Soundcheck

WNYC Studios
  • 4.5 (142)
  • Performing Arts

WNYC, New York Public Radio, brings you Soundcheck, the arts and culture program hosted by John Schaefer, who engages guests and listeners in lively, inquisitive conversations with established and rising figures in New York City's creative arts scene. Guests come from all disciplines, including pop, indie rock, jazz, urban, world and classical music, technology, cultural affairs, TV and film. Recent episodes have included features on Michael Jackson,Crosby Stills & Nash, the Assad Brothers, Rackett, The Replacements, and James Brown.

  1. 2d ago

    The Messthetics With Marc Ribot Leave Space For Play and Crunch, From the New York Guitar Festival 2026

    From the 2026 New York Guitar Festival, recorded live at Bryant Park, hear a set from the instrumental trio called The Messthetics -who are Anthony Pirog (guitar), Joe Lally (bass) and Brendan Canty (drums). Pirog has played avant-rock, ambient, and freely improvised music, often in his own projects and in his duo Janel & Anthony. Bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty were the rhythm section of the Washington D.C. band Fugazi. They were joined by special guest guitar hero Marc Ribot, who is one of the most in-demand and unpredictable guitarists around. He’s played with Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and John Zorn, and led bands that deal in noise, rock, Latin, and free jazz. Hear a set from the Messthetics with Marc Ribot from that August night in this special podcast. 1.       Mythomania 2. Rules of the Game 3. Inner Ocean 4. Gestations 5. Touch Earth, Touch Sky Photo of the Messthetics, courtesy of the artist's Bandcamp Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Messthetics With Marc Ribot Leave Space For Play and Crunch, From the New York Guitar Festival 2026

  2. 3d ago

    Best of Soundcheck: Humbe, The Lone Bellow

    Some vocal performances are so emotionally compelling that you can’t help but hang on every word while eagerly anticipating the next. Such spellbinding experiences are the live performances of two acts that come from two different parts of the Americas: Mexican singer-songwriter Humbe and the Nashville-based folk-rock trio The Lone Bellow. Humbe may be young in years, but he’s been writing and releasing songs that sound timeless for almost a decade. His viral hit “Fantasmas” opened a new chapter for the Latin Grammy nominated star on the rise. The Lone Bellow has been around for a little while longer, consistently growing a loyal fan base since the early 2010s. But they hit a roadblock as they were working on their latest album, What a Time to Be Alive, after a break-in to their tour van resulted in the loss of the precious hard drives that contained their vocal recordings. Thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign, the band managed to finish the record and get back on the road. Both acts tell these tales behind their music, and more, as they share heartfelt renditions of their songs for this episode of Soundcheck. - Sırma Munyar The Lone Bellow's Setlist: 1.I Did It for Love 2.You Were Leaving 3.No Getting Over You Humbe's Setlist: 1.Harry Stamper 2.Fantasmas 3.Morfina Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Best of Soundcheck: Humbe, The Lone Bellow

  3. 6d ago

    Mexican Alternative R&B/Pop Artist Girl Ultra Reinvents Her Musical History, In-Studio

    Girl Ultra is the project of Mexico City-born Mariana de Miguel; a singer-songwriter whose creativity knows no bounds. Though she started her musical career as an underground R&B artist on Soundcloud about a decade ago, nowadays she experiments with all kinds of genres from Pop and Rock to Reggae and Funk, mixing her musical and cultural influences into her stories about lust, heartbreak, friendship, intimacy, and more. Born out of a longing to create an alter ego inspired by a superhero heroine, Girl Ultra became an invigorating entity for de Miguel that kept her attached to girlhood as she welcomed her thirties. As she continues to perceive life through this lens, de Miguel also often collaborates with other innovative musicians. In fact, her latest record, titled RRRomeo, is filled with exciting guest appearances – most notably the Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo, who are featured on five of the eight tracks. It all started when Chromeo reached out to de Miguel to produce new music for Girl Ultra during lockdown. “I never took so long – like five years – just marinating this project… It was a fun exercise to just come back to it with different skills along the years,” says de Miguel, describing the process that began in Burbank, California at Chromeo’s studio. Now, finally ready to share RRRomeo with the world, de Miguel brings some of those skillfully put together, eclectic songs to our studio, for this episode of Soundcheck. - Sırma Munyar Setlist: 1.Mentirasmentiras  2.Te Caigo  3.Denisse Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Mexican Alternative R&B/Pop Artist Girl Ultra Reinvents Her Musical History, In-Studio

  4. Oct 5

    Adventurous Harpist Lara Somogyi Weaves Time Patterns, In-Studio

    California-based harpist Lara Somogyi may be classically trained, but there’s nothing classical about her approach to making music. She surrounds herself with several effects pedals to expand the sound of her harp into an otherworldly orchestra. Between her technical skillset and deep understanding of electronic music production, Somogyi has carved a path of her own, both as a session musician recording for film and TV scores such as Hans Zimmer’s The Lion King and the Netflix series Bridgerton, as well as a collaborator to electronic experimentalists like Bonobo and Ólafur Arnalds. On her new record, titled a [time] patterned, Somogyi reinforces the relationship between her existential contemplations and sound design adventures. “This record was all really born from my curiosity on how we experience time,” she says, adding that she experiences time in a sensory way, associating various periods of her life with the sounds she hears, like crickets or rustling birch trees in the summer. Becoming obsessed with the idea that “music can decorate our time”, Somogyi began to layer and alter the timing of her plucked harp sequences, stretching them into ambient soundscapes or crystallizing them into fragmented pieces through electronic processing. Every tool she used on the record was a time-based tool, and she brings some of them to our studio for an unforgettable performance, featuring a string quartet with Laura Metcalf on cello, Angela Pickett on viola, and Maria Im and Caroline Cassio on violin, for this episode of Soundcheck. - Sırma Munyar Setlist: 1.mirabel 2.elsewhere 3.acceptances Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Adventurous Harpist Lara Somogyi Weaves Time Patterns, In-Studio

