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Soundcheck / October 25, 2007

Soundcheck

Thursday, October 25, 2007
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  • Singer Pete Seeger during a protest march at Madison Square Garden August 29, 2004
    Singer Pete Seeger during a protest march at Madison Square Garden August 29, 2004 (Getty Images)

    O Folkies, Where Art Thou?

    Folk legend Pete Seeger has been an inspiration for musicians from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez to Bruce Springsteen. Today, he joins guest host Siddhartha Mitter to talk about music, politics and more -- just as a new documentary film on his life hits movie theaters. Also: Singer-songwriter Dan Wilson, a formerly of the bands Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic (the latter known for the 90's hit "Closing Time"), is back with a new solo album produced by Rick Rubin. He performs live. Finally: WNYC's Rob Weisburg reports from the Womex World Music Festival in Spain.

    The Soundcheck staff is in Berlin! Read about our adventures on a new blog, Soundcheck: On Site - Berlin.

    (Pssst ... Our weeklong Berlin series begins Nov. 5!)

Pete Seeger Shares his Wisdom

Folk icon Pete Seeger, who rode the rails with Woody Guthrie and wrote protest songs once banned from television, has mellowed over the years. But he's still as relevant as ever, as a new documentary, "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song," reveals. Seeger joins us to talk about music and whether protest songs can still have an impact.

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song on IMDB
View excerpts from the film

A World Music Whirlwind

The Womex World Music Festival is just underway in Seville, Spain, a major festival and trade fair for world music. WNYC producer Rob Weisburg reports from the festival and tells us what to watch for here in the States in the year ahead.

Womex World Music Festival

Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson penned the singalong hit "Closing Time" for his 1990s alt-rock outfit Semisonic. Last year, he won a "Song of the Year" Grammy for the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready To Make Nice." Now, Columbia records honcho Rick Rubin is behind Wilson’s solo album, "Free Life."

Dan Wilson's web site

Toumani Diabaté

Best Live Performances of 2008

Soundcheck

We revisit memorable in-studio performances from Toumani Diabaté, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, and others.

Marvin Gaye

The Year in Music and Branding

Soundcheck

Pop music and advertising go together like peanut butter and jelly. Grey Group music director Josh Rabinowitz shares his picks for the best song picks and ad campaigns of 2008.

Taylor Swift

Critics Week

Soundcheck

Music writers look back at the year's best pop, rock, hip hop, classical, jazz, Latin and world albums. Plus: the worst music of the year and the best online music. Read our critics' lists here. And don't forget to cast your vote in our best-albums poll.

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.