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Pop diva Mariah Carey talks to Ed Gordon about her early rise to superstardom, her highly publicized emotional meltdown, and her return with a Grammy-winning album.

Mixing rock, ska, and dance beats, the British band Hard-Fi recalls The Clash's ability to slyly protest the status quo in the context of infectious pop music. "Middle Eastern Holiday" adopts the perspective of a friend going off to fight in Iraq.

One of the few bands to improve with every album, Centro-Matic makes room-filling country-pop that's been winning converts for more than a decade. In "Patience for the Ride," Will Johnson's gravelly, intimate voice sounds warm and inviting — a perfect complement to the fuzzy classic-rock guitars.

Vocalist Cassandra Wilson draws her inspiration for song from some unusual sources. That didn't stop Time magazine from naming her the best singer in America. Ed Gordon talks to the powerhouse singer about what drives her creatively, and about her latest CD, Thunderbird.

Cuban music, African folklore, jazz, and hip-hop all collide on a new recording by Cuban percussionist Miguel "Anga" Diaz. Diaz, commonly referred to as simply Anga, has played congas in many projects, Cuban and otherwise. His new CD, Echu Mingua, marks his debut as a bandleader. Reviewer Banning Eyre says it's a landmark recording.

Rahim not only draws inspiration from a specific sound — think Fugazi, The Dismemberment Plan, and other bands that add an element of adventurousness to rock and hardcore punk — but it also expands on those acts' exploratory sensibilities.

Soul singer King Floyd died on March 6 at the age of 61, but his passing barely merited mention in the media — an oversight that seems at odds with his brash style. What most know about Floyd begins and ends with his massive and enduring 1971 R&B hit "Groove Me."

Though Austin music remains best known as the spiritual ground zero for alt-country, Jon Dee Graham's new Full leans more toward rock. "Something Wonderful" is a hummable reminder to look out for moments of goodness.

At a time when hip-hop dominates the R&B scene, it's often easier for a rapper to achieve commercial success than a singer. Our music critic examines why that is, in his review of two new albums by R&B vocalists: Ghetto Classics by Jaheim and On the Jungle Floor by Van Hunt.

Maritime has a sweetly buzzing collection of ingratiating power-pop. Springtime anthems don't get much catchier than "Tearing Up the Oxygen," a wonderfully sunny gem propelled by bleeping synths and "ah-ah" choruses.