Steve Reich's latest album, WTC 9/11, is out next Tuesday. The composer's 75th birthday follows less than two weeks later, on October 3, and the celebrations abound. He is the subject of a special feature on iTunes titled The World of Steve Reich, part of a series that explores every facet of an iconic musician’s career—their roots, their catalog, and other artists they have influenced. Included are six multi-artist compilations, a best-of colleciton, and a sale on Reich's catalog. "We're speaking of the impact of an artist who has changed music as we know it," says iTunes, "and maybe even more importantly, as we will know it."

Björk's Biophilia project is the Icelandic artist’s most interdisciplinary project to date, comprising a studio album, an app, a new website, custom-made musical instruments, live shows, and educational workshops. The album is due out on October 11, two weeks after its initially scheduled release date. Björk has written a statement explaining why the move was made and offering lots of great news about the album in the process! Read the full text of Björk's note here.

The Low Anthem launches its fall headlining tour of North America with a concert at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live tonight. After over 400 shows since the initial release of their album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, the band is going to take a break from the road to create some new sounds following the tour, so this is the last run of shows in support of their latest album, Smart Flesh. In celebration of these songs and shows, Nonesuch and the band have teamed up with Paste magazine to give away a pair of tickets, a signed poster, and a Smart Flesh CD to one lucky winner for every upcoming concert listed here.

Ry Cooder was the guest on the BBC World Service arts program The Strand, discussing his new album, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down. "When it comes to American music legends, they don't come much bigger than Ry Cooder," says host Anna McNamee. "What I love about this album is that in so many ways it's a distillation of some great American musics."

Björk's forthcoming album, Biophilia, due out October 11, is featured in the latest episode of NPR's All Songs Considered, the show's Fall Music Preview. The show's contributors "talk about some of the releases they're most looking forward to coming out this fall." Host Bob Boilen offers Björk's latest single, "Moon," to the Fall Preview mix. "There's no one that makes music like this," says Boilen. "I'm so glad that there is a Björk in this world." Watch a preview video of the "Moon" app here.

Randy Newman is set to take the stage in Austin's Zilker Park as a headliner at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend. The Austin American-Statesman calls him "a friend to anyone who appreciates impeccably crafted songs." Newman will stay in town for another day to record his performance on PBS's Austin City Limits, which will air for the show's full hour on Saturday, November 12.

Chris Thile launches his solo tour of the UK and Ireland with a concert at Borderline in London tonight. The tour includes songs from Thile's duo album with guitarist Michael Daves, Sleep with One Eye Open. Today also marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, whose songs are featured on Sleep with One Eye Open; Thile spoke with NPR's All Things Considered for a piece celebrating the occasion. NPR counts Thile and Daves "among the hot young pickers" carrying on the tradition set by the Monroe Brothers.

Ry Cooder's new album, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, which was released late last month on CD and digitally, is out today as a double-vinyl set, which includes two audiophile-quality, 140-gram vinyl discs plus a CD of the complete album. Ireland's Evening Herald is the latest publication to give the album a perfect five stars, saying: "The headline news is that Ry Cooder has made yet another of his trademark, cornerstone collections, dragging in the wide span of his American music influences." Canada's Winnipeg Free Press offers another five-star review and says: "This one is a classic." 

Natalie Merchant will perform two shows in upstate New York next month as part of Radio Woodstock's 13th annual Pink October Fundraiser, benefiting breast cancer research at the Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie. Merchant will also join the Nashville Symphony in concert in November and will be honored as a 2011 New York Public Library Lion, along with Jonathan Franzen, Ian McEwan, Tony Kushner, Stacy Schiff, and Isabel Wilkerson.

Björk brought the music of Biophilia, her forthcoming album, to Britain's Isle of Wight last night, where she headlined the four-day Bestival's closing night. Q magazine says "it's clear from the off, the Icelandic singer does not do 'average' festival sets." She was the featured guest on the full hour of the CBC radio show Q. "Few artists can lay claim to being the greatest cultural export of their home country," says the show, citing her "trailblazing" new album. Björk also spoke with Studio 360 about her memories of September 11, 2001, and the ways in which the world has changed since. Listen to her comments here.

Steve Reich's new piece, WTC 9/11, was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, in the show's coverage of the tenth anniversary of the attacks. KQED's The California Report spoke with Reich and Kronos Quartet's David Harrington about the piece, which Kronos performs on the forthcoming album. There's one more day to listen to the entire album—which also includes Mallet Quartet, performed by Sō Percussion, and Dance Patterns, performed by members of Steve Reich and Musicians—as an NPR First Listen. The Seattle Times calls WTC 9/11 "a stunning work." Sequenza21 calls it "unflinchingly eloquent."

The Black Keys have announced a headline tour of Europe in January and February 2012, including dates in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, and the UK. The tour follows the most successful two years in the band’s career to date, with the release of their breakthrough album, Brothers, and all that followed. The Black Keys are currently putting the finishing touches to their seventh, as-yet untitled album. It will be released, for the first time worldwide, on Nonesuch Records.