Music

Rapper Lupe Fiasco is famous for his edgy rhymes and radical politics. For the Tell Me More series "In Your Ear," Fiasco shares some of the songs that motivate him. That includes Johnny Cash's "Man In Black" that inspired his latest album cover.

Jason Lytle is the man behind the Modesto, Calif., band Grandaddy. The band released its debut in 1997, but it was Grandaddy's second album — The Sophtware Slump — that broke through with critics and fans. Even David Bowie called himself a fan when he approached the band members after seeing them play.

Every member of Dirty Three has a highly respectable career outside of the band: Violinist Warren Ellis works closely with Nick Cave, drummer Jim White is a sought-after collaborator with an instantly recognizable sound, and guitarist Mick Turner has released a string of gorgeous instrumental solo albums when he's not working as a visual artis

Ever since shortly after her famed performance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival, Joan Baez has been an internationally known star, famous for classic albums and a career marked by social and political activism.

If you're one of the few viewers still confused about what Treme is saying about art, do note this episode's "play-within-a-play" staging of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. The existentialist play revolves around two characters, Vladimir (nicknamed Didi) and Estragon (called Gogo), who wait interminably for a mysterious "Godot" by a desolate country road. It's clearly meant to parallel New Orleans residents' wait for essential social services, complete with the barren backdrop of the city post-Katrina.

Roxy Music's eight studio albums have just been collected in one box set, titled The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982.

Oakland-based chef and activist Bryant Terry released his latest cookbook The Inspired Vegan earlier this year. In the book, he creates soulful playlists for each of his elaborate vegan menus. For Tell Me More's occasional series, "In Your Ear," Terry talks about the music that inspires him — in and out of the kitchen.