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Originally from Iran, classical guitarist Lily Afshar stayed in the United States after the Islamic revolution in her homeland. Like her life, her music crosses continents. Hemispheres, Afshar's fourth CD, explores the Persian influence on her work.

As a hired-gun guitar-slinger, Will Kimbrough has earned a reputation as an "alien" — a way to explain his otherworldly prowess. Fortunately for Kimbrough, who aspires to a solo career, his songwriting chops are solid, too.

Lenine immortalizes a local legend in a song that deftly connects bits of old and new Brazil. The beat has funk in it, but also elements of maracatu, the northeastern Brazilian rhythm Lenine has helped to modernize with percussion loops.

Maybe it's an indication that the initial weirdness of listening to it has worn off, but pianist Jason Moran's scrupulous practice of using pre-recorded dialogue as a guide for etching melodic statements has never sounded as moving as it does on "Artists Ought to Be Writing."

In 1998, Argentine singer and songwriter Juana Molina walked away from a TV-acting career to explore music. She's toured constantly, opening for David Byrne and others. Her new, eerily beautiful CD is titled Son.

It's stupefying that Karen Dalton remains, even in this crate-digging age, largely unknown: She was a singer of transfixing nuance and uncommon emotional control. If her debut album appeared new today, Dalton could have easily become a phenomenon of at least Madeline Peyroux proportions.

Steven Bernstein mashes the sound of big band era jazz with well-known pop songs. His latest band, the Millennial Territory Orchestra, has just released its first album: 'MTO Volume One.'

Record producer Hal Willner's new collection brings together songs of the sea — songs about drinking, women, death and nasty crimes on the water. Songs of pirates, you say? Hardly. There's nary an "ahoy" or eye patch in sight.

Though Austin music remains best known as the spiritual ground zero for alt-country, Jon Dee Graham's new Full leans more toward rock. "Something Wonderful" is a hummable reminder to look out for moments of goodness.

On "Soft & Warm," Voxtrot demonstrates an especially keen sense of melody and dynamics. The Texas indie-pop band begins plainly enough, building tension before transforming into a pop treasure at the entrance of a single trumpet.