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Old Crow Medicine Show brings its rootsy back-porch sound to World Café, where it showcases songs from the new Tennessee Pusher. The disc takes a modern approach to Americana with gospel and rock overtones, but leaves the band's roots firmly intact.

Gershwin placed his song "Summertime" at the beginning of his opera Porgy and Bess, and for good reason. Pianist and composer Rob Kapilow demonstrates how, in just a few measures, Gershwin transports the listener into the languid world of Catfish Row.

It's every Canadian band's worst nightmare: On the way to KEXP in Seattle, the Toronto trio Elliott Brood got stuck at the border. It took the group two and a half hours to travel a quarter of a mile into the U.S. But once it got in, the band cranked out an adrenaline-fueled batch of punked-up country songs.

Davenport claims the distinction of being home to America's largest sitting zither orchestra. This homegrown music scene revolves around the city's German-American community, as well as a tradition of hausmusik its ancestors brought to this country.

Intricate, melodic and vivid: The sound of North Carolina's Annuals is the epitome of sunny indie-pop. The band's thoughtful harmonies, anthemic orchestration and percussion, and bright electronics are given an excellent showcase on Annuals' new album, Such Fun.

In a session from WXPN, Okkervil River performs material from The Stand Ins. The band's lead singer and songwriter, Will Sheff, reveals the real characters that populate his songs and talks about the new album's satirical look at the entertainment industry.

A stalwart of the outlaw country movement in the 1970s, Jennings bucked the conventions of Nashville with a tough sound and attitude. He died in 2002, but his son Shooter, now an outlaw country star in his own right, has just released a collection of songs he made with his dad in the mid-'90s — the last recordings Waylon Jennings ever made.

Real Blasty, the sophomore full-length release from Chicago-born Kyle Andrews, is an upbeat album for sad people who just want to dance. A lesser artist could get weighed down by the broody lyrics covering unrequited love, insecurities and general enui. But Andrews pulls it off by pairing his angst with bright electro-pop rhythms and irresistible hooks.

A traditional tango band with contemporary influences, Bajofondo Tango Club shortened its name to Bajofondo in order to better incorporate its many influences and styles. Hear Bajofondo's inventive Latin fusion on WXPN's World Cafe: Next, with host David Dye.

Education and musicians in residence fuel a robust contemporary classical scene in the Texas city. It's supported by the success of the Houston Symphony and local public radio, which has helped build an open-minded audience for music that's both cerebral and fun.