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Currently in New York, Obie-winning singer and actor Vernel Bagneris recently sold his apartment in order to move to New Orleans, where he was born. He tells us what he's heard from friends and family, and what he expects for the future. The Library of Congress has described Bagneris as "a master of the American vernacular." He wrote, directed and starred in the hit shows One Mo' Time, Further Mo', Staggerlee and Jelly Roll!

David Gray's new album, Life In Slow Motion, is the product of two years of work to evolve as a songwriter. The new release has been described by Gray himself as "the tip of an iceberg" of musical stores built up over time.

Neil Young's new album, Prairie Wind, is being hailed as a return to the wistful, wind-blown vistas of his most popular work, from Harvest and Harvest Moon.

Alaska's Augustine volcano has erupted for the first time in two decades. Local volcanologists are pleased their computer models predicted the event accurately, but they anticipate that the big blast is yet to come. Alaska Public Radio's Annie Fiedt reports.

Guitarist Link Wray died on November 5 at the age of 76. He's credited with inventing the power chord in the 1950s. His first big recording hit was the 1958 instrumental Rumble. When he went to record the song, he wasn't happy with the sound on the amp, so he pierced holes in the speaker cone to create additional distortion. Guitarists including Pete Townshend and John Lennon were influenced by his work. Wray's other hits include Rawhide and the Batman theme.

On Warpaint, the band reunites after a string of solo efforts and concert tours on the jam-band circuit. The sound remains the same (swaggering rock with Southern-fried soul), but now the band sounds like professionals who've honed an otherwise ramshackle style of music.

Singer, songwriter and pianist Sara Bareilles had a modest childhood growing up a small California town. Self-taught, she soon found herself on a major label with a debut album that's won comparisons to Fiona Apple. Hear an interview and performance from WXPN.

A singer-songwriter from Massachusetts, McKenna spent the first decade of her career toiling on the roots-music circuit. In 2005, her career received a huge boost when Faith Hill recorded four of her songs for Fireflies. Hear an interview and in-studio performance.

Blending an array of musical styles as diverse as his influences, Harper combines acoustic folk, blues, funk, soul and rock. Hear an interview and in-studio performance by Harper, whose new album Lifeline showcases a loose, expressive style.

The smart, funny alt-country singer-songwriter joins host David Dye for conversation and a performance from her latest album, Asking For Flowers. With lyrics that range from the emotional to the political to the hilarious, the disc has been widely hailed as her best yet.