Soundcheck

Every so often, we turn our series “THAT Was A Hit?!?” on its head with Soundcheck frequent guest Chris Molanphy, calling it instead, “That WASN’T A Hit?!?” We look back at songs that -- although we may now think of them as hits -- actually weren't hits (at least in their original form) at all.  Today, we look at Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." "If you flip on oldies or lite radio right now and they're playing a Fleetwood Mac song, I give it a 1 in 3 shot they're playing 'Landslide,'" says Molanphy. "'Landslide' is kind of their big radio song of the last couple of decades."  However, "Landslide" wasn't one of the singles off of their 1975 self-titled album -- instead, the album's singles were "Rhiannon," "Say You Love Me" and "Over My Head" -- all of which charted in the Billboard Top 20. Instead of releasing "Landslide" as a single, the group moved right on to their next (highly successful) album, Rumours. Although the song became a staple of the group's concert sets, it was, as Molanphy says, "kind of a buried classic."  The song ended up being resurrected decades later by Billy Corgan, lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins. He covered the song in 1994, and his version reached #3 on Billboard's modern rock charts -- "the first version of 'Landslide' by anybody to chart on a Billboard chart," according to Molanphy. The song was later re-released as a single by Fleetwood Mac as a part of their live reunion album The Dance, and then eventually made its way to the Billboard Top 10 when the Dixie Chicks covered the song in 2002. 

For years, "Weird Al" Yankovic was the biggest name in pop parody. But with The Lonely Island's just-released third record, The Wack Album, debuting in the top ten on the Billboard charts, the comedy group has demonstrated success beyond its Saturday Night Live roots.  One big reason that pop parody has gone so mainstream? YouTube. From The Lonely Island's first video, "Lazy Sunday," to the bizarre success of Baauer's "Harlem Shake," online video has driven pop parody's commercial sales -- and, as of this year, chart positions. Writer Jody Rosen, who recently wrote about pop parody for New York Magazine, joins Soundcheck to talk about the changes within the music industry's acceptance and embrace of the genre. Jody Rosen, on The Lonely Island's success: They command a lot of respect and they draw a star-studded cast. I think the secret to their success is both the fact that they’re good comedians and fine musicians. They make good records. These songs work as comedy and as music. They’re smart about music. I suppose you can call them music critics in their way. They understand hip hop really well, and they’re adept at sending up its tropes. On pop parody in the YouTube generation: The interesting thing about music parody today is via the internet it’s become kind of democratized, so everyone and their uncle is doing a musical parody. If there’s a song which is a big hit, you get together with your friends in the garage, turn on the laptop camera, and you can come up with your own Weird-Al-type parody song. It’s very interesting that this has become a kind of lingua franca of pop music culture in this day in age. It’s kind of a YouTube phenomenon. On parody propelling "Harlem Shake" to chart success: The parody there was sort of a visual joke. It was people dancing to this techno track, and when the beat really kicked in, they went nuts — in offices, in ridiculous places, in unlikely costumes. It’s just vaudeville. It’s just slapstick almost. But that caught on, and this was at the precise moment that Billboard had remade its chart algorithm to take in YouTube views…. It was a song which otherwise would never have cracked the top 100. Suddenly, it’s number 1 in the country for 5 weeks. And I think that speaks to the power of pop parody at this moment.  

