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Returning home to Dallas to record Blame It on Gravity, the members of Old 97's turn up the amps and tap their earlier mixture of alt-country and rock 'n' roll. The band performs material from its new album in a session on WXPN.

Artists typically known for their careers in adult-oriented musical genres occasionally venture into writing songs geared toward kids. Children's-music blogger Stefan Shepherd previews a few new notable releases from They Might Be Giants, The Nields and others that parents and children can both enjoy.

The singer-songwriter's newest project is a double album focusing on two different parts of her personality. Elephants is contemplative, while Teeth Sinking Into Heart is upbeat, rhythmic and fun.

When musician Max Raabe arrived in Berlin in the mid-'80s, he was expecting to find the cabarets and variety theaters his grandmother told him about, but they were long gone. He decided to create his own orchestra, dedicated to performing the elegant dance hits of the '20s and '30s in their original arrangements.

Miami-based DJ Le Spam has been orchestrating Afro-Cuban beats for more than a decade. With a cadre of horn, guitar and flute players and a stack of old records, he and the Spam Allstars hold court weekly at the club Hoy Como Ayer. Here, he paints a picture of the Miami club scene and shares some of the stories behind the new album Introducing Spam Allstars.

F, Monday, Orange, February, Venus, Lunatic, 1 or 13, the improbably named, full-length debut from rock band Colourmusic, has a mouthful of a title, and it's not the only thing that's over-the-top about the Oklahoma group. Not only does the band dress in matching all-white outfits for live performances, but they've also gone so far as to grow matching bushy mustaches and beards. So it's not surprising that the personal quirks of the band spill over into the music.

Her birthday concert continues with more one-of-a-kind performances, featuring Wynton Marsalis.

Souza is grace personified. The vocalist evokes her native Brazil in new bossa novas and her own interpretations of North American classics at the Kennedy Center Family Theater.

At first coming off like Fugazi raised on Bruce Springsteen, Birdmonster offers a nostalgic but innovative take on indie-rock. Now constantly on the road, the band took a tour-friendly approach to its new CD, with a nod to Tom Petty.

Modern Chinese music is most famous for sappy Canto-pop love songs. But on the mainland, young Chinese musicians are innovating and taking risks with ancient music forms such as throat singing. Former punk singer Ilchi is now a force in the Mongolian folk-music revival with his band Hanggai.