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Soundcheck

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
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  • Madonna

    Pushing 50, Is Madonna Still in Vogue?

    Madonna's new album, "Hard Candy," out today, is either a return to dance-pop glory -- or a sad trip down memory lane. Today, a Soundcheck Smackdown on whether the most durable and deconstructed pop icon of the past two decades still has it. Also: Singer-songwriter Natalia Zukerman, the daughter of classical musicians Eugenia and Pinchas Zukerman, found her own style when she took up slide guitar. She joins us to share music from her new album, "Brand New Frame."

Soundcheck Smackdown: Madonna: Diva or Done?

Like Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston, Madonna will spend 2008 attempting to reclaim the diva crown she once held. Her new album out today, "Hard Candy," is either the Material Girl's return to dance-pop form, or an aging star's sad trip down memory lane. (Either way, collaborators Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and the Neptunes are along for the ride.) We'll debate Madonna's relevance with Los Angeles Times chief pop music critic Ann Powers and Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune pop music critic and co-host of the radio program "Sound Opinions."

Tell us: What do you think of Madonna? Is she a diva ... or done?

Our blog: Find out what John Schaefer thinks of Madonna.

Ann Powers' review of "Hard Candy"
Greg Kot's review of "Hard Candy"
Sound Opinions web site

Natalia Zukerman Live

Singer and songwriter Natalia Zukerman seems to support any claim that there's a genetic predisposition for music. Her parents are the classical musicians Pinchas and Eugenia Zukerman and her sister, Arianna, is an opera singer. She joins us to share her latest album, "Brand New Frame," which reveals her considerable chops on the slide guitar.

Natalia Zukerman's Web site
Natalia Zukerman's murals

audience

Soundcheck Smackdown: When Contemporary Met Classical

Soundcheck

Like vegetables stuck into a delicious meal, contemporary classical music is forced on concert audiences before they are allowed to enjoy their Brahms. So says humorist, critic and author Joe Queenan. Today, Queenan and John Berry, Artistic Director with English National Opera, join us for a Soundcheck Smackdown debate on the merits of contemporary music.

musical clouds

You Are What You Hear

Soundcheck

Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi takes us through some of the most famously botched song lyrics in rock history. We’ll explore why the words we make up are usually more interesting than the real version. Then, listeners confess their favorite and most embarrassing reinvented lyrics.

Leave a comment: Give us your favorite set of misheard lyrics! Were you disappointed when you learned the actual words?

Rosanne Cash and Mark O'Connor

Soundcheck

For her, he was a father. For him, he was a boyhood hero. For the nation, he was an icon. Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash and composer and violinist Mark O'Connor join us to talk about how Johnny Cash has inspired their musical collaboration. And they will play live.

Katy

Soundcheck's Summer Song Poll

Soundcheck

Every year, popular and critical opinion somehow converge to settle on a "summer song." In 2007, it was Rihanna's "Umbrella." The year before, it was "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. The practice stretches back to the very dawn of pop radio. Yet defining the essence of a "summer song" is a bit elusive. We enlist the help of Blender editor at large Lizzy Goodman -- and of our Soundcheck listeners, in an online poll.

Cast your vote: Soundcheck's Summer Song Poll 2008

Can't decide? Check out audio and video clips of the contestants here.

Our blog: John Schaefer asks what makes a good summer song,

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  3. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 3 (08/27/2008)
  4. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 2 (08/26/2008)
  5. The Brian Lehrer Show: Business Connections (08/22/2008)
  6. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from Denver (08/29/2008)
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