John Schaefer

John Schaefer wonders whether comebacks are about the music or the marketing.

Homeboy Sandman brought his lively, witty brand of rap into our Soundcheck studio last month.  Now he’s sent us something brand new.  It’s lo-fi, it’s catchy, it’s probably totally illegal (“the beat has got a sample and i can't pay for it!”) - and it has an ulterior motive.  “I Knew” is a song followed by a series of shout-outs, and if you stick with it, there’s a hilarious moment when Homeboy aims a line at ?uestlove (of the Roots, the band for the Jimmy Fallon late night TV show) to the effect that if ?uest puts him on the Fallon show, they “won’t do this whole part” – they’ll fade it out by then.  Talk about breaking down the fourth wall! 

John Schaefer knows where you can find TONS of names for your band!

On Monday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m., Q2 and New Sounds Live team up to bring you our final live audio Webcast from the inaugural Ecstatic Music Festival hosted by WNYC's John Schaefer. H...

What is it about the F-word that makes it so troublesome?

This week, Q2 launches the 13-week Spring 2011 season of our flagship show, Cued Up, with the first encore presentation of one of the more mesmerizing evenings in our recent live Webc...

With Phil Collins' career, you have to take the good with the bad.

On Wednesday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m., Q2 and New Sounds Live team up to bring you a live audio Webcast from Merkin Concert Hall hosted by WNYC's John Schaefer. Part of the inaugural Ec...

John Schaefer wonders if anyone goes to a Lady Gaga concert for the words.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Q2 brings you a live audio Web cast from Merkin Concert Hall hosted by WNYC's John Schaefer. The evening features the eight-piece, high-octane ensemble Newsp...

John Schaefer asks, what IS a concept album anyway?

John Schaefer reacts to the Grammys' surprises.

On Thursday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m., Q2 and New Sounds Live team up once again to bring you a live Web cast from Merkin Concert Hall with WNYC host, John Schaefer. Part of the ina...

John Schaefer says the White Stripes don't owe us anything else.

I encountered Milton Babbitt’s music before I ever met the man.  Given the uncompromising intellectual rigor of his music (a nice way of saying that it made my brain hurt), I expected Mr. Babbitt to be some kind of monster.  Instead, the first time I met him, he looked at me and determined, correctly, that I had a cold, and said, “hello, would you like some Vitamin C?”  Now, I didn’t particularly believe that a Vitamin C pill would do much for me,  but I took one, mostly out of relief that Babbitt hadn’t yelled at me (I’d already published some things which championed the emerging “downtown” composers who were pushing back at the academic nature of Babbitt’s music).

John Schaefer finds that tinnitus isn't just ringing in the ears...