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American Idol's final 2: Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis (americanidol.com)America's new idol: Stronger voice wins out
After thousands of auditions and hundreds of songs, American Idol crowned a winner last night. Today, we hear why the teen queen Jordin Sparks the beat-boxing entertainer Blake Lewis. Also: a live performance by the Rosebuds, a synth-pop duo featuring husband-and-wife team Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp. Finally: EMI, home to major artists like the Beatles and Coldplay, has accepted a takeover bid by private equity firm. We find out what it means for the future direction of the recording industry.
The Final Sing-Off
Ann Powers, pop music critic of the Los Angeles Times, and Jody Rosen, music critic of Slate.com, weigh in last night's final episode of Fox's "American Idol," which crowned 17-year-old Jordin Sparks as the new champion.
Jody Rosen on "Idol" at Slate.com
Ann Powers on "Idol" at LATimes.com
The Rosebuds
The Rosebuds, a duo featuring husband-and-wife team Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp perform live in the studio. The band conjures up a dark version of New Order for their third album, "Night of the Furies."
EMI R.I.P.?
If EMI, the label of artists from Enrico Caruso and the Beatles to Coldplay goes through with a takeover bid by a private equity firm, it would be a tragedy for the music world, according to Time Riley. The blogger, NPR commentator and author of "Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary," joins us to explain why.
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Go behind the scenes!
Find out what John Schaefer and the Soundcheck staff have to say about recent segments on the show. Plus, watch videos from in-studio performances.
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Introducing our Video Contest
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John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.
In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
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The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
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Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico
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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.
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In Studio: Stephanie McKay
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The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.
- Comments [3]
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.
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.
