Soundcheck

Elizabeth Ziman, who performs as Elizabeth and the Catapult, is a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn. She plays new songs from her latest, "Responsible Friend", in-Studio.

The London-based art rock band, Mary in the Junkyard, is getting ready to release their debut album after four years of trying to make sense of strange things in life through music. “I think that life is very surreal,” says the vocalist of the group, Clari Freeman-Taylor, as she explains why she enjoys “writing about things that may be a little bit unsettling”. Nothing about the order of life is rehearsed, so why should their music be? Their practice relies heavily on their songwriting and arranging rituals where they carefully piece each layer of sound together. But preparations for live performances are enforced with a spirit of spontaneity, which, as the viola and bass player Saya Barbaglia points out, is a big part of their sound. The duo blurred the rigid lines of classical music together as they grew into their teenage years with rock music. They traded hours of sight-reading for jam sessions that led to endless scraps of ideas. Those ideas would eventually become fully fleshed-out songs with the addition of drummer David Addison to the band. Mary in the Junkyard’s upcoming LP, Role Model Hermit, carries hints of Freeman-Taylor and Barbaglia’s classical music background, as dense string arrangements pop up every now and then. But in our studio, the trio reveals the core of each song they perform: raw, skeletal, dark, and light, all at the same time. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. New Muscles 2. Myrtle 3. Blood Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Imagine the tropical grooves of Colombia and Mexico in an avant-garde setting. That’s the ethos of Ruido Tovar; the new collaborative project between Eblis Alvarez of Meridian Brothers and Camilo Lara of the Mexican Institute of Sound. Before releasing their debut self-titled record together, both Alvarez and Lara were known to experiment with electronics, fusing modern sounds with music styles that are typically considered traditional. Alvarez put a spin on cumbia and salsa with his band Meridian Brothers, while Lara pushed the electronica movement in Mexico forward with his project, the Mexican Institute of Sound. Coming together as Ruido Tovar, the duo joins the Soundcheck host, John Schaefer, with their pocket-sized effects pedals and compact synthesizers to perform some new songs from their new record and discuss their journey in music thus far. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. El Campeon 2. Concorde 3. Ritmo Babilonia Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas have built their considerable reputation on a high-energy, exuberant blend of R&B, funk, hip hop, spoken word, gospel, and pop. Listeners may recall how the band first introduced themselves to the public radio community in 2017 by winning the NPR Tiny Desk contest, and have since been awarded a GRAMMY. Their new album is called The Last Balloon, and it completes a trilogy that began with Green Balloon in 2019 and Red Balloon in 2022. Tank and the Bangas play a few fizzy-lifting, playful, and cathartic songs from the Last Balloon, in-studio. Set List: 1.Move 2. No Invite 3. Whole World Photo of Tank and the Bangas by Jeremy Tauriac Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Emma Hospelhorn is known as a flutist when she goes by her full name, especially as a member of Chicago’s Ensemble Dal Niente; the acclaimed collective that brings experimental chamber music to the masses. But when she steps into the universe of her solo project, Em Spel, she writes and sings surreal, beguiling songs that fall somewhere in between dream pop, art rock, and folk music. The multi-instrumentalist has a new album out, titled Bird or Snake, in which she occasionally breaches the constraints of tonality and uses layering techniques to texturize the organic elements that define her sound. The pandemic carved out enough space in Hospelhorn’s busy schedule for the creation of new Em Spel songs, some of which she performs live with her band for this episode of Soundcheck. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. The Poet 2.Sea Wall 3.Geographic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ryan Bingham may be known as the character, Walker, on the hit neo-Western television series Yellowstone by many; but he’s also built a fandom around his rich Americana discography, spanning seven studio albums in 19 years. Earning an Oscar and a Grammy for “The Weary Kind”, the theme song for the film Crazy Heart co-written with T Bone Burnett, jumpstarted Bingham’s music career back in 2010. Since then, he’s been composing, recording, and performing his heartfelt songs that sound like they belong in a different time from decades past. Playing slide guitar and singing raspy melodies with ease, Bingham embodies the persona of an artist who appreciates the melting pot of Texas – so much so that he recently starred in a short film called Love Letter to Texas, written and directed by Jeff Nichols. And though Bingham may not be a troubadour, he certainly performs like one, both in the studio and on stage. His latest album, titled They Call Us the Lucky Ones and recorded with the Dallas-based collective The Texas Gentlemen, is a testament to his willingness to welcome spontaneity, recounting his stories in the moment as they come. You can feel the same spirit on this episode of Soundcheck, as Bingham performs some of his new songs solo at our Manhattan studios. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. Let the Big Dog Eat 2. Relevance 3. Blue Skies Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas is considered a living legend among her peers. But when it’s just her and her favorite musical instruments, like the piano, the accordion, or the Venezuelan cuatro guitar, her artistry is just as raw, honest, and vulnerable as it was in her early days in music. On her new record, Norteña, Venegas acknowledges the fact that none of us are as innocent as we used to be. Missing that pre-internet naïveté and going back to her roots played a big part in her writing process. Still, she’s not one to live in the past. As she puts it: “You have to let go of things… Even the things you think are really the best moments of your life are not going to be, because then you’re going to keep on going, and you’re going to find other best things in your life.” This art of being at peace with present time is most apparent on this edition of Soundcheck, where she performs two singles from her new album, as well as a beloved song from two decades ago. In the studio, Venegas is known to fuse pop, rock, and regional Mexican music with well-thought-out and expansive arrangements. But here, she picks up a different instrument for each song, singing and playing organically, as she injects her momentary emotions into every note. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. La Línea 2. Tiempos Dorados 3. Oleada Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York-based Sofia Rei is a Grammy-nominated vocalist, songwriter and producer from Buenos Aires, Argentina who was classically trained as a singer and fell in love with Brazilian music. Her new album, Antónima expands the concept of chamber music, looks to South American and Caribbean dance music (cumbia, candombe), and combines elements of Oya’s healing thunder and improvisation – all while flirting with jazz and experimental pop - as she and longtime collaborator and co-producer JC Maillard skillfully layer her voice and electronic sounds. Then there’s the all-star lineup of featured guest musicians on the album - many of them visionary Latin American women creators – who help Sofía Rei to celebrate future sounds. She and JC Maillard play in-studio. (- Caryn Havlik) Set list: 1. El Mundo Es Redondo (Anonimous) 2. Si Una Cae 3. Marciana Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alisa Weilerstein is more than just a virtuoso cellist; she is also a winner of the MacArthur Fellowship, the so-called “genius” award and is a master of connecting music of our time with core classical repertoire. She plays some of her series, "Fragments", in-studio.

