Soundcheck

For the Minneapolis, Minn. music scene, 1984 was a landmark year. That year, Prince hit No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart with the Purple Rain soundtrack. The film featured the Twin Cities in a supporting role, and it introduced audiences to a funk band called The Time, which scored R&B hits with “The Bird” and “Jungle Love." Meanwhile, two underground bands in Minneapolis -- the Replacements and Husker Du -- were setting the stage for alternative rock, with both groups releasing definitive albums in 1984 that attracted major-label attention. But a red-hot music scene doesn't spring up overnight, and a new compilation chronicles ten years of lesser-known Twin Cities funk and R&B. The set is called Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound. Soundcheck host John Schaefer talks with one of the featured artists, Andre Cymone, and with Jonathan Kirby of Numero Group, the record label that released Purple Snow.

The latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis, is set in the Greenwich Village folk music scene in 1961, before the game-changing arrival of Bob Dylan. Oscar Issac plays the the titular character, a down-on-his luck musician -- loosely based on real-life folk singer Dave Van Ronk -- whose career has hit a wall. Throughout the film, Isaac not only portrays a musician, but performs much of the music on the film’s soundtrack, which was produced by T Bone Burnett. In an interview with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Oscar Isaac talks about about preparing for the role of Llewyn Davis, collaborating with the Coens, and performing alongside musicians like Justin Timberlake and Marcus Mumford.   Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, and Adam Driver in a scene from Inside Llewyn Davis: Interview Highlights Oscar Isaac, on what Inside Llewyn Davis has to say about creating art: It is an acknowledgement of luck and how you need a lot of things to go your way in order to succeed -- or at least succeed without ever having to compromise. Which is something that the Coens have done from the very beginning. From Blood Simple, they have never once had to compromise their vision. And yes, they're geniuses, but they're lucky geniuses. Llewyn wants to be that kind of artist; he wants to not compromise. He has an idea of what he wants to express, but he just doesn't have the luck to do it. On preparing for his audition: I happened to be doing this very small movie in Long Island, and there was a guy in the scene - basically a featured extra, older drunk guy at the bar - and in between takes he picked up a guitar and started finger picking, Travis picking so incredibly in exactly the style that I wanted to learn. So I said "I'm auditioning for this thing kind of based on Dave Van Ronk - you ever heard of Dave?" He says, "Yeah, I played with Dave. You want some guitar lessons? Come to my place on Macdougal Street. I live above the old Gaslight." So I go to his place and he starts teaching me how to play, and I start opening up for him at Cafe Vivaldi and a couple other little places where they have these open mics. On the troubles of working with a cat: It would be tied to my arm, and sometimes it was not very happy about that. And it would try very hard to get away from me. Yeah, we had a few moments there.  

Dee Dee Bridgewater has spent much of her long career amongst jazz history. The vocalist got her start playing with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis and has performed with a who's who of jazz icons -- Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Clarke, Dexter Gordon, Roy Haynes, Roland Kirk and many more. She's relentlessly toured and released many superb albums under her own name, appeared on Broadway and has won multiple Grammy Awards and a Tony. And as the host of WBGO's JazzSet, Bridgewater continues to be a trusted and admired voice in jazz. Now, Bridgewater is back in the theater playing Billie Holiday in her off-Broadway show Lady Day -- a bio-drama featuring songs from various eras of the troubled singer’s career. Hear Bridgewater perform selections from Lady Day in the Soundcheck studio.  

Earlier this year, we ran a Check Ahead feature on Lucy Wainwright Roche's latest album, called There’s A Last Time For Everything. The daughter of musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Suzzy Roche, as well as the sibling to Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Lucy's story is one that's firmly tied to her family's. Yet her new record is one that stakes out her own territory, including a collaboration with the Decemberists' lead singer Colin Meloy and a somber cover of Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend."  Hear Lucy Wainwright Roche perform with her mom, Suzzy Roche, playing a song from their album of duets, Fairytale and Myth. 

