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With its slow, rhythmic beat, eerie vocals, and minimalist instrumentation, "Wtt," may not have the characteristics of the typical hit single. But this opening track confidently and effectively builds tension and exhibits the strange, magnetic allure of the Lubbock, Texas-based group The Diamond Center.

In a lush haze of Afro-pop beats and psychedelic warbling, Brooklyn's Here We Go Magic creates powerful soundscapes. Its self-titled debut's colorful swirl of synthesizers and guitars ranges from electronic folk to psychedelia to lo-fi acoustic.

Commentator Rob Kapilow takes the motor-like rhythms of minimalism out for a test drive. He explains that the music is "about making us alive to the differences that are everywhere beneath the surface, if we only listen closely enough."

Music may or may not make babies smarter. But for new parents who are passionate about music, picking the first song their children will hear upon entering the world remains of great importance. A DJ, a critic and a musician talk about what they played for their newborns.

The music of Portland, Oregon-based, five-piece group Autopilot is for Lovers is anything but conventional. But vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Adrienne Hatkin admits that when she was a kid, she shied away from "anything that wasn't totally mainstream" and wouldn't touch her father's records. Now, Hatkin embraces eccentricities and looks to capture a sense of magical realism in her music.

The small, family-run record label from the south of France has thwarted the downward slide in classical music sales by choosing unorthodox recording projects and trusting its musicians. While other labels' sales have collapsed, Harmonia Mundi is thriving.

The Irish singer makes her solo debut with Sea Sew, a beautifully lush record with violin, cello and glockenspiel lending timeless charm. Her songs are unassuming and engaging, while the album comes complete with hand-sewn liner notes.

Since leaving his post as guitarist of Drive-By Truckers, Isbell has pursued his own creative voice on two solo albums. The latest, a self-titled release with his new band The 400 Unit, lays down percussion-heavy Southern roots-rock with the perceptive, character-driven songwriting that distinguishes Isbell as one of the best lyricists around.

We're al fresco for New Orleans' Marlon Jordan Quartet, at the annual Summer of Jazz series in scenic Glenwood Springs, Colo. The group improvises with a Miles-and-Trane vibe while dogs, kids, baseball-tossers and Frisbee-throwers groove to the music.

The grainy, blurry portrait of Ran Blake on the cover of his album, Driftwoods, looks like spirit photography: the pianist as ghostly presence. His playing can be spooky, too. The CD radically transforms popular vocal standards from Billie Holiday, Hank Williams, Quincy Jones and more.