Yola was named among "the best things we saw" at Farm Aid 2019 by both Rolling Stone, noting "her powerhouse vocals," and Billboard, which reports of the festival's "breakthrough artist": "An imposing presence with a massive, gospel-fired voice, Yola held the midday crowd riveted with songs from her debut album Walk Through Fire." One such festival performance, of the song "It Ain't Easier," can be seen here. It has just been announced that she will perform at Holiday Cheer for FUV at the Beacon Theatre in NYC in December and at Chris Stapleton's benefit concert in Kentucky next April. Fittingly, Yola has been nominated as Live Act of the Year in the UK's Independent Festival Awards.

Rhiannon Giddens performed as part of NPR Music's multi-artist Turning the Tables concert at Lincoln Center Out of Doors in July, a celebration of "eight women who invented American popular music": Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Maybelle Carter, Marion Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Mary Lou Williams, Celia Cruz, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Giddens opens the concert, performing A.P. Carter's "You Are My Flower" with Courtney Marie Andrews, the spiritual "Deep River" with Lizz Wright, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Up Above My Head." You can watch it here.

Yola closed out her stellar week in Nashville last month as "the breakout star of AmericanaFest 2019" (Rolling Stone) by making her Grand Ole Opry debut. She spoke about the experience and what brought her there for a new short film by the Opry. "You grew up with this as a child," Yola shares. "Then you were told, 'Not for you.' And you fought and fought and fought for your right to connect to something that you love." See what else she had to say here.

When Chris Thile hosted his public radio show Live From Here from The Town Hall in NYC last weekend, he paid tribute to Steve Reich, who premiered his Music for 18 Musicians there in 1976. The show marked the composer's upcoming birthday with Live From Here musical director Mike Elizondo and drummer Eric Doob performing Reich’s Clapping Music. "As influential a composer as our country has ever produced," Thile says. "Thank you for everything you continue to do, Steve. You are an inspiration to all of us." Watch it here.

Lake Street Dive and Rachael & Vilray's own Rachael Price was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night, joining Carole King and The Roots on backing vocals to perform the legendary singer-songwriter's beloved song "It's Too Late." You can watch it here. Rachael & Vilray's self-titled debut album is due next Friday; the duo tours this fall. Lake Street Dive resumes its US tour next week.

Chris Thile and Yo-Yo Ma—who made the 2017 Nonesuch album Bach Trios with Edgar Meyer—kicked off the Atlantic Festival in Washington, DC, this week with an eclectic medley of music from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, "Rabbit in the Log," and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." You can watch it here. Thile hosts the public radio show Live From Here, including with Rachael & Vilray on October 26, and leads his own US tour in the months ahead.

Sam Amidon's 7" vinyl record Fatal Flower Garden EP (A Tribute to Harry Smith) is due November 15 on Nonesuch. On the EP, Amidon performs four songs from Anthology of American Folk Music, Smith’s beloved and influential 1920s and ’30s folk music recordings. Amidon and frequent collaborator Shahzad Ismaily play all the instruments; Leo Abrahams engineered, produced, and mixed. You can watch a video for "Spike Driver Blues" and download it now when you pre-order the vinyl here.

Rachael & Vilray, whose self-titled debut album is due October 4 on Nonesuch, stopped by New York public radio station WFUV way back in July 2018 to perform live in Studio A. Following last week's release of the album track "Let's Make Love on This Plane" and a video for it as well, we're taking this Throwback Thursday look at their earlier take on the same tune at WFUV. You can watch it below.

Rhiannon Giddens stopped by NPR, joined by multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi and bassist Jason Sypher, to perform a Tiny Desk Concert of songs from her new album, there is no Other, and her previous album, Freedom Highway. You can watch it here. "Despite its weightiness, Rhiannon Giddens' music is entertaining, and her voice, the melodies, and her accompaniment are engaging," says host Bob Boilen. "But it is music infused with lessons and deep purpose—something all too rare in popular music in my opinion."

Vagabon has released a Maegan Houang–directed video for "Water Me Down," the latest from her self-titled sophomore album, due October 18 via Nonesuch Records. You can watch it here. Vagabon will share an advance play of the album and chat with Pitchfork's Matthew Schnipper at the Sonos Store in Manhattan on October 9. She tours this fall with headlining shows in NYC, LA, London, Brussels, Berlin, and Paris and a run supporting Angel Olsen. 

Yola announced that her Walk Through Fire World Tour returns to North America in early 2020 for two months of shows. The newly announced run begins in Cambridge on January 7 and includes shows in DC, Philadelphia, Toronto, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, and more. The shows follow a busy autumn of US headline shows and festival sets, a performance with Kacey Musgraves at The Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and a tour of the UK and Europe. Additionally, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles will host a special conversation and performance with Yola on October 16. 

Devendra Banhart stopped by WNYC Studios as the guest on New Sounds' Soundcheck to talk with host John Schaefer about his new album, Ma, and perform three songs from it: "Is This Nice?," "Carolina," and "Taking a Page." "The folk songwriter, visual artist, and poet Devendra Banhart offers tenderness, introspection, and space in music, poetry, and art," says Schaefer. You can watch the session here.