Soundcheck

Alto sax player and native New Yorker Lakecia Benjamin got her professional start playing with legendary trumpeter Clark Terry's big band. Since then, she's made a name for herself as a sidewoman to artists like Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys, a bandleader and a composer. She and her band Soul Squad put out a debut album in 2012 called Retox -- an album that's as rooted in the "revolution music" of the '60s and '70s as it is in the modern jazz and R&B worlds.  Lakecia Benjamin and her band Soul Squad join us in our studio for a live performance.  For more photos, visit Soundcheck's Tumblr page.

On January 6, 1939, a day-long recording session in New York City by a pair of boogie-woogie pianists would mark the beginning of the most storied record label in jazz music: Blue Note Records. Since that first day's output by Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, Blue Note has been home to many of the giants of jazz, including legends like Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, and hundreds of others. In an interview with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Blue Note President Don Was -- a formidable producer and musician in his own right -- reflects on the illustrious history and the sound of Blue Note at 75. Was also reflects about his own multi-decade career playing with iconoclastic band Was (Not Was) and producing hit records for a dazzling array of artists, including the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Lyle Lovett, Bob Dylan, and many more.  Interview Highlights Don Was, on his first experience of Blue Note music: It's still pretty enigmatic and mysterious, isn't it, how people do that? I think it has to do with being in touch with your feelings and knowing how to transform them into notes on a saxophone. That's pretty amazing. It's charisma, it's just a kind of internal artistic power. On "the look" of Blue Note Records: The sociological impact of Blue Note was as great for me [growing up] as Bob Dylan's, or The Beatles, or the Stones. I wanted to be one of those guys. I had my mom go out and get me a top hat and a trench coat so I could look like Ornette Coleman on the cover of Live At The Golden Circle. I didn't achieve the look, but it wasn't for lack of trying. On the relevance of Blue Note in the 21st century: I think it's important for a record label to stand for something. I used to buy Blue Note records regardless of who the artist was. If something new came out, I'd buy it. I used to buy Motown, I used to buy Stax records, I used to buy Chess records. Those labels all meant something, and I think people need that. There's so much information, it's very hard to choose. So, we've tried very hard to maintain the aesthetic that was the foundation of these records.  On working with legendary artists: I had a moment once, in 1990, when David [Was] and I were producing Bob Dylan. And George Harrison came in to play a guitar solo on a song called "Under The Red Sky." Bob stepped in to be the engineer and was running the tape machine and he was messing with George a little, so he fast-forwarded to where the solo was, and George had never even heard the song -- didn't know what key it was. And Bob said, "Okay, solo goes right... HERE! Play!" and hit record. George played a reasonable solo, considering he didn't know what key the song was in, and Bob said "Yeah that's great." But George wanted to do it again, and so they both turned to me and said, "What do you think, Don?" And it was like time slowed way down! Ultimately, I thought, he's not paying you to be a gushing fan. So: diplomatic truth. That's how I want to be treated.   Watch Elvis Costello & The Roots perform "Walk Us Uptown" from their 2013 Blue Note release "Wise Up Ghost."  

Singer-songwriter Bobby Bare Jr. is something of an interesting creature of Nashville: He's the son of country star Bobby Bare -- who was just inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame this year; he debuted at the Grand Ole Opry at age 5 and was even nominated for a Grammy when he was six years old for a duet with his father. But his own music, Bare went another direction -- his songs tow the line between alt-country, eccentric rock and 70's soul. Bare was recently the subject of a 2012 documentary, Don't Follow Me (I'm Lost), and set to release his latest album in 2014. Hear Bobby Bare Jr. perform in the Soundcheck studio.   Set List: "I'll Be Around" "Didn't Want To Know" "The Big Time"      