International pop superstar Kylie Minogue is best known for hit songs like "The Loco-Motion," "Spinning Around," and the smash success “Can't Get You Outta My Head” -- which reached number one in over forty countries. Yet the Australian-born singer -- who began her career as an actor at age 11 -- also has another passion: fashion. Minogue's new book Kylie Fashion focuses on 25 years of her iconic style, a love that started as a teenager and evolved parallel to her music career. She's also in the process of writing and recording her twelfth album, which will feature new collaborators including hip hop producer The-Dream, who she worked with on her brand new single, "Skirt." And as to whether she still has new avenues to explore, both in music and fashion, "The list of what I haven’t done is endless," says Minogue. "I'm too curious."   Kylie Minogue, on working with Jay-Z's Roc Nation on her next album: I absolutely thrive and love being in new situations, having a new stimulus around and different ideas. A lot of the producers I’ve worked with through Roc Nation on this album are dreams come true. I don't know if I can mention their names yet because the album’s not done, but definitely I found myself in the studio with a couple of producers going, "This was on my wish list. And here I am." It's really cool. On falling in love with fashion as a byproduct of being a music-infatuated teenager: I became obsessed with music. It was the early '80s so I was really into New Romantic music — a lot of the London scene and all of that. Hand and hand with that, my obsession with fashion was cemented. I used to go to the market. I would drool over anything. To go and buy one thing at the store, I would put on [layaway], so you had to put down five dollars, go back the next week, put down another five dollars. Which seems so crazy now, where you want something, you press a button, and you get it. On her famous gold hot pants for "Spinning Around": A very good girlfriend of mine bought the hot pants for 50p in London -- she's a photographer and artist with a natural styliing ability. She gave them to me...and they kind of hung around in my wardrobe until I was deciding what to do for "Spinning Around." I tried them on for the director and she just about had a heart attack -- she said "yes, those!" I remember being pretty self conscious on the day of the video. But as usual on a video you forget the real world exists and by the end of the day that was it, I forgot about being self conscious at all. They're from the 70s, vintage already -- I've kind of double vintaged them.     On battling breast cancer and receiving the 2013 EIF Courage Award: It's an important part of my life. I certainly didn't see that coming. The love and support I felt at that time, I just want to be able to give that back to everyone and help spread my message of courage, of strength, of positivity. And here we are talking about my career and all the things that are in front of me. That’s what I want patients to know: Just stay strong and get through the other side.

In this episode: Pop diva Kylie Minogue stops by to talk about a new single, "Skirt," a new book chronicling the evolution of her fashion through a 25-year career, and her upcoming album. Plus: Known for their “digital shorts” on Saturday Night Live, the hip hop parody trio The Lonely Island released a new album that debuted in the top ten of Billboard’s album chart. New York Magazine pop critic Jody Rosen joins us to talk about the state of pop parody.  And: Our series “That Was a Hit?” continues with Chris Molanphy and a look at a song that surprisingly wasn't a hit – Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” 

This week our Check Ahead is the sophomore album from Brooklyn-based indie rock band A Great Big Pile of Leaves, called You're Always On My Mind. Soundcheck producer Gretta Cohn talks with the band's drummer Tyler Soucy about some of the themes on the record -- and how the music we fall in love with as teenagers is the music that stays with us for a lifetime. Listen the band's album in full here.

Stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress got his start as a writer for Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, and he's just signed a new deal with Comedy Central, and his new web series for Fuse, called Talking To Strangers, which will premiere in late July. We hear a sneak preview of his first episode, which features Questlove, of The Roots. In his stand-up Buress frequently explores the intersections between music and comedy. He also takes on rappers like Odd Future and Young Jeezy. In this routine, he says, “I feel like rap affects how I talk with people too much.”      Rap has also taught him aspects of performance and engaging with a crowd. Lately, Buress has been doing a little hip hop performance himself. "There's something about rap," Buress says, "You can feel the energy and see their flow. This person's good. I don't know what they're saying -- but they're still good. But with comedy you have to know what the person is saying for them to be good. With rap, it's energy, flow, even if you can't hear the words." Here's his take on it all, with "Gibberish Rap."  

As soon as they got their hands on it, critics started noticing the more "industrial" aspects of the new Kanye West record. Industrial music is that loud, sometimes abrasive genre that came out of the postpunk moment of the mid 1970s -- and brought about cult bands like Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire,  and more mainstream acts like Nine Inch Nails -- who just released a new single called "Came Back Haunted."     The author and composer S. Alexander Reed has recently published a history of the genre, Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music. Reed joins Soundcheck to look at how the genre of industrial music came about -- and all the places where it continues to pop up today, from Kanye West to sub-genres like "witch house" to the theatrical production Stomp. Reed also explains the work of three essential and pioneering industrial bands: Einstürzende Neubauten, Skinny Puppy and Front 242. Hear more of what he's talking about in a playlist he made, to go along with the new book:    

In this episode: Comedian and "gibberish" rapper Hannibal Buress  reflects on the intersections between comedy and music. And: Soundcheck producer Gretta Cohn talks with the Brooklyn indie-rock band A Great Big Pile Of Leaves about its latest album, which you can currently hear on Soundcheck's Web site. Plus: writer S. Alexander Reed delves into industrial music in his new book Assimilate, from the defining elements of its sound to some of the genre's key figures including Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy and Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails. Also: hear New York jazz group Father Figures perform a Tiny Desk Concert at the NPR Music offices in Washington, D.C.  

In this episode: We spin some of our favorite recent performances recorded live in the Soundcheck studio. No matter your tastes, there's plenty of new music to fall in love with: Bobby McFerrin's latest gospel-infused Americana project; Alice Russell's neo-British soul; interpretations of Bach from Ben Verdery; Eleanor Friedberger's 1970's AM radio-influenced rockers; the politically-charged and gloriously noisy Japanther; and Jon Hopkins' stunning electronic tapestries. Plus, we leave our hearts on the floor with some dance pop from Little Boots, and let Friday get a little funky with Brooklyn party band French Horn Rebellion.   Songs included in this episode:   Alice Russell, "Hard And Strong" Alice Russell - Hard And Strong Bobby McFerrin, "Joshua" Bobby McFerrin - Joshua Sam Amidon, "Short Life" Sam Amidon - Short Life Ben Verdery, Bach: Cello Suite No. 4  Ben Verdery - Bach Cello Suite No. 4 Eleanor Friedberger, "Stare At The Sun" Eleanor Friedberger - Stare At The Sun Japanther, "Stolen Flowers" Japanther - Stolen Flowers Yellowbirds, "Young Men Of Promise" Yellowbirds - Young Men Of Promise Laura Stevenson, "Runner" Laura Stevenson - Runner Emily Wells, "Mama's Gonna Give You Love" Emily Wells - Mama's Gonna Give You Love Jon Hopkins, "Breathe This Air" Jon Hopkins - Breathe This Air Little Boots, "Broken Record" Little Boots - Broken Record French Horn Rebellion, "Friday Nights" French Horn Rebellion - Friday Nights

What if you could predict who people's taste in movies based on their taste in music? Or, conversely, what type of music fans of certain films might like based on what music they listen to? Brian Whitman of The Echo Nest, a music data company, recently figured out how to do just that. The Echo Nest collects “hundreds of data points” from all over the internet to assemble people's musical identity. And from that, the company can draw some pretty interesting conclusions. For example, Whitman's study shows that fans of Jay-Z are also likely to enjoy Toy Story and Fight Club. Fans of sci-fi films are predicted to have fairly eclectic tastes -- enjoying artists from Jimi Hendrix and Lady Gaga -- while fans of fantasy films are shown to have more middle-of-the-road pop tastes. And further conclusions can be extrapolated by examining defining characteristics of those artists and films.  “There’s a lot of personality in the music you listen to,” explains Whitman. “And we’re just showing over and over again that there’s something to be looking at here.”

In the new film The History Of Future Folk, space aliens on a mission to invade earth instead fall in love with our music. The aliens' musical prowess is clearly highly advanced, as they quickly learn the rootsy feel and bare emotion of bluegrass.  Writer and co-director J. Anderson Mitchell and actors/songwriters Nils d'Aulaire and Jay Klaitz join Soundcheck host John Schaefer in the studio to discuss the project and perform live. The History of Future Folk plays in select theaters nationwide in June and July and is available via Video On Demand. There will also be a special screening on Saturday June 22nd at the Lower East Side Film Festival. More information here.

BeauSoleil means "beautiful sun" in French, and the Cajun group lives up to its name by crafting upbeat and danceable songs. The undisputed "Kings of Cajun music" -- led by fiddler Michael Doucet -- are back with From Bamako to Carencro, a record unlike any the band has done before. The record covers delta blues, John Coltrane jazz, and a piece that traces a connection between Bamako, Mali and the Cajun country of Louisiana.  And yet, you will still want to dance. Set List: Two-Step de Port Arthur Carencro You Got To Move

In this episode: In the new film The History of Future Folk, space aliens on a mission to invade earth instead fall in love with human music. The film's co-director and writer explains the story, and its two stars perform in alien spacesuits. (Watch the video). Plus: It might sound like sci-fi, but computers can now figure out your movie preferences based on your music tastes. We find out how. And: The undisputed kings of Cajun music, BeauSoleil — led by fiddler Michael Doucet — are back with a record unlike any they've done before. It’s called From Bamako to Carencro, and they’ll play some of it live.  

