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Every American president receives gifts from fans and foreign dignitaries, but as Harriet Baskas reports for Hidden Treasures, an occasional series on All Things Considered, some of the most precious and peculiar ones never get displayed.

In the moment, Rep. Mary Miller then led the crowd in applause. A campaign spokesperson for Miller told NPR she meant to say "victory for Right to Life."

NPR's Melissa Block talks with zydeco musician and singer Geno Delafose about learning how to play zydeco -- a rollicking Louisiana musical tradition -- from his legendary father. Hear cuts from Delafose's latest CD and a live track heard only on npr.org.

The '60s soul singer, newly discovered after decades of disappointment, sounds as if she means every word of Willie Nelson's "Somebody Pick Up My Pieces." Does any indie soul singer bring more guts, more conviction and more emotion to her singing?

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen hears something special in the new album from the innovative neo-soul duo Gnarls Barkley. It reminds him of a different groundbreaking soul artist who died more than 40 years ago: Otis Redding.

Three days after the Rev.. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, performer Nina Simone and her band played at the Westbury Music Festival on Long Island, N.Y. They performed "Why? (The King of Love is Dead)," a song they had just learned, written by their bass player Gene Taylor in reaction to King's death.

Famed Memphis soul label Stax Records, which relaunched this year, releases No Place Like Soul, the sixth album by soul/funk group Soulive. The group is the first newly signed artist to release an album on Stax, best known for hits by Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding and others.

Cat Harris-White and Stas Irons have always concerned themselves with galaxy-building — their albums, videos and performances don't arrive in this world so much as reveal theirs.

Dub music pioneer King Tubby; Pre-dub, pre-reggae Mento Madness; Joplin & The American Ragtime Ensemble; Solo work by Yes guitarist Steve Howe; The wobbly, oscillating sounds of for stars and more.

Folk Alley presents a sampling of its favorite albums this year, submitted by hosts and staff. Selections include venerated legends (Levon Helm, Ricky Skaggs), up-and-comers (The Greencards, Eilen Jewell) and successful folk favorites (Patty Griffin, Susan Werner).

One of pop's greatest crossover artists, Lionel Richie's latest album is a collection of his biggest hits sung as duets with some of Nashville's biggest stars. It's the biggest-selling new album of 2012, but a quick look at the charts shows there are plenty of other country songs made in his image.

The man who snuck bass music into a Radiohead remix has a brand new song of his own. Listen to "Ready."

Wise, known for her collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, says the idea for the purple-lit video came to her during an "incredible" pedicure.

Simon Okely's soulful serenade to a detached lover betrays his influences in its smooth '70s sound. The accompanying video is a retro haze of mom jeans and disco balls.

A band with a taste for reinvention takes on the blippy moodiness of '80s acts like Depeche Mode, Erasure and Yaz.

A DIY spirit pervades Merchandise's dark, well-crafted songs, even if they sound more at home in the gloomy climes of Manchester than in sunny Tampa, where the band is based.

"OMG," from Usher's just-released Raymond vs. Raymond, marks something of a departure for the singer. In "OMG," center stage is given over to the song's inner workings -- and collaborator will.i.am -- rather than Usher's pleading voice.

What's Going On was an instant classic, as well as one of the most influential records from a passionate and enduring icon. Read NPR staff members' reflections on its legacy.

The Mexican artist answers our "El Tiny" questionnaire, and tell us why the guitar has changed music making for her.

Each county's plan must include input from law enforcement, mental health and school professionals.