Just when you thought you were done looking back at this past year and all caught up on the musical highs and lows of 2013, well think again. It's time to look ahead. To help, Tris McCall, music critic for the New Jersey Star-Ledger, guides Soundcheck host John Schaefer through a few of the most anticipated releases of early 2014.   Katy B, Little Red (out Feb. 3 on Sony/Columbia Records) There has been a ton of interesting electronic music coming out of England over the last few years, but many attempts to layer a pop singer over the beat have left something to be desired. Katy B is set to drive bodies to the dance floor, however, on her upcoming sophomore release.     Hospitality, Trouble (out Jan. 21 on Merge) Camera Obscura meets Belle & Sebastian meets Elvis Costello? Meet Hospitality. Suggestive, off-kilter melodies by this Brooklyn trio.     Azealia Banks, Broke With Expensive Taste (out TBA on Universal) While there's still no formal release date on this long-teased and overdue debut, Azealia Banks seems set to drop the first important hip-hop record of the year.     St. Vincent, St. Vincent (out Feb. 25 on Republic Records) Fresh off her celebratory (and celebrated) collaboration with David Byrne, Annie Clark returns to St. Vincent with another unique paean to anxiety filled with angular, edgy guitar sounds.

Some people collect stamps. Others collect baseball cards. Joe Mansfield collects drum machines. The Boston-based producer and music historian has about 150 of them – and about half of his collection is featured in a new book called Beat Box: A Drum Machine Obsession. In an interview with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Mansfield talks about his massive collection and the history of the beat-making boxes. We also take a listen to some of the most well-known songs that use drum machines -- some of which might even surprise you.  Interview highlights:  Mansfield, on why the Roland TR-808 drum machine became so popular with musicians:  The thing that always stood out is the bass drum in that thing. It was just this big sounding bass drum that was really unique. Also at the time it came out, compared to some of the other machines like the Linn LM-1 and the Oberheim DMX, it was a lot less expensive. It came out in 1980, and it was $1000 -- obviously that is a lot of money in 1980 -- but the LM-1 was about $5000. The LM-1, you could probably buy a car with the amount you're gonna spend on that.  On where he stores his collection of 150 drum machines:  They're kind of stacked up in my basement. It's pretty much getting to a point where you can't move down there. Some of them are temperamental, but they pretty much all work.  On the most valuable drum machine he owns, the Linn LM-1:  Basically, the Linn used sampled sounds -- so Roger Linn would have recorded a drummer in the studio and recorded those onto an EEPROM computer chip. Where the TR-808 is synthesized, this is actual drum sounds.... Roger Linn wanted to try to make the machine programmable in a way so it would sound as much like a real drummer as possible.   

The Fender Rhodes has an unmistakable sound. Case in point: The windchime atmospherics that adorn The Doors' 1970 opus "Riders On The Storm." But when keyboardist Ray Manzarek played Fender Rhodes electric piano on that song, it was still a new instrument at the time. And yet the Rhodes would go on to become a staple of jazz, rock, pop, and R&B, largely because, with its own suitcase, it was portable. In an interview with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Gerald McCauley, author of a new documentary and book, Down The Rhodes: The Fender Rhodes Story, talks about the musical revolution wrought by the electric instrument. Watch jazz pianist Robert Glasper talk about playing the Fender Rhodes:  

