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Madonna's new single, "4 Minutes," is an airtight, spit-polished production loaded with current stars, designed to send the message that Madonna still matters. Music critic Tom Moon reviews the pop icon's latest album, Hard Candy.

Sinatra, Streisand, Rosemary Clooney and Tony Bennett — even Fred Astaire — have all recorded their songs: The husband-and-wife team of Marilyn and Alan Bergman has been writing irresistible tunes together for 50 years. Alan Bergman has recorded an album of their songs with the Berlin Radio Orchestra; it's called Lyrically.

From the musical buzz in pre-WWI Vienna to the experimental New York scene of the 1960s and on through today, Alex Ross reveals the story of 20th-century music in his new book The Rest Is Noise.

Josh Ritter's poetic and intellectually complex lyrics have helped make the singer-songwriter practically a household name in Ireland. But he's not yet well-known in America -– "yet" being the key word. Hear an interview and in-studio performance from NPR's Studio 4A.

Rock historian Ed Ward reviews the new classic rock box set Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk and Rockabilly. Hits from Elvis, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee light up this 101-track, four-disc collection produced by Rhino Records.

Hear a preview of the 50th annual Monterey Jazz Festival, which includes Gerald Wilson's specially commissioned piece, Monterey Moods. Wilson and many other jazz luminaries, including Dave Brubeck, celebrate the festival's half-century mark this weekend.

Sophie Milman has a classic jazz voice that evokes smoky lounges, softly clinking glasses and the cool of the night. Her second CD, Make Someone Happy, contains her interpretations of many jazz standards, but also includes some surprising choices.

As the frontman for pop-punk band Fall Out Boy, Pete Wentz glories in remaking the rules. He playfully subverts gender roles to undercut homophobia by wearing eyeliner, kissing his male bandmates on stage and wearing girls' jeans, yet somehow makes it all mainstream.

Rapper Percy Carey, a.k.a. MF Grimm, has survived several murder attempts, including one that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He's got a new album, The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man, and he's just published an autobiographical graphic novel.

Luciana Souza's The New Bossa Nova features pop standards set to a Brazilian bossa nova beat.