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British Invasion 3.0

A growing number of retro-soul singers from the UK are taking over the album charts. Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" scored the highest ever debut for a British woman (number seven), and Joss Stone's "Introducing Joss Stone" followed a week later, debuting at number two. On today's show, LA Times critic Ann Powers, and music journalist Oliver Wang, join us to discuss how American culture is really driving the New British Invasion and what this means.

Oliver Wang's writing on the Retro Soul movement

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Wilco Gets Happy

Wilco shed its alt-country label in 2002 with the experimental sounds (and music-industry drama) of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." The band pushed pop boundaries further with their next album “A Ghost Is Born.” On their new CD, Wilco opts for epic guitar solos and lyrics that find frontman/songwriter Jeff Tweedy sounding, well, happy. Tweedy and bassist John Stirrat join us to talk about “Sky Blue Sky.”

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Open Up and Say "Aa"

Michel van der Aa is one of Europe’s leading young composers. He’s also trained as a film director, and his orchestral and chamber works often include recorded soundtracks and theatrical elements. He joins us to talk about his current work with the Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s workshop.

Michel van der Aa's Website

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