World Cafe on AM920

When DeYarmond Edison broke up in 2006, its guitarist and singer Justin Vernon moved to Wisconsin to create Bon Iver, and the other three members — Joe Westerlund and brothers Brad and Phil Cook — stuck around North Carolina and formed Megafaun. Since then, the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of folk music by incorporating jazz, psychedelia and both experimental and acoustic rock.

Since his 1986 studio debut Talk of Heaven, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and producer Joe Henry has defied convention. Known best for his country-inspired work, Henry reinvigorates each new release by injecting hints of soul, blues, jazz and funk. He's produced albums by Aimee Mann, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, and House star Hugh Laurie.

The story of Beirut, the sweetly melancholy musical venture of Zach Condon, is like something out of a movie. The New Mexico native dropped out of college in 2006 to focus on writing and recording music. He produced Gulag Orkestar, celebrating old-world weirdness and nostalgia with bawdy Balkan organ pumps and trumpets. The album sparked a meteoric rise for the young artist.

Today's show features live performances from some of our favorite World Cafe artists, straight from our 20th-anniversary celebration concerts.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks formed after Malkmus' previous band, Pavement, went on hiatus in 1999. Five albums later, Malkmus has evolved as much as he's returned to his roots: He's sometimes focused and refined, other times lithe and unpredictable. The Jicks' latest album, Mirror Traffic, was produced by Beck, whose deft touch serves to tighten Malkmus' notorious looseness.