Simon Cowell: Conqueror or Crank?
This season will be Simon Cowell's last as judge on Fox's smash-hit American Idol. The caustic Brit everyone loves to hate is stepping down to bring his show X Factor to American audiences next year....
View ArticleSmackdown: Too Many Bands?
The digital age has spawned a do-it-yourself revolution. It's easier than ever to record music at home and distribute it using tools like MySpace and iTunes. But the band boom has its drawbacks, as the...
View ArticleThis song is brought to you by...
Lady Gaga's new music video for "Telephone" is raising product placement to a grotesque degree: Ten brands appear in the 9-minute video, including Virgin Mobile, Hewlett Packard, and Chevrolet. While...
View ArticleSmackdown: The Banjo
For the last half of the 20th century, the banjo didn't wander far from folk, bluegrass and the "Dueling Banjos" scene in the film Deliverance. But today, banjos are popping up in a wide variety of...
View ArticleSmackdown: American vs. British theater
British theater is taking Broadway by storm – again. In the last year, Billy Elliot: The Musical – a London import – swept the Tony Awards. The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced a residency at...
View ArticleSmackdown: High Voices vs. Low Voices
Which do you prefer -- the high-pitched wails of Mariah Carey, Prince, and Brian Wilson? Or the throaty roars of Barry White, Leonard Cohen, and Nina Simone? In this week's Soundcheck Smackdown, high...
View ArticleThe Future of Arts Funding
Earlier this month, the government of Georgia approved legislation to eliminate funding for the state's arts council. After hundreds gathered on the capitol steps to protest the decision, the funding...
View ArticleSmackdown: "Glee"
Glee, the TV comedy about affable losers in a high school choir, has earned plenty of fans and has even scored cool-points for music education.Glee, the TV drama about affable losers in a high school...
View ArticleSmackdown: Online Music Lessons
There are thousands of free music instructional videos on YouTube produced by performers and teachers. Some even feature well-known performers such as Paul McCartney, Andy Summers of The Police and...
View ArticleSmackdown: Live Band or DJ?
Rihanna may be fun for the bachelorette party, but what will grandma think when the DJ starts spinning it at the reception? Deciding between a DJ and a live band for a wedding reception can be both...
View ArticleSmackdown: Reunion Fever
Dormant rock acts like Pavement, Soundgarden and Faith No More are reuniting for summer tours. But as music writer Michael Azerrad explains, not all fans want their favorite musicians to give it...
View ArticleSmackdown: Late-Night TV Bands
First, NBC’s The Tonight Show juggled hosts. Next, it switched bandleaders.Eric Deggans, TV/media critic of the St. Petersburg Times, joins us to look back at late-show music history -- and at Rickey...
View ArticleSmackdown: Artificial Intelligence
Meet composer Emily Howell: she’s crafting original works of classical music that sound sharp and lively, if a little derivative. Some say her pieces sound like Bach or Liszt. The issue: Emily Howell...
View ArticleFuture of the Blues: Bright or Just Blue?
The Blues is a quintessential American art form but some believe the genre has lost its way -- and its audience. Others contend that the blues are as vital as ever. Today: a Soundcheck Smackdown debate...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Lilith Fair
This summer marks the return, after an 11-year hiatus, of Lilith Fair - the all-female music tour co-founded by Sarah McLachlan. Featuring artists like glam-soul diva Janelle Monae, pop princess Ke$ha,...
View ArticleSmackdown: Virtual Orchestras
From Broadway theaters to opera houses and Hollywood production studios, digital orchestras are providing controversial alternatives to real-life musicians. The most recent example concerns the...
View ArticleSmackdown: Pop Charts
Last week, the Billboard charts met their first real challenger. The Ultimate Chart is a list that ranks artists and singles not just by sales and airplay, but also by their status on streaming...
View ArticleSmackdown: The Banjo
For the last half of the 20th century, the banjo didn't wander far from folk, bluegrass and the "Dueling Banjos" scene in the film Deliverance. But today, banjos are popping up in a wide variety of...
View ArticleSmackdown: Arcade Fire
True to their namesake, Arcade Fire are a hot commodity: the Montreal ensemble knocked Eminem off the number-one spot on the Billboard albums chart with their new disc The Suburbs. But not everyone is...
View ArticleSmackdown: Concert Simulcasts
As opera houses and orchestras simulcast their performances into movie theatres across the country, critics charge that it’s turning classical music into a cheap reality show. Fans say it’s as...
View ArticleSmackdown: The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones
Our weekly debate series takes on one of the most divisive rivalries in pop music: the Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones. Which was the greater band? Which had a deeper connection with their fans, or a...
View ArticleSmackdown: Kind of Blue vs. Bitches Brew
2009 and 2010 have been big anniversary years for Miles Davis fans. But only one album can reign supreme. Today, Soundcheck's weekly Smackdown series pits the iconic Kind of Blue (1959) against the...
View ArticleSmackdown: The Sax
Soundcheck talked with jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins last week about his memorable (and uncredited) performance on the Rolling Stones song “Waiting on a Friend.” But the sax blows hot and cold in pop...
View ArticleSmackdown: Hall of Shame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its short list of nominees last week. The list of candidates for induction next year includes The J. Geils Band, Bon Jovi, Donovan and Neil Diamond. Our...
View ArticleToo Rye Ay
The hip insiders at Pitchfork recently gave high marks to a reissue of "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels," the 1980 debut album from Dexys Midnight Runners. But most Americans know this British...
