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Soundcheck / September 17, 2008

Soundcheck

Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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  • Not Listening

    When I Missed the Boat

    Sometimes even the biggest music fans miss the boat on important albums and artists. On today's show, music critic Ann Powers explains how prejudice, second-guessing and downright obliviousness has caused her to miss some great music. And we take your calls.

    Also: Juilliard-trained pianist Andy Russo joins us to share "Mix Tape," a collection of 14 classical arrangements of nuggets by Billy Joel, James Blunt, the B-52's, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and countless others.

    Enter Soundcheck’s songwriting contest! Your lyrics could be selected by our Grammy Award-winning judge and set to music by New York-area musicians. Click here for rules and more details.

"Regrets, I have a few…"

Music fans and critics alike often prematurely dismiss or miss out on important acts because of immaturity or circumstance. Today we talk with LA Times pop music critic Ann Powers about why she missed the boat on artists ranging from David Bowie to Jeff Buckley to the White Stripes. And we take your calls.

Soundcheck Blog: What I Missed: Hank Williams

Weigh in: What music did you miss and later regret?

"On Second Thought: Ann Powers and the Fan Boys" (L.A. Times)

Andy Russo

How to Make a Mix Tape

Juilliard-trained pianist Andy Russo has released Mix Tape, a collection of 14 classical arrangements of nuggets by Billy Joel, James Blunt, the B-52’s, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and countless others. The album pays homage to those old cassettes you gave your high school sweetheart. Russo joins us to perform live and talk about the art of mix tapes.

Toumani Diabaté

Best Live Performances of 2008

Soundcheck

We revisit memorable in-studio performances from Toumani Diabaté, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, and others.

Marvin Gaye

The Year in Music and Branding

Soundcheck

Pop music and advertising go together like peanut butter and jelly. Grey Group music director Josh Rabinowitz shares his picks for the best song picks and ad campaigns of 2008.

Taylor Swift

Critics Week

Soundcheck

Music writers look back at the year's best pop, rock, hip hop, classical, jazz, Latin and world albums. Plus: the worst music of the year and the best online music. Read our critics' lists here. And don't forget to cast your vote in our best-albums poll.

cab

Noteworthy New York

Soundcheck

We have invited musicians and artists to help us select their favorite cultural destination in the neighborhood where they live. From parks and coffee shops to bowling alleys and museums, the options are as diverse as our group of contributors.