World Cafe on The Gateway KWMU2

A.C. Newman has been at the forefront of some of the best-loved indie-pop bands of the past two decades, most notably The New Pornographers and Zumpano. But as a part-time solo artist, Newman tends to craft work that's more melancholic than his playful efforts with The New Pornographers.

The four main members of the Swedish band The Amazing play in many other successful music acts (Dungen, et al), some of which are shared projects. The overlap makes for obvious chemistry within this experimental, genre-bending folk-rock supergroup.

On its most recent album, 2011's Gentle Stream, The Amazing jumps around quite a bit, delving into psychedelic folk, pop and acoustic rock. Here, the group plays songs from its latest album and sits down with David Dye to discuss its grandiose name and musical influences.

In light of ongoing conflicts in Northern Mali, we checked in with Chris Nolan, an organizer of Festival in the Desert — the music festival that takes place each January in the Sahara region where much of the recent fighting has occurred. On today's installment of World Café, Nolan discusses the festival's history and elaborates on the decision to postpone the event this year.

Richie Follin is the leader of the Brooklyn pop-rock band Guards. Listening to the group, it's hard not to mention the singer's older sister, Madeline Follin of Cults, as their shared upbringing and influences are obvious.

Beyond literal lineage, Cults and Guards share an aesthetic of buzzy and revitalized old-school pop. In perfect little-brother form, though, Guards is a bit edgier — a little grungier and more eclectic in a way that people with cool older siblings often are.

The up-and-coming band Parquet Courts showcases some refreshingly raw '70s punk vibes on its first full-length album, Light Up Gold, released last August.

Parquet Courts' lead vocalists and songwriters, Austin Brown and Andrew Savage, met at a record-listening club while attending the University of North Texas. After moving to New York City, the pair teamed up with Savage's brother, Max, and bassist Sean Yeaton, to release their EP American Specialties in 2011.