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Soundcheck / July 17, 2008

Soundcheck

Thursday, July 17, 2008
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  • musicians plays in four helicopters.
    One of the four musicians plays in four helicopters. (STEFAN SIMONSEN/AFP/Getty Images)

    "Stunt" Pieces

    Next week, 500 harpists will perform together in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, a new DVD features a string quartet by Stockhausen performed on four helicopters. These are but two examples of a long tradition of outrageous performances. Others that we explore today include a 200-electric-guitar composition and a performance on the Central Park boat pond by 24 musicians playing in rowboats. Also: Brendan Canning, from the indie-rock band Broken Social Scene, joins us for a live performance.

Music to the Extreme

Ever seen a marching band of 100 tubas? Or an orchestra made up of 200 electric guitarists and bassists? Frank J. Oteri, editor of web magazine NewMusicBox, and Frank Scheffer, director of the new DVD "Helicopter String Quartet," join us to talk about some of the most bizarre music performances ever attempted.

Special Feature: Music that's Outrageous, Odd, and downright Wacky

Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene

On his new solo album "Something For All Of Us," Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene steps out of the shadow of his 19-member group to show off his talent as a songwriter. But Canning doesn't completely forsake his band family; the album features performances from members of BSS and other indie groups like Metric and Stars. He plays for us live in our studio.

Brendan Canning performs at Mercury Lounge on Jul. 17 at 9:30pm. Broken Social Scene performs at the Siren Music Festival on Jul. 19 at 8pm.

Brendan Canning on MySpace
Broken Social Scene on MySpace
Siren Musical Festival website

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.

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.

In Studio: Stephanie McKay

Soundcheck

The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.

The Decemberists

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.

headphone

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.