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Also: "Silver Fire" spreads in Southern California; Powerball jackpot winners include 16 county workers in New Jersey; and actress Karen Black dies.

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker offers his picks for the best music of the year, including Fiona Apple's latest album and a Bob Dylan DVD. He also addresses the topic of women in music, and he talks about the year in hip-hop. Tucker is the film critic for New York magazine.

NPR music reviewer Meredith Ochs shares her picks for the year's best CDs. Ochs is host of Sirius Satellite Radio's "Outlaw Country" channel, a contributing editor for Guitar World magazine and a regular contributor to NPR's All Things Considered. She's also the vocalist and guitarist for the rock band The Damn Lovelys.

Hear the singer discuss her new album, Master of My Make Believe, and describe her attempts to "broaden the lane" of what constitutes pop music.

Idaho's top policeman is stepping down in January. Col. Jerry Russell of the Idaho State Police will leave Jan. 18.The announcement came Monday from Gov.…

FolkAlley.com, an Internet folk-music service produced by NPR station WKSU in Kent, Ohio, specializes in a blend of contemporary and traditional singer/songwriters, Americana, roots, Celtic, bluegrass, world music and more. Here's a look at Folk Alley's picks for the best albums of 2006.

Reports vary as to whether al-Shabab's Zakariye Ismail Ahmed Hersi turned himself in or was captured in a raid. The U.S. had placed a $3 million bounty on the leading Islamist extremist.

In terms of pop hits, the shadow of 2013 fell over most of 2014. But for NPR Music's Stephen Thompson, there were plenty of winners this year as well.

These 10 albums plumb emotional depths, deliver powerful messages and, just when you need them most, soothe worried minds in a year when a bit of calm is a priceless commodity.

The best folk and roots music of the year, from quiet acoustic solo records to stomping shout-alongs, focused on community, elements of ancestry and stories that unite us.