Soundcheck

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?

Anthony Kwame Appiah's Website
Carl Wilson's blog, Zoilus

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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.

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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.

White Denim's MySpace Page
Video: "Let's Talk About It"

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