On Demand
Soundcheck
-
Bobbie Lee NelsonCountry Music's Women's Movement
For women in country music, life isn't all sequins and rhinestones. Today we examine the roles women have played in the country genre and talk with Bobbie Lee Nelson, sister of country icon Willie Nelson. Plus: Quadruple platinum-selling kids' music star Laurie Berkner plays songs from her new record, "Rocketship Run."
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.
Another Side of 'Stand By Your Man'
Seventy-seven year-old Bobbie Lee Nelson is a country music legend, but she only released her first solo album earlier this year. She's the pianist and older sister of icon Willie Nelson. We'll talk with her and writer Holly George Warren about the supporting roles women have played in country music.
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on the changing role of women in country music
CD Picks of the Week
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, "Angles" (Strangefamousrecords)
Way back in January, we touted the bearded London poet and rapper Scroobius Pip, with the caveat that he didn’t actually have a cd out yet. Well, that has just changed. The debut album, "Angles," is credited to Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, and it includes all of the songs that have made Pip’s reputation on London’s underground music scene. That reputation is for smart, often pointed wordplay, aided by the friendly beats and charmingly off-kilter singing of Dan Le Sac, and deftly combining humor and a strong social conscience. One of Scroobius Pip’s newer songs on the album, called Look For the Woman, is a breakup song that has the ring of emotional truth to it.--picked by John Schaefer
"Angles" is available for purchase at Amazon.com
Okkervil River, "The Stand Ins" (Jagjaguwar)
Our next CD pick comes from the Austin, Texas-based band Okkervil River. Their new album is "The Stand Ins," and it's a sequel of sorts. The songs here are from the same recording sessions that produced last year’s acclaimed "The Stage Names." But the rich stories on the new album feel like another chapter in bandleader Will Sheff's ongoing musical novel. He's one of the best songwriters in the rock world right now, and this time around, he aims his poison pen at the rock 'n' roll life in songs like "Singer Songwriter."--picked by Joel Meyer
"The Stand Ins" is available for purchase on Amazon.com
Emily Wells, "The Symphonies: Dreams, Memories & Parties" (Creative Control Records)
Many great composers have struggled to write nine symphonies in their lifetimes – think of Beethoven or Mahler. Now, a 20-something singer and violinist named Emily Wells has released an album containing ten symphonies. As you’ll hear, the term "symphony" is used rather loosely here; these are really electronic-folk songs that fuse layers of strings, bass, and drums to create rolling sonic textures. Working in her own recording studio, Wells played up to 21 separate tracks of violin on each symphony, often using an octave pedal to create the tones of a cello or viola. You can hear that DIY feel in the track, "Symphony Number 6."--picked by Brian Wise
The Symphonies: Dreams, Memories & Parties" is available for purchase from MySpace.com
Laurie Berkner
Ten years ago Laurie Berkner was a preschool music teacher by day and folk-rocker by night. She started selling albums out of her living room and ended up a quadruple platinum-selling kids’ music star. She joins us to play live songs from her new record, "Rocketship Run."
- About this program
- Staff Bios »
- Contact Us »
- Latest Episode
- Internship
- Tapes and Transcripts
- Show Archive »
Features & Series
Podcast
Stay up to date.
Subscribe to the Podcast
Soundcheck Blog
Go behind the scenes!
Find out what John Schaefer and the Soundcheck staff have to say about recent segments on the show. Plus, watch videos from in-studio performances.
More
Introducing our Video Contest
Soundcheck
John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.
In Studio: Los Amigos Invisibles
Soundcheck
The Venezuelan funk-rock band "Los Amigos Invisibles" was discovered by David Byrne in a Manhattan record shop. They perform live on Soundcheck.
In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
Soundcheck
The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
- Comments [8]
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.
- Comments [1]
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.
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.
