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New music from old favorites and plenty of self-affirmation, on this week's All Songs Considered.

Karl Wallinger's music career was abruptly sidelined when he suffered a brain aneurysm in 2001. He regained his ability to perform several years ago, and has just released a five-disc collection called Arkeology.

In the decade leading up to his death in 2003, Johnny Cash worked with producer Rick Rubin on a series of albums they called American Recordings. This week, in honor of Cash's birthday, Rubin's label released Ain't No Grave, the sixth disc of songs produced in their collaboration.

Producer Colin Bass worked with the Nigerien group Etran Finatawa to create The Sahara Sessions, an album recorded on location about the struggles of African nomads.

He tweeted, "Religious Freedom is the first freedom." If confirmed, he'll leave office with critics unhappy at the effect of tax cuts he championed, but others supportive of his conservative policies.

We look at some of the music coming out in the first few months of 2012 and play a dozen new songs from musicians including Sleigh Bells, Craig Finn, Shearwater and Sharon Van Etten.

The Austin native's latest album This Land incorporates punk, soul and even hip-hop.

The jazz drummer tells NPR's Guy Raz that great percussionists like Buddy Rich and Max Roach make their cymbals "sing."

The Chicago bluesman is 77 and a throat cancer survivor, but he remains a fiery harmonica player. His latest album, which features collaborations with Gregg Allman and Keb' Mo', is called Cotton Mouth Man.

On this week's mix, artists from Jeff Tweedy of Wilco to D.C. upstart Bad Moves ask big questions. Catch Irish duo Saint Sister's unnerving harp, a pure pop single from Charly Bliss and more.