sort order: page size:
A look at the incredible international hit song "Gangnam Style," the K-Pop breakout with a video watched over 300 million times on YouTube. Then, NPR Music critic Ann Powers on the hi... (episode)
Tonight on Soundcheck, former Bauhaus frontman (and possible vampire) Peter Murphy on his long musical career, appearing in a famous Maxell commercial and his new record Ninth. Then, ... (episode)
English singer Peter Murphy helped define the so-called Goth sound in the 1980s. He talks about his years fronting the band Bauhaus, his role in a famous Maxell commercial, the iconic...
You might recognize singer-songwriter Kimbra from her guest vocals on Gotye's multi-platinum hit "Somebody That I Used To Know." More recently, the New Zealand native has released her...
Not many people get to spend time with the famously reclusive Neil Young. But David Carr, media reporter for The New York Times, did. We hear the story behind the story.
Tonight on Soundcheck, Grammy Award-winning singer Cyndi Lauper drops by the studio, not to sing, but to share tales from her new autobiography, Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir. Then, music f... (episode)
<p>The New Wave icon and Queens native stops by the Soundcheck studio to dish on her new memoir and upcoming musical, "Kinky Boots." </p>
<p>Producer <guest class="mceGuest" name="Katie Bishop">Katie Bishop</guest> plays host John Schaefer a few of the Soundcheck jingles that have been submitted by listeners. </p>
Pianist Vijay Iyer, poet Mike Ladd and and Iraq War veteran Maurice Decaul join us for a live performance and discussion about the Harlem Stage-commissioned work Holding It Down: The ...
Tonight on Soundcheck, Billboard magazine's Joe Levy attempts to walk us through the knotty details of Universal's acquisition of EMI last week. Then, a look back on a forgotten album... (episode)
In 1979, teenage musician Donnie Emerson and his brother, Joe, recorded an album called Dreamin' Wild in a home studio built on their family's farm in Washington State. John talks wit...
Last week, the number of major record labels dropped from four to three. News spread on Friday that Universal Music Group (UMG) received approval from industry regulators to take over...
British soul singer Lianne La Havas performs songs off her critically acclaimed and Mercury Prize-nominated debut Is Your Love Big Enough? Plus, she tells us about meeting some of her...
Tonight on Soundcheck, a deep look at the ubiquitous, if not universally beloved song from Jewish weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and now, surprisingly, the Olympics, "Hava Nagila." We hear f... (episode)
A new exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage charts the surprising history of the universally familiar, if not universally popular song, "Hava Nagila." Curator Melissa Martens share...
<p>The Southern rock ensemble Band of Horses performs songs from their new album, <em>Mirage Rock</em>, in our studio. Plus, John Schaefer challenges them to answer three difficult trivia questions. </p>
<p>When we asked listeners to tell us about being in music videos, our listener Eddie chimed in with the time he served as an extra for the Rolling Stones.</p>
Tonight on Soundcheck, author Michael Chabon talks about the musical world of the record store depicted in his new novel Telegraph Avenue. Then, Amanda Palmer comes into the Soundchec... (episode)
Amanda Palmer gained notoriety and a cult following first as half of the punk-cabaret act The Dresden Doll and later with her 2008 solo record Who Killed Amanda Palmer. The theatrical...
Alt-rock power trio Ben Folds Five has its first album out in 13 years, The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind. Writer A.J. Jacobs gives an update about his summer spent listening to Bob D... (episode)
The alt-rock piano trio Ben Folds Five broke up in 2000 – but now they’ve returned with a brand new album, called The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind. We talk with the band about their ...
<p>British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka talks about his debut album <em>Home Again </em>and performs stripped-down versions live in our studio.</p>
On today's Soundcheck, musicologist Alisun Pawley talks about sing-along songs and why we want to belt out familiar tunes in a crowd. Then Pitchfork founder and frequent Soundcheck co... (episode)
<p>A new study uncovers why some songs are more “sing-along-able” than others. Hint: Queen and the Village People both made the study's top-10 list.</p>
Since the 1990s, John Darnielle has put out music as The Mountain Goats . While now a trio with a larger sound, Darnielle is perfectly capable of stripping down the songs on the lates...
Today on Soundcheck, a preview of new music releases with Joe Levy -- from a new Carly Rae Jepsen single to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music record Cruel Summer. Poet and rock legend Patti... (episode)
This summer, poet, author and songwriter Patti Smith released her first album of new material since 2004, Banga. The record takes its name from Russian novelist Mikhail Bulgakov's boo...
Best Coast's latest album, The Only Place, brims with carefree summery hooks, shimmering guitar lines and words that both allude to falling in love and serve as odes to the sunny Cali...
Today on Soundcheck, Grizzly Bear comes to WNYC's Greene Space to perform songs from its latest album Shields. Then author Junot Diaz spins three favorite songs. And Soundcheck listen... (episode)
The writer Junot Diaz won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2007 novel, The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao. Now, he returns with a new collection called This Is How You Lose Her. Diaz tells ...