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An exploration of interpretive extremes, this Friday (9/13, rebroadcast Saturday 9/14)

Brian Setzer got his start in the '80s rockabilly band Stray Cats with hits like "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut." From the '90s until now, his main gig has been with his 17-piece big band, with six albums and Grammy Awards in tow. Hear an interview and performance from WXPN.

The '70s Memphis-based rock band Big Star won rave reviews for their albums and influenced countless followers, but never managed to become stars. Rock and Roll historian Ed Ward says a new box set and a collection of recordings by founding member Chris Bell offer a chance to look back on the band's troubled life.

Notes from an unamplified double bass rank among the most beautiful man-made sounds; in jazz, the creator of those notes is always in the middle of the action, charting the harmonic direction of a band and plotting the rhythmic narrative as both an accompanist and a soloist. It's no small task, but here are five musicians who performed the duty with aplomb.

For a seventh straight week, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department rules the Billboard 200. On the singles chart, Eminem references both the Steve Miller Band and his own past glory.

A pop-up shop in a New York subway station is home to all things Broadway: memorabilia, live performances and handmade goods created by fans. Now, the shop's owners hope to find a permanent home.

NPR's Scott Detrow talks to NPR's Ann Powers and Marcus Dowling of The Tennessean about how two country songs sit atop the Billboard Hot 100, and the context for this moment.

The pop duo Wham! was only around for four years, but its songs have lasted decades. Chris Smith's Netflix documentary tells its history from the viewpoints of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.

The Yongblood Brass Band plays an infectious blend of Dixieland, soul, rock and hip-hop. NPR's Michele Norris talks to members of the group and they perform in Studio 4A.

David Mitchell's new novel chronicles the rise and fall of fictional 1960s psychedelic rock band. He says he was drawn to both the music and the "dark magic that was in the air" in that era.