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Soundcheck / January 23, 2007

Soundcheck

Tuesday, January 23, 2007
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  • Isaac Hayes
    Isaac Hayes

    Cooking up some Hot Buttered Soul

    It's been 50 years since the legendary soul label Stax opened its doors in Memphis, Tenn. It went bankrupt in 1975, but it's now being reactivated this year with a host of deluxe reissues, special events and new releanses slated. Today, we look at its history and future with Isaac Hayes, a soul legend in his own right who, of course, gave the 1971 film "Shaft" its iconic theme music. Also on the show: the New York-based band Pistolera, which started playing their brand of high-powered latin folk in 2005 at a party in Brooklyn.

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes was the voice of Chef on South Park and wrote the famous theme to the 1971 film "Shaft." Today, he talks about an earlier stage in his career: creating the signature sound of Memphis soul music.

Memphis 50 Years of Soul Web site

Stax is Back

Stax Records, which gave the world such stars as Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding and the Staple Singers, has been reactivated for its 50th anniversary year. We find out why it was so pivotal to music history with Rob Bowman, author of the book "Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records."

Pistolera

The New York-based Latin folk band Pistolera performs live in the studio.

Pistolera'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.