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Formed in Dallas, the Old 97's were long pigeonholed as an alt-country band. They never were — just a rocking quartet with a terrific songwriter up top. They've just put out their best album in seven years.

Two-time Grammy-winner India.Arie calls her music an expression of her way of life. Her third studio album came out June 27 and jumped to the top spot on the Billboard chart. She performs live from NPR's studio 4A.

In the 1990s, Bobby Valentino was part of the teen vocal group Mista. Now he's gone solo, with a self-titled CD and a single, "Slow Down," that's already topped the R&B charts. Ed Gordon talks with Valentino about his burgeoning career and his soulful influences.

Rita Coolidge's 1977 solo album, Anytime Anywhere, sold millions of copies. Three singles made the top of the charts, including "We're All Alone." Nearly three decades later, Coolidge sings the same tune on a new CD of jazz standards.

Day to Day producer Christopher Johnson reports on top French pop-rock band Phoenix, who are hoping to make inroads in the U.S. with their latest CD Alphabetical.

In his new film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Reilly plays Dewey Cox, an over-the-top fictitious rock legend. It's a fake biopic that parodies Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, and others. Hear an interview and songs from the movie, performed on WXPN.

London-based singer-songwriter Chris Letcher weaves together beautiful compositions with seamless and soothing melodies. His album has been receiving positive reviews in the U.K., South Africa, and the U.S., where the song 'Deep Frieze' stayed in the college radio top 30 for three weeks.

Cohn's 1991 single "Walking in Memphis" made him an instant star: A sentimental Top 40 favorite and an enduring radio staple, the song was his ticket to Grammy-winning fame. Hear Cohn in an interview and in-studio performance from WXPN.

Though still only 20, English singer-songwriter Kate Nash has already topped numerous European pop charts and attracted massive buzz in the U.S. Her debut album, Made of Bricks, is full of sweetly infectious pop music, propelled by Nash's thick accent and effervescent personality. Hear Nash in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

The editors of Paste magazine wondered: who are the best living songwriters around. They gathered a team of 50 musicians and writers and put together a list of the top 100.