1. "The First Record" - Teddy Thompson's new CD leans toward the emotional side of life and love, but he also has an ironic streak and a keen wit.
2. "Warning Signs" - Thompson sings about the dangers in relationships that seem to be just fine.
3. "Songwriting" - Many of his songs start as conversations with himself that take on poetic or veiled twists.
4. "Influences" - Richard and Linda Thompson's son talks about his musical roots.

1. "Motown Memories" - R&B, hillbilly music, and Phil Spector records are the foundation of Marshall Crenshaw's style.
2. "Looking for the Groove" - Feeling before words...most of the time.
3. "Not Fade Away" - Buddy Holly's music lives on in Marshall Crenshaw's songs.

1. "The CD" - Russell raises a glass to the songs that made the cut, and the collaborators who made it possible.
2. "Ideal World" - Brenda Russell’s songs are infused with spirituality and her belief in redemption.
3. "A Dream Come True" - A Carole King fan since childhood, Russell tells of collaborating with her idol.
4. "Paris Rains" - The personal emotional tale of the title track, "Love and Paris Rain"

1. "The CD" - Singer-songwriter Terry Radigan talks about composing the songs on her debut CD.
2. "G-o-o-d-b-y-e" - Radigan tells how she wrote a more modern version of a pop classic.
3. "Dance Tracks" - Where the stories and sounds in her songs come from.
4. "Influences" - Radigan talks about her admiration for the lush pop tunes of decades past.

Purchase this CD at Amazon.com

1. "The CD" - Vivian Trimble and Josephine Wiggs have created a CD for people who see life as a movie in search of a soundtrack.
2. "Two Scenes" - Josephine says two instrumentals stand out as her favorites.
3. "Two Songs" - Nashville bars and Parisian pop aren't all they're cracked up to be.
4. "With Emmylou Harris" - Vivian bumped into Emmylou Harris in a recording studio and convinced her to sing a song Vivian wrote for her.

1. "The CD" - Singer-songwriter Kimmie Rhodes reflects on songs of loss and what matter's in life.
2. "Rich From the Journey" - Rhodes tells us about the unusual and personal inspiration behind the CD's title cut.
3. "Yellow Sand" - The story of a curious song that arrived in a dream. (Featured song: 'Yellow Sand')
4. "Inspiration" - Kimmie Rhodes talks about some of the surprising influences in her songs.

Visit artist's web site: http://www.kimmierhodes.com

1. "The CD" - Elliott Smith is an acute observer of personal details, but that doesn't mean his songs are about himself.
2. "Interior Lives" - Smith is intrigued by people's inner strengths and odd triumphs.
3. "Dreams and Songs" - His songs aren't always clear, because that's how people are.
4. "Can't Make a Sound" - Smith talks about the origin of a very dramatic song.

1. "The CD" - Refusing to rest on the laurels of their polka fame, vocalist Carl Finch tells why he penned an album of pop tunes.
2. "Double Vision" - Why this Foreigner cover had to groove somewhere between a mambo and a cha-cha.
3. "Denton" - An instrumental homage to Brave Combo’s hometown.
4. "Life Sucks" - The human condition, and other musings.

1. "The CD" - Narissa Nields says this time the band decided to make a real studio album.
2. "Jeremy Newborn Street" - A family tragedy was the inspiration for this song about healing and rebirth.
3. "Barbie" - A poem to America's leading doll role model.
4. "This Town is Wrong" - How Narissa Nields dreamed of a song that wasn’t by Todd Rungren.

1. "Drama" - Composer and arranger Alf Clausen was surprised when he got tapped for “The Simpsons”: he’d never composed for a cartoon.
2. "Playing It Straight" - The lyrics may be hilarious, but Clausen’s compositions are often loving musical tributes.
3. "Living the Dream" - A former college composition student still seems amazed to find himself at the top of his field.
4. "The Simpsons Theme" - Clausen’s arrangements of Danny Elfman’s original composition span the musical globe from Route 66 to Aboriginal Australia.

1. "The CD" - Bassist Joey Spampinato says this may be their best CD yet.
2. "Sail On" - Spampinato talks about composing this song of love and loss.
3. "Songwriting" - How NRBQ writes--individually and together.
4. "Influences" - Joey Spampinato says the band's personalities are their biggest musical influence.

Visit artist's web site: http://users.loa.com/~ceol/nrbq.html

1. "Love Conquers All" - Jason Miles talks about the art and craft of producing, and the quest that kept him knocking on doors.
2. "Who is Ivan Lins?" - Miles says that it's not just Lins' music that has women swooning.
3. "Sting and Chaka Khan" - How two great lyricists, Kathy Byalick and Brenda Russell, came through in a pinch for Chaka Khan and Sting.
4. "To Grover With Love" - The story of Grover Washington Jr.'s last recording session.