Sam And Dave, Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Booker T. and the MG’s, Wilson Pickett are just some of the soul stars whose careers were established at Stax Records -- the label that began in a Memphis garage and went on to produce hundreds of hit songs. But Stax was more than just a record label, according to Memphis music historian Robert Gordon in his new book Respect Yourself: Stax Records And The Soul Explosion. In an interview with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Gordon explains that Stax was both a refuge from the harsh racial realities of the 1960's South and also a reflection of the turbulent civil rights movement churning just beyond its doors. Interview Highlights   Robert Gordon on Booker T. and the MG's song "Green Onions": I think there's a lot of tension in this song. I think you hear the underlying racial animosity in Memphis. You hear the wariness of Booker and Steve [Cropper, the band's white guitarist] of the public outside. [The group] began as an accident in the early 1960s, and the music worked. Booker told me it would have been foolish to undertake [an integrated band] as a conscious effort at that time and that place.     On Otis Redding, who first arrived at Stax as a driver for another musician: Everybody talks about the driver getting out and starting to unload gear. The guy brought in food and clothes -- he just lugged the stuff for the star. The star was a showman. They couldn't really get a groove going in the studio; he was more of a stage player. It was getting really frustrating, and people had to get out of the studio for their club gigs. Al Jackson the drummer had promised the driver he would give him a listen. He comes running down at the end, and Steve Cropper says to the guy, "Show me what you do." And when the guy started to sing, when Otis started to sing, Steve ran outside and had to tell Lewie Steinburg, "Get your bass out of the car, man! I need you inside!" And they cut what became [Redding's] first single on Stax, "These Arms Of Mine."

Thanksgiving is behind us and you know what that means: Christmas music. Everywhere. All the time. Every year brings a new bunch of seasonal records -- some of them awful, and a few good enough that you may actually still be listening to some of them a few years down the road. Sean Manning, contributor to Esquire and author of the memoir The Things That Need Doing, joins Soundcheck to survey this year’s crop so you don’t have to. Sean Manning's 2013 Holiday Music Picks The Good: Nick Lowe, "Christmas At The Airport," from Quality Street This is what a great Christmas song should be: it tells a story, and it's both fun and bittersweet. Also, because Lowe is such an understated singer, it feels modern and not hackneyed, even though the theme is a familiar one.   Erasure, "White Christmas," from Snow Globe It's a darker take on some of the classics. As they said in an interview with Billboard, "For a lot of people, Christmas is not a happy time." I love that they're acknowledging that. Jewel, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," from Let It Snow This is Jewel's second Christmas album. The first one was when she was still trying to figure out her career arc. Was she pop or was she country or was she a ballad singing diva? So that one was a mess. I mean, she yodeled "Winter Wonderland." Now that she's fully gone country, this new Christmas album is a lot more fun. She's got a perfect Christmas song voice-she can do sweet just as well as solemn. The Bad:   Kelly Clarkson, "4 Carats," from Wrapped In Red  A half-baked rip-off of Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby." This song has a similar shout out to Tiffany's but totally it's devoid of the subtlety and humor of the Kitt's song. Sadly, it's the perfect anthem for our modern Black Friday-commercialization of the holiday season.   Mary J. Blige, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)," from A Mary Christmas I hate to say I don't like this album because I love Mary J. Blige. But this is pretty underwhelming. I blame more the production of David Foster. His adult contemporary style works really well with Celine Dion and Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand (who makes a guest appearance on this album), but it just doesn't fit Mary J. Blige. She just sounds so, well, uncool. I'd love her to do a Christmas album produced instead by The-Dream or Raphael Saadiq. Leona Lewis, Christmas, With Love  I already own Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You, thanks. The only person who's ever out Darlene Love'd Darlene Love is Mariah Carey. Nobody else should bother.   Honorable Mention:   Kanye West, "Bound 2," from Yeezus It's technically not a Christmas song but I love this line from "Bound 2": "And hey, ayo, we made it: Thanksgiving / So hey, maybe we can make it to Christmas." I feel that really speaks to a lot of people who are newly dating. Those milestones are so important in the early stages of a relationship. There's a truth and sincerity in that line that's missing from so many holiday albums these days-why they're mostly really corny and terrible. Of course, considering the next line is, "She asked me what I wished for on my wishlist / Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches," I'm gonna say they didn't make it to Christmas after all.

