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Soundcheck / October 09, 2007

Soundcheck

Tuesday, October 09, 2007
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  • Joy Division
    Joy Division

    Music Moves at the Multiplex

    Joy Division was one of the gloomiest rock bands to emerge from England in the late '70s. The troubled life of the band's front-man, Ian Curtis, is now the subject of the rock biopic "Control." We talk to the film's director, Anton Corbijn. Also: Composer AR Rahman is a star in his native India, having sold more than 100 million albums, and composed the soundtracks to dozens of Bollywood films. Now American audiences are about to get more familiar with his music, which is featured in Cate Blanchett's film "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," which opens this Friday. Finally, Soundcheck's CD Picks of the week.

No Joy in Tragic Tale

The British band Joy Division had a short life in the late 70s, but today it has become one of the biggest influences in alternative rock, with disciples like Interpol and the Killers. The troubled life of the band’s front-man, Ian Curtis, is now the subject of the rock biopic "Control." We talk to the film's director, Anton Corbijn.

Control Web site

Soundcheck CD Picks of the Week

Each week, the Soundcheck staff digs through their inboxes for the best, catchiest, or strangest music they can find.

Marcel Khalifé: Taqasim (Nagam Records/Connecting Cultures Records)
Marcel Khalifé is a Lebanese composer and master of the Arabic lute oud who lives in exile in Paris. This instrumental record explores the lower registers of the oud and double bass, making music that sounds like poetry. --Gisele Regatao

Taqasim is available for purchase at amazon.com

Corigliano: The Red Violin Concerto; Sonata for Violin and Piano Joshua Bell, violin; Jeremy Denk, piano; Marin Alsop conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Sony Classical)
John Corigliano's film score for “The Red Violin” is heard here in a concerto version that showcases the lush violin playing of soloist Joshua Bell. --Brian Wise

The Red Violin Concerto is available for purchase at amazon.com

Saralunden & Andrey Kiritchenko: There Was No End
Swedish singer/synthesizer player meets Ukrainian producer on an album of unhurried, moody, occasionally eerie songs. Definitely late-night listening. --John Schaefer

There Was No End More details on the label's Web site

José González: In Our Nature
An Argentinian Swede is an unlikely way to introduce yourself, but José González is one of the more thoughtful singer-songwriters on the scene, as his latest album attests. --Allison Lichter

In our nature is available for purchase at amazon.com

AR Rahman

Dubbed the Mozart from Madras, AR Rahman is India's best-known composer. While American audiences know the music he wrote for Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit "Bombay Dreams," they’re about to get even more familiar with his work, thanks to "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," a film about Queen Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett that opens this Friday.

AR Rahman's Web site

cab

Noteworthy New York

Soundcheck

We have invited musicians and artists to help us select their favorite cultural destination in the neighborhood where they live. From parks and coffee shops to bowling alleys and museums, the options are as diverse as our group of contributors.

vote

Your "Democracy Song"

Soundcheck

As we march toward Election Day, Soundcheck wants you to identify a song that captures the spirit of democracy. It might be Woody Guthrie’s populist classic “This Land Is Your Land” or Sly and the Family Stone’s funky hit “Everyday People.” It might even be a current Top 40 hit with mass appeal. Put on your musical thinking cap, get creative, then post your song here.

walmart

Buying Music: A Smackdown Series

Soundcheck

Check out our ongoing series of Soundcheck Smackdown debates on the music marketplace -- and how we shop inside it. Part I: the pros and cons of MySpace. Part II: two documentarians throw down over music at Wal-Mart. Coming up: Part III: iTunes and Part IV: iPod vs. Zune

Atmosphere

Atmosphere

Soundcheck

With minimalist beats and confessional rhymes, the hip-hop duo Atmosphere became the toast of the hip-hop underground after it formed 10 years ago. Now, the group has turned to classic funk and soul, and frontman Slug is still telling captivating stories. They perform in our studio.

Tin Pan Alley

Tin Pan Alley

Soundcheck

A two-block stretch of West 28th Street was once the home of American songwriters and music publishers. But buildings in area are now up for sale, and preservationists fear a major development is in the works. We look at the history and future of Tin Pan Alley.

Michael Azerrad

I Am Azerrad ... No, I Am Azerrad!

Soundcheck

Nirvana biographer and indie-rock historian Michael Azerrad writes about musicians for a living. Now, the British band Tubelord (pictured) has written about him -- and the lyrics are a tad scary.

Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile

Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile

Soundcheck

Two major players from the worlds of classical and American roots music have joined forces for an album of new material. They perform in our studio.

Tina Dico

Tina Dico

Soundcheck

Singer-songwriter Tina Dico tops the charts in her native Denmark. She joins us to share songs from her latest full-length album, "Count to Ten," as well as a trilogy of EPs.