Soundcheck

Don't be fooled by what you hear: Argentinean musician JP Jofre isn't an accordionist. He plays the bandoneón, a member of the concertina family that's known for being an essential part of tango ensembles in South America. Now based here in New York City, Jofre and his squeezebox (and his band) drop by the Soundcheck studio to play songs from his latest album, Hard Tango. For more photos, visit Soundcheck's Tumblr page.

In this episode: In the new film Frances Ha, Greta Gerwig dances through the streets of New York to David Bowie’s “Modern Love.” The filmmaker and actress talks about picking the music for that pivotal scene – and about being a longtime David Bowie superfan. Plus: Composer Marco Beltrami talks about the best way to create a soundtrack for the zombie apocalypse: Using skulls as percussion instruments. We hear the music that he wrote for the film World War Z. And: Although it might look like it, Argentinean musician JP Jofre doesn’t play the accordion. He plays the bandoneón, a member of the concertina family. We find out all about it when he plays live. 

Last month, Kanye West fans got a sneak peak at his new album, Yeezus, when he performed "Black Skinhead" on Saturday Night Live. But this past weekend, Kanye-lovers stole a listen to the entire album when Yeezus leaked a few days before its official release date. The album is officially out today, and music writer, Lizzy Goodman, says that despite the singer's oft-maligned bravado, West has created another classic record.     “[Yeezus] samples every musical genre that we’re currently into," says Goodman. "But it’s still a traditional hip hop record in a lot of ways. Maybe he just needs to pump himself up and we need to tolerate that process in the meantime." Lizzy Goodman, on Kanye West’s "Blood On The Leaves," which samples Nina Simone's recording of "Strange Fruit": He's willing to go where you think no one should go musically. But it’s also reverential. He holds himself in such high regard [that] what he borrows is then also elevated. Everything is respectful by association with the greatness that is Kanye.   Goodman also gives her preliminary opinion on two other new releases from Scottish alternative rock band, Primal Scream, and gospel and soul legend, Mavis Staples.   On Primal Scream’s nine-minute epic, "2013": Subtlety is not a primal scream specialty. This is among the first tracks that were released from this album, and that’s what I love about them. It's like, “Yes, this is our tenth record. Yes, we are us. And yes, we are imperious enough to release a ten minute epic among our first singles.” But the song is great.   On Mavis Staples’s “Can You Get To That,” a cover of a Funkadelic song that showcases the singer’s latest reinvention: This record and the one before it — both of which she’s worked [on] with Jeff Tweedy from Wilco — has unlocked something new in her. It’s really interesting to see.