Over his long career, singer, songwriter and guitarist Bobby Womack has proven himself time and again as one of soul music's great icons, writing countless timeless songs -- both for himself and for a who's who of legendary figures. Womack has worked with everyone from Wilson Pickett to Ray Charles to Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley to Dusty Springfield, Patti LaBelle, and Janis Joplin. But it's his unique voice -- equally rough, gravelly, and beautiful -- that infuses his gospel and R&B songs with their power and wisdom. With his superb 2012 album The Bravest Man In The Universe -- his 11th and first in 18 years -- Womack returned with a collection of songs that allow listeners a chance to hear him in a fresh new light. Co-produced by Damon Albarn (of Blur and Gorillaz fame) and XL Records owner-producer Richard Russell, the record eschews traditional and retro-leaning R&B trademarks and embraces a far more minimal aesthetic. This is an album that pushes Womack front and center, embedding his emotional lyrics about love, regret, and aging amid rich atmospherics, samples, keyboards, and icy beats.  Since the album's release, Womack has faced health issues. And yet The Bravest Man In The Universe is hardly some honorary victory lap, nor is it a requiem; this is another bold and boundary-pushing next step from a potent songwriter. In a conversation with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Bobby Womack talks about the process behind making the new album, reflects on working with so many of music's greatest, and looks back at some of the ups and downs of his career.   Interview Highlights Bobby Womack, on learning to collaborate with Damon Albarn and Richard Russell to rework his sound: Damon and Richard were helpful towards me, and plus, I knew who they were after I did a little looking around. And it made me wanna be a part of something that I had gotten away from. I never knew the business was so fast -- that it had changed so much. They were asking me "Why don't you try this? Why don't you try it just like that? That's it!" And I said "It's only three instruments on there!" And they said "Yeah, but your voice is what I want to get out." And that was important, so you live and you learn. On regrets in his life and musical career: I think the biggest regrets [were not] going out to do something else and having a goal to reach, like buy my mother and father a nice house. And I lost one brother, and just a couple months ago, lost another brother -- Womack and Womack. You know, so I look at that and say "Nobody can live forever." But there was so much I wanted to say to 'em that I didn't get a chance to say. [Because] while they was [meeting] their destiny, I was somewhere else -- on the stage, going through that. I learned from that. I said "You can't be on stage all the time. When you come off, you gotta feel like you have somebody, you know that you can confide in." Most of the time, it's family, but sometimes family becomes fans. On carrying on the legacy of so many of the musicians he collaborated with over the years: The Marvin Gayes, the Otis Reddings, the Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix -- I worked with all these people, never knowing about fame. All they was doing was trying to pay their rent for the day, and enjoy what they did. Now all those people are gone… and ever since I feel like I represent them when I go on stage to say "This is what soul music is about." Cuz everybody's got it -- don't care what color you are -- you know, you just gotta recognize what your soul, that's like your style. What motivates you and makes you move and makes you wanna get out there and do what you do. On meeting with Janis Joplin and how she came to record his song "Trust Me": I wrote that song and I first recorded it on a group called the Pointer Sisters. When Janis called me -- and i knew who Janis was, but I thought it was somebody playing a joke. She was like "Hey this is Janis Joplin. I wanna cut one of your songs." So I said "Yeah, an

Soundcheck's weeklong look at the music of 2013 wouldn't be complete without a perennial favorite: the worst music of the year. Now, some say it’s mean. Some say, “Why bother.” While still others claim an inability to dislike any music. But for the rest of you (and for Soundcheck host John Schaefer), here are the year's "worsts" from Sean Manning, contributor to Esquire and author of the memoir The Things That Need Doing. Sean Manning's Worst Music (And One Favorite) Of 2013   Worst Song: Brad Paisley feat. LL Cool J, "Accidental Racist" I know what you're thinking: Sean, you've had it out for Brad Paisley ever since he married the daughter from Father Of The Bride. Okay, so maybe I did watch the VHS of that movie an unhealthy amount when I was in middle school. But that has nothing to do with this song's awfulness! It's not just the totally offensive and condescending message. Or the fact that apparently LL Cool J doesn't have a publicist. It's also the sheer number of clichés used: "elephant in the corner," "can of worms," "walkin' on eggshells," "walk a mile in someone else's skin," "bygones be bygones." "Can't rewrite history, baby," LL says at the end of the song. If only he could when it came to doing this song.     Worst Music Video: Corey Feldman, "Ascension Millenium" It was tough to pick worst video when this year was so full of them. There was 40-something Fred Durst sitting on the toilet in a Limp Bizkit video. There was the lazy and misogynistic video for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines." There were Kim Kardashian's air-brushed nipples in Kanye West's "Bound 2" video. There was the abominable "Harlem Shake" and the thousands upon thousands of annoying YouTube videos it spawned. Even freaking Tan Mom had a video. But none of them are as bad as former child star Corey Feldman's video for his song "Ascension Millenium" — which the best I can tell also doubles as a promo for some energy drink. It's got it all: Feldman doing a "Smooth Criminal" impersonation, Sean Astin reprising his role from Goonies (which Feldman also starred in), some random dude in a Chef Boyardee hat serving Feldman pancakes, and possibly the worst green screen you'll ever see in your life.   Worst Enigma: Morrissey Morrissey wrote a memoir in 2013. Everybody says it's amazing. But I wish he didn't — for the same reason I wish Dave Chappelle hadn't toured this summer after eight years of living in near seclusion. In this age of social media and over-sharing, we need all the recluses we can get. We need more public figures who are shrouded in mystery. Morrissey was always one of the those guys. His mystique was as much a part of his allure as that famous pompadour, and I always wished both his hair and his secrets would never recede.   Worst Sign That I'm Getting Old: Britney Spears' Las Vegas Residency There was a time when Las Vegas residencies were reserved for musicians my parents listened to: Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Celine Dion. At the end of this month, Britney Spears starts a two-year residency in Sin City. I'm surprised how much this has bothered me. At first I tried to play it off like, "Oh well she's only 32 -- she's way younger than any of those people when they they did their Vegas residencies." But then I Googled what age Elvis got to Vegas: 34! I'm 34! Elvis was basically retired at my age! What the hell am I doing with my life!   Worst Trend: Musicians Trying to Be Performance Artists 2013 was the year musicians wanted to be art stars. Jay Z performing his song "Picasso Baby" for six hours straight at New York's Pace Gallery and going nose to nose with Marina Abramovic. Abramovic getting Lady Gaga going nude in a video. The National performing their song "Sorrow" for six hours straight at MoMA. Madonna doing an Elliott Smith cover at New York's Gagosian Gallery. For musicians to ally themselves with arguably history's biggest art bubble -- which saw a painting by Francis Bacon set the record for most expensive piece of art

