Ry Cooder is the guest on today’s episode of the BBC World Service's The Strand. He talks about his new album, Election Special, and what motivated him to speak out through its songs. "Here we are in the middle of an incredibly critical Presidential campaign ... and all these issues are brought to the front," says Cooder. "Martin Luther King used to say do something if you can, something you could do. If it was writing a speech or a book or singing or marching, do it, when the need is there. So that’s what I’m doing."

Sara Watkins is today's guest on NPR's World Café. On the show, Watkins talks with host David Dye about her new album, Sun Midnight Sun, and is joined by her brother Sean to perform three songs from the album as well as two tunes from her self-titled debut solo album. Earlier this month, Watkins appeared on WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show; listen to it here.

Sara Watkins performed at the 2012 Newport Folk Festival over the weekend, and NPR Music was there to capture the set. Watkins performed songs from her self-titled solo debut album and her latest album, Sun Midnight Sun, which NPR’s Stephen Thompson calls “a smart, surprising collection of sweetly hooky songs that rest within pop, country and folk on the Venn diagram of musical genres.” Listen to the set now at npr.org. Sara Watkins continues her tour as special guest of Jackson Browne with two shows at NYC's Beacon Theatre this weekend.

Lianne La Havas' debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, is due out on August 7. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it. The album is streaming in full all this week as an NPR First Listen. "Lianne La Havas possesses a rich, expressive voice—but also, more importantly, a keen understanding of when to dial it back," says NPR, which calls the album "terrific," a "hyper-accessible entry point into a smart, sophisticated sound world." La Havas performs a special acoustic set and answers fans' questions live this Friday, August 3, at 4 PM ET, via Livestream.

Composer/pianist Timothy Andres performed a concert at New York's (Le) Poisson Rouge in May of this year, performing what he described as a "musical 'self-portrait,'" including two of his own pieces, as well as works by Ted Hearne, Ingram Marshall, Brahms, and Schumann. The complete concert has now been posted by Q2 Music, New York's online new-music station, and can be heard here.

Shawn Colvin is the guest on NPR's World Cafe today. She discusses her memoir, Diamond in the Rough, and performs songs from her new album, All Fall Down with Buddy Miller, who produced the album, and bassist Viktor Krauss. To celebrate the release of All Fall Down, iVillage is giving away a beautiful Martin 000-15M Mahogany Dreadnought Guitar. Colvin continues her summer tour with two concerts at The Birchmere outside DC next week.

Chris Thile is a guest on today's Here and Now, from NPR member station WBUR in Boston. Thile talks about his lifelong love of the mandolin, from the first time he saw the instrument, at the age of two, to some of the many projects in which that has manifest itself, including Punch Brothers. Listen to the interview here. Thile and guitarist Michael Daves perform a duo show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville this Thursday; Punch Brothers are at ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, on Friday.

Last week, the staff at NPR Music announced their 25 Favorite Albums of 2012 (So Far), including Dr. John's Locked Down and Jeremy Denk's Ligeti/Beethoven. NPR listeners have now weighed in. Their list of the year's best albums (so far) includes those two albums and adds Amadou & Mariam's Folila, Sara Watkins' Sun Midnight Sun, and the new album of works by Krzysztof Penderecki and Jonny Greenwood. Says NPR: "The poll results reconfirmed that we've got another great year of music on our hands."

British singer/guitarist Lianne La Havas's song "Tease Me" has been selected as Today's Top Tune by KCRW in LA. Download the track today at kcrw.com. The station, which says La Havas "has captured our hearts," chose the title track to her forthcoming album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, for NPR Music’s list of “5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing.” That song will be released as the album's first single this Tuesday on iTunes, paired with the album track “Lost & Found.”

The title track to Lianne La Havas' forthcoming debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, is in NPR's Heavy Rotation: Five Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing. "Our song for the summer, 'Is Your Love Big Enough?' is laid-back, dusty soul from a 22-year-old U.K. singer-songwriter," says LA's KCRW, which selected the song. "La Havas' optimism and ability to write a song that sticks in your head in all the best ways—with handclaps to boot—makes her a perfect fit for summer in Southern California." Download the track for free now at npr.org.

Dr. John is the guest on NPR's World Cafe today, a fitting culminating episode of the program's week-long exploration of the music of his hometown, New Orleans. He gives host David Dye a tour of the Crescent City through a mystical lens, visiting a cemetery, a spiritual supply shop, and a voodoo temple. Dr. John celebrates the music of Treme at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland tonight as part of the SFJAZZ Spring Season. NPR Music and the Guardian both include his new album, Locked Down, among the year's best (so far).

The Black Keys are featured on this week's episode of American Routes public radio show out of New Orleans. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney spoke with host Nick Spitzer backstage at a performance in the Crescent City about life in their hometown, their musical influences, and more. The band is set to make a special guest appearance on Comedy Central's Workaholics this Tuesday. Entertainment Weekly has a First Look, with photos from the set, plot details (they're "playing dirtbags"), and an interview with Workaholic's Adam DeVine about how the cameo came about.