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The Pulitzer Prize winner has written pieces inspired by places as far flung as Venice, New Hampshire and a monastery in the mountains of Northern Spain. These dramatically diverse locations spawned picturesque musical ideas ranging from classical to jazz to klezmer.

There's indie rock. And then there's indie rock in horn-rimmed glasses. The Texans at KUT pick out the top 10 "smart rock" albums of 2008, headlined by the new efforts of a few brainy Austin acts.

In our time, it's easy to shut your mind, driven by fear or misinformation. This year, NPR Music's pop critic found the antidote in music that encouraged exploring.

The NPR Music critic and All Songs Considered contributor's favorite records of the year include the best of British rap, whimsical and melancholy electronic experiments and spellbinding dreampop.

Discover a broad range of the year's best classical albums, from groundbreaking teenage percussionists and innovative opera singers to fierce orchestral composers and brainy pianists.

A sampler of the many genres — garage, techno, house and bass music — that made a mark (and made us want to move) in 2012.

At the end of a year in which pop songs were a constant, provocative part of the national conversation, NPR Music critic Ann Powers sifts through the 100 most popular songs of the year to highlight 10 pure pop pleasures worth remembering.

In 1995, the Memphis hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia took a shoestring DIY approach to recording their debut album, Mystic Stylez. Their example led to a flourishing independent hip-hop scene.

Dig below the strata of pop songs so ubiquitous you can't stand to hear them anymore, and you'll find plenty of riches in the Top 40, from country crossover to innovative R&B and classic pop.

Before we reveal this year's Tiny Desk Contest winner, discover some of the best of the nearly 6,000 entries we received.