Björk today announces Biophilia, her most ambitious and interdisciplinary project to date, with the release of the lead single, "Crystalline," on iTunes. Biophilia is a multimedia project, comprising a studio album, apps, a new website, custom-made musical instruments, live shows, and educational workshops. The Biophilia live show will have its world premiere tomorrow as part of the Manchester International Festival, where Björk is in residence for a three-week run.

Pat Metheny's latest Nonesuch album, What's It All About, is out today. The Boston Herald gives it an A-, saying: "Metheny’s thoughtful, loving approach elevates every tune he tackles to a realm of beauty." To mark the release, the album is streaming in full at MSN Music, and we've posted the third in a series of videos of Metheny performing songs on the new record: The Association's "Cherish." Watch it here.

Ry Cooder's new album, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, will be released by Nonesuch/Perro Verde Records on August 30, 2011. Pre-order the album in the Nonesuch Store on CD and vinyl to receive an instant download of the album's opening track, "No Banker Left Behind." You can listen to the song here. Cooder will perform with special guests Los Cenzontles at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on August 31 and September 1, 2011.

Jamm, Senegalese musician Cheikh Lô’s first album in five years, is out now in North America. Upon its European release last year, Uncut called it the “African album of the year,” and the Guardian said, “Cheikh Lô is back with an album that reconfirms his position as one of the finest, one of the most soulful singers in West Africa.” In a four-star review, Q called it “true global music to make anyone feel better.”

John Adams's new album, featuring his Son of Chamber Symphony and String Quartet, is out today. The first piece, deemed "dangerously exhilarating" by the Financial Times, is performed on the album by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), led by the composer. The second, which the Philadelphia Inquirer calls "a knockout," is performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Audiophile Audition gives the album a perfect five stars: "This is a magnificent addition to the Adams’ discography that will win him new fans. The performance and recording are exemplary, a real feast for the ears and your stereo system."

Senegalese musician Cheikh Lô’s first album in five years, Jamm, will be released in North America June 7. Upon its European release last year, Uncut called it the “African album of the year,” and the Guardian said, “Cheikh Lô is back with an album that reconfirms his position as one of the finest, one of the most soulful singers in West Africa.” In a four-star review, Q called it “true global music to make anyone feel better.” On Jamm, Lô’s mbalax rhythms and signature blend of semi-acoustic flavors—West and Central African, funk, Cuban, flamenco—support his husky vocals, with help from his regular band plus Tony Allen on drums and Pee Wee Ellis on sax.

Sleep with One Eye Open, the debut album from Chris Thile and Michael Daves, is out today. They kick off their US tour with a sold-out, three-night run at NYC's Rockwood Music Hall tonight. It's "a rip-roaring partnership," says the New York Times. "Bluegrass, in their hands, gets roughed up in the best possible way, with skill and fervor, and a touch of abandon." The Independent on Sunday says it's "a pleasure to hear such virtuosic types giving themselves over to high-end ribaldry." Metro gives the album four stars, citing "an up-all-night intensity and a technical virtuosity." Watch the duo perform "20/20 Vision" here.

Randy Newman's Songbook Vol. 2 is out today on Nonesuch. On the new album, Newman takes a fresh look at both classic and more recent work in new solo takes on 16 of his celebrated songs, surveying 40 years of recordings. MusicOMH calls it "an invigorating celebration of the power of music, and a delicate declaration of the power of one man and his piano." Newman performs on Later ... with Jools Holland this Friday and on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday.

Nonesuch Records releases What’s It All About—a solo acoustic album from guitarist and composer Pat Metheny—on June 14, 2011. After nearly 40 recordings under his name, this marks the first time there is not a single Metheny composition represented. Rather, What’s It All About comprises 10 classic songs, some very well known, that hold personal meanings for the guitarist. (The double-LP edition includes two additional tracks.) It is available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store with a limited-edition photographic print, a number of which will be signed, and a free instant download of the album track “Alfie."

Today marks the release of Tell My Sister, a three-disc set comprising remastered versions of Kate and Anna McGarrigle's beloved 1976 self-titled debut; its equally praised 1977 follow-up, Dancer with Bruised Knees; and a collection of previously unreleased songs and demos. Rolling Stone gives the new release four-and-a-half stars, calling the debut album "idiosyncratically perfect." The Boston Globe describes it as "a dizzying but exhilarating ride," the demo disc a "real revelation," and the sisters' music "too enchanted, too singular to ever be forgotten." The Philadelphia Daily News gives Tell My Sister an A.

Emmylou Harris's new album, Hard Bargain, is out now. She performs at Bowery Ballroom tonight and on the Late Show with David Letterman tomorrow. The Washington Post says Hard Bargain is "lovely and understated and will only further Harris’s reputation as a paragon of gentle dignity and forbearance." USA Today gives it four stars and calls it "exquisite." Paste says Harris continues to create "some of the best country-influenced music being recorded today." Country Standard Time says the album "marks another triumphant recording in a career filled with memorable work." In a new video, Harris talks about her songwriting and recording the new album; watch it here.

James Farm, the self-titled debut album from the collaborative band featuring Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland, is out now. The album uses traditional acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation for its song-based approach to jazz and incorporates the members’ myriad influences: rock, soul, folk, classical, electronica. The New York Times calls it "a model of dazzling proficiency." The Times of London and the Financial Times give the album four stars.