Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode hooked up with Soulsavers, a British music and production duo, for a musical project, the result of which is the album The Light The Dead See. Watch an excerpt of John Schaefer’s interview with Dave Gahan.

If Chicha Libre does not get you up and dancing, the members of the band will feel as if they have failed. Watch as they perform "La Plata,"  a song they hope will get you up and moving .

In a German airport, an Israeli pianist and a Malian guitarist crossed paths, changing both of their musical destinies. Idan Raichel, the pianist, had already been a huge fan of Vieux Farka Toure, the guitarist, so it did not take him long to suggest playing together. The resulting album is called The Tel Aviv Sessions. Watch a video of the Toure-Raichel Collective performing "Azawad."

The dedication in the liner notes of Trampled By Turtles' new album reads: "Dedicated to the ones we lost, and the ones we gained." The album does have a slightly quieter feel, as captured in the song "Alone." Watch Trampled By Turtles perform "Alone."

Amy Ray is well-known for being half of the Indigo Girls, but she also has an amazing solo career and a new solo album, Lung of Love. Watch her perform "The Rock Is My Foundation" in WNYC's Soundcheck studios.

"My dad and mom were really into reading us all sorts of mythologies," Dar Williams told Soundcheck's John Schaefer, which might explain why her new album, In the Time of Gods, sets Greek myths in modern times. Watch Williams sing "Crystal Creek," an adaptation of the myth of Artemis and the great hunter Actaeon.

Watch Stephane Wrembel play "Tsunami" live in WNYC's Soundcheck studios. He composed the song after watching pictures of Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Girl In A Coma is a punky, rocky all-girl band from San Antonio that dedicated its first song to two Chihuahuas back in Texas. Watch the band perform "Knocking On Your Door" live in the Soundcheck studio.

Beth Tacular and Phil Moore, of Bowerbirds, are an on-again, off-again (and now on-again) couple and the drama of that almost broke up the band. Tacular says, "By the time we got together, we had a renewed excitement about things and more appreciation for eachother and patience for each other." Watch Bowerbirds performing "Overcome With Light," live on Soundcheck.

Watch this video to see Alexis Cuadrado and his band perform "La Aurora" from the jazz song cycle, A Lorca Soundscape, live on Soundcheck.

Musician and playwright Ethan Lipton used the loss of his "day job" as the basis for a new piece of musical theater called "No Place To Go."

The Wedding Present has released a new album, Valentina, and is in the U.S. touring it as well as performing the 1991 record Seamonsters all the way through. Watch a video of the group performing "Back A Bit ... Stop" live on Soundcheck.

Even though singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche is from Norway, his most recent album, called Sondre Lerche, was written in New York. But the song he picked to play in WNYC's Soundcheck studios -- "Two Way Monologue" -- is from 2004. Watch a video of the performance here.

When Carolina Chocolate Drops was formed, it was partially to keep alive the black string band tradition. Watch the group perform "Boodle De Bum Bum" in WNYC's Soundcheck studios.

Jenny Scheinman has put together a quartet with some big hitters. Mischief and Mayhem is made up of Scheinman on the violin, bassist Todd Sickafoose, drummer Jim Black and Wilco guitarist Nels Cline. Watch the quartet play "Ali Farka Touche."

Saxophonist Ben Wendel's new album Frame is named for his move to New York and a change to his "frame" of reference. "Chorale" is one of the tracks off the new album. Watch Wendel perform the song in WNYC's Soundcheck studios.

The Cranberries were only 16 and 18 years old when their careers took off. Now they are releasing a new album, Roses. Watch the video for "It's Raining In My Heart," as performed live in the Soundcheck studios.

Nick Jonas got his break singing in a hair salon in New Jersey, waiting for his mom while she got her hair done.  Now the 19-year-old is playing the lead in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" on Broadway. Watch this video of Jonas singing "I Believe In You."

Mike Doughty founded the group Soul Coughing in the early '90s. Now he's off on a solo career and has a memoir out, "The Book of Drugs," which chronicles his battle with addiction and with the members of his band. Watch Doughty play "Na Na Nothing" in WNYC's Soundcheck studios.

The Warsaw Village Band has a few records out with a modern take on Polish folk music. Now the band is going to have an opera set in Poland at the end of World War II to its credit. Watch the Warsaw Village Band and the cast from the opera perform a section from the opera, "A Blessing on the Moon."