wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

On Demand

Program Schedule

Topics

Soundcheck Archive


October 2008

A "Musical Impeachment" of the Bush Administration

Friday, October 31, 2008

To some, Harry Shearer is the voice behind Mr. Burns, Flanders, and other characters on "The Simpsons." To others, he's Derek Smalls in the legendary fake metal band "Spinal Tap." On today's show, Shearer talks about his latest project: "Songs of the Bushmen," a CD bashing the Bush administration. Also: Salsa band Bio Ritmo hails not from East Harlem but from Richmond, Virginia. But no fear: the eight-piece band is known for its groove-heavy approach. Bio Ritmo performs live.

Tell us: What's your "democracy song?" Find people power in a song and post it here.


Music and Autism

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks talks about the potential of music to treat autism. And: an arts program designed for autistic children. Later: songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as the frontman of the band Eels, shares his struggle to understand the father he barely knew -- and his influential theory of quantum mechanics.


The Making of a Super Fan

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Grateful Dead gave the world Deadheads. Jimmy Buffett has a loyal flock of Parrot-heads. On today's show: find out why certain musical acts - from jam bands to Neil Diamond - inspire such manic devotion among their fans. Also: Marc-André Hamelin, a Canadian pianist known for his muscular technique, searching musicality, and unusual tastes in repertoire, performs live in our studio.


Wal-Mart: Monster or Maverick?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

There’s only one place to buy the new album from rock legends AC/DC – and it also sells lawn mowers and baby clothes. Today: a Soundcheck Smackdown on retail giant Wal-Mart's role in the music world. Also: double bassist Edgar Meyer and Nickel Creek mandolin player Chris Thile are exploring the connections between classical and American roots music. They join us for an in-studio performance.


Scents and Sensibility

Monday, October 27, 2008

R&B star Usher is launching his own lingerie line. Soprano Renee Fleming has a new floral-scented perfume. On today's show, find out how musicians brand themselves with products -- from hamburgers to celebrity fragrances. Also: drummer and composer Bobby Previte shares "The 23 Constellations of Joan Miró," an ambitious multimedia project inspired by a series of transcendent small paintings made during World War II.


Radio Picks the Video Star

Friday, October 24, 2008

Earlier this week, Soundcheck began polling listeners on a list of 10 innovative music videos handpicked by Blender magazine's Lizzy Goodman. Now, Goodman returns to reveal the results of our music video poll. And: The psychedelic Swedish band Dungen mines the prog-rock greats of the '70s on their new album, "4." Amid a string of CMJ Music Marathon performances, they perform live in our studio.


Looking Back on Tin Pan Alley

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tin Pan Alley, a gritty 2-block strip of W. 28th Street, was once home to America's leading music publishers and songwriters like George Gershwin, Scott Joplin, and Cole Porter, among others. Now, five of the brownstones on the block are up for sale. As tenants and preservationists say this may be the street's sad final song, we look at its place in music history. Also: the Ritz Chamber Players, is an all-African-American chamber ensemble dedicated to performing the works of Black composers and building the next generation of classical music listeners. They join us to perform live.


Janis Ian Looks Back

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Janis Ian scored a hit at the age of 15 with a controversial song about interracial love, "Society's Child." The singer-songwriter joins us to talk about her life and a new memoir named after the 1966 track. Also: Pianist Lisa Moore joins us to perform pieces by Randy Newman and composer Martin Bresnick live in our studio.

Cast your vote: Soundcheck's music video poll!


When Musicians Lend Voice to Political Campaigns

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

As the presidential campaign enters the home stretch, an unprecedented level of support is being seen from artists. Singers like James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are performing concerts in support of Barack Obama, while country stars like Brooks & Dunn and Gretchen Wilson are performing for McCain. Today, we ask whether such efforts can have any impact. Also: novelist Jonathan Lethem and The Silos' singer Walter Salas-Humara share their new album, "You Are All My People."

Cast your vote: Soundcheck's music video poll!


Death of a Video Star

Monday, October 20, 2008

Beware, pop tarts. The music-video countdown show "Total Request Live" is ending after 10 years on MTV. Today: why TRL toppled amid a golden age for music videos. Plus: the start of Soundcheck's music video poll. And later: Danish singer-songwriter Tina Dico joins us to talk about making an ambitious trilogy of albums while on the road touring.


An Explosive Opera Arrives in New York

Friday, October 17, 2008

The opera Doctor Atomic, which arrives at the Metropolitan Opera this week, attempts to depict the first ever nuclear bomb test conducted by physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. On today's show, the opera's composer John Adams talks about the challenges of creating a bomb blast without resorting to movie-style special effects, and filling characters' mouths with lines from the Bhagavad Gita and poet John Donne. Also: bass-baritone Eric Owens, who plays the role of General Groves in the opera, joins us to talk about his busy career, and about the role of new works in the operatic canon.


Public Funding of the Arts

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts is set to leave his job to return to the world of poetry. Today: Dana Gioia talks about government funding for arts and culture in an uncertain economy. Also: trombonist and composer William Cepeda is a member of a legendary musical family with Puerto Rican roots. He joins us for a live performance.