View ArticleStop Buying That Stairway
Led Zeppelin nostalgia is at a fever pitch, with rock heir Jason Bonham leading a tribute tour and biographer Stephen Davis revisiting the subject matter that made his “Hammer of the Gods” tell-all so...
View ArticleSmackdown: Kanye v. Pusha T
On today’s Soundcheck Smackdown we’re asking the question: Who is the best MC of the new millennium? Our guests are pitting two MCs currently in the spotlight against each other: Kanye West and Pusha...
View ArticleCoward or Porter
Our weekly Soundcheck Smackdown pits Noël Coward against Cole Porter -- two titans of 20th-century popular music go head-to-head in our weekly debate. Guests include Barry Day, editor of two books of...
View ArticleSmackdown: Battle of the Brits
It's a British tradition--a race to top the music charts each Christmas season. Music critic Sophie Harris of Time Out New York and BBC contributor Gary Burton square off on their favorite seasonal...
View ArticleSmackdown: White Christmas vs. Silent Night
Some dream of a "White Christmas"...others prefer a "Silent Night." Jody Rosen of Slate.com and Rolling Stone debates WQXR host Jeff Spurgeon over which classic Christmas tune really puts the shine on...
View ArticleSmackdown: Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift called her second album Fearless, and with good reason: the 21-year-old singer seems to be on an unbreakable winning streak. Fearless was the top-selling album of 2009 and snared the...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Headphones versus Earbuds
We debate the pros and cons of being an “earbud person” (gym rats and rugrats) and a “headphone person” (DJs and wannabe DJs). Mark Katz, author of "Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music,"...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: White Stripes Requiem
After a hiatus, the Detroit-born rock duo with the matching outfits and matching names have called it quits -- which makes them ripe for a Smackdown. Emily Rems, managing editor of Bust Magazine, and...
View ArticleSmackdown: The Concept Album
Concept Albums. They’re the pop-music equivalent of the novel. But, sometimes … novels can be really, really boring. On today’s Soundcheck Smackdown, music critic Amanda Petrusich and Steven Wilson of...
View ArticleSmackdown: The Strokes
Julian Casablancas and Co. debuted in 2001 with the critically acclaimed album Is This It and helped put New York rock back on the map. Now the Strokes are back - after a puzzling, difficult five-year...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Aja
Steely Dan’s 1977 album “Aja” rebelled against the disco and rock hits of the day and achieved a new level of smooth. As of this year, the Library of Congress has also deemed it so culturally and...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: The "Kiss" Off
Prince's hit song, "Kiss," is a beloved masterpiece- but could a cover top the original? In this Soundcheck Smackdown, we pit the original version against the 1988 Art of Noise/Tom Jones cover....
View ArticleSmackdown: Whistling
Whistled melodies have inspiredgreat musicfrom Otis Redding, Paul Simon and others. But whistling has also inspired murderous looks on the subway. We debate the sometimes-awesome, sometimes-annoying...
View ArticleWeb Extra: An Odd Future Smackdown
Please be aware that this podcast contains explicit material that some listeners may find offensive.With the help of music journalists Laina Dawes and Jaime Lowe, we debate whether Odd Future is a step...
View ArticleSmackdown Singles Edition: Bohemian Rhapsody
It’s a Soundcheck Smackdown singles edition! We’re throwing Queen’s 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" into the ring for our weekly debate. Emily Rems, managing editor of Bust magazine, and Entertainment...
View ArticleSmackdown: Spotlight on Streaming
The arrival of the new digital music service Spotify in the U.S. has been heralded as a low-cost way to expose lots of listeners to new music. But what do the artists behind the music get out of it?...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Aja
Steely Dan’s 1977 album “Aja” rebelled against the disco and rock hits of the day and achieved a new level of smooth. As of this year, the Library of Congress has also deemed it so culturally and...
View ArticleSmackdown: Jeff Bridges vs. Tim Robbins
Actors Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins have faced off once before – in the 1999 thriller “Arlington Road.” Now, the two Hollywood stars are squaring off in a different way – this time, with steely,...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Holiday Movie Music Edition
Blockbuster movies have given us a lot of great holiday songs like "White Christmas" and "Silver Bells." But on the other hand, the small screen has produced some beloved tunes too, like the music from...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Record Store Day Edition
For faithful fans of vinyl, the third Saturday in April means one thing: Record Store Day. This year, it falls on Saturday, April 20th. It's a day set aside to celebrate those increasingly rare...
View ArticleHouse Of Horrors: A Scariest Musician Smackdown
All this week in Soundcheck's House of Horrors, we’ve been posing this question: Who is the scariest musician of all time? Today, it’s time to pit some of your nominees for scariest musician against...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Is The Sound of Music Stale?
On December 5, NBC will air a live version of the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical,The Sound of Music. The live show will star Carrie Underwood and True Blood's Stephen Moyer, and will...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Is The Ukulele Lovely, Or Just Lazy?
Who knew such a tiny instrument could elicit such strong feelings? In the pop music era, the ukulele has gone from cultural artifact and jokey sidearm, to songwriting tool and ironic totem. The...
View ArticleSoundcheck Smackdown: Ace Of Base's 'The Sign,' 20 Years Later
This summer Soundcheck is looking back to the summer of 1994 to explore the hits, defining albums and pop culture of 20 years ago.Twenty years ago, Swedish pop group Ace Of Base had the No. 1 hit with...
View ArticleThe New Yorker's Sonny Rollins Satire: Funny Or Infuriating?
Last week, the New Yorker's web site published a piece called “Sonny Rollins: In His Own Words,” in which this legendary 83-year-old saxophonist -- one of the most legendary living figures in jazz --...
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