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( Enrico Fuente/flickr)Know Me, Know My Record Collection
To what extent are we defined by our music collection? We find out from a music critic and a philosopher. Also: a composer talks about his processional for the pope. Later: the Austin, Texas, rock trio White Denim roars into our studio for a live performance.
Know Me, Know My Record Collection
Some people love the Dave Matthews Band and 50 Cent. Others would never dream of listening to "Frat Boy Music" or "Thug Music". Today we look at how identity shapes our music -- and vice versa. We're joined by two guests: Carl Wilson, writer and editor at The Globe and Mail and author of "Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste," and Princeton philosophy professor Anthony Kwame Appiah, author of the book "The Ethics of Identity."
Our blog: Read John Schaefer's take on music and identity
Tell us: How have you used music to express your identity -- or escape from it?
Composing for the Pontiff
This Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI will become the first pope ever to celebrate mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But as he enters and approaches the altar, it will be the second time a piece of processional music has been played for a pontiff here in New York. It’s a saga that began in 1987, when Michael Valenti, a composer who lives on the Upper East Side, was asked to write music for Pope John Paul II’s visit. Soundcheck producer Brian Wise recently spoke with Valenti.
White Denim
Like other members of his family, guitarist and singer James Petralli nearly pursued a career in baseball. Instead, he’s hitting home runs as the frontman of White Denim, an Austin, Texas-based rock trio that roars like a hyperactive, artier version of The Stooges. They play live for us.
White Denim perform with Tapes 'N Tapes at the Music Hall of Williamsburg Sat. April 19 at 9pm.
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Go behind the scenes!
Find out what John Schaefer and the Soundcheck staff have to say about recent segments on the show. Plus, watch videos from in-studio performances.
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Introducing our Video Contest
Soundcheck
John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.
In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
Soundcheck
The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
- Comments [7]
Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico
Soundcheck
Cucu Diamantes went from a tough childhood in Havana, Cuba, to an art school in Rome to underground New York City, where she co-founded the Latin alternative band Yerba Buena.
- Comments [1]
In Studio: Stephanie McKay
Soundcheck
The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.
- Comments [3]
In Studio: The Decemberists
The Portland, Ore., band's latest album, "The Hazards of Love," is a concept album with a mythological flair. They joined Soundcheck to play live for a studio audience in WNYC's Greene Space.
Sound Off
Soundcheck
Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.