Let's Face the Music and Dance

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

During the Great Depression, music often served to cheer people up. More recent economic downturns gave us the dark sounds of punk and grunge. Today, we'll look at the correlations between music and the economy with Eric Weisbard, critic and curator at the Experience Music Project. Also: Kayhan Kalhor, an Iranian composer and virtuoso of the kamancheh, the Persian spike-fiddle, has been a member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. He shares his own cross-cultural music, as featured on the new album, "Silent City."


The Buena Vista Social Club tradition continues

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ten years ago, a group of Cuban musicians known as the Buena Vista Social Club made what became the biggest-selling world-music album ever. On today's show, the album's producer, Ry Cooder, shares a new CD release by the ensemble, and talks about where Latin music has gone in the years since. Also: Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere has been a major figure on the underground rap scene for over a decade. They join us in advance of their show at Irving Plaza this week.


When Music Makes the Wine Flow Better

Monday, October 13, 2008

The right bottle of wine makes a good meal even better. But to boost your opinion of the wine, you may want to turn on some Jimi Hendrix. Today we explore the link between music and the taste of Chardonnays and Merlots. Also: robots undertake one of the great curiosities of 20th-century music, "Ballet Mécanique." This is a repeat edition of Soundcheck.


Soundcheck's Songwriting Contest

Friday, October 10, 2008

It's time to crown a winner in Soundcheck’s first-ever songwriting contest. Today: our judge, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jesse Harris, reveals his pick (and it might surprise you). Then, the Brooklyn-based band One Ring Zero performs the new song live. Plus: violist Garth Knox made his name in the celebrated Arditti String Quartet. Now, he's testing the limits of the viola d'amore, a baroque viola precursor. He joins us for a live performance.


When Cameos Steal the Show

Thursday, October 09, 2008

New hip hop and R&B tracks are filled with guest appearances, with rappers Lil' Wayne and Jay-Z popping up frequently. On today's show: find out why cameo spots have exploded in hip-hop. Also: In the late 60's, Peter Walker released a pair of seminal experimental acoustic guitar records that incorporated Indian raga sounds. Then he sort of disappeared, settling in Woodstock, NY. Now, almost 40 years later, Walker is returning to the more experimental style he helped to create and joins us today with a live performance. Finally: Soundcheck's CD Picks of the Week.


The Sample Life

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

It may be fashionable to "go green" right now, but a different kind of recycling has been an innovative force in the music world for 25 years. Today, three pioneers of sample-based music talk about the risks and rewards of making new music from old material. In the 1980s, Steven Stein broke ground in sampling and beat-making under the name Steinski. In the mid-'90s, DJ Shadow released "Entroducing," an album made up entirely of samples. And these days, the sample-mad artist known as Girl Talk is sailing the "mash-up" concept into uncharted waters.


MySpace Music: iTunes killer or MyMess?

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

MySpace Music, the new online music service from MySpace.com, lets you stream millions of songs for free, share playlists, and download MP3s. But critics complain that the site is hopelessly cluttered and that independent labels are being shut out. Today: a Soundcheck Smackdown on the merits of MySpace Music. Also: 23-year-old bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding is bringing a fresh approach to the sometimes stodgy world of jazz vocalists, mixing the traditions of soul, pop, world music and more. She performs live in our studio.


Music: The Year in Words

Monday, October 06, 2008

This year's "Best Music Writing" installment includes stories on the return of the Wu Tang Clan, the latest soul and R&B revivalists, and indie rock's identity crisis. Guest editor Nelson George joins us to talk about the state of music writing. And: We hear about the rise and fall of a 1960s Latin music craze: the boogaloo. Plus: live music from the New York-based, rock band Sam Champion.


Rhythm, Roots and Blues

Friday, October 03, 2008

For over four decades, blues guitarist Taj Mahal has taken the blues to places it's never been before, including Hawaii, Appalachia, and Mexico. On today's show, the veteran bluesman talks about his global career and star-studded new album, appropriately named "Maestro." Also: The Carolina Chocolate Drops is a young trio from the Piedmont region of North Carolina that's reviving the neglected African-American string band tradition. The group joins us with a live performance.


Great Debates ... in Music

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Before tonight's vice-presidential debate, we hear about a new twist on music rivalries that pits Timbaland against Phil Spector, Parliament against Funkadelic, and Bernard Herrmann against Ennio Morricone. And later, another dispute. Composer, pianist and conductor Rob Kapilow explains what makes a great opening idea in music.


Body Parts in Song: from ankles to eyes

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

The body parts most frequently sung about in music are the eyes, according to a new analysis of over 10,000 songs. Today: we look at how different musical genres emphasize specific parts of the body. Then, we turn our attention to the pianist Leon Fleisher, who has arguably the most famous right hand in the music business, due to a debilitating hand condition he suffered in the 1960s. He's regained the use of that hand , and joins us in advance of his two-hand recital at Carnegie Hall this week.

Finally: R&B singer Raphael Saadiq, whose music has one foot in '60s Motown, joins us to talk about his new album "The Way I See It."