Almost nothing beats the Carter Family when it comes to honest, earnest music-making.

In August 1927 three musicians arrived at a makeshift recording studio in Bristol, Tennessee, to audition for a talent scout from the Victor Talking Machine Company. The songs A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and her cousin Maybelle recorded that day drew upon the rich musical traditions of their native rural Appalachia. The Carter Family sang of love and loss, desperation and joy, and their music captured the attention of a nation entering the darkest days of the depression. In the coming years, with the release of songs such as Keep on the Sunnyside, Will the Circle Be Unbroken and Wildwood Flower, Carter Family record sales exploded. Success, however, brought sorrow to the Carter's personal lives. As the demand for their music grew, A.P. Carter traveled across the Blue Ridge mountains seeking inspiration for new songs. During his long absences Sara fell in love with A.P.'s first cousin. Sara divorced A.P. in 1936, but the trio continued performing together until their eventual disbanding in 1943.

The production draws upon rarely seen photographs, memorabilia and archival footage to tell the bittersweet story of these influential musical pioneers whose songs and style laid the foundations for American folk, country and bluegrass music.

The Carter Family: Will The Circle Be Unbroken | American Experience on PBS

"Georgia Hard" is a sensational songwriter's record, a swift mix of pathos and wit, where every lyrical and vocal nuance is essential to the bigger picture. And it's populated with a number of airtight genre exercises that speak to the breadth of Fulks's talent. But it's not without Fulks's endearing offshoots into disarmingly humorous fare.

If you're new to Robbie Fulks, I recommend starting with "She Took A Lot Of Pills (And Died)" from 1996's "Country Love Songs" and his fantastic rendition of Johnny Cash's "Cry, Cry, Cry" from the "Dressed in Black" tribute album.

Robbie Fulks

On Yahoo, you can search for members who have similar tastes. Members can control who gets to see their collections. People you follow are called "influencers"; their highly rated songs will play on your personalized "LAUNCHcast" radio station. Those who seek your recommendations are deemed "followers."

Music-subscription services can be a good deal

Kevin Kelly says:

"Fill your iPod with something different. I don't mean more indie rock or the latest in hip-hop or electronica. I mean Norwegian jazz, Zaire club house, slide guitar from India, Russian underground, Ethiopian acid pop ... This source specializes in esoteric import CDs of traditional and contemporary world music not found on Amazon, iTunes and the like.

This is the far end of the 'long tail' music scene."

CD Roots: music from the road less traveled

I have quite unexpectedly fallen in love with this album. On first impression, it didn't make the cut; I briefly sampled it at a retail music store and decided to pass on it. Recently, I ambled onto it through Rhapsody, and this time I gave it a bit more attention.

It was time well spent, and of late, I have played this album more than any other. Perhaps you'll enjoy it, too.

Carla Bruni is probably the most famous model in France, the former companion of famous people such as Eric Clapton and Donald Trump.

But what matters is, are the songs any good? And yes they are. The idiom is somewhere between singer-songwriter and a dinner-jazz version of Django Reinhardt: a guitar equivalent of Norah Jones, sung in French.

For some, the idea of listening to songs in another language is akin to watching a ball game in which the ball is invisible: meaningless and frustrating. For me, it works the other way round. Freed from following the words, I am ready to be lured by the sound of the singer's voice, alert to the interplay between voice and instruments.

This review is so on-point. I couldn't agree more.

But even when we don't understand the exact meaning of the words or even the general theme of a song, there's still a sense of being carried along by the singer's conviction. An Italian whose French sounds impeccable, Carla Bruni sings softly, thoughtfully, enjoying the game of finding words that have opposite or ambiguous meanings, and resolving unusual rhymes. The standout song is 'Le toi du moi', a tour de force in which she matches more than 50 pairs of words, one for you, one for me, rhyming the second and fourth word each time. Bob Dylan or Ian Dury would have smacked their lips in satisfaction had they written it.

I've been living with this album on and off for almost a year now, during which time it has sold nearly two million copies in France and spread into Italy and Spain. Far from wearing out its charm, it has stealthily slipped into my blood, and will do the same to anyone else prepared to yield and surrender to its delicate beauty.

Carla Bruni: Quelqu'un m'a dit

Remember when you first discovered hip-hop?

http://www.discoverhiphop.com/

"I do not care if my music is pirated. The money is not important. What we want is to send out our lyrics so they can influence."

Be sure to watch the multi-media presentation.

Young Bolivians Discover Hip-Hop

The opportunity to hear great musicians of the past century play again live is an unparalleled thrill. Our business is creating modern recordings from revered originals and recapturing the magic of hearing these artists perform again.

Zenph Studios

For any pop star, the trick is to sing songs that can survive the distorting effects of popularity itself: songs that fans can adopt and warp to suit their own perceptions.

'American Idol,' Zootopia, and the Real Ingredients of Pop Success

Trends like this reach a tipping point, when business as usual becomes unacceptable to the public as a whole. Judging from the rising hue and cry, hip-hop is just about there.

How Hip-Hop Music Lost Its Way and Betrayed Its Fans

Did I mention that fat people hate music?

The obvious follow-up question is: does music hate them back? (Boy, that one practically answers itself!)

And with the cycle thus established, the equally obvious follow-up to that one is clearly: which came first?

It's a classic bacon, egg, and cheese question. (I mean, "chicken-egg.") Mmmm, croissan'wiches.

You know, my wooden coasters are way too tiny for my Big Gulp. But these round silver things are working out great!