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The world of music seems to have fewer and fewer borders these days. Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain are players who regularly cross over into new frontiers. Now, all three have collaborated on an album called The Melody of Rhythm.

Alvin is a Grammy-winning guitarist, singer and songwriter whose interpretation of roots music has won countless fans for its raw yet dignified power. For more than 25 years, he's been cooking up batches of folksy songs that range from rockabilly to punk to blues. His latest project, Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women, is yet another step in yet another direction.

Looking sharp in his tailored suit, the Grammy-nominated R&B artist performed three acoustic interpretations of his soul-inspired tunes.

The songs on Revolution come in an impressive variety of arrangements and voices, from quiet, acoustic confessions to rock 'n' roll hollering. They're all convincing, and they make up not just Lambert's best record, but also critic Will Hermes' standing pick for country record of the year.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Dennis Diken's new album Late Music. Diken, the drummer for the Smithereens, has recorded this project with a group called Bell Sound.

Though its members recently shaved, The Avett Brothers long marched in the seemingly endless parade of bearded indie-folk acts to rise to prominence in recent years. But with its raucous live shows, it may just be the hardest-rocking band ever to win an award from the Americana Music Association.

Khaled is Algeria's best-known singer, as well as a pioneer of the music known as rai, which means "opinion." His opinions got him exiled from his native country for the past 20 years, but he recently returned as a hero. Khaled's new CD, Liberte, is a return to his roots.

Taylor has modernized the blues' lyrical tradition by singing about race in a way that would have been impossible in the prewar era. But in "Looking for Some Heat," he works from the standpoint of a familiar character: the nomadic everyman who travels far and wide in search of love and warmth, only to find that he's best off someplace far less exotic.

A prolific songwriter originally from Jacksonville, N.C., Adams has been writing songs since he was 15, and he's never slowed down. In this 2007 set, the former Whiskeytown frontman showcases material from that year's CD, Easy Tiger.

Take one part Billie Holiday, two parts Doris Day, toss in a little island indie-pop and you get Zee Avi, a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Malaysia who's just released her eponymous debut album. Avi talks to Guy Raz about her musical influences.