World Cafe

At times, Carlile's most recent album, Give Up the Ghost, explores a surprising amount of raw, stripped-down territory. At others, she uses heavy layers of rich harmonies, awash in piano, guitar and strings.

Fanfarlo's spiky brand of rock feels both fresh and familiar. In addition to the usual lineup of drums, bass and guitars, the group employs an array of instruments ranging from keyboards and mandolin to horns. The result is a sound that's ambitious yet emotionally engaging.

On his sophomore album, Everything Is New, Penate exudes a refreshing sense of insight and experimentation. While the music has a gloomy undercurrent, each track is still fun and dance-floor-friendly, colorfully blending classic soul and pop with hints of Afrobeat.

Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) from the cast of Glee join David Dye to chat about the runaway hit show and its music in this session from World Cafe.

Since his release from prison following a presidential commutation last year, Forte has released a new EP and been actively engaged in humanitarian work. Hear his reggae-influenced hip-hop in this session from World Cafe.

Yorn may have moved to Los Angeles to start a career writing songs for movies, but he's since found success well beyond the studio walls. His latest album, not counting a duets record with Scarlett Johansson, is titled Back and Fourth. Hear him in a session on World Cafe.

Born into the Children of God cult, Girls' Christopher Owens escaped a life of spiritual hardship only to end up on the streets. Upon meeting Chet "JR" White, the two created their widely hyped debut, Girls: Album. The record is an attempt by Owens to make peace with his past and pave a clean road ahead — but the album isn't all serious. Lots of its songs are about hanging out with friends and, of course, girls.

Combining pop, jazz, soul and country, Jones sold more than 20 million copies of her debut album, Come Away With Me, which won six Grammy Awards. Hear Jones play songs from her new album, The Fall, in a session from World Cafe.

The buzz around BLK JKS started about two years ago, when the band released an eponymous EP; many called it avant-garde, in part because there's no other name for what BLK JKS does. Psychedelic rock, jazz, Afrobeat, blues, metal and reggae: The group crams all of these styles into an undeniably African rock sound.

Working under the name 7 Worlds Collide, Crowded House's Neil Finn brought together a wide variety of popular artists to record The Sun Came Out, including Sharon and Liam Finn, KT Tunstall, Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche of Wilco, and Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway of Radiohead. The result is overflowing with energy.

Slim's recent success is due to his simple yet eccentric lyrics and subtle melodies. On his new record, Be Set Free he demonstrates the savvy of a true professional and the excitement and optimism of the most energetic of newcomers. Slim's music combines folk and country elements with a cinematic feel.

Hundreds of Lions, released last month, is a hopeful and inventive album that showcases McKeown's bright soprano vocals and inventive folk-pop arrangements. Hear her in this joyful session from World Cafe.

With the release of the 2005's The Acrobat, 2007's With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead and an album in which he covers the soundtrack to the '80s movie Footloose, Thomas Bartlett established Doveman as a true sleeper. His third album of original material with Doveman, The Conformist, is a testament to his soft-spoken style. This time around, though, he adds flourishes of upbeat synths, drums and catchy choruses.

After abandoning their Missouri roots to start anew in Brookyln, White Rabbits' members established themselves in the indie music scene, touring with the likes of Spoon and The Walkmen. Their sophomore album, It's Frightening, was produced by Spoon frontman Britt Daniel.

The four friends in Phoenix started out playing Hank Williams and Prince covers in area bars, but eventually landed a slot as a backing band for Air. Nearly a decade later, Phoenix has propelled itself into international renown. Its latest album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, blends catchy pop songwriting with a heavier rock sound.