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Sandy Denny became the queen of British folk rock when she joined the band Fairport Convention in 1968. Her fans included Robert Plant and Nina Simone. Denny was a skilled songwriter with a powerful and expressive voice, yet today many people don't recognize her name.

NPR's Scott Simons speaks with Bardo Martinez, the lead singer of the Latin rock band Chicano Batman, about their fifth album, "Notebook Fantasy."

Since the 1980s, Kim Deal has been in two storied rock bands: The Pixies and The Breeders. Almost 40 years into her music career, Deal just released her first solo album: "Nobody Loves You More."

They're activists and advocates from Brazil, Colombia, India, Kenya, Lesotho and the U.S. We wanted to know: How do they stay positive in the face of the world's many problems and woes?

Ask Me Another goes to the Virginia Arts Festival with former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove. We quiz the Star Trek: The Next Generation fan on famous poems rewritten about characters from the series.

April 14 marks the date 150 years ago that the first person was killed in the Civil War. But there's more to the story, and NPR's Kee Malesky has a special connection to it.

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.

McCartney and Youth returned to work as The Fireman for their third and latest release together, Electric Arguments. McCartney entered the studio, without any material, and recorded 13 songs in 13 days. The legendary artist reveals how his alter ego allows him the freedom to experiment.

Deanna Witkowski draws on a variety of influences — from Chopin to Cole Porter to a relatively unknown Brazilian rhythm called baião. It's no wonder the pianist finds her music going in different directions — sometimes within the same song — as in her "Wide Open Window." Hear Liane Hansen's performance chat with Witkowski in NPR's Studio 4A.

Trethewey revisits her mother's murder in a new memoir. Kevin Whitehead reviews a newly unearthed album from drummer Art Blakey. Comic Mike Birbiglia and poet Jen Stein share parenting truths.