Frank Sinatra Audio

Linda Gibbs , New York City's deputy mayor of health and human services, and José Serrano , New York State Senator (D, 28th district), talk about why so many supermarkets seem to be closing. Then, John Catsimatidis , the CEO of the Red Apple Group and Gristedes Foods, weighs in.

This week saw the first inductees into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. We are joined by Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran of Weird New Jersey . We also want to hear from you about your picks for New Jersey's favorite sons and daughters.

The poet and philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." To ensure that future generations don't forget the triumphs and tragedies of pop music's past, we host another Soundcheck Smackdown over the musical legacies of baby boomers and Generation X. Joining us in studio are Jeff Gordinier , editor at large at Details magazine and author of "X Saves the World," and music critic Anthony DeCurtis , contributing editor at Rolling Stone and author of "In Other Words: Artists Talk About Life and Work." Tell us : Who has the better musical legacy -- baby boomers or generation X? Why?

Political films are among the most frequently remade films in Hollywood. We compare the originals and remakes of “All the King’s Men” and “The Manchurian Candidate” to see how each depicts the politics of the time in which it was made. Philip Gianos of California State University, Fullerton, is the author of Politics and Politicians in American Film . Independent scholar and journalist Gaspar Gonzalez is co-author of What Have They Built You to Do?: The Manchurian Candidate and Cold War America . The movies we'll discuss are: “All the King’s Men” (1949) – Robert Rossen directed this classic political film based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren, a thinly veiled portrait of Depression-era Louisiana governor Huey Long. “All the King’s Men” (2006): Steven Zaillian wrote and directed this remake, which remains largely faithful to the original version. “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962): John Frankenheimer directed this classic political thriller that, when first released, was considered far ahead of its time. “The Manchurian Candidate” (2004): Jonathan Demme directed this remake, updating its themes and plotlines to address the Bush Administration’s war on terror. Watch the films, and then weigh in: How do you think the remakes compare to the original versions? How are the films shaped by the politics of the times in which they were made?

Belgian journalist Lieve Joris illuminates the war in Congo through the complicated life story of Assani, a young cowherd who learns he’s ethnically Tutsi, is forced to choose sides in the Rwandan conflict, and eventually becomes a high-ranking general in the Congolese army. Joris’s new book is The Rebels’ Hour . Event : Leive Joris will be speaking on the panel, Truth and Reconcilation: A National Reckoning, part of the PEN World Voices Festival Sunday, May 4 at 2:00 pm New York Public Library 5th Avenue and 42nd Street For more information, go here .

Pianist Helio Alves and drummer Duduka da Fonseca are Brazilian musicians who play in the New York jazz scene. They've been friends for 15 years. They join us talk about their first album together, "Songs from the Last Century."

Most people can sing at least a few lines from the songs that opened television shows like "Gilligan's Island," "The Brady Bunch," or "The Jeffersons." Yet few programs today kick off with a musical explanation of the series' premise. We ask Eric Deggans, media critic at the St. Petersburg Times, why the TV theme song is an endangered species. And longtime lyricists Marilyn and Alan Bergman talk about creating themes for "Good Times," "Alice," and other hit shows. Tell us : Do you have a favorite TV theme song? Do you miss opening themes? Our blog : John proposes a mash-up of two TV themes .

Cartoonist and animation pioneer Ralph Bakshi is responsible for films and TV shows like “Fritz the Cat,” “The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse,” “Spider-man,” “Cool World,” and “The Lord of the Rings,” to name a few. A new book, Unfiltered , chronicles Bakshi’s career. Events : Ralph Bakshi will sign books at an exhibition showcasing his animation Thursday, April 17 at 6 pm Animazing Gallery 416 Broome Street (between Greene and Mercer) Ralph Bakshi will be speaking on a panel and signing books Friday, April 18 at 6:30 pm New York Comic Con Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, IGN Theater 655 West 34th Street (between 11th and 12th Avenues) Ralph Bakshi will be speaking and signing books at the screenings of two of his films Saturday, April 19 at 7 pm ("Heavy Traffic") and 9 pm ("Coonskin") Anthology Film Archives 32 2nd Avenue (between East 1st and 2nd Streets)

The late Luciano Pavarotti has joined the ranks of Ashlee Simpson and Milli Vanilli. A new book revealed the legendary tenor and an orchestra mimed their way through a performance in 2006 at the Turin Olympics. Today, we debate whether lip-synching is ever appropriate -- and if fans are more forgiving these days. Our guests include jazz critic Garry Giddins , who has written about lip-synching for the New York Times, and William Brittelle of the lip-synched art-rock concept album Mohair Time Warp. Tell us : When is lip-synching appropriate?

Today we launch a new occasional Soundcheck feature: iPod Roulette. An on-air guest surrenders his or her iPod and we set it to shuffle. Then, the guest responds to the first three tracks we hear. Today: a look inside the iPod owned by Parker Gispert of the Whigs.