The versatile bassist Ben Allison is one of jazz’s best “glue guys,” a musician’s musician who enlivens practically anyone’s recording. But as a composer and bandleader, Allison's idiosyncratic musicianship truly shines. And with his latest record, The Stars Look Very Different Today, Allison pushes his music into, well, the stratosphere. With a title borrowed from a line in David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” the album’s new songs function as something of a concept record inspired by space, classic sci-fi films, and the intersection of music, technology and science. It sounds like a heady experiment, sure, but these works remain grounded in memorable and twisty melodies, in-the-pocket grooves, and plenty of glitchy electronic noises all chirping, pulsating, and bursting around the periphery. Hear the savvy and skillful bassist and bandleader perform with his band in the Soundcheck studio.  

Playwright and actress Lisa Kron's plays include the one-woman show 2.5 Minute Ride and the Tony-nominated Well -- which she describes as “a solo show with other people.” Her latest project is Fun Home, a musical. Kron wrote the book and lyrics for the acclaimed new musical which has just been extended through December at the Public Theater. And at the same time -- and at the same venue, for that matter -- she's appearing in The Foundry Theatre's production of Bertolt Brecht's Good Person Of Szechwan. And while that may be keeping her incredibly busy, Kron found time to share three songs as part of Soundcheck's series Pick Three.   "Fun Home," based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, runs through December 29th at the Public Theater. Lisa Kron's Pick Three Robert Clary, "I'm In Love With Miss Logan," from New Faces Of 1952 Robert Clary plays a boy waiting after school for a teacher he's in love with. "That song has its own little arc," says Kron. "[Miss Logan's] boyfriend comes to pick her up from school, and what you hear is that he sort of kisses her on the cheek, and she says, 'Not in front of the little boy!' And when they leave, then [Clary] sings the next verse, which is 'If there's one person I don't love, it's Miss Logan. If there's one person I'd like to shove , it's Miss Logan.' There's a very satisfying reversal." Dominique Dibbell - "N'bahdy" Dominique Dibbell - N'bahdy   The song is from Buried, a play written and performed by Dibbell, who along with Kron is part of the theater group The Five Lesbian Brothers. "Dominique is - I just think she's a genius," says Kron. "This song has a sophistication and yet a naive simplicity that is kind of the hallmark of what she does, and I've had it in my music for many many years and I always go back to it."   Diana Krall - "A Case of You" - Live in Paris "This recording stops me in my tracks every time I hear it," Kron says. "And it's also just the height of craft that she's so in control of it and yet it is unspooling like we've never heard it before. And the tribute - both in her singing and her piano playing: you hear the original [by Joni Mitchell] and yet you hear this sort of completely revelatory interpretation of it. It just slays me."  

It's no surprise that Madonna and Lady Gaga top the list of the world's highest-paid musicians this year; both had huge tours -- and that's where the money is these days, according to Forbes' Zack O'Malley Greenburg. But Forbes' annual list also includes some unexpected names as well. Toby Keith (No. 4) presides over a vast business empire that includes restaurants, a mezcal line, and a record label that counts Taylor Swift (No. 8) among its artists. And some musicians don't even have to play much music to make the list: Sean "Diddy" Combs (No. 12) and Dr. Dre (No. 21) made their millions from their respective product lines and endorsements. O'Malley fills in Soundcheck host John Schaefer on the list, and reveals who would easily claim the No. 1 slot if dead musicians were included.

Tim Rice, ABBA, a guy named Murray Head, and a musical about chess: the makings of a hit pop song? Soundcheck's series That Was A Hit?!? is all about improbable chart success -- and few songs are more improbable than "One Night in Bangkok." In this installment, Mario Correa tells Soundcheck host John Schaefer how the song went from a concept album for the musical Chess to a No. 1 hit across much of the world in 1985.

This segment originally aired on Sept. 13, 2013. The U.K.-born daughter of Caribbean immigrants, Ebony Bones learned to love an eclectic amount of music from her youth. As a child, she helped her father sell music in a stall in Brixton Market. The singer-songwriter's new album, Behold, A Pale Horse, is packed full of electronic tweak-outs, Afropunk beats, and even makes use of a children’s choir — showcasing her affinity for a diversity of sounds.         For more photos, visit Soundcheck's Tumblr page. Set List: "W.A.R.R.I.O.R." "Neu World Blues" "While the People S.L.E.E.P."

