Sometimes we humans get stuff wrong. Case in point: In 1969, Fresh Air music critic Ed Ward was less than enthusiastic about Abbey Road. Ooops. Oh well. Live and learn.

WNYC Soundcheck:

The Beatles’ Abbey Road — now ranked #14 on the Greatest Album of All-Time list by Rolling Stone — was skewered by critic Ed Ward in the magazine’s pages in 1969. “Eeeeeeeeek. It’s The Beatles,” Ward wrote. But, when we caught up with Ward, who spoke to us from his home in France, he said “I have changed my views slightly toward the positive. Time has a way of doing that.”

In which a wind-up bird becomes an instrument.

nprmusic:

Watch the Magnetic Fields songwriter Stephin Merritt play an eerie and playful version of “Old Shanghai” on toy piano from Beck’s Song Reader project on WNYC’s Soundcheck.

wnyc:

WNYC sees your two cats and raises you two sad chihuahuas…..

Waiting to hear from KQED….

(Source: nprfreshair)

wnyc:

“Here’s The Thing,” Alec Baldwin’s new podcast for WNYC, debuts today. First up: a chat with Michael Douglas.

Listen!

Oh hey Alec

wnyc:

Alexa Meade paints real people to look like they’re in paintings. -LA

UPDATE: Her website. And Flickr.

wnyc:

WNYC is creating a special playlist of music of all genres suggested by listeners to mark the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, to stream online and play on air. Respond below or online: What do you want to hear?

Someone on Twitter said that today’s show reminded him of the Lucy episode of Radiolab. Which is quite good. Enjoy.

Jad: It’ll dill your pickle, is what it’ll do. Brenna: Dill your pickle? Is the FCC going to come after us? Jad: It’s not dirty, is it? Brenna: I don’t know, I’ve never heard it before. Jad: Huh. I guess it’s a Southern thing.

— 

Radiolab: While recording a promo for our live show… RADIOLAB IS ON TUMBLR

wnyc:

And…we’re live!

Pictured: Grover Whalen, NYC Commissioner of Bridges, Plant and Structures (left), at WNYC on the first day of broadcast, July 8, 1924, on the 25th floor of the Municipal Building. Whalen was the driving force behind the creation of WNYC (and, in that tux, remains the best-dressed man ever in public radio). Also in the transmitter room is the engineer, seated, and B.L. David, Public Service Operator, standing.

Credits: Photo by Eugene de Salignac. NYC Municipal Archives collection.

Thanks for following us here. We’re excited for more news, music, culture and city life…to come.

—Liz Arnold, Social Media

hey hey wnyc!

Iron and Wine: This afternoon, Sam Beam and his bandmates appeared on WNYC’s Soundcheck to announce that they’ll give a surprise live performance of the new album — in its entirety, front to back — at The Greene Space in New York City tonight.

Tickets for the surprise show (available from The Greene Space) are scarce, but fans can return to this page to watch the intimate performance live, starting at 8 p.m. ET. The audio recording will be available for on-demand listening, starting tomorrow.

Today’s Guest: David Rakoff

irismurdoch:

On today’s Selected Shorts, office politics. David Rakoff reads “Alvin the Typesetter,” by Lydia Davis, and Steven Colbert reads “The Lie,” by T.C. Boyle. 

A good listen.