Def.: A castrato (or castrati) is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprana, or contralto voice produced by castration of the singer before puberty.
This is from the listverse.com "Top 10 Incredible Recordings." In the olden days, they used to castrate male singers so that their voices would not change. This is apparently the only recording of one of those singers in existence. Keep in mind you are listening to a 50 year old man.
The complete top ten is here. It includes a Russian exorcism and recordings of the infamous Jim Jones from Jonestown.
Just happened upon this nugget that aired on Weekend America this past Spring. It's a story about a Doc Ellis who pitch a no-hitter on LSD in the 70's. Wouldn't that technically be a one-hitter?
I didn't realize there was a proper term for the banging that steam radiators make. If you have no idea what that is, count yourself lucky. Here is recording.
This is pretty long but worth at least checking out.
Pacifica radio calls them "one of the great treasures of American culture."
Reverend Billy (subject of the Morgan Spurlock documentary "What would Jesus Buy") was arrested at Disney World, demonstrating, the day after Christmas.
Half joking (but only half), the church preaches the gospel of "stop shopping." They try to save people from "The Shopocolypse."
This is audio of one of their services after a brief interview with one of its leaders.
I never knew there was a term for the banging that steam raditors do. Steam Hammer. If you don't know what the steam hammer is count yourself lucky. Here is a link to what many of us New Yorkers get to hear in the middle of the night.
This is a classic piece Ira Glass did before his TAL days in 1989, for Weekend All Things Considered about a guy who picks up dead animals for a living.
Weekend America (on it's second to last week) reaches back into their vault for this nugget about an Indian hugging saint. Seems appropriate in these days when lots of us need a hug.
Audio News (in case you missed it): Ginsberg to Kissinger in '71 "Let's get naked!"
At the end of last year, transcripts from more Nixon administration audio recordings were released by the National Security Archive. One of the more entertaining tidbits is a phone conversation between Henry Kissinger and Allen Ginsberg in which Ginsberg proposes that they meet to talk about how to end the Vietnam War. Kissinger seems surprisingly open to the idea. But then, kind of out of nowhere Ginsberg makes a strange suggestion.
G: It would be even more funny to do it on television. K: What? G: It would be even more useful if we could do it naked on television. K: (Laughter )
...don't think that meeting ever took place.
The National Security Archive has posted audio of some of Kissinger conversations HERE but, sadly, not this one.
This is kind of crazy. So, this is a link to the online obituary guest book of recently decease GOP operative Michael L. Connell (died in a plane crash in December). But what caught our attention is that you can leave an audio message for the family. And, in case you are wondering what to say in it, the website provides a sample entry about a fictional dead person named "Marie." ...and they really get into it. Like "Marie," "had a peach tree in her yard and just grew the sweetest peaches!" Now, listen to it and imagine you are visiting the online guest book for someone you knew who was recently deceased...and you encounter this. And what if the person you knew realy was named Marie - but she didn't have any peach tree at all...
That is what the creator of this crazy sound from the website Sound Snap calls it. Just a fun sound for your (and Michael Phelps's) listening enjoyment.
Story of Lily Dale, NY - a town of mediums who communicate with the dead. This is mostly a nonjudgmental portrait but one of my favorite moments is when a young medium gets a message from the dead that there is a prank being played on someone right now - and that the person might not be aware a prank is being played on them... Sounds about right.
Studio 360 brings the Barret Golding Story about the YouTube sensation "Auto Tune the News." Awesome!
UPDATE:Producer Barrett Golding posted the full piece on Hearing Voices -- longer than what aired on Studio 360. Click on "Auto Tune News" above for a link.
With St Patrick's day close at hand… RTÉ Radio 1 sent reporter Brenda O'Donohue on the trail of leprechauns. Starting 7 minutes 30 seconds in, you'll hear that she found…
Sound Tourism maps places worth a visit because they sound so good. In this example, curator Trevor Cox, Professor of Acoustic Engineering at the University of Salford, UK, introduces the great Stalacpipe Organ in Virgina, USA. By tapping stalactites with mallets, it claims to be the world's largest natural musical instrument.
Okay... in "honor" of April 20th -- 420 Radio. Stoned out people doing radio. Suprisingly high production quality. Don't think. Listen. Enjoy. Hilarious. Colorado based. I'd quote it but there are just so many great ones.
Pédilüv is a radio art programme, produced at Campus Radio in Paris. This episode, The Sound of Noise, has more English language content than usual, from a range of sources: The Global Theatre of the Air, Adam Boham, The Poo Lord, John Cage, and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. It's curious, and curiously engaging.
One of American public radio's most distinct voices has a landmark birthday today – so in the week he made his Radiolab debut, we dig out an item he made noting the reactions of people above thirty to a certain signature tune. It's Sean Cole – Darth Vader Impersonator Impersonator.
SR c is an outlet for experimental and creative radio, nestled in the heart of Sweden's public radio broadcaster, which is called Swedish Radio. The main site has an enormous amount of content, but also a link in the top left that asks for "Less Swedish, please!", which opens this new page – other languages, including English, Non-verbal, and, of course, Sound Carpets. There's much to enjoy here. Dive in.
It's Friday afternoon. You've had a tooth abscess, are on two types of medication, and are presenting a national talk show in Ireland. And your team gives you an interview with the man who wants $200,000 so he can quickly pop out to the Indian Ocean, pull up Osama Bin Laden's body, and get a $20, 000,000 reward. How do you react?
