Nonesuch Records is pleased to announce that it will release Gabriel Kahane's 8980: Book of Travelers later this year. The album's genesis began on the day after the 2016 presidential election, when Kahane embarked—with no cell phone or other internet-connected device—on a looping, 8,980-mile railway journey through the US. Over two weeks, he broke bread with dozens of strangers whose stories were woven into a song cycle that he premiered at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) earlier this year. More details about the album, including its release date, will be announced soon.

Brad Mehldau's After Bach is due March 9, 2018, on Nonesuch. The album comprises the pianist/composer's recordings of selections from J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, each followed by a piece written by Mehldau and inspired by its WTC mate. "There have always been elements of Mehldau's style that recall Bach," writes Timo Andres in the liner note. "After Bach surveys their shared ground as keyboardists, improvisers, and composers, making implicit parallels explicit.” Pre-order After Bach for an instant download of the track "After Bach: Rondo," which can be heard here.

Carnegie Hall has announced, with its 2018–19 concert season, that Chris Thile will hold the Debs Composer's Chair for the season. His residency includes Live From Here Songs of the Week; intimate recitals of a new piece and works by Bach; a multi-artist evening of traditional Scots, Irish, and American folk music; and the first-ever double bill of Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers.You can watch a video previewing the events here. 

Robert Plant, who will lead a sold-out US tour with his band the Sensational Space Shifters next month, has released a video of their performance of "Season's Song," from his new album, Carry Fire, at the O2 Apollo in Manchester, England, on their sold-out UK tour last November. You can watch it here.

Rostam stopped by the Spotify Studios in NYC to perform his song "Bike Dream," from his debut album, Half-Light, and to offer his take on Nick Drake's "Pink Moon." Both are available now as exclusive Spotify Singles, which you can hear here. Rostam begins a North American tour on January 29.

Chris Thile is the guest on How to Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black. They discuss his life in music, from Nickel Creek to Punch Brothers to hosting the radio show Live From Here. Thile also shares some life lessons learned along the way, as well as some of the history of bluegrass and the maker of his mandolin. "For me, music has always been this source of delight," Thile says; "it's a never-ending well of magic, ingenuity." Hear their conversation here.

Paul Thomas Anderson was on NPR's Fresh Air to discuss his new film, Phantom Thread, including Jonny Greenwood's score, which is "great," says host Terry Gross. The music "is so good," she tells Anderson. "There's something so operatic about the movie because there's underscoring throughout almost the entire film. So there's almost always music playing. And it's often not playing quietly in the background. It's pretty upfront much of the time."

Congratulations to Jonny Greenwood, whose score for Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, Phantom Thread, has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. This is Greenwood's first Academy Award nomination. The film has also received Oscar nominations for Best Picture; Best Director; Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis; Best Supporting Actress, Lesley Manville; and Best Costume Design, Mark Bridges. The Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on March 4.

Sam Amidon stopped by Yellow Couch Studio to perform "Pat Do This, Pat Do That," from his 2014 album, Lily-O, paired with "Blackbird" from his 2017 album, The Following Mountain, and "Another Story Told," also from the new album. You can watch the performances, for which he is joined by multi-instrumentalist Chris Vatalaro, here. "I've been a fan of Sam's music for quite a while now," says Yellow Couch's Steven Foxbury, "and those two put on one hell of a show."

David Byrne begins a five-city European tour of his Reasons To Be Cheerful project at the Copenhagen Main Library, followed by stops in Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, and London. At the free events, Byrne presents hopeful writings, photos, music, and lectures he has curated over time, as he did at the presentation he gave at The New School in NYC earlier this month introducing his new album, American Utopia, and tour.

Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, Phantom Thread, opens in theaters across the US today. The film, set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, and Vicky Krieps. It's "a film composed entirely from exquisite moments," says the Los Angeles Times. "Spellbinding." The soundtrack, featuring eighteen compositions by Jonny Greenwood, is now available digitally, with the CD due February 9, vinyl April 21.

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet have shared two new tracks from their forthcoming album, Landfall: "The Water Rises" and "Our Street Is a Black River." Both can be downloaded now with pre-orders of the album, along with the previously released album track "We Learn to Speak Yet Another Language." Nonesuch Store pre-orders also include an exclusive, limited-edition print autographed by Anderson. The new songs can also be heard on Apple Music, Spotify, and in the video here.