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The band's folk-pop sound revolves around simple melodies, sparse drumming and captivating vocals. Last year, the duo went on a West Coast bicycle tour, which took Blind Pilot from Vancouver to San Francisco. During this time, the pair recorded 3 Rounds and a Sound, a warm but haunting debut.

Mozart's The Magic Flute, written in the last year of his life, was a forerunner of German Romantic opera. Critic Ted Libbey recommends a specific performance by a fabulous all-star cast.

No matter how you're going to spend your time by the pool, you're going to need musical accompaniment -- preferably something that steers clear of the typical Jimmy Buffett and Beach Boys mix. How about some jazz? Not the heady stuff, unless you're aiming to clear the decks. Instead, get yourself some deep '70s jazz; the kind that leaves a funk aroma and washes off easily when you take the plunge.

Recently separated from his breakthrough blues band Back Door Slam, Knowles has carried on with a new lineup, rechristening his group Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam. Their first release, Coming Up for Air, was produced by Peter Frampton and features the World Cafe favorite "Taste of Danger," a duet with Jonatha Brooke.

Mark Oliver Everett, known on stage as E, is the lynchpin behind Eels' long and eclectic career. A self-taught musician, Everett has used songwriting as a creative and emotional outlet to cope with deaths in his family. Eels' new album, Hombre Lobo, explores primal instinct, isolation and desire through the voice of an outcast character.

Young Kevin Barry Moore relocated to the U.S. after years of playing as the support act to his influential sibling, Christy Moore. He then built his own distinguished folk career under the pseudonym Luka Bloom. Over the years, Bloom has transformed songs by a diverse array of songwriters. His new record, however, features all original material.

Since 2002, The Horse's Ha has featured Chicago scene veterans James Elkington and Janet Beveridge Bean. On their debut album, Of the Cathmawr Yards, they demonstrate undeniable talent and a unique vision. The veterans have found common ground with a somber folk aesthetic and dreamy jazz rhythms.

Dirty Projectors visited the World Cafe studios back in 2009 after the release of Bitte Orca. The album found the band continuing its trademark experimentation.

Fruit Bats started out in the mid-'90s as a low-fidelity bedroom project for singer-songwriter Eric Johnson, but has grown from there. The group's most recent album, The Ruminant Band, showcases a vintage rock feel, with dusty melodies and beautiful harmonies laid out over a gravelly layer of electric guitar.

Mike Disfarmer was a small-town Arkansas eccentric who disowned his family and its lifestyle. He was also an incredible portrait photographer. Now, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell has assembled a 21st-century string band to record an album inspired by Disfarmer's work.