The seasoned engineer behind hits from Lucinda Williams and Rhiannon Giddens gives fans a look on the other side of the glass.

It is overwhelming to imagine just how many molecules and how many mountains Aretha Franklin has moved with her music.

"We're still considered by virtually everybody as an indie band," says Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard.

To celebrate our list of the 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+, a group of contributors gathered to talk about the artists who are defying labels, blazing trails and reclaiming history today.

A live performance of songs from one of the most intriguing albums of the year, soil.

Boz Scagg's new music traces back to an early love of the blues that he first fell in love with growing up in Texas and Oklahoma.

This undefinable five-piece band boasts a blend of charisma, musical chops, sing-along harmonies and breakneck creativity.

Mama wants to change that Nashville sound.

Listen back to some of the best World Cafe interviews and performances of the past year including Courtney Barnett, David Crosby, Natalie Prass and many more.

Dessa, a raconteur rapper and slick singer who studied philosophy and dabbled in slam poetry, is one of the most anomalous artists in music today.

Dave Matthews' opinions on U.S. race relations, excitement for a new band line-up and acceptance of "Crash Into Me" are all products of reflection.

Case reflects on a solitary childhood, the fire that consumed her house, the subjugation of women and the fate of humanity, and performs songs from her latest album, Hell-On.

The message of Turner's new album Be More Kind applies both to the ways we treat the world around us and the way we treat ourselves.

Songwriting and musicianship aside, one of the things fans latch on to is that this band feels like a good hang.

The members of the trio talk about All of This Life, their relentless work ethic and the surprising similarities between touring in a rock and roll band and growing up on a dairy farm.

LaMontagne shares life stories, including how he met his wife at 8 years old, and performs songs from his latest album 'Part of the Light.'

Hear the story of how the brothers went from singing in the pubs of an old steel town outside London to recording at Rick Rubin's Shangri La Studios in Malibu.

After some ups and downs, Zoe Reynolds persisted and independently released her debut album. Hear a live performance.

At 72 years old, LaVette is back with a deep dive into Bob Dylan's songbook for her latest record Things Have Changed.

Rather than taking on an acid tongue, Prass digs into the sweeter possibilities — that tough times can make people stick together, stand up and be counted and even dance.