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Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and bluegrass/folk singer and fiddler Alison Krauss may seem like an unlikely pairing. But listen to "Raising Sand" – their new album together of folk, country, gospel and rockabilly numbers -- and it starts to make sense. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss join us today to share it.

More about "Raising Sand"

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Soundcheck's CD Picks of the Week

Each week, the Soundcheck staff digs through their inboxes for the best, catchiest, or strangest music they can find. Here are Soundcheck's pick for the week ending Oct. 26.

Various Artists, "Sonic Rebellion: Alternative Classical Collection" (Naxos)
If you’re looking for an introduction to modern music landmarks from the past 50 years, you could do worse than this collection. Ignore the cheesy cover and some questionable edits (who knew Terry Riley had a fade-up on his minimalist landmark "In C?"). Then, geek out on short pieces by Cage, Wuorinen, Varese, Crumb, Nancarrow, and a dozen others. --Brian Wise

"Sonic Rebellion" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Orishas: "Antidiotico" (Universal Music Latino)
This Grammy-winning trio is a hip-hop group of Cuban expats who live in Paris, Milan and Madrid. Their fourth album blends boleros and rumbas with rap and pop. It makes you move ... and it provokes, tackling everything from racism to immigration to the Buena Vista Social Club. --Gisele Regatao

"Antidiotico" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Ben Perowsky’s Moodswing Orchestra: "Volume Two" (El Destructo)
This project from New York-based drummer Ben Perowsky is full of spacey trip-hop beats, oozing bass lines, and the occasional typewriter. In other words, this is late-night, bedroom-recording-studio stuff. Perowsky assembled lots of friends for this odd, but beautiful record, including Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori, bossa nova singer Bebel Gilberto, and Joan Wasser of the indie group Joan as Policewoman. --Joel Meyer

"Volume II" is available for purchase at Perowsky.com

Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, "Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians" (Innova)
Out in the farmlands of Allendale, Mich., Bill Ryan, the director of GVSU’s new music group, decided to have his all-student, all-volunteer band learn to play Reich's 1976 masterwork -- long considered one of the most challenging pieces in new music. It was a labor of love –- intense, obsessive love –- and they not only learned to play the piece, they learned to play it well. -- John Schaefer

GVSU's recording of "Music for 18 Musicians" is available for purchase here.

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DJ Rekha

Ten years ago, Rekha Malhotra, or DJ Rekha, started presenting live performances that mixed folk music from India, Bollywood and hip hop to create a music style known as Bhangra. It's only now that she is making a record out of it. DJ Rekha joins us today to talk about her debut album, "DJ Rekha Presents Basement Bhangra."

DJ Rekha's Web site

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