wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

On Demand

Program Schedule

Topics


Soundcheck

Friday, March 09, 2007
Previous Episode | Next Episode

  • Natural High

    Forget the Three Tenors. There's nothing as intriguing as the androgynous male voice like that of indie crooner Antony, jazz singer Jimmy Scott or countless countertenors. Today, we look at the falsetto and how it challenges traditional gender roles. Also: Indie darlings of Montreal perform live in our studio. Finally, composer Sebastian Currier talks about winning this year's prestigious Grawemeyer Award for composition.

Dude Sings Like a Lady

Russell Oberlin, a major figure in the 20th-century countertenor revival, and Edward Miller, associate professor of Media Culture at the College of Staten Island/City University of New York, about the legacy of the male falsetto in classical, rock, soul and other genres.

Edward Miller's Web site
Russell Oberlin bio

Chamber Work Wins 2007 Grawemeyer Award

Sebastian Currier wins the 2007 Grawemeyer Prize for Music Composition for his quintet Static, written in 2003. The award, which carries a cash prize of $200,000 and is administered by the University of Louisville, is among the most prestigious for composers in academe. Today Currier talks about his winning composition.

of Montreal

Indie darlings of Montreal actually come out of the Athens music scene. They joins us to talk about their acclaimed new album "Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer?" and to perform live in our studio.

of Montreal's Web site

Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas

Soundcheck

August 22, 2008
New Orleans singer Irma Thomas has survived 50 years in the music business - and at least two hurricanes. She joins us to talk about her record, Simply Grand.

Bon Iver

Soundcheck

July 30, 2008
Singer-songwriter Justin Vernon spent a winter holed up in his father's hunting cabin in remote Wisconsin, recording songs about solitude that would be released under the name Bon Iver. He joins us to play some of them live.

Billboard Chart

Who's On Top and Who Should Be?

Soundcheck

August 14, 2008
Soundcheck looks at the artists who are reigning atop the Billboard albums chart -- and what their rankings tell us about the state of pop music.

Janelle Monae

The Next Big Things

Soundcheck

Paste magazine editor-in-chief Josh Jackson joins us to talk about Johnny Flynn, Janelle Monae, Bon Iver, Amy MacDonald and other must-hear artists who made Paste’s list of "The Best of What’s Next: 26 Emerging Artists You Should Know."

  1. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from Denver (08/29/2008)
  2. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 4 (09/04/2008)
  3. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 2 (09/02/2008)
  4. The Leonard Lopate Show: Young'Uns (09/03/2008)
  5. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 3 (09/03/2008)
  6. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 1 (09/01/2008)
  7. The Leonard Lopate Show: Big Storm (09/04/2008)