Chet Faker: Soulful Electronics And A Sensitive Croon
Chet Faker is the moniker of Australian electronic musician, producer and soulful singer Nicholas Murphy. The namesake is an homage to one of Murphy's musical heroes, Chet Baker, the legendary jazz...
View Article'One Night In Bangkok': That Was A Hit?!?; Thundercat Plays Live; Highest...
In this episode: That Was a Hit?!? -- Soundcheck's occasional series on surprising pop-chart success -- examines "One Night In Bangkok," that rare beast: a No. 3 hit from a concept album that later...
View ArticleThundercat: Soulful Space-Age Bass
Thundercat is Stephen Bruner -- an electric bassist and vocalist who racked up some serious cred through his session work for artists like Erykah Badu and Snoop Dogg. Within the past few years, he's...
View ArticlePurple Snow: The Music Scene That Produced Prince
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...
View ArticleKnee-Jerk Reaction: Soundcheck On Beyoncé's Surprise New Album
For those who went to bed at a sensible hour last night -- with your “Best of 2013” listicles locked and loaded -- you likely awoke this Friday the 13th morning to a discover a strange, unfamiliar new...
View ArticleBobby Womack's Soulful Career; The Story Of The Fender Rhodes
In this episode: Over his long and legendary career, soul singer, songwriter and guitarist Bobby Womack has been responsible for countless timeless songs. Last year's superb album, his 11th, The...
View ArticleLakecia Benjamin: Funk-Infused Jazz Saxophone
Alto sax player and native New Yorker Lakecia Benjamin got her professional start playing with legendary trumpeter Clark Terry's big band. Since then, she's made a name for herself as a sidewoman to...
View ArticleThere Were No Black Artists With Number One Singles In 2013
If you look back on 2013, not a single black artist scored a No. 1 single. Not J. Cole, Jay Z, Beyonce, or even Kanye West. 2013 marked the first-ever year since Billboard began charting Top 40 songs...
View ArticleCharles Bradley: Dance-Ready Soul Infused With Wisdom
Soul singer Charles Bradley's long path to musical fame has been punctuated by bumpy detours and personal struggles -- from a lifetime of odd day jobs, family tragedies, and poverty. But Bradley always...
View ArticlePauline Black, The Queen Of Ska; MiWi La Lupa Plays Live; Salaam Remi's...
In this episode: Pauline Black, frontwoman for the influential British band The Selecter, discusses growing up multi-racial and adopted -- and talks about the socially conscious music movement known as...
View ArticleProducer Salaam Remi's Orchestral R&B
Salaam Remi is best known for his work with Grammy-winning R&B singer Amy Winehouse; he co-produced her hit album Back To Black, along with DJ Mark Ronson, and he was working on her third album at...
View ArticleKnee-Jerk Reaction: Get Happy! Pharrell's Back With 'G I R L'
At some point during Pharrell Williams' infectiously fun Oscars performance, as he coaxed actresses Lupita Nyong'o, Amy Adams and Meryl Streep to dance and shimmy in their seats with him, it was clear:...
View ArticleGig Alert: JuiceBox
ARTIST: JuiceBoxDOWNLOAD: "Occupy My Heart"SHOW: Friday at Friends and Lovers ($8)Sultry vocals. Funk guitar. Hammond organ. And horns! Does this recipe ever disappoint? New York band JuiceBox keeps...
View ArticleAshanti Aiming For Her Comeback; Ralph Ellison’s Record Collection; Bear’s...
In this episode: As a franchise player for Murder Inc. Records in the early 2000s, R&B singer Ashanti was the voice behind Top 10 hits like "What's Luv" and "Always on Time." Now independent, she...
View ArticleThree Songwriters-Turned-Singers You Should Know
In the film world, you hear about countless actors who eventually go behind the camera to become superb directors and producers -- Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck, to name a few. But it's considerably...
View Article'A Man Called Destruction': The Mercurial Genius Of Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton rocketed to fame at 16 years old as the singer of The Box Tops's smash hit "The Letter." Over the next three decades, he would continually defy popular expectations, while creating...
View ArticleNina Simone's Civil Rights Legacy
Over the course of her career the late singer Nina Simone left audiences with many different impressions -- from difficult to lovable to out and out hostile. But her contributions to music, and to the...
