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Music Critic Oliver Wang says that Eminem's most recent CD, Encore, breaks new ground for the controversial artist. He is more mature and reflective but still is can revert to the poisonous lyrics that made him one of the most popular rap artists of the last five years.

Johnny Hiland grew up in rural Maine, where he quickly established himself as a guitar prodigy and toured with the family band. He has recorded with Ricky Scaggs, Toby Keith and Randy Travis... and now he has his own solo CD, showing off his mastery of the Fender Telecaster.

With almost no major reviews or marketing, the coming-of-age story Hairstyles of the Damned has sold 20,000 copies and gone into its third printing. Scott Simon talks with the novel's author, Joe Meno.

NPR's Robert Smith reports on the rise of "podcasts" -- amateur music and talk shows created by the users of Apple's popular iPod personal music devices and other digital music players. Whole "shows" of music and talk can be downloaded from the Internet to individual players automatically, and some of the show hosts have become celebrities among the burgeoning podcast audience.

Spoken or sung, the Portuguese language often sounds like music. NPR's Felix Contreras profiles Brazilian bossa nova singer Rosa Passos. Her new album, Amorosa, preserves the traditional style of Brazilian jazz and pays tribute to a bossa nova great: Joao Gilberto.

They've played together since meeting at Palo Alto High School a decade ago. Now there are signs the Donnas are growing up: They're using their real names now, for one thing. The band performs for NPR's Scott Simon.

During the last two decades, Chinese traditional music has begun to have a real impact on Western classical music. In the third of a five-part series, NPR's Fred Child explores the connections between folk traditions from around the world and the western tradition of art music.

Musician and Day to Day contributor David Was says there's a vast amount of good music that can be downloaded legally, and for free, on the Internet. He plays a selection of the wide variety of styles and genres available.

NPR's Melissa Block talks to Conor Oberst about his two new CDs with Bright Eyes. Oberst is from Omaha, Neb., where he has built a reputation as a great songwriter and poet and carved an odd success story. Bright Eyes refuses to record for major labels, shuns corporate radio and won't play venues owned by Clear Channel Communications. The two new CDs, out Jan. 25, are titled I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.

Singer and songwriter Lhasa de Sela is out with a new CD, The Living Road. She tells NPR's Jacki Lyden about her global influences — and her adventures with the circus.