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Amos Lee's voice sounds tired on "Night Train" — quietly worn from long days of trouble and a need for rest. But the quietness draws attention to every syllable, every subtle inflection and shift of instrumentation. In the middle of everything, it creates a moment of utter peace.

PF Sloan was a major songwriter in L.A.'s burgeoning '60s folk and pop scene, with writing credits for the likes of The Turtles, Johnny Rivers and The Grassroots. His song "Eve of Destruction" was a #1 hit in 1965, and after a long break from the music business, Sloan recently returned with the new Sailover.

Commentator John Ridley pays tribute to legendary Hollywood producer Irwin Allen, frequently called the "Master of Disaster." Allen set the standard for large-scale disaster movies. His first has been remade into Poseidon, opening today.

Singer/songwriter Mason Jennings is a storyteller first and foremost, but he also combines folk, blues and rock with subtle, effortless grace. Alternately backed by a band and accompanied only by his own guitar, Jennings' acoustic pop songs are honest, intimate and inviting.

One of the best hip-hop acts to surface in recent years, Spank Rock lays fun, over-the-top raps atop a mix of '80s-influenced electronic beats. Street-smart but beach-friendly, "Sweet Talk" is one of the catchiest, most exhilarating songs released this year, hip-hop or otherwise.

Can voice lessons help a kid get to college?Less than half of Detroit's high school students graduate, but more than 95 percent of kids who perform with the Mosaic Youth Theatre end up in college.

There's good news for the Siberian tiger. A new survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society finds the population of the endangered species is more or less stable, at about 530 adults and cubs. That's not many, but it's about the same as 10 years ago.

An Environmental Protection Agency draft proposal would change the way pollution from power plants is measured -- changes that critics say would undermine clean air laws. The document could limit pollution on an hourly -- not yearly -- basis.

Composer David Diamond died Monday in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. As a composer, Diamond is celebrated for his sense of melody, which he felt helped him speak to the public. He would have turned 90 in July.

Dave Smith, a pioneer of the synthesizer, revolutionized pop music in the 1980s. David Bowie and Madonna are among the legions who used his Prophet 5 synthesizer. Smith died last week at age 72.

Immovable Objects is the performance and recording name of multi-instrumentalist Matt Gagin. Before going solo, Gagin spent five years playing with the San Diego shoe gaze band Waterline Drift. His new record is 'Hoping It Stays Just This Broken.'

In a music career spanning more than 40 years, Lowe has profoundly affected the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer. In recent years, he's established himself as a lovably acerbic pop legend. World Cafe honors Nick Lowe's career with three interviews from the archives.

According to a self-written "mythology," Cuban Cowboys' lead singer fell out of Fidel Castro's beard while he was in a bubble bath, smoking and watching TV. Hear an interview and performance by the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Cuban Surf Rock Band."

Scott Marrow is a songwriter from Lake Worth, Florida. He recorded and played all of the instruments on his new album, For All the Time You Spend Losing... You Better Enjoy Your Failures. The record explores different approaches to playing catchy lo-fi rock with distinct warmth that ties the songs together.

In 1971, critics hailed soprano Patricia Brooks' recital debut as groundbreaking. A new CD release provides a rare document of a performer who demonstrated a rare mix of talents.

From its name to its stripped-down acoustic Americana, the L.A.-based duo Chris & Thomas revels in straightforward simplicity. But make no mistake: There's nothing easy about writing songs as purely infectious as "Take These Thoughts."

In 1990s' "Cult Status," tongue-in-cheek singer John McKeown proclaims, "My cult status keeps me alive" with all the preening attitude of Mick Jagger in his prime. Running less than three minutes, it's a high-spirited romp through the rock of yesteryear.

Great Northern's "Low Is a Height" doesn't break a ton of lyrical ground: Instead, it's content to use vague phrases to help pile on the atmosphere. It's an effective strategy, as the song functions as the musical embodiment of a mood that's somehow both sunny and oppressive.

Romance conjured by a magic potion is no match for the real thing in Donizetti's insightful comic romp, The Elixir of Love, from the Washington National Opera.

Taut and tantalizing, these 10 songs have countless different ways of grabbing and inviting attention; they wobble, seethe and coo with charismatic ambivalence.