Operators, frustrating bills, and food poisoning in the workplace all get their due on 'Esopus 19: Customer Service.'

Please Come Again: Customer Service Songs

Soundcheck | May 13, 2013

Esopus magazine is known for taking an offbeat look at the worlds of visual art, design and culture. But every installment of the twice-yearly publication also comes with a delightfully conceptual CD of commissioned works. The latest, issue No. 19, features artists like Jens Lekman, Basia Bulat and Richard Swift of The Shins playing off a topic that most of us know all too well: customer service.

Esopus editor Tod Lippy and trombonist Jacob Garchik, who composed "The Tip Jar," discuss the challenge of turning a dreadful topic into beautiful, even hilarious music.

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

WNYC Homepage - Top Stories

Why single domestic violence survivors can't get shelter in NYC despite empty beds

More than half the callers to the city’s domestic violence hotline are single people, but few are getting shelter.

Gothamist |

The History Wars and America at 250, with the Historian Jill Lepore

Three prominent historians discuss a national milestone arriving in the midst of a politically charged conflict over how Americans see the past. It’s a “goat rodeo,” Lepore says.

The New Yorker Radio Hour |

What Péter Magyar's Election in Hungary Says About 'Strongmen' Today

Andrew Marantz talks about the new prime minister of Hungary, and OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman.

The Brian Lehrer Show |

Mayor Mamdani says he's balanced NYC's budget

WNYC News |

How they handle crises in Brownsville, often without police

At least twice a year, nonprofit workers from the neighborhood spend a week calming disputes and responding to most 311 and 911 calls on certain blocks in the neighborhood.