WNYC's New Sounds

Special Podcast: 23 Constellations of Joan Miro (originally aired Nov. 11, 2008) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:05 GMT

From the New Sounds Live Concert Series, recorded in October at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden, hear the American premiere of Bobby Previte's set of musical miniatures - "The 23 Constellations of Joan Miro." It's an ambitious and colorful work by the composer/drummer Previte, where painting, poetry and music all come together, bringing to life a series of small canvases that Joan Miro painted during World War II. Listen to Joan Miro's texts, read by actor David Patrick Kelly, and Bobby Previte's musical responses the paintings.

Special Podcast: Electronics Plus One (originally aired Sept. 13, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:57 GMT

On this New Sounds program, there's music from 5-string slinging Caryn Lin, who loops her electric violin into haunting and ethereal works. Also, listen to a work for sax and electronics, as tackled and tangoed by Brian Sacawa. Plus, hear music by Frances White - her work "Center Bridge" - and any other combination of soloist and electronics that might crop up.

Special Podcast: Roma and Romanian Roots (originally aired June 21, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:18 GMT

Hear some frenzied Romanian gypsy punk from the New York-based Luminescent Orchestrii on this edition of New Sounds. Not willing to stop there, they can also rock the klezmer, bust out hip-hop beats and call upon Appalachian fiddle as well. We'll also listen to music from that "band of brigands," Taraf de Haïdouks, who come from the small Romanian Village Of Clejani, southwest of the capital city of Bucharest. They mix up Romanian folk tradition, both soul and speed, ranging from haunting heartland ballads to dizzying fiddle dances. Plus, there's Osvaldo Golijov's “Night of the Flying Horses," a slow dark viola lullaby that erupts into a fast gallop, boasting a theme that the composer proudly claims to have stolen from Taraf de Haïdouks. Throw in the globe-spanning music from the Kronos Quartet release Caravan, and that's a show. But there's probably even more!

Special Midweek Podcast: “Sweet Driving Rhythm” (originally aired on Oct. 10, 2008) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:10 GMT

New music from the concert hall now reflects the driving rhythms of rock and jazz. For this New Sounds podcas, we'll hear some examples, including selections from Oscar Bettison's "O Death," and the European classic, "De Staat" by Louis Andriessen. Oscar Bettison, a composer and instrument-maker writes for both rock ensemble and the concert hall, as well as his own instrument creations (dubbed cinderella instruments) and electro-acoustic elements. In his work, “O Death,” he calls for a Wrench-ophone (12 differently-sized metal wrenches arranged like a keyboard), flower pots, metal mixing bowls, anvils, and electric guitar, with distortion pedal. We’ll hear “O Death,” on this edition of the program. Also, music from his teacher, Louis Andriessen, with his loud and aggressive “De Staat,” which suggests clangorous Balinese gamelan, jazz, minimalism, and Stravinsky while kicking it all into overdrive.

Special Podcast: Kamikaze Ground Crew & Members (originally aired June 26, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:45 GMT

Up on this New Sounds, there's brand new music from one of New York's all-star music groups - the Kamikaze Ground Crew. We'll hear selections from their latest release of skewed habaneras and extended widescreen compositions, called "Postcards from the Highwire." Also, individual projects from the various Crew members including Doug Wieselman, Steven Bernstein, Gina Leishman, Art Baron, leading or supporting such groups as Trio S, Sex Mob, the Millennial Territory Orchestra, Hieroglyphic Ensemble, and Bill Frisell's Trio.

Signal & Steve Reich (originally aired on Sept. 12, 2008) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:16 GMT

For this edition of New Sounds, we’re joined by Brad Lubman, the leader of Signal, New York's new-music “supergroup,” a flexible army of 13-30 musicians who combine the intimacy of chamber music with the power of a compact orchestra. The bandsemble includes all of So Percussion, along with members of Alarm Will Sound, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, punkass-thrash jazz quartet Gutbucket, and other leading New York ensembles. Signal made their giant splash at the 2008 Bang on a Can Marathon, performing music by Steve Reich. Listen as Brad Lubman talks more about the “supergroup,” and hear a bit of music by Michael Galasso.

