Conor Oberst's new album, Ruminations, is due out in two weeks, on Friday, October 14. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full here as an NPR First Listen. "Oberst's distinctive warble is set against a spare patchwork of acoustic guitar, piano and the occasional harmonica, drawing most of the attention squarely to his words," writes NPR's Stephen Thompson. His "songwriting remains on point ... [T]hese are some of Oberst's darkest and most personal songs ... That unsparing quality helps Ruminations stand out, no matter how simple its adornment."

Nonesuch Records releases the Metropolitan Opera's performance of Alban Berg's Lulu on Blu-ray and DVD together in one package on October 28, 2016. The Met's new production, directed by acclaimed South African visual artist William Kentridge, premiered in 2015 and starred Marlis Petersen in her final performances as Lulu, a role she has made "hers and almost hers alone" (Opera News) in ten different productions over eighteen years. The New York Times called it "a stunning and searing production." The production will be presented at English National Opera in November 2016.

Conor Oberst will mark the release of his new album, Ruminations, by performing the record in its entirety for an audience of contest winners at NYC's Housing Works Bookstore Cafe on release day, Friday, October 14. NPR Music will webcast the show live on its site and Facebook page as part of the First Listen Live series. Ruminations will be available to stream in full beginning this Friday, September 30, as part of NPR Music's First Listen series. Conor Oberst will be the musical guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 24 and begins a tour of intimate solo shows this week.

Devendra Banhart's new album, Ape in Pink Marble is out now. The album, Banhart's ninth, was written, produced, arranged, and recorded in Los Angeles by the singer / songwriter / guitarist with his longtime collaborators Noah Georgeson and Josiah Steinbrick, both of whom also worked on Banhart's most recent album, Mala (2013). Q and the Times of London give the album four stars; Uncut calls it "excellent." Banhart will mark the release of the album with sold-out shows at Rough Trade in Brooklyn tonight and at Club Bahia in LA this Tuesday, September 27.

The four-LP, vinyl-only, limited-edition The Randy Newman Songbook box set is out now. The Songbook series—solo recordings of songs from throughout Randy Newman's five-decade career—previously included two volumes on CD; the box set marks their first vinyl release. Sixteen additional songs from a newly released third volume, along with five bonus tracks, join those first two volumes in a new, thematic sequencing, to create a complete Songbook box set. The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 3 is also available as a stand-alone CD and digital album produced by Mitchell Froom and Lenny Waronker.

Emmylou Harris's Grammy-winning album Red Dirt Girl is now available on vinyl for the first time, from Nonesuch Records. The vinyl edition features the legendary singer's Nonesuch debut release on two 140-gram LPs and includes a digital download of the complete album. Harris, dubbed "the most captivating female artist ever in country music" by the Los Angeles Times, offers her first set of self-penned material on the album. "In songs about lonely journeys and lost companions," said the New York Times, "Ms. Harris has found herself."

Kronos Quartet's acclaimed 1992 album Pieces of Africa is now available on vinyl for the first time, from Nonesuch Records. The vinyl edition features the album on two 140-gram LPs. This "potent new brew of folk influences, Minimalism, and European forms by eight black, brown, and white African composers," as Time described it, became a cross-cultural and commercial landmark: the first album to top both the classical and world music Billboard charts.

The Best of the Gipsy Kings is now available on vinyl for the first time, from Nonesuch Records. The vinyl edition features this popular collection from 1995 on two 140-gram LPs. The initial success of this 18-track compilation, chronicling the first seven years of the group's Nonesuch career, illustrated just how popular the Gipsy Kings had become: It held the top spot on the World Music charts for a full year.

John Adams's Scheherazade.2 is out next Friday, September 30. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full as an NPR First Listen. "His cinematic music goes a long way in unfolding a potent drama, masterfully illuminated by conductor David Robertson and the St. Louis Symphony," says NPR. Violinist Leila Josefowicz "gives a searing performance ... The fierceness and vulnerability [she] expresses contributes to an award-caliber performance." Scheherazade.2 "sets a whole new standard for narrative and theatrical vibrancy," exclaims the San Francisco Chronicle. Hear it here.

Longtime friends and collaborators Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau's first duo album, Nearness, recorded live during their recent European tour, is out now. "Magic always seems to happen when saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau play together," exclaims Mojo. "They create a special telepathic musical synergy in each other’s company." BBC Music magazine gives the album a perfect five stars, saying: "The pair are so well matched. Both are extraordinary, scintillating improvisers bursting with energy, yet they have great ears for one another." Redman and Mehldau perform in select US cities in September and October, then head to Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Portuguese singer Mariza's newest album, Mundo, is out now in the US on Nonesuch Records. Mundo earned her the Songlines Best Artist of the Year award following its international release in 2015. The album features both new material and classics by Amália Rodrigues, Carlos Gardel, and more. "Mundo was an unalloyed triumph," says Songlinges, "her artistry hitting dynamic new heights and her voice expressing every emotional nuance." Mariza returns to North America this fall, with dates in Boston, NYC, San Francisco, and more.

Laurie Anderson's film Heart of a Dog was released in cinemas across the US last year and in Ireland and the UK earlier this year to critical acclaim, will have its Italian cinematic release next week. Anderson—currently a juror at the Venice Film Festival—will preview the film in two screenings in Milan this Sunday, at which she will also perform; dogs are welcome. Anderson has dubbed the film into the Italian herself. The soundtrack, which is the full audio recording of the film, including all spoken text in Italian, is out now on Nonesuch. You can watch the Italian film trailer here.