Philip Selway kicked off his tour in Tokyo last night performing the "warm, tender acoustic nuggets" of Familial, reports SPIN, proving to be a "talented frontman." The Irish Independent hears "pleasurable echoes of the comforting delicate folk of Nick Drake" on the new album, The Independent (UK) "the quieter moments of Talk Talk and Radiohead." The Sun gives 4.5 stars to this "mighty fine" album, featuring "one of the most gorgeous songs you'll hear all year."

Emmylou Harris and The Low Anthem are coming together to tour the US East Coast this fall. Starting at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh on November 9 and concluding at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina, on November 21, The Low Anthem will open for Harris, with stops along the way in Buffalo and Albany, New York; Northampton, Massachusetts; Wilmington, Delaware; Roanoke and Charlottesville, Virginia; and Frederick, Maryland.

Natlie Merchant's Leave Your Sleep tour brought her to Florida this week. The Sun Sentinel witnessed "a new Natalie Merchant ... burnished with the amber glow of something special," the songs of the new album proved "magical." The Broward New Times calls them "delicate, dreamy songs with multigenerational appeal." Tampa's Creative Loafing says Merchant "made it seem as if the poems had been waiting for her music all along."

Ahead of next week's release of Familial, Philip Selway launches a month-long tour of Japan and Europe. Following performances in Tokyo and Osaka, he heads to Ireland and the UK for several shows, including three with Wilco. NME gives Familial an 8, saying "Selway has delivered an album so honest and thoughtful, you'll see not only drummers but yourself in a new light." MOJO concurs, saying it "shows a sensitivity seldom credited to stickmen."

The Black Keys are set to open for the Kings of Leon for three weeks in September. SPIN caught up with the band at an earlier gig with the Kings, in London's Hyde Park, for a feature profile examining the Keys' career, "as their music has expanded from raw-boned basement blues-rock into spookier, swampier, sexier territory." The Keys are also featured in Relix, which takes a look at the making of "the best record of their career, Brothers."

Chris Thile performs solo at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on Saturday, not far from where Punch Brothers worked out the songs on their album Antifogmatic. Acoustic Guitar magazine calls the album "their Sgt. Pepper’s ... Draped in densely woven musical and thematic tapestries, this richly detailed album is filled with quirky, engaging, compelling, and dazzling music that will keep listeners coming back time after time to see what they hear next."

Natalie Merchant's US tour brought her to Texas for three shows, including Thursday night in Dallas. The Dallas Morning News says Merchant's voice "sounds as pure and powerful now as it did 20 years ago" and calls the show "one of the year's most assured performances. Natalie Merchant proved to be nothing less than pure poetry in motion." In Florida, where the tour heads next, the Sun Sentinel says her "voice is simply timeless."

Happy Birthday to Brad Mehldau, who turns 40 years old. Mehldau celebrated a few hours early when he joined John Mayer on stage at the Hollywood Bowl last night. Mehldau's next performs with his Trio at the Chicago Jazz Festival over Labor Day weekend, the last Trio date before the November premiere of Highway Rider with Joshua Redman, Matt Chamblerain, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Kronos Quartet plays the Edinburgh International Festival ... Shawn Colvin plays Denver Botanic Gardens with Loudon Wainwright ... Richard Goode performs a BBC Prom ...  The Low Anthem tours Europe's festivals ... Natalie Merchant does Texas two-stop ... Jeff Tweedy headlines Philadelphia Folk Fest ... Dawn Upshaw joins BSO at Tanglewood ... Sara Watkins continues Summer Love tour with A Prairie Home Companion ... and more ...

Natalie Merchant's performance at the Cambridge Folk Festival earlier this month will be featured on the UK's Sky Arts TV Saturday night, which also includes interviews with Natalie and with Carolina Chocolate Drops, plus performances from the Drops and Rokia Traoré. Merchant's US tour stops in Texas this weekend. The Arizona Republic says: "Her ambitious touring and recording project shows an artist who continues to evolve and push herself."

Though Punch Brothers have a few weeks off from their tour, Chris Thile takes the stage for a solo set at New Yorks' Rockwood Music Hall this Saturday. The band was featured on the BBC World Service's The Strand. Noam Pickelny tells host Mark Coles, "We really are just trying to create something new and bring all of our favorite styles and influences to the table and just throw them into a melting pot."

Natalie Merchant's US summer tour came to California last week for a number of concerts, including stops at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles and the Spreckels Theatre in San Diego over the weekend. Merchant had previously performed in the Bay Area and stopped by 826 Valencia, Dave Eggers' writing program for students. The San Francisco Chronicle described the event as "a kind of 'master class' for high school kids."