As seemingly every music publication, blog and critic weighs in with their year-end lists, you’ll notice that some of the same names keep coming up again and again. Kanye West is on many best of and worst of lists; young country maverick Kacey Musgraves and New Zealander Lorde are both getting lots of love. But who’s missing?  What were 2013’s hidden gems that are being overlooked at year’s end?  Soundcheck reached out to a handful of artists -- songwriter Laura Cantrell, guitarist and Portlandia star Carrie Brownstein, and Broken Bells' James Mercer and Brian Burton (a.k.a. Danger Mouse) -- music critic Greg Kot, and listeners to share the albums and musicians that are being overlooked in the annual top tens lists but which are worth remembering.   Greg Kot, music critic for the Chicago Tribune and co-host of WBEZ's Sound Opinions The Besnard Lakes, Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO The Besnard Lakes [is] a band out of Montreal, who put out their fourth studio album, Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO. That's a mouthful but the album is well worth getting into. This band has been making great records for the last decade, I don't think they get enough love from these year-end lists. This record is definitely one of my favorite records of 2013. If I were to describe the sound, it's a little bit of the British shoegazer thing from the early '90s. I'm thinking of especially of the slower, dreamier side with a band like Slowdive meeting this kind of falsetto vocal '60s Beach Boys vibe.      Laura Cantrell, songwriter Valerie June, Pushin’ Against A Stone The thing that I love about Valerie June's music is that she's an African American singer-songwriter with very eclectic influences including Appalachian folk music [and] soul music from Memphis. The record was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. He really just coaxed this beautiful, sympathetic sound out of Valerie and the band that they used.   Carrie Brownstein, musician from Wild Flag and Sleater Kinney; Portlandia actress Cate Le Bon, Mug Museum This is an album that came out very recently, so this is perhaps why I worry that this record is going to get lost in the year-end shuffle. She has a beautiful voice; it's a little reminiscent of Nico or Bridget St John. She marries this evocative singing angular, strange, catchy, off-kilter guitar playing -- like these ramshackle, seasick woozy songs. This is exciting music: People should check out Cate Le Bon, I implore you.   James Mercer and Brian Burton (a.k.a. Danger Mouse), of Broken Bells Junip, Junip Burton: I really like the Junip album. This is their second album, it's a self-titled album. The singer's Jose Gonzales; I really love his voice. The band is a great band, and the first album was one of my favorites. The new album is really good too, but I don't think a lot of people know about them. Mercer: They're really great. I guess it's sort of folky, but very rhythmic as well. [There's] terrific production, everything's so well played. It's just an awesome, awesome record.   A few more 2013 Hidden Gems from Soundcheck listeners: Anna: My Bloody Valentine, mbv J-Mac from Annandale, NJ: Haken, The Mountain Calvin from the Bronx: Bell X1, Chop Chop Evan from Brooklyn: M.I.A., Matangi Fuva from Harlem: Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Social Music  

