Devendra Banhart, whose new album, Mala, is due out on Nonesuch Records on March 12, has unveiled a second track off the album. "Never Seen Such Good Things" premiered on NME earlier today and can now be heard here via Banhart's YouTube channel. "It's a gentle, dreamy, guitar-driven ballad with military-style drums," says NME. "'Love, you're a strange fella,' sings Banhart, above dreamy backing vocals and synth effects. Very pretty indeed."

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell's forthcoming album, Old Yellow Moon, has made NPR's Heavy Rotation: 5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing. "Their new album of duets, Old Yellow Moon, sounds classic in every sense of musical accomplishment: from their gorgeous singing and inspiring studio performances to their excellent choice of material," says NPR station XPN2. "It hearkens back to classic recordings like Harris' Elite Hotel and Crowell's Diamonds and Dirt, and brings the best out of the two veterans." Harris and Crowell are currently in the UK, with appearances on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends, and BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo show.

In response to the current situation in Mali, Fatoumata Diawara has gathered together over 40 of Mali’s most renowned musicians in a studio in Bamako to record a song and video calling for peace titled "Mali-ko" (Peace / La Paix). Known collectively as Voices United for Mali, the group includes Amadou & Mariam, Oumou Sangare, Toumani Diabate, Afel Bocoum, Bassekou Kouyate, Vieux Farka Toure, and others. Watch the video and read the lyrics and their translation here.

Lianne La Havas, who is currently on tour in Australia, is set to return to North America for an 18-city tour starting March 17 in Dallas. Even before then, La Havas will make a brief trip to LA to perform at the Grammy Foundation's Play It Forward concert and to be fêted by Essence magazine at its Black Women in Music event. When she was in LA last September, she performed songs from her new album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, at Amoeba Music. Watch the complete set here.

The album Old Yellow Moon, due out February 26, 2013, on Nonesuch Records, is the first official collaboration from Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell since Crowell joined Harris’ Hot Band in 1975. In this article, the two old friends and occasional band mates speak with writer Michael Hill about the long-anticipated project and how it finally came to be. Read the story that led Harris to declare: “I love the way records get born!”

The line-up for the 2013 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, aka Jazz Fest, has been announced, and among this year's performers are four artists familiar to readers of the Nonesuch Journal: The Black Keys, Joshua Redman, and New Orleans legends and hometown heroes Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. Jazz Fest runs across two weekends, April 26–28 and May 2–5. The opening weekend includes sets from the Joshua Redman Quartet, Dr. John, and Toussaint; The Black Keys help close out the entire festival on Sunday, May 5.

Nataly Dawn has premiered her video for "I Just Wanted You to Get Old," the closing track from her forthcoming Nonesuch Records debut album, How I Knew Her, out on February 12, 2013. Watch it here. Dawn, who launches her tour with Ben Folds Five in Denver on Wednesday, January 23, was recently in London, where she performed live on BBC London's Jo Good show, and the title track to the album won the BBC 6 Music “Rebel Playlist” listener poll, earning a spot on every BBC 6 Music daytime show this week. Dawn is also featured on Drunken Werewolf and on the latest episode of the Monocle Radio Culture Show.

Fatoumata Diawara performed a set at the 10th annual Globalfest at NYC's Webster Hall on Sunday. The event is the subject of this week's episode of NPR's All Songs Considered, focused on the festival's "highlights and favorite discoveries," Diawara among them. "Undoubtedly one of the breakout stars of this year's edition of globalFEST, the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara had the crowd wrapped around her finger," reports NPR. "Gifted with enormous stage presence and great looks, Diawara put on a tightly choreographed set that screamed with energy and edged towards rock and funk." The New York Times includes her among "this year’s superb African contingent at Globalfest." Watch an excerpt of her performance here via NPR.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell will embark on series of tour dates this March with co-headliner Richard Thompson. The tour is in celebration of Harris and Crowell's new collaborative album, Old Yellow Moon, out February 26, 2013, on Nonesuch Records. Tickets go on sale starting this week. VIP ticket-and-album packages, presented by Bonaparte's Retreat together with Crossroads Campus, include a meet-and-greet with Harris; a digital copy of the album; autographed, handwritten lyrics of "Wrecking Ball"; and an official tour poster.

The Black Keys will perform at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, where they are nominated for five awards—Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album. This will mark the band's debut performance on the Grammy telecast. In 2010, the duo won three Grammy Awards for their breakout album, Brothers. The 55th Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on February 10, broadcast live on CBS. The Black Keys will tour with special guests The Flaming Lips this April and May.

Devendra Banhart releases his Nonesuch debut, Mala, on March 12, 2013. The singer/songwriter co-produced the record with his longtime bandmate, guitarist Noah Georgeson. Spring tour dates will be announced soon. Mala may be pre-ordered now on CD and vinyl in the Nonesuch Store with: a limited-edition, autographed print; an instant download of the album track “Für Hildegard von Bingen”; and a download of the complete album available starting release day. The Mala LP is pressed on 140-gram vinyl and includes the album on CD, an additional 7” with two bonus tracks, and an exclusive poster.

The Black Keys, who are up for five awards at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, have just announced a series of special dates with The Flaming Lips for this April and May. The bands will perform at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri; CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh; Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta; and Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Grammy nominations and tour follow a highly successful year for the duo, whose critically acclaimed Nonesuch album, El Camino, was recently certified RIAA Platinum.