Soundcheck

One of the sweetest voices of soul’s golden era in the 1970s,    is best known for hits like “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean on Me,” about growing up in a West Virginia coal mining town. In 2010,  Withers joined us in studio to talk about the documentary  Still Bill, which chronicled his life and career. Bill Withers, the artist behind the classic “Just the Two of Us,” and “Grandma's Hands ,” (it was his favorite song),  died on   Friday at 81.

New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra joined us with her band and an impressive array of pedals,  playing songs from her album  Vows  back in 2012.   You might recognize her  from her guest vocals on Gotye's multi-platinum hit "Somebody That I Used To Know." She also appeared in the    in the   Soundcheck   studio quickly became the most viewed video on WNYC's YouTube channel. Here's this from the archives... Set List: "Two Way Street" "Withdraw" "Settle Down"

In recent years, oldies radio stations have inched further into the future - and have begun to focus on favorites from the '70s (and even '80s) rather than from the '50s and '60s. So we wondered, forty years from now - in 2052 - will songs of the '90s, '00s and '10s make it onto oldies radio? What will be in heavy rotation - and what will be left off of the playlist? We ask  Chris Molanphy   - author of the "100 & Single" Billboard charts column in the Village Voice – and   we talk with  Scott Shannon - who was, back in 2012, a  WPLJ host and creator of the syndicated radio network - about the state of oldies today.  Check out Chris Molanphy's playlist (chronological listing): Twenty songs we’ll still be hearing on oldies radio in 2052 by Chris Molanphy (In chronological order by original release) 1. Sir Mix-a-Lot, “Baby Got Back” (1992) – This hit was underestimated by critics in ’92, compared with Arrested Development’s “Tennessee” (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 1) 2. Pearl Jam, “Yellow Ledbetter” (1992) – An example of how classic-rock acts are eventually remembered for a song that wasn’t their biggest radio hit. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 97) 3. Radiohead, “Creep” (1993) – Still their U.S. biggest hit, and though they’ve recorded greater albums this is still most likely to be in rotation decades from now. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 34) 4. Snoop (Doggy) Dogg, “Gin and Juice” (1994) – Because a great line is a great line, and “With my mind on my money and my money on my mind” is a great one. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 8) 5. Mariah Carey, “Always Be My Baby” (1996) – She was the biggest pop star of the ’90s, but a lot of her hits got burned out long ago; this one hasn’t. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 1) 6. Sublime, “What I Got” (1996) – Because bros and stoners, like it or not, are going to have a new “The Joker”/”Slow Ride.” (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: N/A—Airplay chart peak No. 29) 7. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) – Sports will still be the way we hear a lot of pop songs. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: N/A—Airplay chart peak No. 55) 8. Backstreet Boys, “I Want It That Way” (1999) – Great song; but also the Chinese brothers’ lip-dub (2005) was one of YouTube’s first viral videos—the future of hits. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 6) 9. Eminem, “Lose Yourself” (2002) – He won an Oscar for it, essentially because it’s this generation’s “Gonna Fly Now”/“Eye of the Tiger.” (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 1) 10. Coldplay, “Clocks” (2002) – Every generation has its easy-listening songs. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 29) 11. The White Stripes, “Seven Nation Army” (2003) – Because you can’t stop a good bassline, even when it’s actually played on a guitar. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 76) 12. The Postal Service, “Such Great Heights” or Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Maps” (2003) – One of these will be the “Just Like Heaven” of our era—the hipster love song. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: N/A, No. 87) 13. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) – Burned out in its heyday but will probably never die. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 1) 14. Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone” (2005) – It will be the Millennial generation’s “sass anthem,” akin to “Respect” or “I Will Survive” (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 2) 15. Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy” (2006) – Because of its malleability as a song; decades hence it might be a folk classic. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 2) 16. Rihanna, “Umbrella” (2007) – It’s the lyrics: beneath its hip-hop exterior lie the bones of an old-time, sentimental love ballad. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 1) 17. Beyoncé, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008) – Weddings alone guarantee this a permanent hit-parade spot. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 1) 18. Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind” (2009) – Rap’s Frank Sinatra ensured himself decades of royalties with his own Yankee-game-worthy perennial. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 1) 19. Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance” (2009) – Its nonsense lyric is “wamp-baba-lula” worthy; its video is a classic. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 2) 20. Taio Cruz, “Dynamite” (2010) – I’ve never met a kid under 10 who doesn’t love it, and they will all be in their fifties in 2052. (Peak on Billboard’s Hot 100: No. 2)    

Grammy-nominated Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca presents an infusion of rap, funk, reggaeton and electronic music, performing songs from his latest record in studio.  Yesun  is the Havana-born artist’s ninth solo album, it explores the music of his homeland, and incorporates electronic beats, spoken word, and retro-modern keyboards. "[It's] the album I’ve always wanted to make, all my influences are here. All the sounds and vibes that make me who I am.” - Rosa Gollan Watch the session here:

Oklahoma-raised, Brooklyn- and DC-based artist Bartees Strange presents his re-imaginings of songs by The National in studio. Both   a heartfelt homage and a political act of critique, he takes inspiration from the music, the lyrics, and even the cover art to examine  how black artists can find room in white spaces. The idea for his debut EP,  Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy (out March 13) , started when Strange attended a concert of The National in 2019 and he was surprised by how few black people were there to watch, and he asked himself the questions: "Why was it so rare to see black people at shows like these, to see black musicians freed from reductive definitions of genre, to see black acts with this level of success in a genre that is deeply informed by legacies of black music in   America?" So he focused his attention on reinterpreting and translating their songs through a personal lens, acknowledging  the possibilities and contradictions within the genre. Read more at Set List: About Today (The National cover) Lemonhead (The National cover) Going, Going (Original) Watch the session here: