Soundcheck

Quiet Reflection in Acoustic Songs by Daughter of Swords (Archives)

North Carolina singer and guitarist Alex Sauser-Monnig records under the name Daughter of Swords, in which they "combine the eerie sound of old Appalachian folk music wit

Best of Soundcheck: Paris Paloma, Cautious Clay

Some musicians make ambitious records that dig into the depths of meaning behind art, mythology, time, or life itself. Two of those musicians are the British singer-songw

Fearless Creative Expression and Lived Experience From Arturo Sandoval Who "Sounds Good", In-Studio

Trumpeter and bandleader Arturo Sandoval is a Latin music legend who began his career as a co-founder of the essential Cuban band Irakere and since moving to the States h

Ghost Hounds Conjures Bluesy Roots-Rock In-Studio

Ghost Hounds is a Pittsburgh-based blues-rock band with a sound that may remind you of classic early 70s bands like The Rolling Stones. In fact, they’ve opened for the St

Best of Soundcheck: Dessa, Omar Offendum

For this episode of Soundcheck, the rapper, singer, and author Dessa gets political, and Syrian-American rapper Omar Offendum gets historical. Minneapolis-raised singer a

From the 2026 New York Guitar Festival: Gyan Riley; Ziggy & Miles

Listen to a sampling of some of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival, with pieces by Gyan Riley and an arrangement of Debussy by Australian guitarist brothers Ziggy & Miles,

From the 2026 New York Guitar Festival: Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque, and Pierre Bensusan

Listen to a sampling of some of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival, with pieces by the duo of Goran Ivanovic and Fareed Haque and Pierre Bensusan recorded live in August a

Best of Soundcheck: Public Service Broadcasting; Em Spel

The London band Public Service Broadcasting makes music out of history: the space race, the UK mining industry, and now, the final flight of Amelia Earhart, have all been

Flamenco Guitar Pyrotechnicians Rodrigo y Gabriela Spark It Up, In-Studio (Archives)

The Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela first made a name for themselves busking in Dublin, Ireland, even though they spoke no English at the time. With roots in flamen

Dan Deacon's Joyous Electro-Acoustic Orchestra Ascends a Mountain, In-Studio

Baltimore-based Dan Deacon has been a mad scientist of electronic music since releasing his debut album Spiderman Of The Rings in 2007.  He built a reputation for wild, d

Best of Soundcheck: Orquesta Akokán, Hannah Jadagu

Sometimes music takes us back or far into the future. Other times, time and travel are at the very core of the music we listen to. On this edition of Soundcheck, the (mos

Dominican-Italian Singer-Songwriter YENDRY Weaves Delicate Melodies, In-Studio

Dominican-Italian singer-songwriter YEИDRY has been around for over a decade, and in the span of her rich music career that’s lived many lives, she compiled highly person

Jazz / R&B Ensemble Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science Amplify Progressive Issues, In-Studio

Grammy-nominated jazz and R&B ensemble, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, are back with their sophomore album, Trip the Night Fantastic, after a seven-year-long bre

Best of Soundcheck: We Are Scientists, Art Brut

Welcome to the WASABI edition of Soundcheck! No, not the spicy green paste that comes with your sushi order. We’re talking about the collaborative project formed by the L

Yasser Tejeda y Palotré Celebrate Ancestral Dominican Traditions

Brooklyn-based guitarist and composer Yasser Tejada & the group Palotré combine African-rooted Dominican traditional folk styles and fuse them with R&B, church gospel, fu

The Calm Spark of South African Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim Persists

The late South African pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim (aka "Dollar Brand") had a notable career, helped early on by Duke Ellington, and  acknowledged later by Nels

Best of Soundcheck: Meklit, The Bad Plus

On this episode of Soundcheck, a great band bids farewell after a monumental career that lasted more than a quarter of a century. American avant-garde group The Bad Plus

Alt-Country Artist Tift Merritt Shares Her New Confessional Songs, In-Studio

After almost a decade-long wait, the Grammy-nominated alt-country artist Tift Merritt returns with her new record Sugar, in which she sings, “I didn’t really want to be h

Chamber Pop Duo Gracie and Rachel Sing New Introspective Songs, In-Studio

Chamber pop duo Gracie and Rachel, formed by keyboardist Gracie Coates and violinist Rachel Ruggles, spent many years playing music together, living together, and even gr

Best of Soundcheck: Marilina Bertoldi, Julieta Venegas

Latin music culture has produced countless artists who amplify decades of traditions and stories through their unique point of view. Two of those artists are Julieta Vene