As the poster says, Boston Rocks. But how hard?

Radio Boston goes on location at the Flophouse,and takes you inside the modern Boston music scene. We profile three bands: Township, The Mmoss, and The Jody Grind. We hear from a Boston superstar, Greg Hawkes of the Cars. And, we talk with music critic Brett Milano on how the scene has changed and if a band like the Cars could make it in Boston today.

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Plus, check out our box set of web specials,including videos and mp3s of a one-time only live performance by Greg Hawkes strumming a Cars classic on his ukulele…

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This week, we talk about the difficulties of holding down a job but having no home to go to at the end of the day.

We’ll also look at the growing number of homeless families in Massachusetts. There are nearly 1200 families living in transitional housing or shelters across the state. The Departmen of Education says Massachusetts has 40,000 homeless schoolchildren. In Boston, forty percent of the homeless are working.

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Plus, in our web specials: Resoruces for those in need, and David Boeri’s report from Salisbury, MA, where almost a third of the students at the local elementary school are homeless…

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There’s no shortage of innovative ideas about how to structure our educational systems.  But what are the obstacles to implementing them?  We’ll look at how pilot schools started in Boston in response to charter schools and whether they’ve been effective. 

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A recent study puts Massachusetts almost at the bottom of the list of job growth in the 50 states — ahead of only Michigan. We’ll look at some of the growing small businesses and talk with economists who warn the state against fostering a "boutique economy." We visited two companies that are growing to see what they’re doing right.

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Plus, in our web specials:Inside iRobot, and shred-masters compete at a Guitar Hero tournament.

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New Englanders are bracing for the most expensive winter ever. The average cost of heating oil is up 24% since last year and federal home heating assistance has declined. We look at why staying warm is so expensive and who might be left out in the cold. Listen to the full show: Plus, click for links to home heating and energy services in Massachusetts…

Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, Meg Ryan and Cameron Diaz are just a few of the stars spotted in Boston recently. Thanks to new tax credits, filmmakers are eying Massachusetts as a new movie backdrop. Is this going to last or is it just fifteen minutes of fame? We take a stroll down movie memory lane, hear from independent filmmakers looking for a big break and go behind the scenes of a major motion picture being filmed in Boston. Listen to the full show: Plus, a video web special: Go behind the scenes on the set of The Aristocrat.

The costs of special education are skyrocketing as are the number of  students diagnosed as having special needs.  In the last fiscal year Massachusetts spent more than 1.7 billion dollars on special education — that’s up half a billion dollars since 2002. Much of that money is going for the record high number of students diagnosed as having an “autism spectrum” disorder. About 1,000 autistic children are enrolling in Massachusetts public schools each year. Some parents have hired attorneys to make sure school districts comply with the law that requires all students receive a “free and appropriate” education. We look at how schools are funding special education programs and how parents are fighting for the education of their children. Listen to the full show: Plus, in our web specials: Living with autism…

It’s almost Veterans Day 2007 and almost five years since the start of the Iraq war. 30,000 Massachusetts military service members are back from the war, but many are fighting something else at home: mental illness. We’ll talk with some veterans, doctors and a reporter who’s been covering the war from overseas and here at home. He describes this situation for returning vets "a mental health crisis." What do you think? Is the nation prepared for the soliders returning ? Do you know a veteran? Remember our veterans by sharing your stories with us.

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Plus, in our web specials: Remembering Bobby’s War, a deeper look at PTSD, and links to veterans’ resources…

As some mainstream Massachusetts newspapers falter, foreign language news is on the rise. From television to blogs, the demand for local ethnic media is up. We’ll explore this growing business and find out what local English language media might be missing. Do you regularly read a foreign language newspaper? Tell us about it. Listen to the full show: And, fill your passport with local visas. Journey around the world through Boston’s ethnic media outlets in our Web Specials…

Which Massachusetts traffic trouble spot is the worst? On Beacon Hill, several lawmakers are claiming their district’s traffic problem is most in need of the funds the Patrick administration is promising for transportation. We’ll ride along a stretch of one major state roadway to see just how bad it is, how it got that way, and what the state might do about it. What’s your daily commute like? Tell us about it by commenting here or sending us an email. Listen to the full show: Plus, rest stops at Route 9’s oldest diner, pictures to give you road rage, and how one governor stopped the highways, all in our Web Specials…