Natalie Merchant continues the first week of her summer tour with two nights at The Town Hall in New York City. The Hartford Courant, reviewing Tuesday's show, says Merchant's "distinct voice remains an instrument of power and beauty." She and her band can be heard performing on the latest episode of NPR's eTown, her first appearance on the show in a decade. The Washington Post's Express Night Out calls Merchant's Nonesuch debut album, Leave Your Sleep, "her most ambitious effort to date."

The Low Anthem kicks off its summer tour this weekend, starting three weeks of shows along the US East Coast, from Virginia to Vermont. Following a Sunday set at the Green River Festival in Massachusetts, the Providence-based quartet heads back to its hometown to headline a benefit concert for Congressional candidate David Segal. The band returns to Rhode Island at the end of month to perform on the Newport Folk Festival's Main Stage.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops perform a free concert at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland this evening, launching the Hall's Summer in the City series of free concerts. Fans outside of Cleveland can enjoy a bit of the band's live sound tonight as well, as Seattle radio station KEXP airs an in-studio performance the trio recorded during their recent tour stop in the Pacific Northwest.

Laurie Anderson brings the music of Homeland back home to New York City. Anderson performs a song from the album on the Late Show with David Letterman Wednesday night. The Washington Post picks her concert at The Birchmere this Friday as the must-attend concert this week. Interview says "Anderson proves that time has only sharpened her critical eye," calling Homeland "harrowing and hilarious ... a gift of perspective."

Natalie Merchant launches an extensive summer tour across the United States, performing songs from Leave Your Sleep and throughout her career. "At the root of her success are two qualities," says The Guardian, "an unwillingness to compromise, and total sincerity. In a world of glib, heavily produced pop stars, Merchant stands out."

Laurie Anderson has began a short tour of the East Coast with music from her new album, Homeland, in two shows at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live, one at New York's (Le) Poisson Rouge, and one at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. She was recently featured on PRI's Studio 360 and appears on PRI's Echoes today. The Philadelphia Inquirer says Anderson's "current projects suggest that, at 63, she's at a late-middle-age creative peak."

Punch Brothers follow the success of their recent Caramoor appearance with three shows in Michigan later this week. The Associated Press says their new album, "Antifogmatic, has more range than your average bluegrass album. There’s an old-time feel to some songs. But several songs have a progressive feel that rises above genre limitations." Spinner looks at producer Jon Brion's role in bringing the band's unique acoustic sound to disc.

Emmylou Harris performs at Lilith Fair ... Laurie Anderson live on World Cafe and in NYC ... Carolina Chocolate Drops play the Sugar Grove Festival in NC ... Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman, Rokia Traore, and Caetano Veloso hit the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam... and more ...

The Black Keys have been chosen as MTV's "Push Artist of the Week"; the video for "Tighten Up" from the band's new album, Brothers, is featured on mtv.com, along with exclusive interviews with Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney.

The Punch Brothers played the "American Roots, New Shoots" series at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, New York, this past weekend, in a mini-festival showcasing "new perspectives on traditional American music." The New York Times describes the "supremely entertaining" show as "cleverly splintered and episodic, with touches of breathless emotion and ... humor."

Punch Brothers' recent Tonight Show spot airs again; quintet plays Caramoor ... Laurie Anderson improvises with Lou Reed, John Zorn at Montreal Jazz Fest; Allen Toussaint brings Bright Mississipi there ... The Black Keys hit the European festivals ... Carolina Chocolate Drops play two sets at High Sierra Fest ... Brad Mehldau plays Traumzeit and Montreax Fests ... Pat Metheny Group tours Poland and Germany ... Joshua Redman plays Ottawa Jazz Fest ... Jeff Tweedy solos in Spain ... Sara Watkins tours Midwest with Dar Williams ... and more ...

Punch Brothers spent the weekend at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, for Garden & Gun magazine's Soul of the South Weekend, and perform next weekend at the Caramoor Festival in Katonah, New York. The band's new album, Antifogmatic, is on the latest Sunday New York Times Playlist. "Punch Brothers tuck their instrumental prowess into songs, behind or between the arching melodies carried by [Chris] Thile’s high, aching voice," says the Times. "Emotion still outweighs technique."