LIFE ON EARTH, the Nonesuch debut of Hurray for the Riff Raff (aka Alynda Segarra), due February 18, is a departure for the Bronx-born, New Orleans-based singer/songwriter. Its eleven new "nature punk" tracks on the theme of survival are music for a world in flux—songs about thriving, not just surviving, while disaster is happening. The album was recorded during the pandemic with producer Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Bon Iver, Kevin Morby). While making it, Segarra drew inspiration from The Clash, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Bad Bunny, and the author of Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown. "A major step forward for one of today's most vital artists," exclaims Uncut. "The first great album of 2022." Pre-order to download the track "RHODODENDRON" now—you can watch the video here—and get a limited-edition print autographed by Segarra, while they last. Hurray for the Riff Raff tours North America this spring; international dates coming soon.

The Magnetic Fields’ City Winery residency, originally scheduled for spring 2020 to celebrate their new album Quickies, begins in their hometown of Boston this weekend. The band will perform songs spanning their 30+ year career, including Quickies and 69 Love Songs, at intimate City Winery venues in seven cities—Boston, New York, Philadelphia, DC, Atlanta, Nashville, and Chicago.

Punch Brothers’ newest album, Hell on Church Street, is due January 14, on Nonesuch Records. It is the band’s reimagining of, and homage to, the late bluegrass great Tony Rice’s landmark solo album Church Street Blues, with songs by Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Bill Monroe, and others. Preorders from the Nonesuch and Punch Brothers stores include a limited-edition print signed by the band while supplies last. An in-the-studio video of the band playing “Church Street Blues” may be seen here. Punch Brothers tour North America in support of the album beginning in January, with show in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, and many more.

The 75th Ojai Music Festival takes place this week, September 16–19, with events led by 2021 Music Director John Adams, the Ojai debuts of Rhiannon Giddens and Attacca Quartet, and the return of Timo Andres all streaming for free live from the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California.

The Big Ears Festival returns—for the first time since 2019—to Knoxville, Tennessee, March 24–27, 2022, with music from Caroline Shaw, Sō Percussion, Kronos Quartet, Jeff Parker, Tristan Perich, and Attacca Quartet, among many others.

The Staves have announced a tour of North America for early 2022, featuring songs from their new album, Good Woman. The tour begins in Dallas on February 9, heading across the South, up the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, up to Canada, back down the US Midwest, over to the Pacific Northwest, and down to California, culminating at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on March 15. "We are beyond thrilled to announce that we will be coming to you in 2022!! We can’t wait to take Good Woman on the road to a town near you!"

Lake Street Dive's Rachael Price, Punch Brothers, and Gaby Moreno are among the artists who will perform at The Kennedy Center's 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert, hosted by Audra McDonald with special guest Caroline Kennedy on September 14. The event will be broadcast on PBS as The Kennedy Center at 50 on October 1. Other performers include Christian McBride, Ben Folds, Kelli O'Hara, Renée Fleming, and more. 

Sam Amidon has announced a headline tour of the Northeastern United States for this October featuring songs from his 2020 self-titled album and more. The two-week tour starts at Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 4, followed by shows in Burlington, Providence, Brattleboro, Northampton, Sellersville, DC, NYC, and Woodstock, culminating at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine, on October 16. Amidon was on BBC Radio 3's In Tune to perform last week.

The SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco has announced its 2021–22 concert season, and featured among the performers taking the Miner Auditorium stage are four Nonesuch artists: Joshua Redman, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Brad Mehldau, and Kronos Quartet. Tickets go on sale to members July 29 and to the general public August 5. 

The Black Keys have announced their World Tour of America: three intimate shows in Athens, GA, St. Petersburg, FL, and Oxford, MS, this September, surrounding their performance at Pilgrimage Fest in Tennessee. The band will partner with the Save The Music Foundation to support elementary and middle school music programs in Mississippi. Fans can participate in a sweepstakes to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the band, with 100% of the proceeds going towards music education grants in seven schools across Mississippi.

Rachael & Vilray—Lake Street Dive singer-songwriter Rachael Price and composer, singer, and guitarist Vilray—kick off a ten-concert tour of the United States with three performances in Colorado this weekend, including a set as special guest of The Avett Brothers at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The tour continues throughout July and into August with shows in Illinois, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine.

The Magnetic Fields’ City Winery residency, originally scheduled for spring 2020 to celebrate their new album Quickies, has been rescheduled for October and November 2021. The band will perform at intimate City Winery venues in seven cities—Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Boston, New York, Washington, and Philadelphia. In addition to Quickies, the band will perform a wide variety of songs spanning their 30+ year career, including from the album 69 Love Songs.