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The type of song you play on speakers until they burst, "check1" pushes the needle forward for a genre that sometimes feels stuck in its own mythos.

Films from Mexico have been finding viewers in the United States and around the world. This year, directors of three films with Oscar buzz are Mexican: Children of Men, Pan's Labrynth and Babel.

Agraria, a new restaurant in the posh Georgetown section of Washington, D.C., is owned and operated by the North Dakota Farmers' Union. Every ingredient in every dish comes from American family farmers.

The coffee chain joins McDonald's in taking its brand out of the country. Starbucks had temporarily paused operations in March.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sits down with NPR's Michele Kelemen for an interview about Iran after meetings in Vienna with foreign ministers from other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, plus Germany.

Computer entrepreneur Abdelhadi "Hadi" Abushahla faces plenty of challenges to doing business in the Gaza Strip. The roads are cluttered with slow-moving donkey carts, the phones often don't work and permission to enter Israel can be nearly impossible to get.

The U.S. government has spent billions of dollars cleaning up highly toxic plutonium waste in Hanford, Wash., where much of the fuel for the nation's nuclear weapons was produced. Over budget and behind schedule, the project has ground to a halt. Some worry the government will give up on cleaning up the site completely.

Student Gita Jackson, 13, talks about the type of music she enjoys as part of the ongoing "What Are You Listening To?" series. She says that she and her musical tastes disprove the stereotype of "the Britney Spears-loving, Forever 21-wearing, valley girl-speaking, smiley prepubescent white girl."

Sister Gertrude Morgan -- folk artist, preacher, nurse -- made a distinctive album of gospel music in 1970. Philadelphia DJ King Britt has created a tribute to the New Orleans musician.

Uncertainty may be the path to freedom, but that path is laced with thorny vines and booby-trapped with regret. On her sophomore album, On A Clear Night, Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins addresses that bittersweet quandary in "Where I Stood."

On Fast Computers' "Sweden Hasn't Changed, You Have," a minimal, pinball-like loop explodes into a swirl of carnival-esque synth washes evocative of Low-era Bowie. The melody is powerful, haunting and stark, but it also seems organic and natural.

DeVotchKa's sound is a surprisingly potent potpourri of cabaret, spaghetti Western, and Eastern European Gypsy songs. In "Head Honcho," Nick Urata's gorgeous voice holds the melting pot together as a lone accordion intrudes upon his reverie, insistent and beautiful.

The rich, celebratory "Red Travellin' Socks" takes an endearing and poetic angle on the typical road-trip anthem. Sure, there are plenty of odes to travelin' shoes, but what about the layer in between? Without comfortable, worn-in socks, the cold functionality of shoes is irrelevant. As Middleton observes, it's the familiarity of socks that's responsible for getting you home.

Vanderslice addresses loneliness, lost love and alienation, and along the way, finds freedom by leaving the familiar for the unknown.

Classically trained hip-hop and pop veteran John Forte blends sleek rhythms and catchy hooks, in the process turning some difficult life experiences into introspective, ultimately uplifting music. Hear Forte perform live in concert from WXPN in Philadelphia.

The Irish band La Rocca evolves past conventional Europop in the rootsy, catchy "Roadway Hymn." The track's subtle piano arrangements, country-guitar twang and unexpected blast of harmonica demonstrate a deep affection for Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen. Bjorn Bailie's fragile vocals bring a touch of blue-eyed soul, while multipart harmonies add warmth.

Previously a member of the pop band Irving, Shana Levy began experimenting with solo music in 2002, enlisting the help of friends and colleagues. The Chaos in Order, her first album under the name Let's Go Sailing, should raise the profile of her sugary pop music.

Sweden is home to some of the most exciting pop music around. In a special session with host David Dye, World Cafe features three emerging artists: Lykke Li, El Perro del Mar, and Anna Ternheim.

The quintessential Russian opera, Boris Godunov explores a centuries-old murder mystery, while probing the psyche of its tormented title character.

The songwriting on Rex Orange County's latest single, "OPEN A WINDOW," reminds producer Bobby Carter of a time when we weren't allowed to leave our homes and even an open window seemed like freedom.