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Soundcheck / November 03, 2008

Soundcheck

Monday, November 03, 2008
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  • Woody Guthrie

    The Search for Folk: Then and Now

    Folkways Records founder Moses Asch brought folk music from around the world to American living rooms. Today, we hear about Asch's legacy and those continuing his quest for folk sounds. And: a look at a new collection called "Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 US Presidencies." (And we ask the songwriters what they have in store for their 44th song.)

    Tell us: What's your "democracy song?"

Jack Bean

Finding New Folk Music

Without Moe Asch, folk-music collections would look – and sound – very different. The founder of Folkways Records (later Smithsonian Folkways) captured the sounds of cultures throughout America and around the world. But 60 years after he started the influential label in New York, the search for traditional music and culture still continues. Richard Carlin, author of "World of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways" and New Yorker staff writer Burkhard Bilger join us to talk about how Asch’s work continues in the digital age.

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer asks: "What's a folk song, anyway?"

"The Last Verse: Is There Any Folk Music Still Out There?" (New Yorker)
"Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways" site
"Worlds of Sound" on Amazon.com

debate

Ballad of the Commander in Chief

Just in time for tomorrow’s election comes a new collection of songs called "Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies." The project is the work of three lo-fi songwriters -- Christian Kiefer, Matthew Gerken and Jefferson Pitcher -- and each song depicts something about the character of each respective president, from greats (Washington and Lincoln) to the not-so-great (Fillmore and Nixon). We get a preview -- and we find out what the next installment may hold.

Of Great and Mortal Men site

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.