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"In the Clouds" practically bursts with infectious energy, spilling over with disco beats and Vocoder-enhanced backing vocals, while singer Aaron Bruno unleashes a mean falsetto, evoking a younger and hipper Barry Gibb. The result is a fun, sexy anthem that shimmies with a cool confidence.

On "Nile," Valerie Troutt approaches her lyrics with stirring conviction, but she never oversells the song. Fortunately, she doesn't have to — "Nile" is a ballad blessed with an enchanting melody and arrangement, brimming with thoughtful, heartfelt optimism.

This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set review John Bolton's nomination to serve a full term as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. President Bush used what is known as a recess appointment to bypass a Senate vote and install Bolton as ambassador nearly one year ago.

Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint have come together to write and record a warm, hopeful new album. The two chose to make The River in Reverse in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans as a gesture of hope. Most of the album's 13 tracks were recorded as free-flowing jam sessions.

Scott Simon talks with jazz guitarist John Scofield about his album That's What I Say, on which he plays the music of Ray Charles.

Husband and wife actors Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy have collaborated on the new offbeat feature Transamerica. Macy is the executive producer on the project, which features Huffman as a male-to-female transsexual who is contacted by the son she never knew she fathered.

Having paid his dues with 300-show years and a bad major-label deal, singer Teitur Lassen has finally gained some of the exposure his music warrants. Borrowing from folk, rock and pop influences, Teitur has released two fine albums of emotional balladry, built on a quiet but sturdy folk-pop framework.

Robert Plant has helped establish the iconic image of the "rock god," while Alison Krauss is one of the most accomplished bluegrass musicians of the last few decades. Together, they've recorded Raising Sand, which interprets blues, folk and country songs. Hear an interview.

Hear an in-studio performance by Alice Smith, a New York-based soul singer whose latest album is titled For Lovers, Dreamers, and Me. Smith also discusses her attempts to cross the boundaries of race in the music industry.

On this edition of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen chats with NPR Music blogger Carrie Brownstein, and music producer Stephen Thompson about the number of bands they're most excited to see.

The soulful singer-songwriter talks about her new album, The Orchard, during a studio performance chat. Wright opens up about her music, her life, and what's next for her recording career.

Hear a performance by Rice, who strikes a balance between independent and mainstream pop, drawing on the likes of Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, The Band, Joni Mitchell, and Gram Parsons. Further North feels more rough-hewn than the dramatic psychedelic pop of his debut.

Robert Plant has helped establish the iconic image of the "rock god," while Alison Krauss is one of the most accomplished bluegrass musicians of the last few decades. Together, they've recorded Raising Sand, which interprets blues, folk and country songs. Hear an interview.

On this edition of All Songs Considered, we spotlight musical discoveries, including Syrian dance-jam singer Omar Souleyman, singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow and the brash pop of Sleigh Bells.

Professing love for Bob James' music can yield a side-eye in some circles, as his 1970s work is seen as a progenitor to smooth jazz. But he certainly knew his way around a catchy melody and an infectious riff — as legions of rap and house producers have discovered through sampling.

This month, we're rounding up five fabulous reissues from Spain, Cambodia, Nigeria, Greece and Algeria, made between the 1920s and '70s. They still sound fresh and innovative.

SOAK, one of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's favorite new artists for 2015, spins some of the songs that have influenced her own work, and talks about her new album.

Hear a new song by the San Francisco rock duo Girls, from the band's upcoming album Father, Son, Holy Ghost, due out Sept. 13.

The English singer-songwriter, known for songs such as "Cruel to Be Kind" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," shares some of the songs and artists that have inspired him over the years.

The veteran singer and fiddler combines seemingly disparate influences into a single, gloriously cohesive Spanglish statement.