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Over the past 14 years, some of New York's hottest young jazz musicians have worked for peanuts, just to have the chance to play the Argentine composer's challenging mix of Latin rhythms, classical structures and singable melodies.

The Hold Steady's Craig Finn and Tad Kubler were both over 30 when they made the recordings that finally brought success. But with 2006's Boys and Girls in America and the new Stay Positive, the band has found its place as one of the country's best straight-up rock groups. The band discusses the influences behind its new album.

One of the most quintessentially American composers of the 20th century was not an American. But as a boy in Argentina, Schifrin discovered George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong, setting him — and his celebrated film scores — on a path to fame.

NOMO has a tiny name, but the group makes a big impression when it drives into town. NOMO is eight musicians from Ann Arbor, Mich., with dozens of instruments and just one van. On Ghost Rock, the octet proves that its jazz- and funk-inspired instrumental music is much more than a Fela Kuti tribute.

NOMO recently stopped by KUT's Studio 1A with synthesizers, horns and homemade instruments in tow. Elliot Bergman, speaking on behalf of the eight musicians, explained to KUT's Jay Trachtenberg how a band coming out of the Midwest came to emulate music many Americans overlook.

The Irish singer, discovered while busking on the streets of Dublin, is a best-selling recording artist in his homeland. He brings songs from his hit Addicted to Company to the U.S., playing a stripped-down set for Mountain Stage.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Parallel Play, the new album by Sloan. The Canadian favorites are hoping to attract an American following with this release.

Charles Mingus' monumental masterpiece "Epitaph" never saw the light of day during his lifetime. But the tempestuous jazz legend left his ambitious score to be discovered by new generations. Hear the full piece, a 2 1/2-hour affair for 31 musicians.

Philadelphia's The Asteroid No. 4 takes dreamy shoegazer pop and mixes in elements of '60s psychedelia to create a folk-rock sound that falls somewhere between The Byrds and The Stone Roses. The group's fifth studio album, These Flowers of Ours, is dripping with reverb, echo, and tremolo effects. The album plays like a pastoral work of stargazing time-travel.

In Jakob Dylan's full-length solo debut, Seeing Things, the singer-songwriter proves adept at insightful lyrics that provide commentary on modern times. Hear his performance, as well as an interview with host David Dye, on WXPN's World Cafe.