This the 23rd segment in our Latin music series Latin Roots. It’s time for our Latin Roots segment but this time it is a little different as our correspondent Felix Contreras from NPR’s Alt-Latino is actually going to play congas and talk about the drums that are central to so much Latin music.

Songwriting and producing legend John Cale is back with Shifty Adventures in Nookie World, his fifteenth solo album and first since 2005. Cale shape-shifts often throughout the record, channeling discotheque on the Danger Mouse-produced “I Wanna Talk 2 U,” acoustic picking his way through “Living With You,” and venturing into folklore on “Sandman (Flying Dutchman).” Post-punk, hip-hop and everything in between are covered throughout the 12 new tracks.

Singer-songwriter Ben Schneider is the creative force behind the band, which started as a recording project at his home in Michigan on Lake Huron. Two EPs later, Lord Huron signed to IAMSOUND Records and released their first full-length album last month called, Lonesome Dreams.

With a 25-year career spanning successes with shoegaze outfit Slowdive, country-rock group Mojave 3 and his own solo albums, it’s no wonder Neil Halstead has been described by Allmusic as “one of Britain’s most respected songwriters.” When he was only 17 years old, Halstead helped found and fronted cult shoegaze band Slowdive, which morphed into country-folk outfit Mojave 3. Mojave 3 released a string of highly celebrated albums that merged jangly alt-country with dusky indie-pop.

Whether fronting glam-rock pioneer group Mott the Hoople or releasing politically charged albums nearly forty years into his career, Ian Hunter has never been one to hold back.

Bloc Party are back. The British band whose debut album, Silent Alarm, was a critical sensation in 2006 released their new album Four this year after a few years hiatus. The band’s latest, Four, arrived in August, a departure from recent electronic forays and a return to the artful post-punk rock of the band’s heyday. The new album is raw, vibrant and palpably aggressive

After 15 years as Death Cab for Cutie frontman, Benjamin Gibbard has finally released his first solo album. Former Lives often goes beyond the indie pop confines of Death Cab for Cutie, touching on genres including Latin, alt-country, and ‘70s power pop.

Terry Callier passed away on Saturday so we are re-airing a portion of our 1998 interview with him on Friday’s show. David, this begins with him talking: “All of these things are gifts as far as I’m concerned…” You had just asked him about how he feels about songwriting, in particular with the song “Lazarus Man” (which he performs after giving his answer).

One of the leading alternative rock bands in the 90s. The band has only recently reunited for live performances in 2012. One of the most critically acclaimed bands of the 90’s, the Afghan Whigs are Vocalist/rhythm guitarist Greg Dulli, lead guitarist Rick McCollum, and drummer Steve Earle who met while attending the University of Cincinnati. The fourth member, bassist John Curley, was a photographer at the Cincinnati Inquirer and happened to meet Dulli at a friend’s apartment. The quartet formed Afghan Whigs in 1986 and had a dedicated cult following until the dissolution of the band in 2001.

In this 22nd segment of our Latin music series - Latin Roots - Jasmine Garsd from NPR's Alt-Latino talks about Nuevo Cancion, a broad style of Latin music concerning social and political issues. Nueva Cancion means "new song" and it's an audio/ideological style was born in the 60s and 70s when many Latin countries were being ruled by repressive dictators.