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Saxophonist and clarinetist Ned Rothenberg has always been a musical cosmopolitan. Early on, he studied jazz with George Coleman and shakuhachi flute in Japan. Rothenberg's new album, Inner Diaspora, sends him back to his roots.

The songs of singer-songwriter Patty Griffin are full of heartbreak and longing — so much so that a friend recently challenged her to write a happy song. She discusses that song and her new CD, Children Running Through.

For some musicians good song writing is elementary. For others it's elementary school. A CD called Kid Pan Alley collects tunes created in classrooms around the country and recorded by top Nashville artists, including Amy Grant.

Lily Allen is pop star with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. After a string of hits in the United Kingdom last year, the 21-year-old artist has released her CD Alright, Still in America. She explains her creative process and inspiration.

Country music singer Charlie Louvin and his brother Ira Louvin were regulars at the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s. Charlie Louvin has just released his first studio work in over a decade, featuring Elvis Costello, George Jones, Will Oldham, Jeff Tweedy and more.

Years before Dr. Spock and other child-rearing gurus, a renowned pediatrician in Poland pioneered the field by advocating that parents simply trust their instincts. He was executed by the Nazis, along with the orphans he cared for in a Warsaw ghetto.

Lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Colin Meloy is part of the indie pop quartet The Decemberists. The group hails from Portland, Ore. Meloy is known for using "10-dollar words" in his songs, and for "creating character studies that wouldn't sound out of place in a Victorian novel."

LCD Soundsystem's new album, called Sound of Silver, broadens the project's sound to make singer-writer-producer James Murphy's rhythms even more accessible.

The Puppini Sisters have a new CD out called Betcha Bottom Dollar. Marcella Puppini talks about some of the music on the British trio's new album.

Singer-songwriter James McMurtry visits NPR's studios to play from his 12-string guitar and discuss politics, family and his latest album Childish Things.