World Cafe

If Aaron Embry's name doesn't sound familiar, his previous collaborators will. Embry was recently the touring pianist with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and has worked with the likes of Elliott Smith, Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris.

The Seattle septet Hey Marseilles integrates symphonic cello, drumbourine, accordion and viola into a standard lineup of guitar, bass and drums for a warm, distinctive sound.

Nick Ward and Matt Bishop formed Hey Marseilles while students at the University of Washington, and independently released their first album, To Travels & Trunks, at the end of 2008. The band has since given the album a nationwide reissue and performed at festivals like SXSW and Bumbershoot.

Inspired by The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Clash, among others, Foxygen's Sam France and Jonathan Rado channel their love of classic rock and psychedelia into a layered sound with sweetly airy vocals.

After a long hiatus, the rock trio Dinosaur Jr. reunited in 2005. In September, the band released a new album, I Bet on Sky, which was widely praised for its explosive energy and characteristically bold integration of feedback and distortion. I Bet On Sky is the third record the group has released since its reunion, and it finds Dinosaur Jr. sounding just as vital and intense as it did when it first formed 28 years ago.

Tanlines has been turning heads since its formation in 2008. Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen make up the Brooklyn-based duo, who met while working on a song for Cohen's other band, the dance-punk group Professor Murder.

Although the six members of the Kopecky Family Band aren't related by blood, they function with a sense of harmony common in family outfits. Formed in 2007, the group released a series of EPs before finally releasing its first full-length album, Kids Raising Kids, in 2012.

In 2007, a dozen or so reggae and soul artists met in Los Angeles and eventually formed The Lions. Heavily inspired by the culture surrounding Jamaican music both old and new, the group is deeply rooted in soul, but also has a rough edge reminiscent of The Upsetters or The Rockers Band.

Members Deston Berry, Alex Désert and Malik Moore handle lead vocals, while Black Shakespeare produces the backing tracks. Guitarist Dan Ubick and bassist Dave Wilder also contribute, along with a mix of musicians who've played with Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul and Raphael Saadiq.

Star & Micey brings a fresh perspective on the Memphis music scene, where the band currently thrives; it was listed at No. 1 on Paste magazine's list of "12 Tennessee Bands You Should Listen to Now," and it was also our World Cafe: Next artist this week.

"Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley. "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" by Aretha Franklin. "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield. "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. All of these legendary songs were recorded at Memphis' American Sound Studio, the last of the five studios we're featuring in our trip to Memphis as part of the quarterly "Sense of Place" series.

We couldn't leave Memphis without a taste of the blues from gospel-blues singer and preacher Rev. John Wilkins. He's the son of Rev. Robert Wilkins, who wrote "Prodigal Son," a song famously covered by The Rolling Stones on Beggars Banquet.

Here, we've got a performance by Rev. John Wilkins with his band — and his daughters on backing vocals. During our interview, Wilkins spoke about his faith and his father, and even sings a version of "Prodigal Son" himself.