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The nominees for Best Song at Sunday's Oscar ceremonies are an eclectic mix. Two songs from Cold Mountain have been nominated, along with a song from The Lord Of the Rings: The Return of the King, Triplets of Belleville and A Mighty Wind. NPR's Scott Simon talks to American Film Institute director Murray Horwitz.

Professor Michael Maar has unearthed an obscure 1916 short story published in German called "Lolita." It tells of a middle-aged man's fixation with a young girl. Scholars are now left to debate what it might mean if Vladimir Nabokov -- author of the later novel Lolita -- knew of the story. NPR's Liane Hansen talks with Maar.

Singer Sam Phillips began her music career as a Christian singer. She took her faith with her and began to make pop music that are modern torch songs, songs of love and pain. The music on her latest CD, A Boot and A Shoe, is stark, with production from T Bone Burnett. NPR's Melissa Block talks with Phillips about the characters and many angles the writer uses to compose music that is more impressionistic than storytelling.

If you're a mother of young children, you may not have much musical freedom. The songs you listen to are, inescapably, the songs your kids are listening to. Catherine Savage is one of those moms. She discusses her favorite music from children's movies.

Eight years after their previous studio album, the New Orleans-and Colorado-based roots band The Subdudes has reformed. NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with original founding members Tommy Malone and John Magnie. The band is currently on tour supporting its new album Miracle Mule.

The Motion Picture Association of America is considering whether to sue individuals who illegally download movies online, much the way the music industry went after those who pilfer music. Faster technology allows for faster downloads of large computer files such as movies. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Turkish bass baritone Burak Bilgili about being asked to fill in as Leporello in the New York Metropolitan Opera's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Author Ron Chernow releases Alexander Hamilton, his new biography of the first secretary of the Treasury. The book traces Hamilton's life from his childhood on the West Indies island of Nevis to his early designs for the American economy and his death in a duel with then-Vice President Aaron Burr. NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with Chernow.

The Walt Disney Co. is blocking its Miramax division from distributing Fahrenheit 9/11, a new documentary from filmmaker Michael Moore highly critical of the Bush administration. Reports suggest Disney was worried about upsetting the president's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Moore discusses the controversy with NPR's Michele Norris.

Three performance artists have developed an art piece called Swipe, which reveals how much information your drivers license contains. Rob Schmitz of member station KPCC reports.