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Soundcheck

WNYC Studios

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.

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59 episodes
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Avg 40 min
English

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#331
Thursday · 35 min
Ohio-born Funk Jazz Band Huntertones Play with Joyful Cohesion, In-Studio
Brooklyn-based funk jazz band Huntertones of Hunter Avenue in Columbus, Ohio join us to play a few new originals from their latest album, Transmission.
#330
Monday · 41 min
American Songster Dom Flemons Revives Musical Histories, In-Studio
Modern-day troubadour Dom Flemons brings his fretless banjo and resonator guitar to Soundcheck studios to perform a few unreleased songs from his upcoming record, Making American Music: The Smithsonian Sessions.
#328
Sunday · 51 min
Best of Soundcheck: Grace Cummings, Isaiah Collier
Australian songwriter Grace Cummings performs in-studio, and singer and sax player Isaiah Collier leads his band in new spiritual R & B tunes, and talks about the lasting impact of John Coltrane.
#329
November 5 · 27 min
Historical Cello-Rock Band Rasputina Rides Again, In-Studio
New York-based Rasputina, the steampunk cello-rock outfit led by Melora Creager, draws lyrical inspiration from history and the headlines. This “Traveling Ladies’ Cello Society” is once again coming to a music hall near you, playing live “recitals” after a years-long break. Rasputina joins us to play live, in-studio.
#327
November 2 · 37 min
Argentine Folktronica Artist Juana Molina Constructs an Inimitable Sonic World, In-Studio
Argentine folktronica / art pop artist Juana Molina performs a few songs from her critically acclaimed album, “Doga”, for today’s episode of Soundcheck.
#325
November 1 · 50 min
Best of Soundcheck: Gracie & Rachel, Alisa Weilerstein
This time on Soundcheck, Gracie & Rachel play dreamy chamber pop in our studio, and cellist Alisa Weilerstein performs a lament for a recently extinct songbird.
#326
October 29 · 31 min
Americana/Folk Songwriter Allison Russell Celebrates Her Unyielding Joy with The Rainbow Coalition, In-Studio
Grammy-winning Americana/Folk singer-songwriter Allison Russell sings songs of joy with her band, The Rainbow Coalition, for this episode of Soundcheck.
#324
October 26 · 35 min
Guitarist and Singer Ruthie Foster Shares Her Genuinely Soulful Brand of Folk Blues, In-Studio
Grammy-winning folk blues artist Ruthie Foster brings her skillful guitar playing and powerful vocals to our studio for a solo performance for this edition of Soundcheck.
#323
October 25 · 51 min
Best of Soundcheck: Everlast, Ghost Hounds
Everlast wrote some of the 90s most enduring hits, blending rap with blues and rock; he plays a gritty set. And Ghost Hounds is a band with a classic blues-rock sound; their new record is full of apocalyptic imagery and striking vocals. They also play in-studio.
#321
October 22 · 31 min
Raw and Punchy Soul From Brooklyn-Based Eli Paperboy Reed, In-Studio
Brooklyn-based Eli Paperboy Reed and his band play some of their latest horn-heavy grown-folks tunes that look to soul, gospel, and R&B and add country and early rock and roll, in-studio.
#320
October 19 · 32 min
Welsh Indie Rock Band The Royston Club Bare Their Emotions, In-Studio
Liverpool-based Welsh indie rock band on the rise, The Royston Club, plays a few songs from their latest record, Songs for the Spine, for this episode of Soundcheck.
#318
October 18 · 51 min
Best of Soundcheck: Helado Tropical, Martin Hayes With Kyle Sanna
There's music from Helado Tropical who are Fabi Reyna and Roberto Carlos Lange. They bring their langorous brand of Latin electro-pop to our studio. And another duo takes a more acoustic approach, as Irish fiddler Martin Hayes and guitarist Kyle Sanna play traditional airs and dances.
#319
October 15 · 27 min
Mexico City Cumbia Punk Marimba Band Son Rompe Pera Brings the Sweaty Mayhem, In-Studio
Son Rompe Pera, marimba-playing cumbia punks from Mexico City, fuse together tropical dance beats, hard-hitting punk, modern cumbia, and fuzzed-out guitars. They play in-studio.
#317
October 12 · 31 min
The Messthetics With Marc Ribot Leave Space For Play and Crunch, From the New York Guitar Festival 2026
Hear a set from the Messthetics with a special cameo appearance by Marc Ribot. There's shred, melodies, and space from the 2026 New York Guitar Festival, recorded live at Bryant Park.
#316
October 11 · 51 min
Best of Soundcheck: Humbe, The Lone Bellow
Mexican singer-songwriter Humbe and the Nashville-based folk-rock trio The Lone Bellow share stripped-down, heartfelt renditions of their songs for this episode of Soundcheck.
#315
October 8 · 31 min
Mexican Alternative R&B/Pop Artist Girl Ultra Reinvents Her Musical History, In-Studio
Mexican Alternative R&B/Pop artist Girl Ultra’s new album RRRomeo, which is out today, took five years to finalize. Hear the story behind it, alongside exclusive live performances, on this episode of Soundcheck.
#314
October 5 · 35 min
Adventurous Harpist Lara Somogyi Weaves Time Patterns, In-Studio
Hawaii-born, California-based experimental harpist Lara Somogyi performs in-studio with her time-bending effects pedals and a string quartet for the latest episode of the Soundcheck podcast.
#312
October 2 · 51 min
Best of Soundcheck: Steve Earle, Anjimile
Hardships 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.
#313
October 1 · 34 min
Song-Maker Somi Refuses to Fit Inside Any Artistic Box, Plays In-Studio
The singer, actor, playwright, composer, and songmaker Somi's "New African Soul" explores the many facets of self-discovery – questions of becoming and of identity – and navigates uncertainty, loss, and change. She plays in-studio.
#311
September 28 · 34 min
Australian Singer-Songwriter Grace Cummings Brings a Visceral Twist to Pretty Melodies, In-Studio
Australian singer-songwriter Grace Cummings puts on a powerfully raw solo performance for the latest edition of Soundcheck.

Showing 1–20 of 59 episodes