What are our obligations to others as people in a free society? Is it just for the government to tax the rich to help the poor? Is the free market fair? Harvard professor Michael J. Sandel discussed these questions and more at last Thursday's Policy and a Pint.

Illinois-born Lissie offers some of the best Americana music to come out of the Midwest in recent decades. Now living in California, the musician -- Lissie Maurus by birth -- examines life in small-town America and growing up in a rural area.

After many independent labels and attempts to break into the international music scene, Fanfarlo took things into their own hands and released their album for $1 on their Web site. The result? A national tour of the United States and plenty of international dates as well.

Children of famous parents sometimes have a hard time adjusting to life in their parents' shadow. Not so for Rosanne Cash, the daughter of the late Johnny Cash. Throughout her thirty-year career, Cash has been a vibrant and engaging force in the country music world.

Mountain Goats leader John Darnielle has earned plenty of critical and popular acclaim for his literate lyrics and homages to American music of ages past. Now, as a trio, the Mountain Goats have returned with their 17th album in 18 years as a band, "The Life of the World to Come."