View ArticleWatch Kelis, Eagulls, More Play SXSW
South By Southwest is now upon us, which means countless music fans, members of the music industry and 1000's of bands are about to descend upon Austin, Texas for the annual conference, festival, and...
View ArticleLiv Warfield: An Edgy And Soulful Voice
The Unexpected, Liv Warfield's new album, is not simply a sophomore album, but a reinvention. It's been seven years since the supremely talented singer and guitarist's debut was released, and in that...
View ArticleJames Vincent McMorrow, Live At Gigstock
Every morning on WNYC, Soundcheck’s John Schaefer offers listeners a Gig Alert -- a profile of one outstanding artist set to perform that night in New York. Now, Soundcheck is presenting Gigstock, a...
View ArticleMy Husband’s Stupid Record Collection; Liv Warfield Plays Live; Calle 13’s...
In this episode: New York librarian Sarah O’Holla is on a mission: to listen to each album in her husband’s vinyl record collection -- all 1500 of them. She’s chronicling her journey on the blog My...
View ArticleKelis Talks 'Food'; Boy George's Return
In this episode: Boy George became a global pop music and fashion icon in the 1980's as the frontman of the English band Culture Club, known for hits like “Karma Chameleon,” “I’ll Tumble For Ya” and...
View ArticleKelis: From 'Milkshake' To 'Food,' A Soulful Reinvention
Ever since she first popped up as a hook singer on Ol' Dirty Bastard's 1999 single "Got Your Money," Kelis Rogers has been one of R&B's most charismatic singers. Raised in Harlem, Kelis left home...
View ArticleBill Withers On Being A Man; Animator Ralph Bakshi; Owen Pallett Plays Live
In this episode: Anna Sale, the host of WNYC's new podcast Death, Sex & Money, joins Soundcheck to discuss her recent conversation with Grammy Award-winning singer Bill Withers, including Bill's...
View ArticleReggie Watts: Comedian And One-Man-Band Extraordinaire
This year will see a major change in late night talk shows, with Stephen Colbert taking over David Letterman's The Late Show, and James Corden taking the slot previously filled by Craig Ferguson. And...
View ArticleCurtis Harding: Offering Up A New Take On '70s Soul
Often we rely on music from the past to provide us with a comfortable nostalgia. For Curtis Harding, the spirit of late 1970s soul music instead became a platform for exploration. By borrowing choice...
View ArticleBobby Womack's Soulful Career; The Story Of The Fender Rhodes
In this episode: Throughout his long and legendary career, soul singer, songwriter and guitarist Bobby Womack has been responsible for countless timeless songs. Last year's superb album, his 11th, The...
View ArticleBobby Womack Reflects On His Legendary Musical Life
Bobby Womack, the legendary soul and R&B singer and songwriter who wrote countless hits in the 1960s and ’70s died Friday at 70, his record label XL Recordings confirmed. In his later years, the...
View ArticleFender Rhodes: A History Of The Portable Musical Revolution
The Fender Rhodes has an unmistakable sound. Case in point: The windchime atmospherics that adorn The Doors' 1970 opus "Riders On The Storm." But when keyboardist Ray Manzarek played Fender Rhodes...
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I Wasn't Allowed To Watch: Boyz II Men's 'I'll Make Love To You'
Back in the summer of 1994, I had just wrapped up the second grade and was really busy doing things like pretending that I was Ariel in the pool, reading books about horses, turning 8 years old in a...
View ArticleBehind The Supremes; How 'Dancing In The Street' Got People Moving
Soundcheck takes a look back 50 years, to the summer of 1964 -- a year also known as "The Freedom Summer."First: For a time, the most successful American performers of the 1960s, The Supremes rivaled...
View ArticleSharon Jones On Fighting Cancer And Her Latest Album; Summer '94 Pick Three;...
In this episode: Sharon Jones is one of soul music’s most magnetic and energetic stars. But last year, she was diagnosed with cancer – and it almost took her life. Now, seven months after it was...
View ArticleThese Summer '94 Songs Defined An Era
All summer long, Soundcheck has been turning back the clock 20 years, and revisiting the big hit songs, the important albums and more from the summer of 1994. You can listen back to all our Summer '94...
