Culture

Custom CDs sit at the counters of countless stores, including Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Banana Republic. Today, we speak with Jeff Daniel, president of Rock River Music, which creates them.

Rock River Music's Web site

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.