Studio 360

Thao Nguyen

At 23, Thao Nguyen is poised for her breakout. Her new record, We Brave Bee Stings and All, is getting national attention, but Thao's heart stays close to home in the Northern Virginia. That's where she taught herself guitar while working at the coin laundry owned by her mother, an immigrant bringing up Thao on her own. We sent Jesse Dukes to meet up with Thao and her mother Nanh at the laundromat to find out how she grew into a rock star.

• SLIDESHOW: Thao and her mom

Bonus Track: "Swimming Pools"

"Swimming Pools" from Thao Nguyen's album We Brave Bee Stings and All.

Not Losing His Religion

He was the godfather of science writing. Sir Thomas Browne's exacting observations and gorgeous prose anticipated modern science writers like Rachel Carson, Stephen Jay Gould, and Oliver Sacks. But Browne lived in the 1600s, and his way of reconciling the scriptures with science looks surprisingly like what we call "intelligent design." Produced by Sarah Montague (with performances by actors Daniel Gerroll and Jonathan Hadary).

Aha Moment: Edith Piaf

The French singer and cultural icon had a tumultuous life, as moviegoers are seeing in the Oscar-nominated biopic, "La Vie En Rose." Marion Cotillard’s extraordinary portrayal of Piaf prompted Studio 360 listener Bill Mankin to write us about how he fell for her. Produced by Jenny Lawton, with production help from Jillian Goodman.

Weigh in: Is there a work of art that has changed your life?

And the Oscar Goes To...

Several of the year’s Oscar-nominated movies -- "Into the Wild", "I'm Not There", "Persepolis", and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- address the quest for personal freedom. In the last few months Kurt had the opportunity to talk with the directors of these films: Sean Penn, Todd Haynes, Marjane Satrapi, and Julian Schnabel.

• LISTEN: Interviews with some of this year’s nominees

Blind Boys of Alabama

They got their start at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939. Sixty-nine years later, the band remains a gospel music institution. For their latest album, Down in New Orleans, the Blind Boys went to Louisiana for a new take on some classic spirituals. The group performs live in Studio 360 and Kurt chats with one of the group’s original members, who is named Jimmy Carter.

Bonus Track: "You've Got to Move"

The Blind Boys of Alabama perform "You've Got to Move" live at Studio 360.

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