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The Cost finds The Frames harboring more commercial ambitions than usual, but no one involved has forgotten singer Glen Hansard's odd ability to sound sweetly romantic, big-hearted, self-deprecating and emotionally stunted at the same time.

A Glaswegian rock band that punctuates its guitar-fueled rock blasts with moody interludes and bits of esoteric instrumentation, The Twilight Sad makes epic songs that sound both punishing and pretty. Singer James Graham paints a vague but distinct portrait of alienation.

Turtle Island Quartet has just released A Love Supreme, a take on the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and others. Violinist David Balakrishnan and cellist Mark Summer discuss how they transformed the jazz masterpiece for string quartet.

Mary J. Blige, Justin Timberlake and the Dixie Chicks are just a few of the big names in contention at the 49th annual Grammy Awards. But this year's list of nominees also offers plenty of gems beyond the obvious blockbusters.

Part industry trade show, part fan feast, Austin's South by Southwest provides one-stop shopping for those looking for music discovery. Preview the four-day music marathon.

Kristin Hersh's lyrics often read like stream-of-consciousness poetry, with the words painting the pictures in her head. "Under the Gun" uses the life of a sad character to illustrate the way everyone tries to get by. Hersh specializes in building to a crushing chorus, and the song delivers just that.

Fountains of Wayne's immensely catchy pop-rock songs come with a powerful undercurrent of sly cynicism, but also a keen understanding of everyday people and the way they live. The band's new album is titled Traffic and Weather.

This show celebrates the music of one of the greatest singers of our time with interviews that include Ella herself; vocalists Betty Carter, Jon Hendricks and Joe Williams; writers Gene Lees and Albert Murray; and pianist Oscar Peterson.

It's difficult to write a song that evokes the slowed-time pull of sleepiness without lulling listeners toward unconsciousness themselves. Eleni Mandell pulls it off in "Moonglow, Lamp Low," which draws on a gentle cowboy lope and a saxophone that sounds like captured breath.

Andrew Bird makes the kind of music that leaves critics groping for labels. A classically trained violinist, former swing jazz musician and now art rock virtuoso, Bird is one of the most imaginative and distinctive voices making music today. Hear Bird in a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C.