From Russia with Love

Today on Soundcheck, Abigail Washburn moved to central China after college to learn the language and then made her way back to the States to learn the banjo. She's merged the two talents, and has carved out a niche as a banjo-playing, Chinese-speaking singer-songwriter. She's played China's colleges and bars and she's on tour in the U.S. She'll come by our studio to talk about her travels and her debut album "Song of the Traveling Daughter." And, Russian-born and Bronx-bred Regina Spektor. Filter Magazine has said she "may be the best thing Russia has given the world since Vodka." 24 year old Spektor’s new album has been described as "a quasi punk-classical collection of captivating grace and doomed beauty," and she has been likened to everyone from Bjork to Joni Mitchell. She'll play live as well.