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NPR's Scott Simon talks to Tim Heidecker about his music, his new sentimental album High School and about his sometimes crass comedy.

Tom Schnabel is in love with the work of choral composer Eric Whitacre. For a modern composer, Whitacre's choral music is surprisingly popular amongst those that perform choral music; it is rich and challenging. His recent CD is Cloudburst.

M. Ward has always followed his own path. Propelled by both his agile acoustic guitar work and his considerable wit and charisma, Ward's folk-blues take on classic Americana has won him countless fans and a place among the nation's top contemporary singer-songwriters.

A collection of miniatures brought to life via multi-tracking, Spirits finds Jarrett using a total of 18 instruments to bring simple, sometimes folk-song-like melodies to life. He plays everything himself, including hand drums and soprano saxophone.

For over 100 years, the composer's "Allegretto" movement from his Seventh Symphony has haunted musicians and music lovers. Once you start to listen, says pianist Helene Grimaud, you simply can't do anything else.

Pete Yorn's guitar- and synthesizer-heavy, distinctly American-sounding albums suggest the end result of a mating ritual between Ryan Adams and The Cars. Vague and occasionally indecipherable, "The Man" may be his finest moment.

Hem is a Brooklyn, N.Y., band whose ranks occasionally swell from four core members to an 8- or 9-piece ensemble, including pedal steel, glockenspiel and violin. The title of their third studio album, Funnel Cloud, implies dark skies — but it's more of a goodbye kiss to the summer season.

The son of the legendary Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley's lineage makes him a pretty safe bet when it comes to reggae music. But he's forged his own identity and proven himself on his own, expounding on themes from love to personal freedom and political repression.

Danish musicians Philip Owusu and Robin Hannibal give "Caroline No" an entrancing makeover, capturing Brian Wilson's doleful melody and a gentle acoustic-guitar accompaniment in a cavernous electronic whirlwind, with stargazing bleeps intensifying the song's sense of isolation and grief.

Will Oldham is an enigmatic folk-rock musician — and actor — who performs under various monikers, including Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Music, and Bonnie Prince Billy. In addition to playing a part in a new film, Oldham has a new CD out: The Letting Go.