WNYC's Soundcheck

Music by Doctor's Orders (Soundcheck: Monday, 09 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:51 GMT

Many people have faced a life dilemma or crisis that could be helped by a piece of music: dinner with the boss's wife, a second date with a die-hard Philip Glass fan, a wedding or a funeral. After our popular segment last year, The Record Doctor - aka British classical music critic and author Norman Lebrecht - returns to take your calls and comments.

The surgery is open: What's troubling you? What do you want to know about buying classical recordings? Ask The Record Doctor below.

Kailash Kher (Soundcheck: Monday, 09 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

It’s a story a la Slumdog Millionaire: Kailash Kher used to live in cheap hotels in Mumbai while pursuing a music career. He is now one of Bollywood’s biggest stars and a judge on the TV show Indian Idol. He joins us with his band for a live performance.

Gadgets That Haven't Been Invented (Yet) (Soundcheck: Friday, 06 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:03 GMT

With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, tech companies are rolling out new MP3 players, iPod accessories, mobile apps and more. New York Times technology columnist David Pogue recently asked his Twitter followers for ideas for gadgets that don't exist. He joins us to share some of the results -- and to field more ideas from our listeners.

Tell us: do you have a gadget in mind that doesn’t exist yet? Leave a comment below.

Bill T. Jones (Soundcheck: Friday, 06 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

The 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth inspired the choreographer Bill T. Jones to explore the sixteenth president’s life in two major works: Fondly Do We Hope ... Fervently Do We Pray and Serenade/The Proposition. The often-provocative Jones joins us to talk about the meaning of Lincoln from a contemporary African-American perspective. And, he discusses the arrival of his Broadway musical Fela!, inspired by the life of African musician Fela Kuti.

All Work and No Play - But High Pay (Soundcheck: Thursday, 05 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:59 GMT

The stagehands that push the pianos onto the stage at Carnegie Hall make more than the musicians who play them. Bloomberg News recently revealed that the top stagehands there earn $500,000 a year. Reporter Philip Boroff tells us about this specialized corner of the music industry.

City Opera Launches a New Season
New York City Opera opens its 2009-10 season with a gala tonight after an off-season of drastic cost-cutting measures. General manager George Steel sought concessions from unions – including stagehands – as part of his efforts to bring the beleaguered company back to financial stability. We get a prognosis from Robin Pogrebin, New York Times culture reporter, and James Jorden, author of the opera blog Parterre Box.

Picks of the Week (Soundcheck: Thursday, 05 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:10 GMT

This week's picks include some icy sounds, an economic power trio and a multicultural bunch. Click here to read our full reviews.

The Very Best (Soundcheck: Thursday, 05 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:43 GMT

The Very Best is the collaboration between Malawian-born, London-based singer Esau Mwamwaya and the British DJ duo Radioclit. The eclectic-sounding group was tapped to be this year’s buzz band at the CMJ Music Festival -- until travel issues scuttled Mwamwaya’s visit. Now, the group joins us to talk about a critically lauded second album, Warm Heart of Africa, which features guest appearances from rapper M.I.A. and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.

Carly Simon (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 04 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

Carly Simon was in her 20s when she wrote songs like "You're So Vain" and "Anticipation." Over 30 years later, she re-recorded them on a new album, Never Been Gone. They came out so different that Simon says it was like "a visit with a psychiatrist." She joins us to talk about the making of her latest album, and about her recent lawsuit filed against HearMusic, the music label once backed by Starbucks, over the promotion of a 2008 release.

Conducting Your Way to the Top (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 04 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:32 GMT

Roger Nierenberg is a conductor and creator of the Music Paradigm, a program that invites executives to sit inside an orchestra and even try their hand at conducting. He joins us to share his observations on why he thinks conducting can turn business executives into successful leaders as recounted in his new book, Maestro: A Surprising Story About Leading by Listening.

