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For a secretive industry, the business of espionage is one many readers feel they understand — especially if they happen to be fans of spy thrillers. Nancy Pearl, a Seattle librarian and author, offers a list of her favorites.

Pairing the classical cellist with the Michigan iconoclast makes a fair bit of sense: Neither cares much for genre boundaries.

Listener Nancy Newfeld plays the puzzle with puzzlemaster Will Shortz and NPR's Kelsey Snell.

British soul singer Omar isn't well known in the United States. But with the support of influential fans such as Stevie Wonder, he now is trying to break into the U.S. market with a new release, Sing (If You Want It).

Matthew Herbert employs the dripping sounds of petrol pumps to ignite "We're in Love," a subversive lament for the end of the oil age. The song is distinguished by sweeping strings, a gentle piano melody, dreamy horns and Dani Sicilliano's winsome voice.

One of the most beautiful, disquieting hip-hop tracks in recent memory, J Dilla's "Stop" packs its 99 seconds with melancholy strings and electric guitars, rugged beats and turntable scratches. The track is built on samples of Dionne Warwick's "You're Gonna Need Me."

USA Today publishes a follow-up story to its May report of a secret government program for the creation of a massive data base of American's phone records with the cooperation of several telecommunications companies. In the story printed today, the paper stated that further reporting has left them unable to confirm that Bell South and Verizon cooperated with the government, as the paper reported in May. The admission comes in a week during which the Bush administration and congressional Republicans have been hammering The New York Times for publishing a story about another secret government program for surveillance of banking records. The attacks on the Times have questioned the role of the press in a time of war -- and some have suggested the prosecution of journalists under espionage laws.

The Senate votes to strip nearly $2 billion from emergency funding for the war in Iraq, using the money instead to bolster security along the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats criticized the Republican move to cut nearly three percent of the $72 billion meant mainly for the war in Iraq.

Musician Jacob Collier is known for his electrifying performances and thoughtful views on art and humanity. This hour, Jacob joins us for a conversation on the sparks that fuel his creative process.

It's somehow fitting that The Whigs' members reside in Athens, Ga., the flashpoint of '80s indie-rock. The trio's debut, Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip, is a great and goofy exercise in nostalgia that combines the gravelly rock of The Replacements with the off-kilter pop of Guided by Voices.

If the English band The Rumble Strips sounds slightly tipsy, that may well be because it is. Raw skills, however, can't hide the witty, warm and inviting soul in its songs — most notably "Alarm Clock."

Ranking with John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins as one of the all-time great tenor sax players, jazz legend Sonny Rollins has been recording fiery, passionate and intelligent music for nearly 60 years. Hear Rollins give an interview and in-studio performance.

Pop singer Ari Gold was discovered while singing at his brother's bar-mitzvah at the tender age of five. The Bronx native opens up about being gay, his Orthodox Jewish background and his music.

Raheem DeVaughn's new album, Love Behind the Melody, could be his big break. The single, "Woman," has been nominated for a Grammy, and next week he'll begin touring the country with Jill Scott. DeVaughn talks about his independent streak and his relationship with his fans.

Members of The Decemberists and Guided By Voices form what might be Portland's best psych-pop band.

"Talk About" is both wry and wicked, a sly mix of both the comical and profound. But really, all Les Sins really wants you to do is dance.

Hear music from Cass McCombs, Blood Orange, Dawg Yawp and more in July's playlist of public radio favorites.

Modern torch songs with Cassandra Wilson; the gloomy, introspective Lisa Germano; Christopher O'Riley's piano transcripts of Radiohead; have a day with The Polyphonic Spree and more.

James Brown once remarked that singer Usher Raymond was "the Godson of Soul." With an accolade like that, it's no wonder that Usher is one of the bestselling artists in American music history. Usher's soon-to-be released seventh studio album is called Looking 4 Myself.

University of Florida announced a search committee has unanimously recommended Nebraska GOP Sen. Ben Sasse as the lone finalist for the job.