Generally, we wait about 15-20 years to look back at a particular top-charting pop song and wonderingly ask "That Was a Hit?!?" But sometimes it's possible to know immediately when a song has become an unlikely success -- and also know that it probably won't stand the test of time. Today, we talk with two Soundcheck regulars, Mario Correa of Entertainment Weekly on Sirius XM and Chris Molanphy, critic and pop-chart analyst who writes for outlets like NPR Music, Slate, and Pitchfork, and discuss the songs of 2013 that they think deserve the TWAH?!? treatment.  Mario's Pick: Ylvis, "The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)" They're two brothers -- they're Norwegian -- and they're comedians, actually. The way that this song started was as a joke. These guys had the third season of their show coming up in Norway, and they thought, hey wouldn't it be funny if we came up with this bit where we tried to become pop stars in America?... But we're such idiots that we create this terrible song and we can't become pop stars because all we can sing about is "The Fox." But it didn't quite work out that way.    Chris's Pick: Florida Georgia Line, "Cruise" (and the resulting Nelly remix)  This song had the unusual distinction of crossing over from the country charts to the top five of the Hot 100.... It did so through a very unusual means, which was a hip hop remix featuring the rapper Nelly. To be fair, Nelly has gone down this route before. He had a hit about ten years ago with Tim McGraw called "Over and Over," which was a country/hip-hop hybrid.... I actually thought that was a pretty terrific song. "Cruise" is another animal entirely. An actual country hit that they then grafted a Nelly rap onto... it gets airlifted into the middle of the song. 

All this week, Soundcheck is looking back at the music of 2013 and today, Caryn Ganz, editorial director at RollingStone.com, shares five favorite musical moments from the year -- including some songs, a favorite music video, and one of her hidden gems, a Yeah Yeah Yeahs video starring the Empire State Building. Caryn Ganz's Favorite Music Moments Of 2013   Lady Gaga + R. Kelly, "Do What U Want" from Artpop I will say I did not love the album as a whole, but I do love this one R. Kelly track, "Do What U Want," because I feel like it sort of separates from the overly overwrought conceit of ArtPop and it's just a good pop song. She was focusing so hard on laboring over the idea of ArtPop and then out of nowhere comes this actual club jam. It's got a really kind of grimy, growly vibe to it; she's doing her best Christina Aguilera-esque vocals on this; and it's actually fun because it's just not trying too hard.   The Julie Ruin, "Run Fast" from Run Fast [The Julie Ruin's Kathleen Hanna] had paused her work with Le Tigre around 2005 and kind of vanished and nobody really knew what she was doing. And then she returned this year and revealed that she had been struggling with really intense lyme disease for years. And she was so desperate to record that she was able to put The Julie Ruin together and during moments where she felt well enough, she would just jet to the studio and do these songs. And they have.. a real urgency to them. It's fascinating to watch her mature and become a singer in her 40's. Her voice still has this really intense girlishness to it, this femininity, but also has this attacking power.   Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Despair" from Mosquito Yeah Yeah Yeahs put out Mosquito, their fourth record, in April and I kind of had this fear that it was gonna get forgotten on year-end lists because it was a little big quieter for them. But I thought it was a fantastic record; it really showed their evolution. Every record they do is a giant leap in another direction. Each one of the albums has that gut-punching track, the one you know is going to end up on everyone's mix tapes. On this one, it was "Despair." The thing I love about that song is it shows that despair isn't an emotion that's just about depression or a black hole of nothingness; it can be sort of like a comfort, or in a way, it can flip into a beam of hope at moments of great need.   Hunters, "She's So" from Hunters [Hunters] have actually been around for a couple of years and they landed a 2012 Village Voice cover story, which was unusual because they were unsigned -- or about to be signed at the moment. They got the story basically on the strength of their live show, which is very famously unhinged. But their record has finally come out. And there were a lot of '90s-reminiscent albums this year, but this one is my favorite... I actually discovered the album without really knowing that much about the live show and I think it stands up on its own. It has this sort of raw, fuzzy, shaggy energy to it.   Beyonce, "Haunted" from Beyonce [The "Haunted" video is] very interesting because it was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, [who] first worked with Lady Gaga and Beyonce together on the "Telephone" video in 2010, which I thought was an interesting video... [Beyonce] was just absolutely unhinged; she was just like a total freak. And I really feel like that flipped a switch for her and she felt this license that she could kinda be this crazy, weird, arty performer that Lady Gaga wants to be. I feel like Beyonce actually nails it. [This latest video] is extremely creepy. When you listen to the song you think it's about a relationship; lovers that still haunt each other's lives. And when you watch the video, it has this Sleep No More vibe. But it's beautifully directed, and nothing seems like it's designed to freak you out; everything seems like it has a specific artistic point.  

