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Soundcheck

Friday, November 30, 2007
  • The Replacements in 1985, left to right: Paul Westerberg, Chris Mars, Bob Stinson, and Tommy Stinson
    The Replacements in 1985, left to right: Paul Westerberg, Chris Mars, Bob Stinson, and Tommy Stinson

    Underneath the 'Mats

    During the new-wave 1980s, four lovable losers who embraced classic rock somehow were signed to a major label. Today on Soundcheck: the story of one of the sloppiest, most beloved bands in rock: The Replacements. And later: Dar Williams is best known as an acoustic folk and pop songwriter, but she's not afraid of the occasional Pink Floyd cover. Williams joins us for a live performance in our studio.

An Oral History of the Replacements

Their legend is entrenched in rock history: Three neighborhood friends form a band in a Minneapolis basement, recruit a 12-year-old brother to play bass, and become one of the most critically acclaimed rock acts of the 1980s. Along the way there's comedy, tragedy -- and a lot of beery folklore. Longtime Twin Cities music critic Jim Walsh joins us to share his oral history, "The Replacements: All Over But The Shouting."

More about Jim Walsh
"All Over But The Shouting" is available for purchase on Amazon.com

Princeton's Got a Brand New Bag

James Brown's career and cultural contributions are the subject of a two-day symposium at Princeton University. Daphne Brooks joins us to talk about the program for "Aint That A Groove: The Legacy of James Brown."

More info about the symposium

Dar Williams

Over 15 years, Dar Williams has become a mainstay among folk singer-songwriters. She's also written two books for young readers and undertaken a side career as an activist. She joins us to talk about her new live DVD, "Live at the Bearsville Theater." And, she performs live in our studio.

More about Dar Williams
"Live at the Bearsville Theater" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Best Live Performances of 2008

Soundcheck

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

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.

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.

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.