Soundcheck Podcast

Beach House: Teen Dream

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:24:00 GMT

Teen Dream, the third album from Baltimore dream-pop duo Beach House, is going to be one of the best albums of the year. Can we say that in February? Oh yes.

Vampire Weekend: Contra

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 02:30:00 GMT

Vampire Weekend's first record was all that. Is their second record all that too, or is it all this?

Rihanna: Good Girl Or Bad?

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:59:00 GMT

Her November album "Rated R" was one of the most anticipated releases in the waning months of 2009, but did Rihanna's latest live up to the hype? One of us thinks yes, one is more lukewarm and one didn't really care. But which is which?

Lady Gaga: Huge.

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:59:00 GMT

Lady Gaga is huge and tremendous, and she proves it with Fame Monster. We are, to varying degrees, in awe.

Joe Pernice: A record, and a book!

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 21:48:00 GMT

It Feels So Good When I Stop is both a book and a record by Joe Pernice, but you don't have to dig one to get the other. They're both terrific.

Amanda Blank -- We love you too!

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:28:00 GMT

Amanda Blank's latest, I Love You, pretty well summarizes how we feel about HER. How about that! And only some of us were drinking.

Dirty Projectors: A new direction in pop music?

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:52:00 GMT

Bitte Orca, the latest from DaveLongstreth's Dirty Projectors project, is a remarkable effort -- in no small part for its dense arrangements, or its sparse arrangements, depending on your point of view. WNPR's Anthony Fantano joins us for a bacchanal of musical geekery.

Black Eyed Peas: (We Wish It Were) The E.N.D.

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 02:06:00 GMT

The latest offering from the Black Eyed Peas has us on the same derisive and page. What a piece of junk.

Goodbye, Michael Jackson

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:24:00 GMT

Michael Jackson is dead -- what has he left behind? Your SoundCheck pals have a rather animated discussion.

Richard Swift: The Atlantic Oceam

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:39:00 GMT

Richard Swift's latest record is called The Atlantic Ocean. That's about what separates our opinions of it.

Sonic Youth: Eternal Art Rock

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:47:00 GMT

Sonic Youth has returned to an independent label for its latest record, The Eternal. But is it a return to the band's roots?

Green Day

Tue, 26 May 2009 02:33:00 GMT

Green Day's latest, 21st Century Breakdown, begs the question: Is Green Day still punk?

Beirut / Realpeople

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 01:44:00 GMT

Zach Condon is a man of many musical methods. His latest project(s) is (are) a double-EP comprising Beirut's March of the Zapotec and Realpeople's Holland. If you think that's confusing, wait until you hear the music.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:51:00 GMT

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. Their self-titled album might inspire games of "spot the influence," but we agree that the buzz is well-earned.

Franz Ferdinand: Tonight, or the 1970s, or the '80s, or the '60's ...

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:32:00 GMT

Franz Ferdinand is back with a strong follow up to their first two albums, but how does this one stack up? We decide, in a PG-13 kind of way.

Bruce Springsteen: Mortal, or Bob Dylan?

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 05:42:00 GMT

We join Rolling Stone, Barack Obama and the rest of the free world in heaping praise upon Bruce Springsteen's latest, "Working On A Dream." But we do it in our own special way.

Kanye West: 808s and 1959s

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:01:00 GMT

Kanye West's latest, 808s and Heartbreak, has been hailed as one of the best albums of the year. We politely agree with each other until SOMEONE compares it to Kind Of Blue. Oh no you dint!

Britney Spears, in under a minute

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 04:02:00 GMT

The most recent comeback album from Britney Spears would probably take, what, 45 minutes or something to listen to all the way through. We do it for you in less than a minute.

Ryan Adams: Cardinology

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Cardinology is the latest from Ryan Adams, a prolific and sometimes-troubled troubador. He gets three thumbs-up from us.

The Cool Kids: Bake Sale

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:48:00 GMT

The latest offering from the duo The Cool Kids creates quite a stir in the Soundcheck studio and incites actual physical violence among your hosts. Guess who wins!

A Conversation With Winterpills

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:18:00 GMT

Central Chambers, the third album from Northampton, Mass.-based band Winterpills, is eloquent, charming and complex. So are Philip Price and Flora Reed, two members of the band who sat down with us in a Northampton cafe this week to talk about the record.

Girl Talk: Feed The Animals

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:36:00 GMT

Is "Feed The Animals" from Girl Talk a moment of musical genius or pure shameless theft? We agree, more or less.

Metallica: Death Magnetic

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 01:51:00 GMT

Death Magnetic marks a return to form for Metallica -- but does that make anyone want to listen to it? We say: Yes!

Miley Cyrus: Breakout -- Marketing, or music?

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:33:00 GMT

Is "Breakout," the new record from Miley Cyrus, a decent collection of music, or is it just a piece of Disney? We have an animated discussion.

Calexico: Carried To Dust

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 02:22:00 GMT

The latest from Calexico -- best roadtrip album ever, or death by cactus? You decide.

The Hold Steady: Stay Positive

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:01:00 GMT

Stay Positive? Hard to do anything but after listening to The Hold Steady's awesome new record.

NER*D: Seeing Sounds

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:50:00 GMT

Seeing Sounds, the latest from N*E*R*D, elicits -- shall we say -- differing opinions from the wags at SoundCheck.