The Internet awoke last Friday to find that Beyoncé had airdropped an entire new album onto iTunes. For most fans, the "visual album" was a total surprise and an instant success (it sold some 828,773 copies in the first three days -- an iTunes record), despite a complete lack of advanced marketing, television appearances, or even a lead-up radio single. Granted, a pop artist of Beyoncé's stature is clearly able to generate massive interest just by being, well, Beyoncé. Still, Beyoncé’s model almost seems like an outlier, especially at a time where long, drawn-out hype cycles are now commonly expected -- not just with artists of this magnitude much smaller indie bands as well.  All year, albums from pop music’s biggest names -- and many mid-level and indie artists -- were released after calculated, creative, and even mysterious marketing plans to help inspire fan interest, re-instill some fun in new music, and hopefully boost sales. Here's a rundown of some of the year's most notable.   Be Heard And Seen Everywhere Hype -- Miley Cyrus, Bangerz Like it or not, 2013 was Miley’s party, and she did (said) what she wanted. But for all that's been thought and written about her transition from child star to controversial adult pop star, there’s no denying Cyrus' savvy “any press is good press” ethic to her “calculated hot mess.” But once everything about “Wrecking Ball” except the sledge hammer video fades to a foggy memory, “We Can’t Stop” will be remembered as a pop gem worthy of the hype.   Comeback Hype -- Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience (Parts One & Two) Justin Timberlake was everywhere in 2013: He kicked off the year with a tweet teasing fist new album since 2006. He eventually put out two volumes -- both crowd-pleasingly retro, but perhaps underwhelming critically due to too many long R&B jams and too few radio-friendly singles. And yet, Timberlake kept popping up in front of gigantic audiences all year: The Grammys, SXSW, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and a big co-headlining arena tour with Jay Z. Now at the end of the year, Timberlake is re-reminding us he's still around, both with a roll in the Coen brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis and a second SNL appearance this coming weekend with Fallon. No matter if the hype lived up to the actual music he was promoting, Timberlake is such a universally loved star across all media that whenever he's on your screen, you cannot change the channel.   Street Art Hype -- Kanye West, Yeezus For many, Kanye West’s unfettered id and superego may have wreaked havoc on fan goodwill and drown out the actual (sometimes troublesome) content of his music found on Yeezus. But one part of the pre-Yeezus ramp-up actually began as a very cool public art installation. West debuted “New Slaves” by projecting its video onto 66 different buildings in locations all around the world. West made these video sightings a shared event, in person and online, that played up the punk graffiti street art meets clean design aesthetic of these new songs.   Cryptic Treasure Hunt Hype -- Boards Of Canada, Tomorrow's Harvest Beginning on Record Store Day back in April, a mysterious 12” single "------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------" surfaced containing a cryptic audio transmission with a specific strings of six-digit numbers and a snippet of music. Soon, more popped up -- on BBC Radio 1, NPR Music, Adult Swim, fansite Twoism, and a YouTube video, all with similar strings of numbers. Rumors began to spread that it may be a new record from the elusive Scottish electronic duo Boards of Canada, who had not released an album since 2006. Suspicions were confirmed when those six codes added up to a password to allow users of Boards Of Canada’s website to access an exclusive music video and details of its fourth album, Tomorrow’s Harvest. In all, it was an inventive bit of guerilla marketing-meets-treasure hunt that took advantage of the Internet’s potential for shared group think to parse out the my

