WNYC's Soundcheck
WNYC, New York Public Radio, brings you Soundcheck where John Schaefer hosts lively, inquisitive conversations with established and up-and-coming figures from New York City's ever-evolving music scene.
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Lauren Flanigan (Soundcheck: Friday, 30 October 2009)
New York City Opera -- beleaguered but showing signs of renewal -- is opening its season with a rarity, Hugo Weisgall's 1993 opera Esther. Singing the title role is soprano Lauren Flanigan, who has long been the company’s prima diva and known for tackling offbeat and difficult roles. She joins us to …
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America's Quintessential Music (Soundcheck: Thursday, 29 October 2009)
Born from the meeting of ragtime and blues, jazz journeyed to Chicago, New York and beyond. Along the way, the music became as complex as America itself. Music critic and scholar Gary Giddins, co-author of the new book Jazz, explains how he tackled that epic history.
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Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar's Ode to Jack Kerouac (Soundcheck: Thursday, 29 October 2009)
Two big names in alternative music are joining forces to pay tribute to Jack Kerouac, the godfather of alternative fiction. Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Jay Farrar of Son Volt join us to talk about and perform songs from their soundtrack for the new documentary, One Fast Move or I’m Gone: …
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Doris Day: The reclusive Hollywood star (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 28 October 2009)
Her "girl next door" looks, charming personality and acting in numerous films such as The Man Who Knew Too Much, Pillow Talk, and Midnight Lace made Doris Day Hollywood's biggest female star from the late 1940s into the early 1960s. While trying to step away from the public limelight in the followin …
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Carter Burwell and Maya Beiser (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 28 October 2009)
Film composer Carter Burwell has had a storied career as a film composer for the past two decades. Known for his longtime collaboration with the Coen Brothers and Spike Jonze in which he has scored all their films, including their latest, A Serious Man and Where The Wild Things Are, respectively. He …
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Smackdown: Vampires vs. Zombies (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 27 October 2009)
It's been a big year for the undead. Vampires are sucking blood on TV shows like True Blood and Vampire Diaries and in the upcoming film New Moon. Zombies are stumbling through movies starring Woody Harrelson (Zombieland) and books by zombie-loving scribe Max Brooks (The Zombie Survival Guide: Recor …
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Pearl and the Beard (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 27 October 2009)
The Brooklyn, NY-based trio Pearl and the Beard are known for infusing a little happiness into their dark and alluring folk songs. They stop by our studio for a live performance of songs from their new album, God Bless Your Weary Soul, Amanda Richardson.
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Building Musicians From Scratch (Soundcheck: Monday, 26 October 2009)
Sometimes imaginary rock stars are better than the real thing. Today: a look at fictional musicians in pop culture, from "Spinal Tap" to the Dylan-esque characters in novels by Don DeLillo and Nick Hornby. We’re joined by Ben Greenman, New Yorker editor and author of the rock novel Please Step Back, …
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Imaginary Musicians (Soundcheck: Monday, 26 October 2009)
Sometimes imaginary rock stars are better than the real thing. Today: a look at fictional musicians in pop culture, from "Spinal Tap" to the Dylan-esque characters in novels by Don DeLillo and Nick Hornby. We’re joined by Ben Greenman, New Yorker editor and author of the rock novel Please Step Back, …
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Kristeen Young (Soundcheck: Monday, 26 October 2009)
Singer and songwriter Kristeen Young has been rocking the piano and grabbing the attention of stars like David Bowie and Morrissey. She toured with Morrissey for two years, but was dismissed after she made on-stage remarks about his sexuality. She joins us to share her four-octave vocal range and ha …
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Next Big Things, For Now (Soundcheck: Friday, 23 October 2009)
Seeing more hip young people than usual on the subway this week? It's that time of year: the CMJ Music Marathon. According to CMJ's web site, more than 120,000 musicians, filmmakers, panelists and others are participating in the event, which runs through Sunday. New York Times pop music critic Jon P …
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The Pacifica Quartet (Soundcheck: Friday, 23 October 2009)
Known for their extreme performances, The Pacifica Quartet played all six of Elliott Carter’s gruelingly difficult string quartets in a single evening last year. Now, the quartet is taking on a feat of a different kind: a residency at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a prestigious post held for 43 ye …
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Sufjan Stevens (Soundcheck: Thursday, 22 October 2009)
Singer-songwriter, composer and comic book author Sufjan Stevens is one of the leaders of the folk revival movement in indie rock. He's written songs based on things like Chicago and the Bible. He joins us to talk about the CD/DVD release of his piece The BQE -- a visual and musical homage to NYC’s …
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Wu Man (Soundcheck: Thursday, 22 October 2009)
Wu Man, a virtuoso of the pipa, a Chinese lute, is a graduate of Beijing's Central Conservatory who left China 20 years ago to pursue a career on the international stage. After performing with everyone from Kronos Quartet to saxophonist Henry Threadgill, she's now turning her attention to the tradit …
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In the Spirit of 'Teen Spirit' (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 21 October 2009)
Last month, the video gaming company Activision released its fifth Guitar Hero title. Controversy soon followed, as players discovered that a character modeled on deceased Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain could be made to move and sing in ways the real Cobain would never have done. Today, we hear from e …
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Revival of the Fittest: The Wiyos (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 21 October 2009)
Just because The Wiyos have a flair for vaudeville doesn't mean this Brooklyn-based band appeals to niche audiences. This past summer, they played to huge crowds as an opening act for superstars Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. We'll hear their refreshing take on Americana, live in our studio.
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The Brothers Dessner (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 20 October 2009)
With the rock band The National, Bryce and Aaron Dessner earned critical acclaim. With the Red Hot compilation "Dark Was the Night," the twin brothers gathered pop and indie rock stars for an AIDS awareness project. Now, they're dipping their toes into classical waters. The Dessners join us to talk …
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Streisand Smackdown (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 20 October 2009)
Having sold 140 million albums and won an armful of Grammys, Barbra Streisand has just released her first ¬full-length studio session in four years. Featuring her trademark romantic-ballad treatment on 13 well-known standards, it opened at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. While fans say Babs sing …
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The National Live (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 20 October 2009)
The National sold almost 150,000 copies of its last album and is increasingly considered indie-rock royalty. Now the group, comprised of twin brothers Bryce and Aaron Dessner, is dipping its toes into more classical waters. Bryce Dessner has composed a piece for Kronos Quartet and they are now both …
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When Noise Impacts Animals (Soundcheck: Monday, 19 October 2009)
Noise pollution isn’t just a concern for city dwellers, of course. Sounds produced by vehicles and urban sprawl are becoming a major threat to the welfare of wildlife, according to researchers from Colorado State University and the US National Park Service. They found that noise interferes with the …
WNYC's Soundcheck
