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Etran Finatawa is a remarkable musical collaboration between members of two nomadic African cultures in Niger. With three songs exclusive to the Web, the group showcases its eclectic sound, which features a variety of modern and traditional instrumentation, strong polyphonic vocals and high tenor solos.

On the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Milton, fans around the world are celebrating with literary events, exhibits and readings of Milton's famous epic poem, Paradise Lost.

Team Love Records describes Joker's Daughter as "folk pop," but the truth is that the collaboration between vocalist and songwriter Helena Costas and famed producer Danger Mouse is hardly typical of that genre. A full-length debut album won't be unveiled until February 2009, but a single, "Worm's Head," has been released as part of a three song EP and offers a glimpse into the eclectic nature of the project.

Last year, Benjamin Curtis and twin sisters Ally and Claudia Deheza left the bands they were in, set up a home recording studio and launched an all-consuming music project. Ally Deheza says the arrangement mixes life and art in new ways.

Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann doesn't seem like the type to gravitate toward Christmas music. But for the third year in a row, she brought her off-the-wall Christmas variety show to the Keswick Theater in Glenside, Penn. The night included guests Nellie McKay, Amos Lee, Grant-Lee Phillips and many more.

On her latest release, Shake Away, Lila Downs explores her mother's indigenous Mexican roots. The resulting folkloric soundscape includes unexpected flashes of blues, country twang and even klezmer music. Hear a session recorded by World Cafe.

Operas, no mater how lurid or violent, generally champion lofty ideals and traditional values — but not this time. In Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea, the most noble and virtuous characters wind up dead or deported, while the lustful and villainous are rewarded with wealth, power and passion.

Arliss Parker is really Chris Parker, a former Colorado resident turned Brooklyn transplant. After arriving in New York in 2006, Parker dove into his music, transforming his acoustic guitar compositions into folktronica pieces, using toy keyboards, glockenspiel and any other random instrument he came across. The result became his recent debut EP, Handsome Like a Lion.

The jazz piano legend is celebrating his 70th birthday with a weeklong stint at the Blue Note jazz club in New York and with a new record featuring guitarists such as John Scofield and Derek Trucks. The secret to his musical longevity? "Carrot juice," he says.

Singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur has always followed an unconventional career path: The Grammy-nominated performer long ago began prolifically self-releasing his albums, many of which bear his own paintings as cover art. Hear Arthur in a session from WXPN.