Pink Floyd Audio

Novelist J.D. Salinger bowed out of the literary world after achieving massive literary success in the 1950s and early '60s. But in music, the lure of reunion tours and comebacks make it tough to quit. We talk with Spin contributor and Details editor-at-large Jeff Gordinier and author and Slate.com contributor Taylor Clark about creative peaks and retirement. This is an encore edition of Soundcheck.

Clarinetist, naturalist, and author David Rothenberg wrote about his quest to jam with the biggest singers on the planet: whales. Scott McVay made historic underwater recordings of whale songs. They join us to share their sounds and theories of whale song. Our blog : John Schafer on whale songs: Are they music?

At many pop concerts, the audience is so busy filming and recording the experience with their cell phones, they forget to pay attention to the music. Today, a "Soundcheck Smackdown" debate over whether cell phones are enhancing or ruining concerts. We're joined by Thor Christensen , pop music critic for the Dallas Morning News, and Eliot Van Buskirk , columnist for Wired.com. Our blog : John Schaefer on cell phones at concerts. Plus, A listener submits a cell phone photo from a concert Tell us : Do you have an opinion about the impact of cell phones on the concert experience? Do you have a story to tell about a cell phone at a concert? Leave a comment .

Novelist J.D. Salinger bowed out of the literary world after achieving massive literary success in the 1950s and early '60s. But in music, the lure of reunion tours and comebacks make it tough to quit. We talk with Spin contributor and Details editor-at-large Jeff Gordinier and author and Slate.com contributor Taylor Clark about creative peaks and retirement.

For years the Weather Channel has developed a cult following for the music played during its "Local on the 8s." The channel's first CD release "The Weather Channel Presents Smooth Jazz" stormed the music charts when it was released last fall, hitting number one on Billboard's Jazz compilation chart. We talk with Weather Channel music programmer Brian Picard and ambient/jazz artist Ryan Farish about the challenges of DJing the weather and why so many viewers care about the music that accompanies their forecast.

Four-time Tony Award winner Tom Stoppard’s play "Rock 'n' Roll" spans two countries, three generations and 22 turbulent years. Brian Cox , Rufus Sewell , and Sinead Cusack star in the new Broadway production. "Rock 'n' Roll' is at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre at 242 West 45th St.

When John Elder Robison was growing up, he was unable to recognize common social cues and facial expressions. When he was in his 40s, he was finally diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Now he says that Asperger’s is not a disease to be cured, but a way of being that needs understanding and encouragement from others. His new memoir is Look Me in the Eye . Look Me in the Eye is available for purchase at amazon.com Weigh in: We’d like to hear from people who have Asperger’s, or who know someone who has it. How have you learned to navigate the social world?

Alice Cooper, the man who invented shock rock, became one of the best celebrity golfers around. He isn't alone in his passion for the sport. Other famous rocker-golfers include Lou Reed, Willie Nelson and even Marilyn Manson. Today, we hear what's behind this passion as we speak with Cooper, and with Jaime Diaz from Golf Digest magazine.

Max Raabe , considered the most popular cabaret-style singer and bandleader in Germany today, explains why modern-day Germans connect with a musical style that's rooted in the 1920's and includes songs from Kurt Weill to classic films. Recorded at the House of World Cultures

The new Xbox 360 video game 'Halo 3' tallied $300 million in sales during its first week in stores. At a time when musicians are lucky to move a million albums (at $20 apiece) in their first week of release, Pitchfork columnist Chris Dahlen explains how the music industry could reclaim the prestige and market share it ceded to video games. Tell us what you think: What can the music industry learn from video games? Leave a comment here.