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Soundcheck

Wednesday, December 19, 2007
  • Joni Mitchell
    Joni Mitchell (jonimitchell.com)

    Critics Week: The Year in Rock and Jazz

    All this week, Soundcheck explores the highlights of 2007 in music. Today, find out how one album ignited controversy inside rock music while the jazz world stayed classy -- with a little help from Joni Mitchell. Pitchfork Media editor Ryan Schreiber and PopMatters writer Will Layman recap the year in rock and jazz. And later: flutist Eugenia Zukerman visits the Soundcheck studio.
    Weigh in: Soundcheck's 2007 listener poll

    More on Soundcheck's Critics' Week

Rock Music: The Best of 2007

Pitchfork Media founding editor Ryan Schreiber weighs in the best rock albums of 2007.

Ryan Schreiber's top 10 albums of 2007:

1. Panda Bear, Person Pitch

2. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver

3. Deerhunter, Cryptograms

4. The Field, From Here We Go Sublime

5. Of Montreal, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

6. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam

7. Dan Deacon, Spiderman of the Rings

8. Dirty Projectors, Rise Above

9. Grizzly Bear, Friend EP

10. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala

Pitchfork staff's top albums
Pitchfork's overall top 50 albums of 2007

Jazz: The Best of 2007

Will Layman, a jazz critic for Pop Matters and other publications, shares his favorite albums of 2007.

Will Layman's top albums of the year

Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters

Robert Glasper, In My Element

Kenny Werner, Lawn Chair Society

Terence Blanchard, A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)

Chris Potter, Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard

Nels Cline Singers, Draw Breath

Will Layman's best of 2007 list on PopMatters.com

Eugenia Zukerman

Eugenia Zukerman lives a triple life as a flutist, author and television arts commentator. She joins us to share her new recording of songs by the hot young composer Jake Heggie, and to reflect on the state of classical music in 2007.

More about Eugenia Zuckerman
More about Jake Heggie

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.

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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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

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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

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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.