Perhaps only the fantasy duo of King Kong and Bambi could be a more bizarre pairing than Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Yet on Raising Sand, their haunting and brilliant collaboration, the Led Zeppelin screamer and Nashville's most hypnotic song whisperer seem made for each other. This, however, is not the howling Plant of "Whole Lotta Love," but a far more precise and softer singer than even the one who emerged with Dreamland (2002).

Various Artists
Live at the World Cafe, Volume 33
(World Cafe)

World Cafe with David Dye has just polished off the track list for the 33rd Volume in its incredible series of live recordings from XPN's signature program. Artists including Beirut, The Civil Wars, Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, Alison Kraus, TV on the Radio, and many others have contributed to this stellar collection.