Music

The Portland, Ore., band Blitzen Trapper makes its first appearance on Mountain Stage, recorded live in Charleston, W.V. Led by singer-songwriter Eric Earley, the group has followed an unconventional path; Earley tells host Larry Groce that prior to the band's breakout, he spent a couple years living as a squatter in a rehearsal space.

Experience the wide world of hip-hop with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, DJ, producer and one-third of the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest, and NPR Music editor Frannie Kelley. We aim to bring you the full breadth of rap music, everything from old school classics to new school favorites.

There's a lot of astounding information in this comprehensive profile of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, "the reigning patriarch of Detroit jazz." After touring with Ray Charles for years, and getting opportunities with Max Roach and Charles Mingus, Belgrave opted not to stick it out in New York like many musicians of his caliber. Instead, he chose Detroit, where he's been since 1963.

Working in a subgenre somewhere between soul and rap, Stasia "Stas" Irons and Catherine "Cat" Harris-White form the avant-garde hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction. Based in Seattle, the young duo released its first album, awE naturalE, back in March.

Follow the Celtic music trail to Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Galicia, Asturias, Wales and Brittany.

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Bob Boilen and I were out in Portland and Seattle last week on our summer listening party tour, so we didn't post a new poll of albums everyone can love. Fear not: To make up for the week off, this week we've got 40 albums for you. In the coming weeks we'll let you know which records have been doing the best and have some sort of runoff between the highest vote-getters to come up with a top ten we all can agree on (well, most of us, anyway).

Here's this week's double-size poll. Just tell us whether you love, don't love or haven't really heard each album.

The North Alabama rock band Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit makes its second appearance on Mountain Stage here. As a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, Isbell was responsible for some of the band's most memorable work, including "Never Gonna Change" and "Outfit." Out on his own since 2007, Isbell has released three studio albums with his band The 400 Unit, the most recent being Here We Rest.