Devendra Banhart was the special surprise guest on the Halloween Spooktacular episode of Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker. Once the Halloween costume comes off, they discuss some recent and favorite concert-going experiences, and Banhart—whom Heidecker calls "a genuine legend of the new millennium"—closes out the hour with a performance of "Weatherman," a song by Heidecker's group Heidecker & Wood. You can watch it here.

The Staves' Camilla and Jessica Staveley-Taylor were the musical guest on WNYC's Get Lit with All of It, the book club series with All of It host Alison Stewart, via a virtual gathering from The Greene Space. The featured author on the episode is Lauren Groff, who discusses her latest novel, MATRIX. The Staves performed songs from and spoke with Stewart about their new album, Good Woman; you can watch it here. The Staves will tour North America in early 2022. 

Ben LaMar Gay shares a new video for “Mestre Candeia’s Denim Hat,” off his upcoming album Open Arms to Open Us, out November 19 on International Anthem / Nonesuch. An homage to improvisatory and rhythmic elements of the Brazilian “Partido Alto” tradition, “Mestre Candeia’s Denim Hat” sees Gay lay a Chicago-style free-jazz synth raga over a swinging, fractured march. The title is a nod to the insight and style of master sambista and partideiro Antônio Candeia Filho. You can watch the video, directed by Andrea Rodea and Erik Mares of the Mexico City based Rhizomes Films, here.

Ben LaMar Gay has released “Oh Great Be the Lake," the second single from his upcoming new album Open Arms to Open Us, out November 19 on International Anthem / Nonesuch. The new track is a ballad penned by Gay to his memories of jumping off the rocks into Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Southside; you can watch the video by Chris Strong here. Supported by delicate, minimal flute accents by Rob Frye and wordless backing vocals by Ayanna Woods, Gay croons encouragingly, repeatedly: “Learn how to swim.” This song also birthed the album title, which is taken from the lyrics in the second verse.

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.

David Byrne and the cast of American Utopia helped open The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back! on CBS last night with a performance of the Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House," a favorite from the Broadway production. You can watch it here. The show had received a special award at the Tony Awards ceremony earlier in the evening. Tickets are on sale now for David Byrne's American Utopia on Broadway at the St. James Theatre.

David Byrne was on CBS Sunday Morning today to share his thoughts on the importance of collective rituals like concerts and theatre, which have been curtailed during the pandemic, and how their return is an important part of healing. You can watch it here. David Byrne's American Utopia, which recently returned to the Broadway stage, will receive a Special Tony Award at the Tony Awards ceremony hosted by Audra McDonald on Paramount+ tonight, after which Byrne and the cast will perform on The Tony Awards Present Broadway's Back! on CBS.

Composer, singer, and instrumental polymath Ben LaMar Gay's new album, Open Arms to Open Us, is due November 19 on International Anthem / Nonesuch Records. Living up to NPR's claim that "there is no one universe for Ben LaMar Gay, he just sonic booms from one sound to another," he interweaves jazz, blues, ballads, R&B, raga, new music, nursery rhyme, Tropicália, two-step, hip-hop, and beyond in his most colorful and communicable work yet, an expression of his signature omni-genre, "Pan-Americana" brew. You can watch the video for the track "Sometimes I Forget How Summer Looks on You," featuring OHMME, here.

Randy Newman is the guest on the season four finale of the podcast Score. He talks with hosts Robert Kraft and Kenny Holmes about his film music, his family's film scoring legacy, and more. You can watch their conversation here.

Chris Thile hosted a centenary celebration for the esteemed Town Hall in New York City from just around the corner, outdoors in Bryant Park, for the culmination of the park's Picnic Performances season last night. He was joined on stage by Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner, Timo Andres, Zakir Hussain and Ganesh Rajagopalan, Emily King, Damon Daunno, and others for the evening of performances honoring the hall's storied past. You can watch it here.

k.d. lang and producer Tracy Young release “Constant Craving (Fashionably Late Remix)” on Nonesuch Records today. It's the first-ever official remix of lang’s 1993 Grammy-winning hit and follows the recent release of makeover, a new collection of classic dance remixes from the era. You can watch the new remix video, featuring paper dolls designed by a fan, Katja Virtanen, here. "When ‘Constant Craving’ was the single, my team wanted to do a remix of it, and I was feeling protective and said ‘No, I don’t want to touch it," lang recalls. "When we were putting together makeover, we realized we didn’t have a ‘Constant Craving’ remix! And that was why.” Young says: "The song continues to resonate through generations, and it speaks about the struggles of life and the resiliency of the human spirit—an inspirational message that is so needed right now." Young will debut the remix in her headlining DJ sets at Miami Pride and Orlando Pride in the coming weeks.

"Sam Amidon is one of the most open-minded artists I know," says pianist/composer Pablo Held of his latest Investigates podcast guest. "Right away I was struck not only by his beautiful music, I was also amazed by the vast range of things he welcomes into his world. Every Sam Amidon album is a winner." You can watch their extensive conversation here.