Pop

Johnston has four albums to his credit. The latest is, "Unlucky." His previous album, "Can You Fly," brought him to attention of many critics and garnered him much acclaim. Despite his love of hard rock, Johnston's songs have been described as "post-punk honky-tonk. . . performed by a lonely, heartbroken wiseass."

For many years Killen was the head of Tree International, Nashville's leading music publisher, writer and producer. Killen once played bass in Hank Williams' band for ten dollars a night; in 1989 he sold Tree to Sony for 50 million. He's worked with just about every star in the Country firmament: Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson; and many classics in the Country cannon: "King of the Road", "Okie from Muskogee" and the immortal "D-I-V-O-R-C-E". Killen's new autobiography is "By the Seat of My Pants."

A concert with the McGarrigle sisters, Kate and Anna. There are new CDs of their first two albums, released in the late 70s: "Kate & Anna McGarrigle" and "Dancer with Bruised Knees." The McGarrigles are known for their close and "subtle harmony." Their music is considered hard to categorize, although it sounds folky. The sisters absorbed an eclectic blend of music when they were growing up in Canada: Victorian ballads, blues, jazz, French-Canadian folk songs, Broadway tunes, and country music.

Pierce won the "Songwriter of the Year" award at the 1993 Austin Music Awards. A tribute album of her songs performed by other singers, "Across the Great Divide," won the Album of the Year Award. She's originally from Lubbock, Texas, and little known outside the state. Her songs are quirky, and spiritual. Pierce also wrote and performed the one-woman show, ""Bad Girls Upset About the Truth," told in story and song about her problems with men and Jesus.

Producer Amy Salit interviews singer/songwriter and guitarist Joe Ely. He's been called the "underappreciated American rock 'n' roll legend." This country rocker hails from Lubbock, Texas and has been recording and playing music for 20 years, releasing nine albums. He began his career playing traditional country but now leans more toward the country-rockin' blues that has become a distinctive Texas sound. His latest album is "Love and Danger."

A conversation with singer/songwriter Arthur Alexander, whose songs were recorded on early records by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He was slated to tour with Otis Redding the week Redding died in a plane crash. Alexander's new album, "Lonely Just Like Me," is his first release in twenty years.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews music by the women's a capella group, Zap Mama.

Alexander's songs were recorded on early records by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. His new album, "Lonely Just Like Me," is his first release in twenty years.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Rosanne Cash's latest album. He says, like Cash's previous effort, it deserves to be a hit.

Mayfield has been called "the thinking man's soul man." He's known for his floating falsetto voice, gospel sound, and social commentary. He was with the group, "The Impressions" for 12 years recording such classics as "Gypsy Woman," "I'm so Proud," and "People Get Ready." His score for "Superfly," was considered a musical breakthrough, and has inspired many of today's hip-hop performers.

Terry talks to Hinojosa from Austin, Texas, where the musician is performing at the South by Southwest Music Festival. Hinojosa's latest album is "Culture Swing.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the debut album by the hip-hop group, Digable Planets, which is quickly garnering critical acclaim and a growing fanbase.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers the year 1973, which, upon further reflection, he concedes wasn't so bad after all.

Rock historian Ed Ward continues his look back at rock's evolution over the decades. In 1963, while the genre flourished in England, American audiences listened mostly to pop music -- some great, some not so much.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new CDs by two women artists who go beyond their country-singer label: "Everytime You Say Goodbye," by Allison Krauss, and "Culture Swing," by Tish Hinojosa.

In the late 1970s, Costello burst out of Britian's pop-music scene as an angry young-man with a fresh sound. On his new release, "The Juliet Letters," he works with the Brodsky Quartet. His new songs are based on a correspondence addressed to Juliet Capulet of "Romeo and Juliet."

Cahn died last Friday at the age of 79. We rebroadcast an interview Terry Gross recorded with him in 1985. Cahn wrote many of the songs that Frank Sinatra recorded, including Come Fly With Me, Teach Me Tonight and High Hopes. He also wrote the scores for many Broadway shows including Walking Happy and Skyscraper, and for the movies Come Blow Your Horn, Robin and the Seven Hoods, and A Pocketful of Miracles.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new release by singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen.

Terry talks with rock critic Ken Tucker about his list of favorite records from 1992 across genres.

World music critic Milo Miles tells us about Fellow Travellers, an English acoustic band who blends reggae with country music.