wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

On Demand

Program Schedule

Topics


Soundcheck

Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Previous Episode | Next Episode
  • Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids, & Rock 'n' Roll
    Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids, & Rock 'n' Roll

    Sex, Kids, and Rock ‘n’ Roll

    Cultural Critic Evelyn McDonnell spent her 20s and 30s writing up riot grrls and marching topless down Fifth Avenue. Then she became a mom. Today, she describes the challenge of setting rules after a lifetime spent breaking them. Also: Singer-songwriter Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter play live in our studio.

Sex, Kids, & Rock 'n' Roll

Miami Herald Pop Critic Evelyn McDonnell documented, and took part in, the post-feminist revolution, writing up riot grrls and marching topless down Fifth Avenue. Then she became a mom. In her book, Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids, & Rock 'n' Roll, she describes the challenge of setting rules after a lifetime spent breaking them.

Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter

On her third album, "Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul," singer-songwriter Jesse Sykes offers stark descriptions of isolation, human emotions, and the possibilities of love. She and her band play live in our studio.

Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter perform February 28 at Webster Hall in New York City.

audience

Soundcheck Smackdown: When Contemporary Met Classical

Soundcheck

Like vegetables stuck into a delicious meal, contemporary classical music is forced on concert audiences before they are allowed to enjoy their Brahms. So says humorist, critic and author Joe Queenan. Today, Queenan and John Berry, Artistic Director with English National Opera, join us for a Soundcheck Smackdown debate on the merits of contemporary music.

musical clouds

You Are What You Hear

Soundcheck

Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi takes us through some of the most famously botched song lyrics in rock history. We’ll explore why the words we make up are usually more interesting than the real version. Then, listeners confess their favorite and most embarrassing reinvented lyrics.

Leave a comment: Give us your favorite set of misheard lyrics! Were you disappointed when you learned the actual words?

Rosanne Cash and Mark O'Connor

Soundcheck

For her, he was a father. For him, he was a boyhood hero. For the nation, he was an icon. Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash and composer and violinist Mark O'Connor join us to talk about how Johnny Cash has inspired their musical collaboration. And they will play live.

Katy

Soundcheck's Summer Song Poll

Soundcheck

Every year, popular and critical opinion somehow converge to settle on a "summer song." In 2007, it was Rihanna's "Umbrella." The year before, it was "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. The practice stretches back to the very dawn of pop radio. Yet defining the essence of a "summer song" is a bit elusive. We enlist the help of Blender editor at large Lizzy Goodman -- and of our Soundcheck listeners, in an online poll.

Cast your vote: Soundcheck's Summer Song Poll 2008

Can't decide? Check out audio and video clips of the contestants here.

Our blog: John Schaefer asks what makes a good summer song,

  1. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention (08/25/2008)
  2. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 4 (08/28/2008)
  3. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 3 (08/27/2008)
  4. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 2 (08/26/2008)
  5. The Brian Lehrer Show: Business Connections (08/22/2008)
  6. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from Denver (08/29/2008)
  7. The Leonard Lopate Show: 1-2-3 (08/26/2008)