Nine Inch Nails: Free!

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:40:00 GMT

Trent Reznor, creative force behind Nine Inch Nails, has had a lot of creative freedom lately with his liberation from any major record label. So he's spent a lot of time composing at his computer and distributing the product -- free, online. The results? We discuss.

Mates Of State: Re-Arrange Us

Thu, 15 May 2008 16:38:00 GMT

Mates Of State -- the husband-and-wife duo of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner -- sit down with us and talk about the new record and how it came together. That's infant daughter June on back-up hiccups.

The Roots: Rising Down

Tue, 6 May 2008 04:33:00 GMT

The Roots have released "Rising Down," the follow-up to 2006's "Game Theory." Are they still the most socially conscious hip-hop group on earth? Listen up.

Nick Lowe: The Jesus of Cool at a Certain Age

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:24:00 GMT

From his 1978 album Jesus Of Cool to last year's At My Age, Nick Lowe has had a long and varied career. That's a good thing.

The Black Keys: Attack And Release

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:50:00 GMT

A new sound and new instruments from The Black Keys -- but does it measure up?

REM: Accelerate

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 04:11:00 GMT

Accelerate marks the long-awaited return from seminal alt-rockers R.E.M. But is it as good as 1987's Document? Listen up and find out.

Jazz: Past, Present and Future

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 05:20:00 GMT

When Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters" won album of the year last month at the 50th Grammy Awards, it marked the first time a jazz album took had won top honors since Stan Getz and JoÃo Gilberto won for "Getz/Gilberto" in 1965. Does the Hancock's win signal the start of a popular resurgence for jazz, or was beating Kanye West and Amy Winehouse merely a pleasant surprise with no larger implications.
for the jazz world?
Hear Hartford jazz musicians Steve Davis, Rich Goldstein and Nat Reeves discuss Hancock's win and what it means for jazz.

Saint Bernadette

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:57:00 GMT

Itâs an independent rock band, yes, but members of Bridgeport, Conn., group Saint Bernadette insist theyâre not indie-rockers. Either way, the band made its full-length debut last October with the lounge-noir collection âIn the Ballroom.â? Led by singer Meredith DiMenna and guitarist Keith Saunders, Saint Bernadette returns in early March with a new EP and a gig at South by Southwest in Austin.

The Magnetic Fields - Distortion

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:31:00 GMT

Distortion is the latest from The Magnetic Fields, and it's quite a departure from the band's 2004 album, "i".
We argue entertainingly about the relative merits.

"Stoner" Rock

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 21:40:00 GMT

Is "stoner" rock making a comeback? Or has it never left? Bands like Black Mountain and Dead Meadow carry the banner with new records.

Gogol Bordello: Super Taranta!

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 20:40:00 GMT

Super Taranta! is the latest from Gogol Bordello.

John Vanderslice: Emerald City

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:20:00 GMT

Emerald City is the sixth studio album from John Vanderslice.
We love it.

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:16:00 GMT

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is Spoon's sixth album.

The White Stripes: Icky Thump

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:57:00 GMT

Icky Thump is the latest album from The White Stripes.

The Beastie Boys: The Mix-Up

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:48:00 GMT

The Mix-Up, the new album from The Beastie Boys, is an all-instrumental funk fest.

The Summer of Love

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 22:47:00 GMT

It's been 40 years since the Beatles released Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, and judging by the renewed adulation it's received in recent weeks, you'd think it was the only important record released during the Summer of Love.
We beg to differ.

The National

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:51:00 GMT

"Boxer" is the fourth album from The National.

Feist

Thu, 7 Jun 2007 04:10:00 GMT

The Reminder is the third solo album from Canadian singer Feist.

Elliott Smith

Thu, 24 May 2007 04:02:00 GMT

New Moon is a collection of 24 tracks that Elliott Smith recorded between 1994 and 1997.

BjÃ¶rk

Thu, 17 May 2007 04:18:00 GMT

BjÃrk's sixth studio album, Volta, was released May 8.

Wilco

Thu, 10 May 2007 04:27:00 GMT

"Sky Blue Sky" is the latest album from Wilco, out May 15.

Dinosaur Jr.

Thu, 3 May 2007 04:08:00 GMT

Dinosaur Jr.'s latest album, "Beyond," was released April 30.

The Last Town Chorus

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 03:07:00 GMT

Wire Waltz, by The Last Town Chorus, was released March 6.

Fountains Of Wayne

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:25:00 GMT

Traffic And Weather was released April 3, 2007.

The Gaskets

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:24:00 GMT

The Gaskets, a two-man electro-pop band, performed at SXSW and recently in Hartford, Conn.

Kings of Leon

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:47:00 GMT

The third album from Kings of Leon, "Because Of The Times," is set to be released April 3.

LCD Soundsystem

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:57:00 GMT

Sound Of Silver is the second full-length CD from LCD Soundsystem, the brainchild of techno-punk James Murphy.

Modest Mouse

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:28:00 GMT

Modest Mouse's new album "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank" was released on March 20, 2007.

The Arcade Fire

Thu, 8 Mar 2007 05:13:00 GMT

The Arcade Fire's second album, Neon Bible, was released earlier this month.

Son Volt

Wed, 7 Mar 2007 18:48:00 GMT

Son Volt's new album The Search - Advanced was released March 6.