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By the time she was 16, Janis Ian already had a Grammy and a permanent place in the American consciousness. Her new autobiography shares the sometimes shocking stories behind her life and music. In a session from Folk Alley, she performs a cross section of her songs.

By-the Numbers, the latest from Miami trio The Postmarks, is a collection of 12 cover songs originally by artists as diverse as David Bowie, Bob Marley and The Ventures. Despite the eclectic mix of genres in the originals, The Postmarks have transformed them all into innocent and lovely pop gems.

Seattle-based Unbunny is primarily the work of singer and songwriter Jarid del Deo. His latest album, Sensory Underload, is a compilation of previously unreleased material spanning Unbunny's 12-year career and takes a look at many of del Deo's personalities: from introspective folk musician to pop humorist.

Bebo Valdes left Havana 50 years ago, but at the piano, it's as if he's still there. He's not reviving anything; he just kept on doing it the old way, long after music in Cuba had moved on. On Live at the Village Vanguard, Valdes shares billing with his frequent duo partner, bassist Javier Colina.

Chrissie Hynde has gathered up a new batch of Pretenders — including the great drummer Jim Keltner — and wants you to know she's still up for some adventure, anger and lust.

Alexander Tucker got his start in the early 1990s in a hardcore band called Suction. Later he played synths in a space-rock group in Detroit. These days he lives in the U.K. where he writes and records as a solo artist. Tucker recently released his third album, Portal, through the London-based ATP Recordings. It's a rich mix of styles, featuring the finger-picking folk of Tucker's guitar, along with psychedelic rock, drones, detuned guitars, and sound loops.

To celebrate her July birthday this year, pianist Joanne Brackeen celebrated the musicians that gave her a shot early in her career: Art Blakey, Joe Henderson and Stan Getz. Brackeen unleashes a maelstrom on the keys in a concert recorded at the Jazz Standard by JazzSet.

A quartet originally formed in Madison, Wis. in 1996, The Great Depression is now based in Denmark. The moniker is an especially fitting one, as the ten songs on the Great Depression's third and latest full-length album, Forever Altered, all drift through gray and somber landscapes. But its melancholia is sophisticated rather than melodramatic.

For its latest album, the New Orleans funk band laced a new element on top of its groove-based jams: hip-hop MCs. On tour, Galactic visited Mountain Stage with one of its guest stars, Boston rapper Mr. Lif.

In the latest round of what are often called "Genius" grants, the MacArthur Foundation has just named 25 new fellows (each receiving a $500,000 award), including violinist Leila Josefowicz, writer Alex Ross, saxophonist Miguel Zenon, and sound artist and instrument inventor Walter Kitundu.