  5. Oct 2

    Best of Soundcheck: Steve Earle, Anjimile

    Hardships tend to take time to overcome, and some songwriters turn to music to process their emotions as they move from one battle to the next. Two of those songwriters are Steve Earle and Anjimile, who come from very different walks of life. Steve Earle has earned multiple Grammy Awards and an induction into the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville after spending decades reflecting on his experiences as an activist, actor, and a man who happened to go through seven marriages and spend a couple of months in jail for drug possession. Anjimile, on the other hand, was born to immigrant parents from Malawi who were both devout Christians, which made his journey as a trans man a complex situation that kept unraveling as years went by. As Anjimile performs some new songs that explore sexuality, gender, spirituality, and more, Steve Earle plays some of his old hits that document the troubled but full life he has lived, for this edition of Soundcheck.  Steve Earle's Setlist: 1.Copperhead Road 2.City of Immigrants Anjimile's Setlist: 1.Rust & Wire 2.The Store 3.Waits for Me Watch the live performance videos on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/newsoundsmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Best of Soundcheck: Steve Earle, Anjimile

  6. Oct 1

    Song-Maker Somi Refuses to Fit Inside Any Artistic Box, Plays In-Studio

    During her two-decade career, the singer, actor, playwright and two-time NAACP Image Award winner Somi has blended the sounds of American and African music – jazz and R&B, but also Afrobeat, folksong, and highlife. Her last album was a tribute to the South African singer Miriam Makeba; that record also served as a companion to an Off-Broadway musical that Somi wrote – under her full name Somi Kakoma, called Dreaming Zenzile. Now a Harvard PhD recipient (the Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry Program), Somi has a new album of original music called What Does It Take To Bloom. Written and recorded between Dakar, Lagos, Paris and New York City, Somi’s latest explores the many facets of self-discovery – questions of becoming and of identity (she is the Midwestern daughter of immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda) – and navigates uncertainty, loss, and change (Somimusic.com). Somi joins us to perform some of these songs, in-studio. Photo of Somi by Knoor The Luo Set list: 1. We're All Falling 2. Ngayaya 3. AiwahWatch the live performance videos on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/newsoundsmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Song-Maker Somi Refuses to Fit Inside Any Artistic Box, Plays In-Studio

  7. Sep 28

    Australian Singer-Songwriter Grace Cummings Brings a Visceral Twist to Pretty Melodies, In-Studio

    Australian singer Grace Cummings is the kind of songwriter who believes in the spontaneity of the creative process. “I’m a loner. I talk to myself a lot,” she says, and amid those internal conversations, she stumbles upon some mistakes that eventually lead to good writing. She’s no longer a stranger to how songs make their way out of her brain, having already recorded four albums. Her latest record, titled Bloodhorse!, is filled with snapshots of her tumultuous emotions, referencing both religious and mythological themes in a grand musical context of orchestral folk-rock arrangements. But when she picks up the guitar or sits in front of a piano for a solo performance, it’s hard to predict how far she’ll stretch her deep, soulful voice into visceral cries that, evidently, can’t be contained. For this edition of Soundcheck, Cummings performs a few songs from her latest record in a way that can only be described as personal, inimitable, and untamed. - Sırma Munyar Setlist: 1.John Lennon 2.I'm Not Crazy 3.FAKE Watch the live performance videos on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/newsoundsmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Australian Singer-Songwriter Grace Cummings Brings a Visceral Twist to Pretty Melodies, In-Studio

  8. Sep 27

    Best of Soundcheck: Guitarricadelafuente, Donnie McCaslin

    Blackstar was David Bowie’s last record, a musical farewell, and it featured the sax player Donny McCaslin. In fact, Bowie ended up using Donny McCaslin’s whole band for that album. The experience led McCaslin to expand his already restless musical palette, and on this episode of Soundcheck, he brings his quintet to our studio to play some of his post-Bowie tunes. There's also a visit with Guitarricadelafuente, a rising young Spanish singer and guitarist with a couple of high profile collaborations of his own - with Australian pop star Troye Sivan. He’s also had two hit singles in Spain, and he’ll play songs from his album Spanish Leather, a title borrowed from Bob Dylan. Guitarricadelafuente and his band play an intimate set in our studio. Donny McCaslin Quintet Set list: 1. KID 2. Solace 3. Mercy Guitarricadelafuente Set list: 1. Poses 2. Mataleón Photo of (L) Guitarricadelafuente by Pedro J Pacheco, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Photo of (R) Donny McCaslin courtesy of the artist   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Best of Soundcheck: Guitarricadelafuente, Donnie McCaslin
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4.5
out of 5
142 Ratings

About

WNYC, New York Public Radio, brings you Soundcheck, the arts and culture program hosted by John Schaefer, who engages guests and listeners in lively, inquisitive conversations with established and rising figures in New York City's creative arts scene. Guests come from all disciplines, including pop, indie rock, jazz, urban, world and classical music, technology, cultural affairs, TV and film. Recent episodes have included features on Michael Jackson,Crosby Stills & Nash, the Assad Brothers, Rackett, The Replacements, and James Brown.

Information

  • Creator
    WNYC Studios
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2026
  • Episodes
    318
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © WNYC Radio
  • Show Website
    Soundcheck

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