Tigran Hamasyan performed two songs from his new album, An Ancient Observer, for NDR Kultur Neo in Germany: "Markos and Markos" and "Egyptian Poet." You can watch the performances here. "Tigran Hamaysan hovers between fast-paced jazz improvisation, classical piano art, and the enchanted music of his native Armenia," says NDR Kultur, which gives the album four stars.

Sam Amidon's new album, The Following Mountain, will be released May 26, 2017, on Nonesuch. The album represents a new approach for Amidon, who shifts here from his previous norm of re-working traditional folk songs and presents nine wholly original compositions, with some lyrics drawing on traditional sources. The Following Mountain was created with producer Leo Abrahams and frequent Amidon collaborator Shahzad Ismaily, with a rare guest appearance by drummer Milford Graves. Nonesuch Store pre-orders include an exclusive autographed print and an instant download of the album track "Juma Mountain." You can watch a lyric video for the song here.

The Magnetic Fields have unveiled the video for "'05 Never Again," from their new album, 50 Song Memoir. The song is one of fifty on the five-disc set that chronicles the fifty years of songwriter Stephin Merritt's life with one song per year. You can watch the video here. The video was created by Stephanie Beattie, Alex Basco Koch, and José Zayas; produced by Ghost Corporeal. It was originally created for the Magnetic Fields' 50 Song Memoir concert tour directed by Zayas.

The Staves recently stopped by Yellow Couch Studio in Pittsburgh while on their US tour and performed two songs for the studio's sessions series: "Make It Holy," from the 2015 album If I Was, and a take on Jackson Browne's "These Days." "It's hard to imagine a more enchanting and talented trio than The Staves," says Yellow Couch. "A regular heap of rare and impressive talents, The Staves are!" You can watch the performances here.

Stephin Merritt, currently on tour with The Magnetic Fields performing 50 Song Memoir, recently took director Barbara Anastacio on a tour of his home in Hudson, New York, for the latest episode of the Nowness series My Place. "If I'd known they'd be tacking on buzzy trumpets," says Merritt, "I would have enunciated and declaimed." You can watch it here.

The Magnetic Fields have unveiled the video for "'01 Have You Seen It in the Snow?," from their new album, 50 Song Memoir. The song is one of fifty on the five-disc set that chronicles the fifty years of songwriter Stephin Merritt's life with one song per year. You can watch the video here. The video was created by Alex Basco Koch and José Zayas, produced by Ghost Corporeal. It was originally created for the Magnetic Fields' 50 Song Memoir concert tour directed by Zayas.

The Magnetic Fields' 50 Song Memoir, which chronicles the fifty years of songwriter Stephin Merritt's life with one song per year, is available in five-LP and five-CD editions including a 100-page book with an extensive interview by Daniel Handler and facsimile handwritten lyrics by Merritt, and as a standalone book with a full-album download card. Now you can take a quick look inside the package in a new "unboxing" video here.

The Magnetic Fields have unveiled the video for "'92 Weird Diseases," from their new album, 50 Song Memoir. The song is one of fifty on the five-disc set that chronicles the fifty years of songwriter Stephin Merritt's life with one song per year. You can watch the video here. The video was created by Stephanie Beattie, Alex Basco Koch, and José Zayas; produced by Ghost Corporeal. It was originally created for the Magnetic Fields' 50 Song Memoir concert tour directed by Zayas.

The Magnetic Fields have unveiled the video for "'88 Ethan Frome," from their new album, 50 Song Memoir. The song is one of fifty on the five-disc set that chronicles the fifty years of songwriter Stephin Merritt's life with one song per year. You can watch the video here. The video features illustrations by Alexander Petrowsky and animation by John Erickson. It was produced by Alex Basco Koch and José Zayas for Ghost Corporeal. The video was originally created for the Magnetic Fields' 50 Song Memoir concert tour directed by Zayas, which began last week.

Rhiannon Giddens has shared a new video for "Following the North Star," an instrumental track she wrote for her new album, Freedom Highway. She wrote or co-wrote nine of the songs on the album, which also includes a traditional tune and two civil rights-era songs. The video was made by Harvey K. Robinson at The Cypress House in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, the studio of multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell, who co-produced Freedom Highway with Giddens there. You can watch it here.

The Magnetic Fields have unveiled the video for "'85 Why I Am Not a Teenager," a song on their new album, 50 Song Memoir. The song is one of fifty on the five-disc set that chronicles the fifty years of songwriter Stephin Merritt's life with one song per year. Watch it here. The video was directed by Alexander Petrowsky, who created the animation along with Ryan Powell, the video's editor. It was produced by Alex Basco Koch and José Zayas for Flying Fish Productions. The video was originally created for the Magnetic Fields' 50 Song Memoir concert tour directed by Zayas, which begins in full swing tonight. 

The Magnetic Fields have unveiled the video for "'71 I Think I'll Make Another World," from the new album 50 Song Memoir. The song is one of fifty on the five-disc set that chronicles the fifty years of songwriter Stephin Merritt's life with one song per year. You can watch it here. The video was created by Alex Basco Koch, Roger Miller, and José Zayas and features illustrations by Roger Miller. It was produced by Ghost Corporeal. It was originally created for the Magnetic Fields 50 Song Memoir concert tour directed by Zayas, which picks up on Wednesday.