Songlines has announced its list of the Best Albums of 2014, and featured in that top ten are three albums familiar to readers of the Nonesuch Journal: Robert Plant's label debut album, lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar; Kronos Quartet's A Thousand Thoughts, which led Songlines to call the group "one of the musical marvels of our ages"; and Toumani and Sidiki Diabaté's Toumani & Sidiki, about which the magazine says: "Every note in this rich tapestry of strings is exquisitely calibrated in the pursuit of perfection." 

James Farm’s sophomore album, City Folk, is out now, a new collection of ten original tunes written by all four members of the collaborative band: Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland. It earns five stars from the Financial Times ("ten beautifully crafted miniatures that rock with rhythm") and four stars from the Guardian, which notes the "enthralling improvisations [on] this inviting set," and the Evening Standard, which describes the band as "four crack musicians and improvisers whose fierce grooves and synergy make for spine-tingling listening." The Buffalo News calls City Folk "the second first-rate disc by one of the more impressive jazz quartets to come together in the past few years."

David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's musical Here Lies Love has its official Opening Night at the National Theatre's Dorfman Theatre in London tonight. The reviews are in from last night's press night, bringing five stars in Time Out and the Daily Mail, which calls it "revolutionary," and four stars in the Independent, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, and the Times. Channel 4 News calls it "extraordinary" and spoke with Byrne in an interview you can watch here.

Robert Plant was the guest on The Colbert Report last night. He joined his host for a conversation about his new album, lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar, his endless musical quest, and more. Plant and his band, The Sensational Space Shifters, then gave an on-air performance of the new album's first single, "Rainbow," plus a web-exclusive take on "Little Maggie." You can watch the interview and performances here. Plant and the band closed out their North American tour with a late-night show at Brooklyn Bowl last night. Following their recent tour stop in LA, the LA Times concludes: "The singer and his Shape Shifters succeeded in fusing an untouchable legacy with a passion for experimentation."

Sam Amidon's new album of reimagined folk songs, Lily-O, was released last week to critical acclaim. Now, the New York Times' Nate Chinen adds his praise, calling it "hauntingly beautiful." He cites the take on Rosa Lee Watson's "Your Lone Journey" as the song that "brings out the album’s most moving performance. Mr. Amidon sings in a muted voice, trusting the lyrics to make their own impression. The song arrives near the album’s close, so its heavenward glance doubles as a seamless transition." Amidon kicks off a fall tour of US and Europe this Saturday, October 11. 

The Black Keys were the musical guests on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night on NBC, performing “Gotta Get Away,” off their latest album, Turn Blue. Watch the performance plus a web-exclusive performance of Edwyn Collins's "A Girl Like You" here. The band performs at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn tonight and tomorrow night, followed by tour stops in Washington, DC, and Chicago. The Boston Globe, reviewing Sunday's show, says: "[T]he fact that they have been able to become one of the most prominent rock outfits of the 2010s while keeping things simple is not only a rebuke to arena-rock excesses, it’s a testament to their talent."

As the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s celebration of Nonesuch Records’ 50th anniversary, Nonesuch Records at BAM, began with a series of unforgettable concerts from Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Timo Andres, Nico Muhly, Brad Mehldau, and Chris Thile earlier this week, NPR’s All Things Considered took a look back at the label’s history and its evolution over the decades, talking with Nonesuch President Bob Hurwitz (who celebrates his own 30th anniversary with the company this year), founder Jac Holzman, and artists Thile, Randy Newman, and Jeremy Denk. "Sometimes good things come in small packages," says NPR. Nonesuch Records at BAM continues through September 28.

Robert Plant's new album, lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar, is out now. The album's release was featured in the New York Times list of 100 "events that have us especially excited" this season. The LA Times says he's created "a compellingly eclectic landscape." The Boston Globe calls it "a kaleidoscope that shows he still has much to say." American Songwriter says he "remains as creative, curious and truly artistic as ever, perhaps more so. And this stunning entry into his already impressive catalog shows he refuses to rest on his laurels." The Christian Science Monitor finds that "these are golden days" for Plant. The album earns four stars from the Times, Independent, Financial Times, and Guardian. The Irish Herald says this "brilliant" album is "a cause for celebration" and among the "most entertaining and sonically thrilling collections of the year."

Robert Plant's new album, lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar, has already begun to receive rave reviews in the UK. The album has earned four stars from Q and Mojo and nine out of ten in Uncut. Q says "he’s produced his best solo album yet … a beautifully moving, soul-stirring, bravely genre-blurring album." Mojo, calling it "a rewarding, often touching listen," makes it Album of the Month, as does Uncut, which says it is "a record that deftly aligns the chakras of Plant’s storied career while also being a bold act of reinvention ... His uniqueness has never been more apparent."

Joshua Redman's new album, Trios Live, earns four stars from BBC Music Magazine, which lauds Redman's "athletic, exuberant and all-consuming extemporization" on the album, calling it "a thrill-a-minute set," and All About Jazz, which says "Redman's definitely got the fire and burns hot as coals in Trios Live which captures the essence of his unbridled abilities as musician and performer ... Redman is in his element."

John Adams's new recording of City Noir and his Saxophone Concerto features "superb" performances by the St. Louis Symphony led by David Robertson and "first-class soloist" saxophonist Timothy McAllister, says the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. McAllister's "performance, well-supported by Robertson, is amazing." The Post-Dispatch concludes that "both pieces get terrific performances; the recording itself got top-notch engineering." McAllister and the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra give the West Coast Premiere of the Saxophone Concerto at the Cabrillo Music Festival on Saturday, August 9. 

John Adams's new album featuring City Noir and his Saxophone Concerto performed by the St. Louis Symphony led by Music Director David Robertson with saxophonist Timothy McAllister, earns a perfect five stars from the BBC Music Magazine, for both performance and recording. "David Robertson and his St Louis orchestra do a sleek and beautifully layered job," says the magazine. New Music Box says: "These are vital, engaging performances by all involved."