There is nobody like Andrew Bird in the world, a songwriter and a performer who makes his whistling, his glockenspiel, and his violin at home with guitars, drums, and vocals in detailed, pitch-perfect pop songs that never seem precious or forced, as eccentric as they are.

But when you're as idiosyncratic as Bird is, that means there aren't many people whose vision matches your own. That was one reason that the gestation of The Mysterious Production of Eggs - Bird's breakthrough from 2005 - took so long, with so many false starts.

Since the November 2006 election, the sentiment of the majority of Americans to end the war in Iraq continues to increase. A July Gallup Poll reported the highest-ever level of opposition to the war with 62 percent saying the U.S. made a mistake sending troops to Iraq.

When the lineup for the third River Roots Live festival was announced, I know I wasn't alone in my reaction: America?!

If you casually watch the Charlie Hunter Trio on stage, something might nag at you. It sounds like there's a bassist, but ... there's no bassist. Just Hunter and his guitar, drummer Simon Lott, and keyboardist Erik Deutsch playing jazz fusion with the direct appeal of rock music.

Some other details might get under your skin. Hunter's hands don't move in quite the same way as a typical guitarist's, and if you look closely, you'll notice that his instrument has seven strings.