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The Death of the Car Song
In its heyday, General Motors inspired some of the greatest songs in pop - from GTO to Little Red Corvette to Pink Cadillac. Now that GM’s declared bankruptcy we celebrate the best of these and ask: do we still need cars to sing about? Also: low-fi indie folk of The Wailing Wall.
A footnote: "Billy Elliot" might not be the favorite among Soundcheck listeners, but it danced away with 10 Tony Awards last night, including best musical. The champion of our poll was "Rock of Ages," which didn't win a single Tony. Hair got a Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, as predicted by Soundcheck listeners. View the results of our Tony Poll.
Cars and Guitars
In its heyday, General Motors inspired some of the greatest songs in pop - from GTO to Little Red Corvette to Pink Cadillac. Now that GM’s declared bankruptcy we celebrate the best of these and ask: do we still need cars to sing about? Cultural Historian Bob Greene, author of "When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams," and Alisa Priddle, auto reporter for the Detroit News, weigh in.
Weigh in: What's Your Favorite Car Song?
Bob Greene's Commentary: "We Need Cars to Sing About."
Soundcheck blog: John Scahefer on Car Songs
The Wailing Wall
The Wailing Wall mixes indie-folk and world music into a lo-fi project that’s all about community, not commerce. And so they’re giving away their debut album, and playing live for us.
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Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, stars of the romantic indie film Once, will debate which is more powerful: a love song or a breakup song. And: live music from Grammy winning violinist Joshua Bell and Cuban stars Tiempo Libre.
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The Ill Effects of Urban Noise
Soundcheck
Soundcheck received an overwhelming response to our segment on the effects of urban noise. So much so that Arline Bronzaft decided to address the feedback. Listen to the original segment and read Bronzaft's response.
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