Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Each month, we ask 10 DJs and music directors from public radio stations around the country to tell us about the songs they keep playing. This month's mix features several collaborations between well-known artists and up-and-coming stars.

Otis Jr. and a band of Louisville all-stars (including members of My Morning Jacket, Wax Fang and Twin Limb) cover a Willie Dixon classic. Johnny Marr, formerly of The Smiths, teams up with British actress Maxine Peake for a spoken-word song about homelessness. In perhaps the most surprising combination, Italian film composer Daniele Luppi collaborates with the Brooklyn post-punk band Parquet Courts on "Soul And Cigarette."

Hear all the songs below.

Anna Burch, '2 Cool 2 Care'

From Carry The Curse

My ears always perk at the phrase: "Can I be real for a second?" What follows is almost always better than the standard polite chit-chat for nice people (public radio stations are full of that). When Anna Burch sings, "I like you best, when you're a mess," I can't help but think she shares that affinity. "2 Cool 2 Care" puts a bubblegum filter on