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Teitur Lassen originates from the Faroe Islands in Scandinavia which translates to Sheep Islands. But despite Teitur's quiet, sparse musical arrangements, it would be hard to call his sound at all sheepish. Teitur sings with such confidence and fervor on his third album, The Singer, that the effect is at times gripping. Songs such as "Guilt By Association," a story about an accidental murder, can be as thrilling with dramatic lines like "Run away, they are coming to get us now" as any film depiction. That isn't to say Teitur moves worlds with his words, but when he gets it right, his upfront vocals and bare instrumentation can certainly grab your attention.

A legendary French winery is purchasing a famous winemaker in California. The deal comes decades after the same California winery beat French wines in a blind taste test. Vic Motto, a wine industry investment banker, says it's "a very important merger of two great wine estates."

It's easy to get lost in the eclectic soundscapes of Ohio-based band Trouble Books' fourth self-released album, The United Colors of Trouble Books. The album plays out like a wandering trip through a 13 year-old's subconscious, set to beautifully unique experimental music. The gorgeous mix of meandering instrumental arrangements, expansive ambience, and wonderfully earnest vocals creates a sort of spacey chamber pop that seems to float wherever the wind may take it.

Before he was old enough to say "embarrassing," millions of people saw Spencer Elden in his birthday suit on the cover of Nevermind. Now a teenager, he's trying to make sense of his very public image.

Leaders of the world's Anglicans are meeting in London amid speculation that the church might split. Conservatives argue that there is no place for practicing homosexuals in the church.

The rescue plan for giant mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac promises credit and possible stock purchases. It might cost the U.S. nothing or it might cost $25 billion. Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd says balancing investor confidence and taxpayer exposure is a fine line, but "doing nothing is not an option."

When Cpl. Jason Bogar was killed in action in Afghanistan, he left behind a family in Seattle and a wide-ranging record of his tours of duty. Bogar took numerous photos and videos of families he met in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There's a chance Sen. Barack Obama would still be on the road to being the Democratic presidential nominee if it weren't for the acceptance of black athletes and coaches in American sports. But Frank Deford thinks it's a slim chance.

Columnists and pundits in the United States are grading Barack Obama's trip to the Middle East, questioning whether the trip will help or hurt his campaign. Support for him as a person is strong, though some are dismayed by what they view as his sharp right turn on Mideast policy.

At first listen, it's hard to tell if Great Plains, the third album from Chicago-based band Head of Femur, is wildly ambitious in its eccentric, incredibly catchy sound, or is simply a good, old-fashioned pop and rock record. The songs sound new and energetic while taking enough cues from the past to sound like a tribute album. The result is a record that is recognizable, but fresh and surprisingly accessible, despite offering plenty of surprises.

Things are not as bad as they were 30 years ago, says our personal finance expert. Making sure your house is energy-efficient and shopping smarter are two ways to defend against recession and inflation, she says.

The Senate brings up another bill aimed at lowering gas prices Tuesday, as Republicans tout a new slogan: "Find more. Use less." It's a paradox because finding more oil drives the price down, which encourages consumption. Efforts by Congress to lower gas prices may actually diminish incentives to lower oil consumption.

A jazz fan visiting the desert city might equate the chances of seeing great live jazz there with the chances of getting caught in a rain shower. But since the 1970s, a devoted group of musicians and educators has turned the area into a hotbed for jazz performance.

Writer Melody Serafino recently found that most of her post-college peers in New York City live off their parents. In her Newsweek op-ed "Subsidized In The City" she writes, "Financial independence means social freedom and absolute control over my own life. Yet among my peers, I seem to be the only one who feels this way."

Former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic has been arrested after a decade-long search. Serbia's president said Karadzic was arrested Monday. The U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia indicted him for genocide during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

The Movie, the debut album from New York-based band Clare & the Reasons, is quirky, to say the least. The record is an 11-track foray into theatrical, space-themed chamber pop that falls somewhere between the score of a Broadway musical and a collection of sweet and playful nursery rhymes.

Daniel Flanagan was a high-school dropout in a dead-end job; a self-described loser. But when faced with the responsibility of fatherhood, Flanagan decided to change his ways and return to school. He believes we all deserve "do-overs" in life.

After members of the San Diego emo band Noise Ratchet went their separate ways, the group's co-founders decided to take on roots music. Mixing blues, country, and roots-rock in its theatrical performances, Delta Spirit has made a name for itself in a hurry.

Americans are steaming mad! Hot under the collar! Boiling over the high cost of gasoline! So, how are we dealing with it? By buying iPhones and going to see Batman at the movies, of course. Humorist Brian Unger pokes fun at America's way of displaying its displeasure in this week's Unger Report.

As traveling becomes more costly and difficult, intercity buses are providing an alternative. Bus companies are enjoying momentous growth as they remake the experience with discount express service and new amenities. But some experts say the new approach will not provide a viable alternative for most drivers.

"No country has ever closely scrutinized itself visually," the legendary photographer once said. A new book documents hundreds of the Depression-era images she took and the descriptions she wrote of them.

Weekend Edition's regular and sometimes controversial essayist Diane Roberts just came back from Europe. She comments on the fascination overseas with the U.S. presidential campaign.

In this week's on-air puzzle, you are given two words. Move a letter from one word to the other to make two new words that complete the familiar phrase, "___________ and ___________."

A new book titled Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flies is an ode to the time of year when kids swarm to camps with appropriated Native American names and sweaty cabins filled with bunk beds and the spoils of independence.

There's a weekly power struggle in northern Khartoum in Sudan. On this Friday, a young Nubian man answers the referee's call for a contender and waits to see who will enter the wrestling ring to test his strength in one of humankind's oldest traditions.

Our dear NPR colleague, Gary L. Smith, died this week at age 57. For the past four years, Smith presided over NPR's front desk, greeting everyone who walked through with a giant smile. The loveliness that lit up his face was his determination to see the beauty in everyone.

Every five years, Texas Monthly chooses the best barbecue in a state that reveres smoked meat. Snow's BBQ in Lexington was unprepared for the onslaught of customers following its first-place win.

New civic and commercial buildings in Beijing are shying away from the historic Chinese architectural style in favor of modern influences from a slate of architects from around the world, and not everyone is thrilled with the new look.

Everyone Is Crying Out to Me, Beware, the second album from Ukrainian-born singer-songwriter Alina Simone, is utterly haunting. With bare-bones arrangements and Simone's powerful, poignant vocals at the forefront, the record burns through a collection of songs by Siberian punk-folk singer, Yanka Dyagileva, with cathartic fervor. Though the lyrics are in Russian, the emotions are raw and easily felt.