Soundcheck

The London/Atlanta band called Algiers makes “churning, electrifying gospel-inflected rock, with singer Franklin James Fisher leading his congregation in songs that take on social injustice, racism, and government corruption” (Schaefer.) Fisher’s ferocious crooning over a whip-tight rhythm section of Ryan Mahan (bass, beat programming and synth constructions) and drummer Matt Tong (ex-Bloc Party), together with guitarist/saxophone player Lee Tesche’s sound-sleeves always leaves more to discover on every listen. The aural layering features synth constructions which drip with gospel-goth menace (“We Can’t Be Found,”) soulful testifying from the mountaintop (“Dispossessed,”) along with straight-up circle pit mosh anthems (“Void.”) The “outspoken” quartet Algiers play powerful and infectious songs from their latest, There Is No Year, in-studio.

Set list:

For your circle pit enjoyment here is a Web Extra from the in-studio session  Algiers - "Void" (streaming-only):

Algiers - "Can the Sub_Bass Speak?" (Official Visual):

Tel Aviv-born, New York-based Anat Cohen is a multiple Grammy-nominated clarinetist, composer, and bandleader whose Anat Cohen Tentet ranges from chamber-funk to large and sensuous orchestral jazz, from Brazilian music to African grooves, vintage swing to tango, boogaloo to ballads. Their latest album, Triple Helix, has been nominated for a Grammy and is built around a three part clarinet concerto, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Center,and written by Anat’s longtime music director Oded Lev-Ari. The title seems to refer to the three different musical elements – jazz, classical, and world music – that go into the piece. Hear the Anat Cohen Tentet play the three-movement concerto, “Triple Helix,” in-studio. 

Triple Helix by Anat Cohen Tentet

Berlin-based Danish singer, pianist, and composer Agnes Obel presents her ghostly, beautiful, classical chamber music-informed self-produced art-pop. Listen for luthéal (a kind of mechanism that can make a piano sound like a harp or cimbalom), piano, viola, cello, percussion, and lots of dreamy, ethereal vocals, asking questions about trust and doubt. For the latest record, Myopia, Obel experimented with recording processing, warping and pitching down vocals, melting and twisting the chamber music instruments strings, piano, celesta and lutheal piano – until she found a feeling of home in the soundworld she’d created. Agnes Obel and her band share some of these latest songs, in-studio. - Caryn Havlik

Watch the session here:

Set List: 

San Francisco-based Ethio-American singer, composer, songwriter and bandleader Meklit Hadero, is a TED Senior Fellow, National Geographic Explorer, and co-founder of the visionary pan-African Nile Project ensemble. With a sound that merges Addis Ababa, Los Angeles, New Orleans and San Francisco, Meklit’s approach as bandleader sees two percussionists, groovy sax and bass. Singing in both English and Amharic, she delivers Ethio-roots-jazz with a heavy dose of pop and soul that makes bodies move. Meklit and her band play in-studio. - Caryn Havlik

Watch the session here: 

From her TED Talk, "The unexpected beauty of everyday sounds":

Les Amazones d’Afrique is a creative collective of women from West and Central Africa, formed in Mali in 2014. At their strongest, they are 16 multi-generational vocalists spanning Africa, Europe and Latin America. The music blends electronic sounds, African traditional sounds, reggae and hip-hop elements together with cool harmonies and grooves, and the Congotronix-style production of legendary producer Doctor L (aka Liam Farrell.)

Members of Les Amazones d’Afrique may come from many different countries, but face similar issues in their hometowns: violence against women and young girls, genital mutilation (or “cutting”), forced marriage, and gender equality. Using the ultimate force of music, they stand together for their rights. Les Amazones d’Afrique perform in-studio. - Caryn Havlik

Watch the session here: 

French-born, NYC-based jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel, a leading player and improviser in "gypsy jazz," has recorded with mandolin legend David Grisman, toured with master violinist Mark O’Connor, and famously wrote a theme song for a Woody Allen film, Midnight In Paris. The Gitane guitar company has even named a model after him. 

Wrembel honed his "gypsy jazz" skills in Roma campsites in the French countryside and has championed music of the brilliant Belgian-born Romani-French guitarist Django Reinhardt, hugely influential for his small ensemble works with the violinist Stephane Grappelli in the Hot Club all-string band in the 1930's. Guitarist Stephane Wrembel brings his small ensemble to perform impressions of Django Reinhardt tunes, and hopefullly Wrembel’s original compositions, in-studio. - Caryn Havlik

Set list:

Watch the session here: 

The Attacca Quartet performs music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and chats about collaborating with a living composer, gardens, and Star Wars. The music and interview were recorded live in the Greene Space for the 10th anniversary marathon in April 2019. 

Set list: 

The group Red Baraat has become synonymous with a raucous good time, a celebratory mix of bhangra – the dance music of the Punjab region, New Orleans horns, go-go and a bit of hip-hop besides. They’re led by drummer-composer Sunny Jain, who plays the dhol, a traditional two-headed drum slung over the shoulder. A talented and energetic army of horns, guitar, and percussion instruments rounds out the lineup, wedding the bhangra roots of the dhol to a N’awlins brass funk ‘n’ street party. The band played a set for us at Brooklyn Bowl in June 2019 and it ruled. Enjoy. (-Caryn Havlik)

Set list: 

Hear some of the best performances from the Soundcheck Podcast series from 2019, including spacey folky confessional electro-pop by Helado Negro and new hooky pop from British guitar band Bombay Bicycle Club. Also, hear joyous folklore-infused electro-chamber music using Haitian women's voices, flute, and strings, from Nathalie Joachim & Spektral Quartet. Listen to “Worthy,” a mostly acoustic, yet powerful assurance from Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/producer India.Arie. Plus, sweaty cosmic funky arena dance jazz by London trio The Comet Is Coming. 

Hear some of the best performances from the Soundcheck Podcast series from 2019, like the tropical psych-rock from NYC-based quartet Combo Chimbita and the slamming wordplay in work by London's Kate Tempest, a poet, rapper, and spoken word performer. There's also collaborative music from soul singer Emily King and chamber band yMusic. Then, Baltimore-based electronic duo Matmos share some of their sampled "audio gold" mines from the sounds of nothing but plastics. Plus hear the crafty chamber-jazz by drummer Allison Miller, and her all-star band, Boom Tic Boom.