Brownstein and Tucker co-founded Sleater-Kinney in Olympia, Wash., during the 1990s feminist punk scene. While they were working on their new record, Little Rope, Brownstein's mother died suddenly.
The success of the polymath's technicolor Whack World EP left something darker brewing beneath the surface. Years later, she talks about pushing through self-doubt to rediscover her confidence.
Shakira's new album, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran," is her first in seven years and is being marketed as a comeback after a highly-publicized romantic breakup.
NPR's Scott Simon talks with double bass player Christian McBride about his new album, recorded with fellow bassist Edgar Meyer. It's called "But Who's Gonna Play the Melody?"
Katie Crutchfield's gorgeous sixth album affirms that real lives are lived not in clear chapters, but as a zig-zag of pitfalls and revelations one can only hope to learn from.