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On this edition of All Songs Considered: the heavy pop sounds of Danish duo The Raveonettes; a solo kora recording by Toumani Diabate and more.

Rock music may give the electric guitar fire, but avant-garde jazz musicians often re-think the instrument beyond its basic, melody- and rhythm-based functions. Here are five musicians who eschew standard conventions and instead approach the guitar as a device of pure sound.

In the piano trio, only three instruments are involved, so the thoughts and actions of musicians must be absolutely in sync with one another. Pianists like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett have led legendary trios, but here are five piano-trio leaders who keep the acoustic jazz tradition alive in fresh ways.

In the 1960s, European musicians began to reinvent the occasionally strident sounds of American avant-garde jazz to suit their own ideas. Norway, in particular, produced its own distinct regional aesthetic — no doubt influenced by its icy landscape.

Manouche Jazz, commonly known as "Gypsy Jazz," is a blend of traditional Roma music and swing jazz. Originating in Paris in the early 1930s, it was first popularized by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Hear five songs from the genre's founders and modern jazz musicians.

Pianist Arturo O'Farrill, son of the Latin jazz pioneer Chico O'Farrill, now conducts the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in New York. He picks five jazz albums which he says changed his life.

Evolving out of 1950s bebop, hard bop incorporates elements of gospel, soul and R&B. One of the style's biggest supporters, Blue Note Records, celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. And while jazz has progressed since then, hard bop is still heard in many modern jazz recordings. Hear five classics.

The nation's blowhards have just a few days left to indulge in a time-honored quadrennial tradition: announcing that, if a certain candidate is elected president, they'll pull up stakes and move to Canada. Before jumping in the car and heading north, get to know some of the music that you'll soon call your own.

The composer's innovations have been distilled and polished to a new, compelling sheen in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet and the new, rock-inflected 2x5. Hear both works here until they're released on Sept. 14.

It may be one of the leading names in jazz, but The Bad Plus probably wouldn't mind if you called it a weirdo instrumental rock band. Hear the decade-old trio's latest album, the all-original Never Stop, in its entirety until its release on Sept. 14.