If J. Edward Keyes, editor-in-chief of eMusic, could characterize this past year in music with a single word, he'd use "panic." "As the market starts to collapse and genres start to shift, what's been fascinating is watching artists try anything and everything to get people's attention," Keyes explains. "Also, from a purely sales perspective, people really going out on a limb and trying novel sales approaches -- everything as new as say dropping a surprise pop album at midnight." Hot on the heels of eMusic's immersive "Year in Music" recap, Keyes shares his five favorite albums of the year, including a "hidden gem" from, yes, the Bed Wettin' Bad Boys. J. Edward Keyes' Best Albums Of 2013:   Kanye West, Yeezus "To say right out of the gate, this record has some problems. Lyrically, there are some very problematic things, particularly as it relates to gender issues and sexual politics. Sonically, I think this record is incredibly brave. It's the first time an artist of Kanye's stature is taking a large step forward and is trying to define the conversation and say, 'This is what pop music should sound like.' It's really abrasive, you have lots of really harsh synths -- it reminds me of a lot of industrial music that was coming out of Chicago in the late '80s. It very proudly has no cover art, no clear single. And it really is him throwing down the gauntlet and trying to make a record that's true to what it sounds like in his head -- for better and for worse."   The Knife, Shaking The Habitual "Where Kanye's record is really focused on racial politics in America, what I love about The Knife record is that it's really focused on economic politics and gender politics in America. I feel like you could put the two of them together and have a really interesting cultural study of 2013. "Their initial sound was a darker shade of electro-pop, but it was still very listener-friendly. This new record is proudly not very listener-friendly. In the center of it, there's a 20-minute drone piece, 'Old Dreams Waiting To Be Realized;' most of the songs stretch on for nine or ten minutes and it takes a lot of work to get into it. They really wanted the record to be a manifestation of the kinds of political texts they were reading -- both lyrically and sonically too. They were trying to find out 'How do we apply feminist theory to songwriting? What does queer theory sound like as a song?' The fact that they went there is really brave and daring and really audacious."     Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park "I have to say, Kacey Musgraves wrote, hands down, my favorite song of the year: "Follow Your Arrow." She's operating within contemporary country music -- traditionally a very conservative genre, very right-leaning. Her album, Same Trailer, Different Park is really bold in questioning a lot of what's been accepted in country music to this point. "Follow Your Arrow" is questioning a lot of things: It's questioning herd mentality, it's questioning conformity. And the boldest thing about it, as far as I can remember: it's the first country song that's openly endorsed gay relationships, gay marriage. And one of the finer lyrics in the song is "say what you think, love who you love." It's a powerful song and it's really moving the genre forward."   Sky Ferreira, Night Time, My Time "I love this record so much… You got the sense that she was being groomed to go in a certain direction, and she very defiantly pushed against that, which resulted in this fantastic record -- which is the absolute definition of unpretty pop music… When I saw her perform at Pitchfork [Music] Festival last year, I was blown away because she broke down crying in the middle of one of the songs. And it didn't seem affected… she was having a real moment on stage. That kind of fearlessness is throughout this record and it really grabs at you."   Hidden Gem: Bed Wettin' Bad Boys, Ready For Boredom "They're a band from Australia -- one of the members of the band, Nic Warnock

