Randy Newman, whose new album, Dark Matter, is out on Nonesuch tomorrow, was on WNYC's Leonard Lopate show today. He spoke with Lopate and performed songs from the album live in the WNYC studios. You can hear the conversation and performances here.

Olivia Chaney's solo show at Joe's Pub in NYC tonight comes amidst her tour opening for The Decemberists, her partners in the new project Offa Rex, and is today's Gig Alert from WNYC's Soundcheck. Chaney and The Decemberists' Colin Meloy are also on the latest episode of Soundcheck. They talk with host John Schaefer about Offa Rex, its origin and inspirations, and perform the title track to the group's debut album, The Queen of Hearts. You can hear the conversation and performance here.

Conor Oberst, with the Felice Brothers as his backing band, begins a European summer tour of music from his new album, Salutations, with a festival set at A Summer’s Tale in Germany on Friday. The tour continues with festival sets and concerts in Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK, including O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, and culminating in Glasgow on August 22.

Randy Newman was the musical guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS last night. He performed the timely track "Putin" from his forthcoming album, Dark Matter, which is out this coming Friday on CD and digitally, with vinyl due August 18. You can watch the performance here.

Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau will perform songs from their 2017 debut duo album, Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau, in select cities in the US, Europe, and the UK this autumn. The US shows begin with a concert at The Town Hall in NYC September 13, followed by shows in Wisconsin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Monterey. The European tour begins in Milan on November 8 and includes a set at the Barbican for the London Jazz Festival and stops in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. 

Offa Rex (Olivia Chaney and The Decemberists) was on CBS This Morning: Saturday, performing a Saturday Sessions set of songs from the debut album The Queen of Hearts: "Flash Company" and "To Make You Stay." You can watch the performances here.

Conor Oberst was a guest on the Charlie Rose show on PBS/Bloomberg News last week. He spoke with Rose about and performed songs from his new albums, Salutations and Ruminations. The episode opens with a performance of a "Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out" and closes with "Mamah Borthwick (A Sketch)." You can watch the performances and interview here. Oberst his tour to Europe this coming weekend; the next leg of the US tour starts September 1.

Rhiannon Giddens has been announced as the guest curator for the 2018 Cambridge Folk Festival, its 54th year, August 2–5, 2018. "I am honoured to be the next guest curator for Cambridge Folk Festival," says Giddens. "Having played the Festival before I know how special Cambridge is and I am really excited to be contributing to the line-up next year as well as performing." She is currently touring North America and heads to the UK and Ireland on tour in November.

Punch Brothers and I'm With Her (Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan) join forces this summer for the American Acoustic US tour, starting at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine, Saturday, with dates at the Newport Folk Festival, Wolf Trap, NYC's Beacon Theatre, and more. Guitarist Julian Lage joins the bands, which will play a mix of featured sets and collaborations, as a special guest. Watch a video of Chris Thile explaining how it will all work here.

Dark Matter, Randy Newman's first album of new material in nine years, is due next Friday, August 4, with the vinyl due August 18. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full below as an NPR First Listen. Newman, says NPR, "remains first and foremost a craftsman of song, capable of telling ordinary stories in ways no one quite has before."

Fleet Foxes begin a North American tour featuring music from their new album, Crack-Up, with a show at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine, tonight. The tour includes headline dates at Celebrate Brooklyn, Hollywood Bowl, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and across the continent in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Toronto, Detroit, Las Vegas, Austin, Vancouver, Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix, St. Paul, and more, plus festival sets at Newport Folk and Outside Lands, culminating with two nights at the Chicago Theatre in early October.

Audra McDonald—who is starring in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill on London's West End—spoke with Alec Baldwin about her life and storied career as the guest on the latest episode of his Here's the Thing podcast from WNYC Studios. "Much like the staggering beauty of her voice, Audra McDonald is impossible to ignore," says Baldwin. "Reviews of her award-winning performances overflow with accolades: she's 'spellbinding,' 'radiant,' and 'wrenchingly human.'" Hear the conversation here.