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Soundcheck

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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  • Clinton and Obama
    (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

    Clinton, Obama and the Power of Music

    As Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama square off in today's Pennsylvania primary, we pose another Soundcheck Smackdown: "Which candidate has the best music?" Later: guitarist Habib Koité mixes the sounds of his native Mali with Western influences. He performs live in our studio.

Soundcheck Smackdown: Clinton vs. Obama

With today's Democratic showdown in the Pennsylvania primary, we stage a battle of our own: Which of the two Democrats has the best music on their side? Obama has inspired musical tributes, and his Facebook page says that he listens to Bob Dylan, The Fugees and J.S. Bach. Clinton recently appeared at Radio City Music Hall with Elton John; her campaign rallies feature songs from Dolly Parton to K.T. Tunstall. In another Soundcheck Smackdown, we welcome Democratic political analayst and former Rock the Vote president Jehmu Greene and Danny Goldberg, president of Gold Village Entertainment and author of several books about music and politics.

Tell us: Which Democratic candidate has the best music on their side?

Our blog: John Schaefer offers up a campaign song for each candidate.

Jehmu Greene's blog, The Greene Room
More about Danny Goldberg

Habib Koité

Malian guitarist Habib Koité descends from a line of griots -- traditional troubadours -- and his music is all about his continent. But Koité mixes those native sounds with Western influences, enlisting help from people like American saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, known for his work with the James Brown band. He joins us for a live performance during his first US tour.

Habib Koité website

Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas

Soundcheck

August 22, 2008
New Orleans singer Irma Thomas has survived 50 years in the music business - and at least two hurricanes. She joins us to talk about her record, Simply Grand.

Bon Iver

Soundcheck

July 30, 2008
Singer-songwriter Justin Vernon spent a winter holed up in his father's hunting cabin in remote Wisconsin, recording songs about solitude that would be released under the name Bon Iver. He joins us to play some of them live.

Billboard Chart

Who's On Top and Who Should Be?

Soundcheck

August 14, 2008
Soundcheck looks at the artists who are reigning atop the Billboard albums chart -- and what their rankings tell us about the state of pop music.

Janelle Monae

The Next Big Things

Soundcheck

Paste magazine editor-in-chief Josh Jackson joins us to talk about Johnny Flynn, Janelle Monae, Bon Iver, Amy MacDonald and other must-hear artists who made Paste’s list of "The Best of What’s Next: 26 Emerging Artists You Should Know."

  1. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from Denver (08/29/2008)
  2. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 4 (09/04/2008)
  3. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 2 (09/02/2008)
  4. The Leonard Lopate Show: Young'Uns (09/03/2008)
  5. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 3 (09/03/2008)
  6. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Republican National Convention: Day 5 (09/05/2008)
  7. The Leonard Lopate Show: Big Storm (09/04/2008)