This segment originally aired on Sept. 26, 2013. Sarah Jarosz is just 22, but she’s already made a mark on the folk and bluegrass scene thanks to her deep bluegrass knowledge and exceptional instrumental skills. She was still in high school when she signed her record deal and since has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and the Newport Folk Festival, played with the likes of the Punch Brothers, Bela Fleck, and Dan Tyminski, and was nominated for a Grammy. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist recently completed her studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, which is best known for its classical program. And as a result, Jarosz's just-released third album, Build Me Up From Bones, is her boldest work yet. Like her pervious work, the new songs are warmly pretty, and remain indebted to her folk and bluegrass roots. But the new record also takes on a somewhat darker and deeper sound.            Set List: "Over The Edge" "Build Me Up From Bones" "Mile On The Moon"  

This segment originally aired on Aug. 30, 2013. Kurt Braunohler recently released his debut album through Kill Rock Stars -- an indie label that also has on its roster bands like The Decemberists, Sleater-Kinney, Deerhoof, and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. But Braunohler’s album, called How Do I Land? isn’t just a first for him – it’s also the label’s first-ever comedy album. The comedian and host of the podcast The K Ohle with Kurt Braunohler joins us to share three tracks in our series Pick Three, and to talk about the confluence of music and comedy, his college punk band (called "Como Safeway") and how writing standup comedy is like writing songs.    Kurt's Pick Three:  Unwound, "Corpse Pose":  This is one of my favorite Unwound songs. Unwound was one of my favorite bands coming up, and they're really the reason that I fell in love with Kill Rock Stars and listened to everything they put out.  River City Extension, "Our New Intelligence": This band is from Asbury Park. They're amazing - they do a show every Thanksgiving at the Stone Pony. I've never been to a rock and roll show that felt more like everybody was in a family together. It's the best feeling I've ever had. I try to go back every year, just go to that show.  Cloud Nothings, "Been Through" I'm a child of the '90s, so I'm obsessed with that mid-'90s sound, and they do have that kind of mid-'90s kind of college rock sound. Their earlier records were much higher-end and more tinny and aggressive, and now the most recent album is dark and heavy, much heavier than their stuff before. But also still in a very mid-'90s vein.   Interview Highlights: On how he got signed to an indie rock label:  Kill Rock Stars retweeted a tweet that I had done maybe a year ago, and we got in conversation -- and I was like, you're one of my favorite labels... do you wanna do a comedy record? And that day, we got on the phone and we were like, let's do it!  On his own musical experience growing up:  I think I played every instrument. The piano, the saxophone, the guitar. And I'm just not good at playing music. But I think that history with it got me obsessed with music. And really, in college that's all I wanted to do.  On what kind of music he'd have on his own hypothetical late night talk show:  There's a group called Adira Amram and The Experience -- she's a comedian who also plays keyboard and sings. She would be my go-to group. 

Host John Schaefer introduces two mutual fans, Gramercy Tavern executive chef Michael Anthony and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche. Anthony is the winner of the 2012 James Beard award in NYC and has just published a cookbook with recipes from Gramercy Tavern, and Kotche just wrapped up a tour with Soundcheck's WNYC neighbors at Radiolab. The two talk about kitchen soundtracks, what composing and cooking have in common, and what music they're grateful for this Thanksgiving.

It's practically impossible to resist the infectious dance grooves and cheery pop melodies of Rubblebucket. Fusing together strains of '70s blue-eyed-soul and Afrofunk, synth rock and '90s pop, the Brooklyn band's songs pull from a bit of everything. And every musical element -- rom those crisp guitar strums and funky horn stabs to the swirling synth lines and drum machine hand claps -- adds up to a sound that's undeniably fun. But it's Rubblebucket's ecstatic live show -- where they often show up with giant robot puppets -- that brings out an extra dose of joy. And considering the band's recent emotional roller coaster -- lead singer Kalmia Traver was diagnosed with Stage 1 ovarian cancer this spring -- the band's love for upbeat music has no doubt become even more important.   Lead by Traver and Alex Toth, the sprawling seven-piece band has continued performing between Traver's treatments and recently released a great new EP, Save Charlie, which has earned some much-deserved buzz.  Hear Rubblebucket play a cover version of the Michael McDonald\Kenny Loggins hit "What A Fool Believes":  Rubblebucket: 'What A Fool Believes,' Live On Soundcheck Set List: "Save Charlie" "Patriotic" "What A Fool Believes"