Weekend America Voices
Michael Raphael
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Michael Raphael was named producer of "Weekend America" in May of 2006 after having been with the program since its piloting days.
Prior to his role as producer, Raphael was the program's musical director. He helped to shape the musical identity for the program and helped develop its popular "Weekend Soundtrack" segment.
Raphael grew up in New Jersey, but spent a healthy chunk of his youth in New York enjoying the sounds of passing traffic from his apartment window. After stints studying classical percussion and medieval history, it became clear life would never be the same again.
A fascination with corrupt members of the Papacy always filled his brain, even while working as the program director of his college radio station, WNYU. Since then his hills have been alive with the sound of music. Raphael got his start in this public radio world at WNYC's "Studio 360."
His hobbies include long walks and roller skating in the rain.
Recent Stories
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Weekend Soundtrack: "Shattered" by the Rolling Stones
We've been asking listeners about the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. Our latest story comes from Susan Akers. Her song this weekend is "Shattered" by the Rolling Stones.
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Weekend Soundtrack: "From the Bottom of My Heart" by The Wallflowers
It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack - the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. This week our story comes from Amy Hoffman. Her weekend soundtrack is the song "From the Bottom of My Heart" by The Wallflowers.
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Weekend Soundtrack: "12 Diablos" by We
It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack - the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. This week our story comes from Charles Wommack. His weekend soundtrack is the song "12 Diablos" by the group We.
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High Times and Halvah
Hanukkah starts this Sunday at sundown. A new book tracks Jewish history through four generations of Jewish albums. After discovering rare vinyl records of Jewish music during trips down to Florida retirement communities, Josh Kun and Roger Bennett put together a book that tells the story of Jewish past "by the records we have loved and lost."
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Weekend Soundtrack: "Tracy in the Bathroom Killing Thrills"
It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack - the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. This week our story comes from Paula Pisani. Her weekend soundtrack is the song "Tracy in the Bathroom Killing Thrills" by the rock group Mary's Danish. She says it gives her an adrenaline rush to start the weekend.
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Blip Festival
This weekend in New York City, artists will be playing video game consoles for eager crowds. Blip Festival 2008 is underway. Audiences are attending chip-music concerts. Chip-music artists modify old Gameboys and old video game consoles and recast them as musical instruments. We spoke with three artists who are trying to push the limitation of those old game systems.
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Weekend Soundtrack: "My Pillow is the Threshold" by The Silver Jews
A weekend soundtrack can be the song you hear on your iPod or just in your mind all weekend long. Our latest story comes from Shay Robertson in Evanston, Ill. Her soundtrack is "My Pillow is the Threshold" by The Silver Jews.
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Axl's Editor
This is a huge weekend if you're a fan of Guns N' Roses. The new album, "Chinese Democracy," is being released after 16 years. Lead singer Axl Rose, the only original member remaining, has been writing, tweaking, and fussing with this record since before the first Clinton administration. In other words, he's been editing. As any writer knows, it's the editing process that can really slow things down.
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"Friday On My Mind"
We've been asking listeners about the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. Our latest story comes from Jim Leftwich of Skokie, Ill. His soundtrack is "Friday on My Mind" by Richard Thompson.
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"City Boy"
It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack - the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. This week our story comes from Mark Delmonte. Mark has been traveling the country, trying to find a place to settle down. His weekend soundtrack for his journey is "City Boy" by Keb' Mo'. He spoke with our host John Moe.
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"Get Ready for Love"
It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack: The songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. Our latest story comes from Kevin Bunten, an addiction counselor in St. Louis, Mo. On the weekend, he likes to listen to a track by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds called "Get Ready for Love."
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"Cool Water"
It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack. The songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. Our latest story comes from Sara Breeze in Bemidji, Minn. Her soundtrack is "Cool Water" by Joni Mitchell and Willie Nelson.