Musician Activists: Passion or Publicity? (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 03 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:41 GMT

Last year's presidential election brought out a groundswell of political action by musicians. This year, the causes are lower in profile: Singer Will.i.Am is pushing for health care reform. Trent Reznor, R.E.M. and Pearl Jam are joining a movement to close Guantanamo. But can they effect any real change?

On this Election Day Soundcheck Smackdown, we debate whether musicians should get involved in political causes with Dorian Lynskey, a music writer at London's Guardian newspaper and Katherine Mangu-Ward, a senior editor of Reason magazine and Reason.com.

Vijay Iyer (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 03 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:00 GMT

Composer and pianist Vijay Iyer has long mixed two genres in his work: jazz and Indian music. On his latest album, Historicity, he not only covers the jazz standards, but also sets his sight on popular music with covers of songs by M.I.A and Stevie Wonder. He performs lives in our studio.

Behind the Curtain: To Peek or Not To Peek (Soundcheck: Monday, 02 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:07 GMT

"Myth and mystery have always been crucial to the worship of music," according to NPR blogger and former Sleater Kinney member Carrie Brownstein. But in an age of blogs and tabloids, she asks: "Where is the mystery now?" It might be found in life of an international DJ, as described by Jace Clayton, a.k.a. DJ/rupture. Brownstein and Clayton join us to share recent essays compiled in the new book Best Music Writing 2009.

Carrie Brownstein and Jace Clayton will appear tonight at Housing Works Bookstore Café at 7 p.m. with other “Best Music Writing 2009” contributors and the book’s editor, music writer Greil Marcus. More info here.

Alessandra Belloni (Soundcheck: Monday, 02 November 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

In Southern Italy, the trance dance known as the tarantella was used to cure a mental disorder among women -- who felt stuck in the spider web of their society. Singer and percussionist Alessandra Belloni joins us to share this and other histories of the tarantella. And, she performs live in our studio.

Music Pharmacology (Soundcheck: Friday, 30 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:12 GMT

If new research is any indication, music someday may be widely used in operating rooms to help ease patient anxiety during surgery. A recent study at Cleveland Clinic found that music can slow the neuronal firings deep within the brain during surgery designed to treat Parkinson's patients. Our guests include Dr. Kamal Chemali, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic as well as a pianist; and Vera Brandes, director of an Austrian research program at Paracelsus Medical Private University Salzburg.

Weigh in: Do you think music can have a positive effect on your health?

Lauren Flanigan (Soundcheck: Friday, 30 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00 GMT

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 give a preview and talk about life at New York’s scrappy “second” opera house.

America's Quintessential Music (Soundcheck: Thursday, 29 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:05 GMT

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.

Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar's Ode to Jack Kerouac (Soundcheck: Thursday, 29 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:54 GMT

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: Kerouac’s Big Sur looking at Kerouac's life post-On the Road.

Doris Day: The reclusive Hollywood star (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 28 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00 GMT

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 following decades, she suffered a series of setbacks, both financially and emotionally, that made it all the much harder.

Today we look back at her fascinating career with biographer David Kaufman, author of the book Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door. Also: Singer-songwriter Nellie McKay performs songs from her recently released Doris Day tribute album, Normal as Blueberry Pie, live in our studio.

Carter Burwell and Maya Beiser (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 28 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00 GMT
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 joins us along with cellist Maya Beiser today to talk about the complex art of film scoring, and to present his latest works for cello.

Smackdown: Vampires vs. Zombies (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 27 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:04 GMT
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: Recorded Attacks). In a special Halloween edition of Soundcheck Smackdown, we debate whether vampires or zombies have inspired better music. We're joined by Tom Moon, author of the spookily titled book 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die, and Jason Rekulak of Quirk Books, publisher of the Jane Austen satire Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Tell us: Which has inspired better music -- vampires or zombies? Why do you think vampires and zombies are a big part of pop culture right now?

Pearl and the Beard (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 27 October 2009)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00 GMT
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.