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Though Williams has been showered with acclaim and awards in the past decade, she spent the first 20 years of her career toiling on music's margins. It wasn't until the late '80s that she began to win over tastemakers and develop her reputation as a go-to songwriter and performer.

Panda Bear is known for music that sounds like Beach Boys melodies sung around a drum circle in the middle of the woods. On the multifaceted "Take Pills," the one-man band crafts a knockout, elevated by gorgeous melodies and detailed production.

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.

Igor Stravinsky's exotic, propulsive ballet The Rite of Spring captured conductor Marin Alsop's imagination at an early age. She says the music's "swing and sheer abandon" got her hooked, and the orchestra became her passion.

In spite of its proclamatory title, there's no grand message to be shared in Kaiser Chiefs' "Everything Is Average Nowadays": These guys are simply bored and disagreeable, with a driving, mod-revival rhythm borrowed from The Jam circa All Mod Cons.

Tom Manoff reviews the CD by violinist Joshua Bell called Voice and Violin. He says the CD explores some famous pieces in classical music — like "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak and Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise" — that take on the lyrical play between fiddle and voice.

Author Dinaw Mengestu is among a generation of Ethiopian Americans whose families fled the East African nation in the 1970s and '80s. Now their writing, music and art are adding a new chapter to the epic of American immigration.

Andy Trudeau offers his annual take on Oscar-nominated scores. A diverse, international lineup this year has him pleasantly surprised.

Griffith merges the elegant acoustic folk of her early years with country-rock attitude. Though she often plays cover songs on her records, critics praise her songwriting for its emotional breadth and keen observations. Her newest disc is last year's Ruby's Torch.

In Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook chef Fuchsia Dunlop spotlights recipes from the Chinese province of Hunan, the home of Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist Revolution.