View ArticleSomi: Capturing The Vibrancy Of Lagos
When you hear Somi's globe-spanning music, you can hear her past come to life. Born in Illinois, Somi travelled the world as the daughter of Ugandan and Rwandan parents -- one a diplomat, and the other...
View ArticleGig Alert: Brandi & The Alexanders
ARTIST: Brandi & The Alexanders DOWNLOAD:Bad Love - Brandi & the AlexandersGIG: Saturday night at 11pm at Bitter End.A Brandy Alexander is a cocktail. But Brandi and the Alexanders is a New...
View ArticleSheila E. On Breaking Down Boundaries And Finding Solace In Music
Sheila E. was born into a percussion dynasty. Her father, Pete Escovedo, played percussion with Carlos Santana. So did her uncle, Coke Escovedo. Tito Puente was her godfather. So it might not come as...
View ArticleGary Clark Jr. Plays Live; The Legacy Of Stax Records; That Was A Hit?!? On...
In this episode, Soundcheck revisits some recent favorite segments.First: A few years ago the guitar world needed an infusion of new blood. Enter Gary Clark Jr. Since his arrival on the blues scene,...
View ArticleStream Soundcheck's Favorite Songs Of 2014
From now until January 4, we'll be streaming our favorites on the Special Stream player below.Not all holiday music should involve the french horn. That's why the Soundcheck team has compiled our...
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Prince's 'Purple Rain' Is A Timeless, Triple-Threat Triumph... Mostly
Alan Light's "Let's Go Crazy"(Courtesy of the publisher)Thirty years ago, Prince pulled off a first-time feat. He simultaneously had the number one single, number one album, and number one movie in the...
View ArticleStream Soundcheck's Favorite Romantic Songs
Last year, Soundcheck asked readers and listeners to make a case for a single track as the "Most Romantic Song Ever." The nominations poured in -- from old standbys like Al Green's "Let's Stay...
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The Soundcheck Stream: Women On The Edge
Listen to Soundcheck's Women On The Edge playlist stream for hours and hours of our favorite and most influential women in music:We don't really need an excuse to showcase women in music, but if we...
View ArticleWhy'd We Pick 'Women On The Edge'?
The Cuban rapper Telmary Diaz cuts an unusual figure in the music world. "It's not common in a macho society like Cuba that you have a female rapper," she says. "It's always, 'Girls go to the back to...
View ArticleAndy Allo: 'I Want To Let Loose'
If you take the subway or have a TV, you've likely seen Andy Allo. Her face shows up frequently on train ads, and her Wells Fargo commercial had such a refreshing take on an upstart musician's journey...
View ArticleBen E. King: No One Hit Wonder, But One Hit Was A Wonder
Ben E. King, who died yesterday at 76, had a number of hit songs, including three that are on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.” One is “There Goes My Baby,...
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Soundcheck’s Tuesday Music Roundup: A$AP Returns, Pianos Invade New York, And...
Tuesday has traditionally been record release day here in the States. But now, with songs being released or leaked in advance online, and a global industry move to Friday as a release date, Tuesdays...
View ArticleEmily King: Soulfully Honing Her Craft
Emily King’s debut, East Side Story, was nominated for a Grammy back in 2008 in the “Contemporary R&B” category. But King’s latest album, The Switch, has more of a classic soul vibe. It glides...
View ArticleGig Alert: Kamasi Washington
Kamasi Washington’s latest album is fittingly called The Epic. The 172-minute triple-disc features a ten-piece band, a full string orchestra, AND a full choir. However, Washington’s masterpiece doesn’t...
View ArticleR&B Legend Aaron Neville Celebrates His 75th in Brooklyn
Legendary R&B singer/musician Aaron Neville talks about his life, music and his latest album, “Apache.” He's also celebrating his 75th birthday with a concert at the Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe...
View ArticleSharon Jones's Soul Revival
Sharon Jones burst onto the music scene about 10 years ago — she was backed by The Dap-Kings, a straight-out-of-the-1960s funk band with a fantastic horn section. And at just 5 feet tall, Sharon had...
View ArticleWhat To Expect At The 2017 Grammy Awards
Award season continues this Sunday with the 59th Annual Grammy Awards...this one being Takeaway Culture Reporter Melissa Locker's favorite. This time around, superstar Beyoncé leads the pack with nine...
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