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The music of Chester "Lyfe" Jennings has the familiar feel of old-school classics, and his soulful, gravelly voice is being compared to the likes of R&B greats Al Green and Sam Cook. After a decade behind bars, he's ready to break out with his own brand of "folk soul."

One of the year's best rock albums features four women who play impassioned punk. Phoebe Harris' guitar riffs on Hell Bent are some of the catchiest of 2013, and while Abby Weems' monotone voice isn't polished, but it's a perfect fit for Potty Mouth's rough-hewn melodies.

For 25, Patty Larkin recorded voice and guitar for 25 songs, then let friends such as Rosanne Cash, Erin McKeown and Martin Sexton do the rest. Twenty-five not only represents the number of songs and collaborators, but also how many years it's been since Larkin made her first recordings.

Since Anita O'Day made her solo debut in the 1940s, she has been charming listeners with her dynamic incorporation of bop modernism into vocals. Her raspy voice, which inspired a string of followers, is showcased on 1957's Pick Yourself Up with Anita O'Day.

The darkness of Tom Waits' lyrics is accentuated by the rumble and rasp of his voice, which sounded old even when he was young. On Bad As Me, Waits reflects on loneliness, life, death and heartbreak. Here, he talks to Terry Gross about performing, being a father and writing his haunting melodies.

The darkness of Tom Waits' lyrics is accentuated by the rumble and rasp of his voice, which sounded old even when he was young. On Bad As Me, Waits reflects on loneliness, life, death and heartbreak. Here, he talks to Terry Gross about performing, being a father and writing his haunting melodies.

The Daughter of the Regiment, from the Vienna State opera, features some of the world's finest voices — both singing, and speaking! Soprano Natalie Dessay sings the title character opposite the brilliant tenor Juan Diego Florez, and renowned soprano Montserrat Caballe makes a surprise appearance in the speaking role of the Duchess of Crackentorp.

Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor has been a voice in the literary world since one of her short stories won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2003. Colin Dwyer reviews her debut novel, Dust, and says that while Owuor's talent shines in parts, the book gets bogged down in melodrama.

Noah talks with Jean Hite, mayor of Marlinton, West Virginia. West Virginia was one of the mid-Atlantic states hit hard by recent flooding, and Ms. Hite says flood damage in her area is much worse than originally thought.

Times are tough for hospitals in rural areas -- people are moving away, and spending for health care, which these hospitals rely on, is being reduced. NPR's Joanne Silberner reports on how a federal program is helping a small hospital in western Kansas survive.

NPR's Pam Fessler reports that despite the country's increasing racial diversity, a new report shows segregation remains common in metropolitan areas. The report, using data from the 2000 Census, comes from the State University of New York in Albany.

President Bush marks Veterans Day at several venues around the Washington, D.C., area, speaking of the nation's gratitude toward those who have served. Hear portions of his remarks at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Hurricane Frances stalls off the east coast of Florida. The effect of the storm's slow progress may be to inundate areas of the state with torrential rains. Power is already out for hundreds of thousands of Floridians. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden and NPR's Jon Hamilton.

Lynn Neary talks with reporter Melanie Peeples, who is in Carbon Hill, Ala., about the destruction there from last night's tornadoes. As many as three twisters hit the area, killing seven people, felling trees and power lines, and damaging homes.

U.N. weapons inspectors find 11 empty chemical warheads in an ammunition storage area in southern Iraq. They are said to be in excellent condition, but it's unclear if they've ever actually contained chemical agents. NPR's Kate Seelye reports.

For the past six months, All Things Considered has followed the fortunes of a street in East New Orleans that was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding. This weekend, a dozen residents gathered at one of the few businesses open in the area for a town meeting.

Washington, D.C.-area sniper suspect John Lee Malvo, 17, will appear at a court hearing in Virginia to determine whether he'll be tried as an adult for capital murder and face a possible death sentence. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.

Half a dozen states are considering changes in laws that would allow psychologists to prescribe medicines to treat mental illness. Shortages of psychiatrists in some areas and psychologists' success in New Mexico have given the approach traction, despite the objections of medical doctors.

A new cookbook promises to take the ache out of baking. Nancy Baggett, the author of Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads, shares the secrets of no-knead baking from her kitchen in the Washington, D.C., area.

In addition to flooding and power outages, Hurricane Katrina's landfall on the Gulf Coast may create delays in the area's oil and gas production, which supplies a large amount of the nation's needs. Monday morning, oil prices surged above $70 a barrel.