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Avril Lavigne "The Best Damn Thing"When Influence Becomes Plagiarism
Punk princess Avril Lavigne is the latest pop singer to be accused of outright plagiarizing an older song. Today, we debate the originality of her controversial hit, "Girlfriend," and we look back at the most famous stolen melodies and ripped-off riffs in the history of popular music. Also on the show: Indie-rock mainstays They Might Be Giants sing about dictatorships, heartbreaks, drugs and female empowerment on their new record, "The Else." They perform live in the studio.
Stolen Moments in Pop Music
Avril Lavigne is in the middle of the biggest critical thumping of her life currently, thanks to 70's band The Rubinoos' claim that one of their songs was stolen by the punk princess for her hit "Girlfriend." Still, isn't most modern music a direct rip-off of something from the past? Joining us with two views on topic are Timothy English, author of "Sounds Like Teen Spirit," and Robert Clarida, an attorney specializing in copyright and intellectual property issues.
Weigh in: Is the lawsuit against Avril Lavigne justified? Isn't most modern music a direct rip-off of something from the past?
Video: Compare Avril Lavigne with the Rubinoos
"Sounds Like Teen Spirit" website
They Might Be Giants Live
They Might Be Giants has been popular in the college music scene since their self-titled debut 1986. Now releasing their 12th studio album together, it deals with a host of topics, from dictatorships to drugs. They join us today with a live performance.
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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: Los Amigos Invisibles
Soundcheck
The Venezuelan funk-rock band "Los Amigos Invisibles" was discovered by David Byrne in a Manhattan record shop. They perform live on Soundcheck.
In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
Soundcheck
The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
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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.
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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.