Texas-born folk singer-songwriter Jana Horn lives in Brooklyn, NY now. Perhaps it was this lifestyle change that established the introspective and fragmented nature of her eponymous third album. The calm in her voice, guided by instruments that sound as though they follow their own communal continuous clock, softens the blow of her existential lyrics: “Seeing eternity as a quality of time / Done with my dying / I can breathe again”. Drifting between melancholy and optimism, Horn writes and performs conversationally, blurring the line between speech and song. The core team of musicians she opens her heart to play a big part in weaving the delicate and gentle atmosphere around her vocals, both in the studio and on the road. Two of those musicians, bassist Jade Guterman and drummer Adam Jones join us for the latest edition of Soundcheck with Jana Horn. Hear their performance and the artist’s interview with our host, John Schaefer. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. Come on 2. It's alright 3. Designer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mike Doughty is many things; a solo artist, founding bandmember of Soul Coughing and Ghost of Vroom, and a published writer – who not only wrote two memoirs but also an oratorio based on the biblical Book of Revelation that was staged at WNYC’s Greene Space. Simply put, Doughty has built a long-lasting career since his days of working as a doorman at the New York club, The Knitting Factory. On his way up, he embraced all aspects of the art of writing good songs, from welcoming “cowboy chords” when they come, to opening his mind up to the universe of avant-garde jazz – or even German grammar-inspired lyrics. Today, he is a storyteller who is honest with himself and transparent with his audience, composing and sharing new songs weekly with his patrons on Patreon while continuing to pour his heart out on the road, as he’s about to do so on his Solo Tour ’26, playing all over the United States. In the early days of this new adventure, Doughty joins our host, John Schaefer, with his collaborator, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston, for an intimate live performance and a warm chat for this edition of Soundcheck. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. White Lexus 2. Mr. Bitterness 3. Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

American folk singer-songwriter Annahstasia’s music career blossomed since the day she got kicked out of her teenage choir. Her voice didn’t blend homogenously with others, as it always meant to stand out. Today, with her soulful contralto register, she often gets compared to the greats like Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman, and Sade. But the way she utilizes her voice and songwriting melds a distinct brand of her own. As a storyteller, Annahstasia doesn’t worry too much about predictable song structures with repeatable sections. Instead, she invites her collaborators and listeners into her safe space to participate as a communal sonic atmosphere begins to take shape. Like an “energy doula”, she approaches the dynamics in her music with the utmost care, birthing not only words and musical notes but also volumes of emotion. Sometimes, her melodies and harmonies are tethered so tightly to silence that you might miss them if you’re not listening closely. Then, they burst out again, like a thunderstorm that came out of nowhere to grasp your attention and never let go. Offering an inimitable aural experience, Annahstasia performs a solo set at our Manhattan studios for this edition of Soundcheck, ahead of her sold-out four-night residency at Public Records in Brooklyn. Hear her latest anecdotes about her journey in the music industry and how she defends the art of live music recording in the age of bedroom pop productions. (- Sırma Munyar) Setlist: 1. Be Kind 2. Take Care of Me 3. Slow Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.