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Quincy Jones went from performing and arranging to producing. As a record executive, he churned out chart toppers. Always restless, he moved to producing films and TV shows in the 1960s and '70s. Through the '80s and '90s there were more hits: The Color Purple, Michael Jackson's blockbusters and humanitarian work in Africa. At 75, he's still keeping up a blistering pace.

Like a Fox is a psychedelic rock band based in Philadelphia and founded in 2004 by former Lenola singer Jay Laughlin. Its upcoming album Where's My Golden Arm? features 40 minutes of carefree, synth- and electric-guitar-driven music that's suitable for dancing along.

Power-pop singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet spent the late '90s and early '00s avoiding the instrument that defined his early sound: the chiming guitar. His latest album, Sunshine Lies, marks his welcome return to the guitar as a primary instrument. Sweet performs new songs and discusses the influence of nature on the CD.

Booomboxxx, the latest from Portland, Oregon-based Boy Eats Drum Machine, might take a while to sink in. At first listen, the seemingly random mash of glitchy drum samples comes off as disjointed and overwhelming. But after several spins, you can tell Jon Ragel, the solo force behind Boy Eats Drum Machine, is more calculated in his digital orchestrations.

Ever since the success of her hit "Fidelity," singer-songwriter Regina Spektor has attracted widespread attention for her smart, quirky, emotionally engaging music. In a session from WFUV, Spektor talks about growing up in the Bronx and performs some of her new music.

The most immediately striking thing about London-based pop quintet Absentee is singer Dan Michaelson's deep and gravelly voice. A little bit Leonard Cohen, a little bit Johnny Cash, Michaelson immediately takes hold of listeners on Victory Shorts, the band's sophomore album which navigates the flurry of emotions following failed relationships.

Fifty-five years ago, a young jazz presenter named George Wein discovered that the people sailing yachts around Narragansett Bay loved jazz. With their support, Wein founded the Newport Jazz Festival, the first of its kind, and it's still going strong. Here's a highlight of this year's festival, from Herbie Hancock and Dave Holland.

When asked about Swedish pop music, one might pick out names like the sweetly whimsical Jens Lekman or the playful chamber pop outfit I'm From Barcelona. But on Na Na Ni, the debut album from experimental sextet Fredrik, the band from Malmo, Sweden shows that its country's musical output is capable of offering up even more.

With his band the Belmonts, singer-songwriter Dion rose to fame as a '60s teen idol, topping charts with hits like "The Wanderer" and "I Wonder Why." The latest album in his long career is Heroes: Giants Of Early Guitar Rock.

In the early '80s, The Pretenders ranked among the biggest bands around. The group has existed in various incarnations since then, all fronted by Chrissie Hynde, and now displays its new sound in an acoustic session with producer Steve Lillywhite.