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The daughter of a diplomat, Rokia Traore has built her musical career around a stylish, natural assimilation of African and European cultures. Reviewer Banning Eyre says that the opening track from Traore's new album, Tchamantche, tells the whole story.

Like the title suggests, White Flag, the latest album from neo-folk singer-songwriter Madeline, exudes an air of quiet resignation. On "Telephone Daydream," for example, Adams sings of death, feeling alone and inadequate. But the hopeless album title may be a bit deceptive.

The disco project of New York-based DJ Andy Butler, Hercules and Love Affair cites influences ranging from Chicago to Magic Carpet to Soundpatrol, all of which rear their heads on a self-titled debut album that conjures images of Saturday Night Fever and '70s punk. Here, the band performs disco-soaked electronica from its acclaimed self-titled debut.

With the exception of an occasional instrument here or there, Peasant is entirely the work of one man: Damien DeRose. The small town of Doylestown, PA is the base of Peasant's operations, which is a fitting origin for DeRose's intimate and earthy neo-folk songs. On his second album, On the Ground, DeRose sings of the hopes and fears associated with life and love like a more optimistic version of Elliott Smith.

A seasoned alt-rocker and coveted producer, Walker has worked with such chart-topping acts as Katy Perry, Tommy Lee and Pink. Last year, he also found time to release an album of his own, Sycamore Meadows. Named for the street where California wildfires claimed his home, the record finds Walker using his pop production experience to brighten his indie-rock sensibilities.

After much success last summer in the college radio circuit with the release of their second LP, Skeleton, Abe Vigoda is back with another collection of genre-bending tunes. Call it what you will — experimental, no wave, tropicali, punk, garage, or noise rock — this Los Angeles-based band has enough gusto and creativity to fill all these classifications, and more.

Inflation hit a new, four-decade high of 9.1% last month, fueled in part by record high gasoline prices. Gas prices have since fallen, but overall inflation is still elevated.

Much of Antony and the Johnsons' music has revolved around singer Antony Hegarty's efforts to come to terms with and explore his sexual identity. But his latest album, The Crying Light, shifts away from issues of gender.

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Elisa Albert about her new novel, "Human Blues."

Aptly named, Chris Robley's third solo LP, Movie Theatre Haiku, swirls together dark, evocative instrumentation and poetic lyrics. Quirky track names and the album's long subtitle, "a Masque of Backwards Ballads, a Picturesque Burlesque," provide only a hint of the complexities and eccentricities of Movie Theatre Haiku.