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After decades of performing, the celebrated soprano's enthusiasm for music is irresistible. She chooses some of her favorite recordings for an informal session of listening and conversation.

A brother-and-sister act, Angus and Julia Stone are known around the globe for their ability to mesh two strong, separate vocal styles into an artfully mixed combination: Julia's light tones intermingle with Angus' rough, emotive baritone in arresting fashion. Hear the pair perform live in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

In "I Can Change," James Murphy's vocal performance helps bring his tale of salvaging a deteriorating relationship to the next level. When he sings, "Love is an open book to a verse of your bad poetry -- and this is coming from me," it's like he's written the Facebook status updates for brokenhearted smart-asses everywhere.

Kay Thompson was a musical director for MGM Studios, the author of the Eloise children's books and the star of her own long-running nightclub act. Liza Minnelli pays tribute to her real-life godmother in her latest, sold-out revue.

Metric's songs are like candy-coated insects: Once you crack their sugary shells, they're not as sweetly inviting as they appear on the surface. It's clear from the opening seconds of "Sick Muse" that acerbity will reign amid all the cheerfully buzzing guitars and "aaaaah"-ing backup vocals.

In the U.S., the British folk scene has never been as well-known as its counterparts in rock and pop, but David Gray is changing that. For more than a decade, this wordsmith out of Manchester has been laying down album after album of bright folk music. Hear him in a session from WXPN.

Shearer's voice remains soft and gentle throughout "How Glad I Am," as her guitar strums the major chords that function as the melody's stepping stones. As the song builds in intensity, her voice gathers strength and fake strings chime in, courtesy of a keyboard. But Shearer's dark side emerges, too.

Back to Now, the reunion release from Patti Labelle and her partners in Labelle, finds their piercing mid-'70s sound fitting perfectly amid today's music scene. In "Candlelight," the seemingly nonsensical title even makes sense: It looks back while sounding as fresh and funky as ever.

The conductor says that his goal is for more people to appreciate and recognize classical music for its complexity, organization and beauty. In an interview, Ponti discusses his work, his son and the best way for a classical-music novice to discover pure symphonic joy.

Josh Norek and Abraham Velez of Hip Hop Hoodios talk to host Michel Martin about their latest CD, Carne Masada: Quite Possibly the Very Best of Hip Hop Hoodios. The two discuss the way they mix Jewish and Latin sounds with cultural commentary and a healthy dose of humor.