Despite growing up in the land of disco and death metal, Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson, who goes by the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth, fell naturally into folk music.

Kristoff Krane's sophomore release is not only a collection of songs, but a collection of discs. Releasing two CDs at the same time might be considered ambitious, but for Kristoff Krane it seems pretty normal.

Host Mary Lucia spoke with Craig Finn of the Hold Steady and shared an exclusive performance of the band at at The Greene Space, WNYC's street-level performance venue in downtown Manhattan.

Mixing Americana templates with a sunny L.A. outlook, Local Natives' debut record, "Gorilla Manor," has given them the chance to go from Silver Lake to the clubs around the country.

"Infinite Arms" sounds like a band that has come into its own musically with added instrumentation, richer arrangements, and lush layered harmonies.

The most ambitious and challenging album of the summer might end up being the sophomore release from the little known pop sensation Janelle Monae. She's far from being a household name but has spent the past seven years building the support of artists like Big Boi, Saul Williams and Sean "Diddy" Combs.