David Byrne was a guest on NPR's World Cafe today. He spoke with host Talia Schlanger about his new album, American Utopia, its ongoing tour, and more. His "creativity knows no bounds," says Schlanger. "Exploration, freedom, and a sense of awe rule the day. David Byrne collects wonder from the world around him and sets it to music." Hear the conversation here.

Gabriel Kahane was on NPR's All Things Considered. He spoke with host Ari Shapiro about his new album, Book of Travelers, and performed from it. "It's a plea for empathy," Kahane says. "I think songwriting is a way to deliver that message. I think empathy is one of the primary currencies of any type of storytelling and songwriting is no exception to that." "Sometimes I can't believe I'm lucky enough to hear an intimate performance like this," says Shapiro. "And then I get to share it with you all." Hear it here.

Gabriel Kahane stopped by WNYC Studios as the guest on New Sounds' Soundcheck. He spoke with host John Schaefer about his new album, Book of Travelers, and performed three songs from it: "November," "Baltimore," and "Little Love." "Terrific story, and a terrific record," says Schaefer. Watch the complete session here.

Rhiannon Giddens's "At The Purchaser's Option," from her 2017 album, Freedom Highway, has made NPR Music's list of The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+. The song comes in at No. 30 on list, part of NPR Music's Turning the Tables project. "The songs are by artists whose major musical contributions ... have shifted attitudes, defied categories and pushed sound in new directions," says NPR. "Giddens has become a leader in the Americana world by foregrounding her talent for telling black Americans' stories, as she does on her 2017 LP Freedom Highway."

Shye Ben Tzur and the Rajasthan Express—while in New York City to perform music from their album Junun with Jonny Greenwood on tour opening for Radiohead—stopped by the WNYC studios as guests on New Sounds' Soundcheck. Ben Tzur spoke with host John Schaefer about the album and joined the band to perform songs from it. You can watch the complete set here.

Rostam is a guest on the LSQ podcast with host Jenny Eliscu. The two met more than a decade ago, when Eliscu fell in "love at first listen" for Vampire Weekend, and she wrote about the band for Rolling Stone. "Rostam and I became friends and have had numerous conversations on the record and off in the years since but never one as focused as the conversation" for the podcast, she says. You can hear her chat with Rostam, an "all-around awesome dude," here.

Punch Brothers were on the season finale of public radio's Live From Here hosted by Chris Thile on June 30, performing songs from their forthcoming album, All Ashore, out next week. You can now watch "It's All Part of the Plan" and "Like It's Going Out of Style" from the show here. Download the album version of "It's All Part of the Plan" now when you pre-order All Ashore. Punch Brothers begin an extensive US summer tour this Thursday.

Robert Plant was on CBC's Q. He spoke with host Tom Power about his new album, Carry Fire, traveling the world, his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers football club, musical influences, eight-year-old drummer Yoyoka Soma's take on Led Zeppelin's "Good Times Bad Times," and more. Watch the conversation here. Plant's North American tour continues out West this weekend and heads to the Pacific Northwest next week.

Rostam, in London for back-to-back shows, stopped by BBC Radio 6 Music this morning to perform songs from his debut album, Half-Light, on Lauren Laverne's show and talk with her about the album and tour. "One of my favorite records of 2017," says Laverne of Half-Light, "absolutely phenomenal debut album." Hear it here. Rostam closes out his European spring tour in Dublin as special guest of The National on Saturday. He performs at the Newport Folk Festival with Hamilton Leithauser in July.

Lake Street Dive stopped by MPR's The Current while in St. Paul to perform a sold-out show at the Palace Theater. They spoke with host Mac Wilson about the new album Free Yourself Up and performed three songs from it: "Good Kisser," "Hang On," and "Doesn't Even Matter Now." You can watch videos of the first two performances here and listen to the complete session at thecurrent.org.

Still Dreaming, the new album from saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman, drummer Brian Blade, bassist Scott Colley, and trumpeter Ron Miles, out next Friday, May 25, is streaming in full till then as an NPR First Listen. The album was inspired by the band Old and New Dreams, of which Joshua Redman's father Dewey was a member and which had an all-star lineup of Ornette Coleman collaborators. "The rhythmic undertow in this band feels true to its inspiration, as does the airtight-yet-relaxed rapport between Redman and Miles," says NPR's Nate Chinen.

Lake Street Dive is on NPR's World Cafe, discussing and performing two songs from the new album Free Yourself Up—"Good Kisser" and "Musta Been Something"—plus "Saving All My Sinning," from 2016's Side Pony. Host Talia Schlanger says: "If you've heard any of the original music they make, you know they take all the most fun bits of pop, soul, disco, jazz, rock and roll and stitch them together into something all their own." Hear the session here.