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Mike Disfarmer snapped portraits of anyone and everyone in the small town of Heber Springs, Ark. The photos spanned a period from the Great Depression through World War II. Guitarist Bill Frisell composed a series of musical vignettes based for Disfarmer's work on a new album appropriately called Disfarmer.

Catalytic converter thefts have increased dramatically in Bloomington, according to the Bloomington Police Department.

In July, thousands of NPR's All Songs Considered listeners cast votes for their favorite songs of 2009's first half. Bob Boilen, the show's host, discusses the results and plays some of listeners' favorite songs with NPR's Melissa Block.

Kurtis Blow, one of the first superstars of rap, celebrates his 50th birthday Sunday. His 1980 megahit "The Breaks" introduced to the world a new sound that would come to be called "rap." NPR's Guy Raz called him up in Burlington, Vt., where he is currently on tour, to find out what he has been doing lately.

Ann Patchett first read The Ambassadors — that notoriously opaque Henry James novel — at the suggestion of a good friend. Little did she know she was about to discover "the literary equivalent of a religious text."

The Canadian pianist's latest release is a collection of "easy" sonatas by Joseph Haydn. With lyrical proclamations and high-minded fun, Hamelin reveals Haydn's mastery of melody, harmony and form.

Global health meetings are often held in the West — and that's an obstacle for scientists, doctors and advocates from lower resource countries. Which means their voices aren't being heard.

Supergroups have a long tradition in popular music. Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson once joined forces as The Highwaymen. There were the Fania All-Stars, The Four Tenors and Audioslave. Now Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, Jim James and M. Ward, calling themselves Monsters of Folk, have released their debut album.

The members of The Bronx have always felt a deep love for the music of their Los Angeles home, from the vibrant punk scene to the ever-present Latin rhythms that make up the background of Southern California life. So this hardcore punk outfit decided to record a mariachi record.

The songs on Revolution come in an impressive variety of arrangements and voices, from quiet, acoustic confessions to rock 'n' roll hollering. They're all convincing, and they make up not just Lambert's best record, but also critic Will Hermes' standing pick for country record of the year.