Frances Ha, the latest film from director Noah Baumbach stars actress and co-writer Greta Gerwig as Frances, a 27-year-old New Yorker struggling to make it as a dancer. It's a story about love without the traditional romance: as Frances grows apart from her close friend and roommate, she’s left to fend for herself in her personal life and in her career. Gorgeously shot in stark black and white, the film is an accurate and heartfelt portrayal of what it's like being a young New Yorker on the verge of not being young anymore.       One of the film’s most memorable moments revolves around David Bowie's "Modern Love." The song appears in a pivotal sequence where Frances hurtles and dances down a crowded New York street. Gerwig explains that the song fit perfectly with the movie. "Great pop music, when it’s over, you just want to play the song again right away,” says Gerwig. “We talked about wanting the movie to feel like a pop song. When it’s over, there’s a feeling of, “Put it on again.”   Gerwig says there are a number songs that give her that very same feeling. She shares a few of her favorites in this Pick Three.       David Bowie, "Five Years" I was 18 or 19 [when I first heard it], and I had very dramatic emotions, as I do now. I felt like David Bowie was the only person who could give it the scope that it deserved. I think it’s also what it feels like to be young. You feel like you’ve got five years left before you’re old or something, which of course I don’t think now. But then, it feels like, “Oh my God, everything’s ending!”       Pamela Myers, "Another Hundred People" (from the Sondheim musical Company) I really love musical theater a lot. It really is such an American art form. I think sometimes when people think about it, they think it’s just cheesy, or people singing about their feelings in a cheesy way. But I find it so moving to watch people singing on stage. It’s just the most sincere art form to me. That’s something I always really respond to.        Nirvana, “Rainbow Chaser” It’s just a great song. When I heard it, I was like, “I can’t believe this isn’t used to sell cars!” If you put this in a commercial, I’d pretty much buy the product. It’s got percussive piano and it’s kind of psychedelic, but it sort of sounds like the Beatles but also a Bond soundtrack. It’s odd.

One of the most eagerly anticipated films this summer is the action flick World War Z, which revolves around the international struggle against a zombie pandemic. And for the film's score, Marco Beltrami -- the composer responsible for the music of The Hurt Locker, 3:10 to Yuma, as well as several zombie movies -- developed a novel way of setting an eerie tone. Drawing on the theme of zombie bites, Beltrami used teeth from the skulls of feral pigs as percussion instruments. The result is a creepy musical backdrop for equally unsettling images of zombie attacks. Marco Beltrami, on writing music for zombie movies: I started out coming from more of a concert music background. It just turns out that 20th century music techniques lend themselves to scary movies and horror movies. But I have to admit that I really don’t care for horror movies all that much. I think mainly just because I’m a cheap scare. On using teeth as a percussive instrument for the score: I was very conscious of the story point that the zombies perpetuate themselves through biting and through their teeth. So I was thinking it might be neat to have a percussive element that’s actually derived from teeth. I was speaking with a friend of mine who was making a movie -- Tommy Lee Jones -- and he said, “Well you know, in Texas, where I’m from, we have these wild feral pigs called javelinas, and they actually communicate with their jaws.” So Buck [Sanders], who’s my partner at the studio, ordered some javelina skulls and we started doing experiments with them.  On finding inspiration in the Emergency Broadcast system for the score: When I first screened the movie, they showed me the beginning — this scene that takes place in Philadelphia. It cuts to just an Emergency Broadcast Signal. I was thinking that might be a great way to find a motive or something that could develop into the harmonic and melodic language of the film…. We just ordered some tuning forks that are tuned a major second apart, which is what the Emergency Broadcast Signal is. From there, we worked on processing that. I would say most it derives from this very simple interval.   Watch the trailer for World War Z below. The film hits theaters this Friday, June 21.