Sri Jimi, Carnatic Rock (originally aired Sept. 25, 2008) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:47 GMT

The electric guitarist Prasanna comes from a South Indian classical music background, but he also grew up under the influence of western guitarists like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix, in addition to his exposure to top Indian film soundtrack composers like A.R. Rahman and Illayaraja. For this New Sounds, Prasanna brings his electric guitar and three percussionists (Poongulam Subramaniam on mridangam, S. Karthick on ghatam and Bangalore Amrit on kanjira) into the studio for a live performance of some of his Carnatic rock/World Jazz musical hybrid, including "Sri Jimi" and "Bowling for Peace." There’s also music by sax player Rudresh Mahanthappa, in collaboration with Kadri Gopalnath, from Mahanthappa's latest "Kinsmen."

Electronic Music (originally aired June 19, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:31 GMT

Irish composer Linda Buckley summons both electronic and acoustic forces and her works to date have used organ and multi-channel tape, prepared piano and Javanese Gamelan, among others. We'll hear some of her music written for the theatre on this New Sounds program. Plus, Madison, Wisconsin-based composer Gregory Taylor marries the Javanese slendro scale and synthesizers, sampling, looping and processing to create some incredibly textured and layered clouds of gamelan music and glitch-ambience. There's also music from Seattle's K. Leimer, and more.

Podcast: Inadvertent Songs (originally aired Sept. 16, 2008) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:55 GMT

Be careful what you say – it could wind up as lyrics to a song. Just ask Donald Rumsfeld, Miss Teen USA, President Bush, and the anonymous posters on Craigslist, all of whom found their way into songs. For this New Sounds, hear Donald Rumsfeld's words as lifted from various Pentagon briefings, and skillfully set by Phil Kline - about the looting in Iraq, known unknowns and near-perfect clarity. Also, listen to Ted Hearne's "Katrina Ballads," where "Brownie, You're Doin' a Heck of a Job," the infamous sentence spoken by George W. Bush, gets cut up and delivered in a rapid-fire repeating staccato. Not to be outdone, Sam Sadigursky's "Miss Teen USA" - is a setting of 2007 pageant contender Miss South Carolina's answer to "Recent polls have shown 1/5 of Americans can’t locate America on a world map. Why do you think this is?" to like, such as - music. Plus, Gabriel Kahane's "Craigslistlieder," yes, based on unedited posts from Craigslist.org. And more!

Special Podcast: Trio Medieval Live (Originally aired April 10, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:19 GMT

From the New Sounds Live concerts at Merkin Hall, listen to Norway’s Trio Mediaeval perform a set of early music, alongside contemporary works written for them, and arrangements of Nordic folksong.

Special Podcast: Classical Musicians Rock It (originally aired on May 10, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:35 GMT

For this New Sounds, classical guitarist Benjamin Verdery plays the music of Jimi Hendrix. Plus, the string quartet Amiina sings, adds electronics, and writes their own post-rock music.

Special Podcast: Guitar Marathon 2006 (originally aired Feb. 23, 2006) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:24 GMT

For this New Sounds program, there’s new music from the biannual New York Guitar Festival Marathon at the 92nd Street Y - this edition was "450 Years of Spanish Guitar." Listen to three newly commissioned world-premiere compositions — all inspired by Spanish themes: "Los Cambios Quedan Igual," by Gyan Riley for classical guitar; Variations on "La Follia" by Dominic Frasca, for guitar and laptop; and "Memorial" by Bryce Dessner, for guitar, viola, and percussion. There’s a Flamenco impression left by Riley’s work coupled with bluesy bends, while Dessner's piece is inspired by the traditions of ornamentation and improvisation in Spanish and Italian Renaissance lute music. And listen to Frasca’s untitled piece, for 10-string guitar and computer, is a set of variations on La Follia, a well-known theme (based on a Spanish folk melody) that has been used in Western music since the Renaissance.

Special Podcast: 25th Anniversaries for Two (originally aired Sept. 4, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:58 GMT

Laurie Anderson's unique and original "Big Science," a blend of smart sung-spoken lyrics and unsettling textures of music, came out of nowhere in 1982, with its skewed pop and minimalist themes teasing at the surreal and absurd. "The sounds of 'Big Science' are stark and asymmetrical, but they’re also often bizarrely hypnotic." (Pop Matters.com) And let's not forget the vocoder on Anderson's voice. Also, wouldn't you know it, it was September 3, 1982 that New Sounds first went on the air. For this New Sounds program, Laurie Anderson and host John Schaefer celebrate 25th Anniversaries together.

