Lonely Avenue, a collaboration between two eminent artists—American singer-songwriter Ben Folds and English novelist Nick Hornby—will be released September 28 on Nonesuch Records. The album features music and vocals by Folds and lyrics by Hornby, with string arrangements by one of the most influential pop string arrangers of all time, Paul Buckmaster. Lonely Avenue, made specifically to be listened to on vinyl, will also be available on CD, digitally, and in a special deluxe edition that includes four short stories by Hornby.

Congratulations to Catherine Zeta-Jones, winner of the 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music; she performed the musical's most famous song, "Send in the Clowns," at last night's awards ceremony. The Welsh-born actress was also named CBE by Queen Elizabeth II on the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Tune in to the Tony Awards ceremony, airing live on Sunday, June 13, at 8 PM ET on CBS, for a performance from the cast of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which has been nominated for four Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Catherine Zeta-Jones, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Angela Lansbury, and Best Sound Design of a Musical.

Before World Cup football action begins tomorrow, Amadou & Mariam join Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, Hugh Masekela, Soweto Gospel Choir, and others performing at the World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto today. It will be webcast live on vevo.com. "With Amadou & Mariam as cultural ambassadors from the continent to the rest of the world," says the Times of London, "Africa is truly spoiling us."

Radiohead drummer Philip Selway will release his first solo album, Familial, August 31 on Nonesuch Records. The album will be available for pre-order late June. A collection of fragile, haunting, and heartfelt songs, Familial is likely to surprise many—and not solely because these understated performances are coming from a drummer; it makes the case for Selway as a natural born singer-songwriter.

Ry Cooder will appear on New York public radio station WFUV, 90.7 FM, on Thursday to premiere his latest effort, "Quicksand," a new song he wrote in response to Arizona's recent immigration law, SB 1070. The track will be available exclusively on iTunes beginning June 29, with all proceeds going to support MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund.

Laurie Anderson's forthcoming Nonesuch album, Homeland is due out on June 22. You can listen to it in its entirety now through release day as an NPR First Listen. "Anderson's performance pieces can be mind-altering; when they work, they can change the way you see the everyday," says NPR's Bob Boilen. "It's not an everyday record, but Homeland does draw on the everyday, in new and inventive ways."

Following the June 22 release of her new album, Homeland, Laurie Anderson will bring an intimate live show, Another Day in America: Songs from the Album "Homeland" and Other Stories, to New York’s Le Poisson Rouge, Philadelphia’s World Café Live, and Alexandria, Virginia's The Birchmere, in addition to performing on The Late Show with David Letterman. You can watch "Victory," an installment in the weekly series of videos featuring her male alter ego, Fenway Bergamot, here at Nonesuch.com.

The Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed-curated festival Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House culminated this weekend with a number of events, including one that captured the hearts of Sydney's canine community and the attention of news media across the globe: Music for Dogs, a 20-minute piece Anderson wrote and performed for an audience of purebreds and mutts alike. Anderson called it "a highlight of my life."

Congratulation to Randy Newman, who is set to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this morning. Pixar's John Lasseter and Monty Python's Eric Idle are due to speak. The Independent described Newman's recent London performance as "riveting ... as a lyricist he's right up there with Cohen, Lennon and Dylan."

Emmylou Harris is scheduled to perform at an all-star tribute to Paul McCartney at the White House today. The concert will take place in the East Room of the White House, where McCartney will receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress. Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Jack White, and others are due to perform as well. The event will air on PBS July 28.

Punch Brothers' new album, Antifogmatic, is due out on Nonesuch Records two weeks from today, on June 15. Fans who sign up for the band's newsletter receive a free download of the album track "Alex" now. Just prior to the album's launch, Punch Brothers perform at Bonnaroo and begin their run of shows opening for Steve Martin. On release day, the band will give a free performance and sign copies of the new album at the Twist & Shout music store in Denver.