Music can be the perfect gift during the holidays: It's entertaining, inexpensive, and oh-so-easy to wrap. But matching the right album to the various people in your life can be a bit of a challenge. So if you're looking for inspiration, Soundcheck producer Katie Bishop has put together a gift guide of albums released during the past year, perfectly tailored to your very specific shopping list.  __________ For Your Dad, Who Knows Exactly What He Likes And You're Never Going To Change That: John Fogerty, Wrote A Song For Everyone This duet-filled album is a surefire pops-pleaser.  Revisiting Fogerty's CCR hits from the 1960's and ‘70s -- and a couple of new-yet-classic-sounding tracks -- this is something your dad might actually use. Unlike that tie you got him last year.     For Your Mom, AKA A Grown-Ass Woman: Janelle Monáe, The Electric Lady Your mother gave you the gift of life. The least you can do is give her the gift of an album that blends fierce songwriting with the retro sounds of Motown, classic R&B, and modern day electro-pop.     For Your "We're In It For The Long Haul" Relationship: Inside Llewyn Davis: Original Soundtrack Recording The Coen brothers and producer T-Bone Burnett have done it again. With turns from Marcus Mumford, the Punch Brothers and lead actor Oscar Isaac -- as well as songs from Bob Dylan and Dave Van Ronk -- there’s so much here to enjoy. Together. Aw.     For The Person You’d Like To… Get To Know Better: The-Dream, IV Play Is it just me or is it getting hot in here? Warning: This is not subtle.     For Your Parents’ "Happy Accident" -- Who's Still In High School And Hates Everyone: Speedy Ortiz, Major Arcana Major Arcana has "breakup album" written all over it, so there's plenty of juicy angst to thrash and mope around to. But the band is superbly talented -- they blew us away when they played in our studio this year -- so who knows? Maybe they'll inspire the teen in your life to stop texting and start a band.      For Your Roommate: Lucius, Wildewoman Finally, something you actually like hearing through the walls.     For Your Friend Who Recently Became A Parent: Valerie June, Pushin’ Against A Stone Chill enough to not wake the baby. Interesting enough to keep your sleepless friend awake.     For Your Friend Who Started A Band, Put You On Their Listserv, And Really Wants You To “Come On Out!” And “Support The Group!”: Beck, Song Reader It’s not actually an album (yet) -- it’s a book of sheet music. Maybe this will keep them busy in their basement for awhile?     For The Beyoncé "Stan" In Your Life: Beyoncé, Beyoncé Got a friend in the Bey-hive? Although the diva's new album is currently just on iTunes, Bey's camp has promised that hard copies will be hitting stores in time for last minute holiday shopping.      For The Person Who You Simply Can’t Afford (Are Too Cheap) To Spend Any Money On: Chance The Rapper, Acid Rap No money? No problem. Download this (awesome) mixtape for free from the young Chicago rapper, who Rolling Stone recently called the “strongest new voice in hip hop.”      For Your Go-Getter Intern: Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires Of The City An album all about navigating through young adulthood in the modern era. Next time your intern asks you for career advice, just quote from the album: “You take your time, young lion.” So wise.     For An Unexpected Gift-Giving Emergency: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Brooklyn Babylon Oh noes! Someone got you a gift and you didn’t get them anything. Stash a couple wrapped copies of this genre-crossing concept album in your bag -- crisis averted.   For Your Digital Native Niece Or Nephew: Pentatonix, PTX Vol. II These Sing-Off winners are crazy YouTube-famous. Your niece or nephew already knows about them. (The real question: Do they know what a CD player is?)    

New York's iconic Chelsea Hotel incubated so much art and produced so many stories it’s hard to believe it all happened under one roof -- or that all those stories could be collected in one book. But the author Sherill Tippins takes on that ambitious task in her new book Inside the Dream Palace: The Life and Times of New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel. "These stories of Bob Dylan and Lou Reed and Janis Joplin have been told many times, but what fascinated me was why they happened there," Tippins tells Soundcheck host John Schaefer. "What I discovered was that it had been created intentionally to foster a creative life to jumpstart an indigenous American culture in New York at a time, in the Gilded Age, when everyone was only interested in European art." Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg at the Chelsea Hotel. Dylan wrote much of his album Blonde on Blonde there, while hiding out with his new wife whom he had married in secret. (Photo © Dale Smith)   The Chelsea Hotel in 1884. (Cornelia Santomenna archives)   The longtime Chelsea Hotel landlord Stanley Bard and his father, hotel co-owner David Bard. "Stanley fell in love with his tenants," says Sherill Tippins, "and became more of a booster of the residents of the Chelsea than anyone had been before." (Photo © Steve Schapiro)