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(MoToMo/flickr)Smackdown: Christmas Music
The right Christmas carol can melt hearts -- or turn stomachs. Today: the battle over Christmas music, in a Soundcheck Smackdown debate. Later: the early music group Lionheart previews the medieval Italian Christmas music it will perform tonight at the Met Museum. Plus: the Soundcheck staff reveals their CD picks of the year.
The War on Christmas Music
Today, our Soundcheck Smackdown series dares to enter the annual battle over Christmas music. Joining us are Dr. Gerard J. Grzyb, seasonal music coordinator for the public radio station WRST-FM at the University of Wisconsin, and Nigel Rodgers, the president of Pipedown International.
A Soundcheck producer is responding to your comments today and sharing the conversation on the air.
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on the scrap over Christmas music
Tell us: Is Christmas music essential for the holiday season? Does it drive you batty? Leave a comment.
CD Picks of the Year
Each week, the Soundcheck staff digs through our inbox for three outstanding new releases. Today, we present the best of the year. Read our full picks on the Soundcheck blog.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Bach’s "The Art of Fugue" (Deutsche Grammophon)
--picked by Brian Wise
Girl Talk, “Feed the Animals” (Illegal Art)
--picked by Joel Meyer
Avishai Cohen Trio, “Gently Disturbed” (Razdaz)
--picked by Gisele Regatao
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, “The Bairns”
--picked by John Schaefer
Lionheart Braves Christmas Music
Rick Porterfield of the early music group Lionheart shares medieval Italian Christmas music that the group will sing tonight at the Met Museum.
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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.
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In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
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The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
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Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico
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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.
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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.