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Special Podcast: A World in New York (originally aired on Nov. 22, 2006) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:55 GMT

From the New Sounds Live concert series, hear great women’s voices in World Music – all based in New York. Listen to performances by Susan McKeown (Ireland, via Manhattan), and Angelique Kidjo (Benin, via Brooklyn) recorded live at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden in 2006.

New Sounds now has a podcast! Subscribe to the podcast.

Special Podcast: New Music for Silent Films: The Eagle, The General (originally aired Feb. 22, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:21 GMT

From the New Sounds Live/Silent Film series, the Alloy Orchestra performs new music for the silent films “The Eagle” and “The General,” on keyboards, clarinet, accordion, percussion, and their famed “ton of junk,” at the World Financial Center.

New Sounds now has a podcast! Subscribe to the podcast.

Special Podcast: John the Revelator (originally aired Dec. 5, 2006) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:15 GMT

From the New Sounds Live concerts at the World Financial Center, listen to the world premiere of “John the Revelator,” a mass for the 21st century by Phil Kline, and featuring the early music vocal group Lionheart and the electric string quartet Ethel. The work was commissioned by WNYC and recorded in the WFC’s Winter Garden, the space for which it was written.

New Sounds now has a podcast! Subscribe to the podcast.

Special Podcast: Solo Sessions (originally aired Feb. 10, 2006) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:07 GMT

For this edition of New Sounds, pianist/composer Matthew Shipp presents music from his album of nu-jazz, "One." His first collection of original solo material in nearly a decade, (his last solo outing was a record of standards, not his own works), Shipp gleefully explores and savors where the music might take him, rather than resorting to pianistic pyrotechnics. "One" is not all swirling contemplative eddies, however, there is a streak of volatility in the tune "Electro Magnetism," where Shipp’s fierce, low-end tones "threaten to shake the song loose from its floorboards." (PitchforkMedia.com)

Ambient Classical (originally aired Aug. 29, 2006) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:04 GMT

For this New Sounds, listen to ambient classical California composers like Phillip Schroeder, Harold Budd, Daniel Lentz, and more. Composer/music professor Phillip Schroeder uses multiple pianos and digital delays to generate dense masses of shimmering trills and cascades that create a complex calm and openness. Harold Budd’s music, a sparse and tonal wash of keyboard treatments, was inspired at an early age by the humming tone caused by wind blown across telephone wires in the Mojave Desert town of Victorville, California. Also, there’s lush, pitch-drifting electronic soundscapes from California-based composer Daniel Lentz as well.

Extreme Spirituals (originally aired Jan. 5, 2007) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:01 GMT

There's gospel singing in a new music context on this edition of New Sounds. Hear some extreme spirituals - rearranged, well known African-American spirituals and 19th century art songs - from the Boston-based chamber rock band Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, in collaboration with Oral Moses. The resulting music is an unorthodox but deeply moving blend of Birdsongs' punk-proggy art rock instrumentation together with the strong and majestic voice of Oral Moses. We'll also listen to the intersection of Jewish music and Black spirituals from the Klezmatics release, "Brother Moses Smote the Water," a team effort with African-American gospel singer Joshua Nelson. Hear age-old Hebrew Passover songs, Nelson’s own brand of “kosher gospel,” and traditional Yiddish Klezmatic anthems, some featuring jazz singer/organist Kathryn Farmer. Plus, music by Bob Telson, Joel Chadabe, and others.

Minimalist Music Theatre (originally aired May 20, 2008) (New Sounds)

listenerservices@wnyc.org — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:12 GMT

Hear some music theatre pieces on this New Sounds show. Listen to Philip Glass's recent release "Waiting for the Barbarians," adapted from the novel by the South African writer and Nobel Prize Winner John Coetzee. Also, there's music by Paul Bailey - his post-minimalist music theatre piece "Retrace our Steps." He describes it as a four act vocal/instrumental spectacle based on texts by Gertrude Stein, Guy Debord and Jenny Bitner. The "alt-classical garage band" Paul Bailey Ensemble performs the work. And more.