With now just a week to go before the release of The Black Keys' Attack & Release, the Guardian takes a look at this "remarkable new album" and the band's Akron roots, saying: "Musically, the album is a huge step forward. Everything from flute to glockenspiel has been added to the guitar-and-drums set-up, and the sound has shades of R&B pioneers Booker T and the MGs, as well as the Beatles at their most psychedelic. At the same time, it still sounds like the product of two young misfits from suburban Ohio."

The Black Keys' latest Nonesuch album, Attack & Release, is due out a week from tomorrow. With much attention being paid to the evolution of the band's sound, particularly with the inclusion of Danger Mouse as producer on the new record, the Wall Street Journal takes a closer look at where the guys are coming from, with a visit to Pat and Dan in their hometown of Akron, Ohio.

This past weekend, k.d. lang's Watershed tour arrived in Portland, Oregon, for two sold-out performances at the Aladdin Theater, which the Oregonian sums up in one word,"wow," elaborating: "Her voice is simply amazing, controlled and powerful and rich, without seeming labored or strained ... She was simply outstanding." k.d. performs on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this Friday.

This week, k.d. lang brought her Watershed tour to the West Coast, starting with two sold-out performances in Seattle. The Post-Intelligencer points to "the secret chord" referenced in Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," to explain: "That's just what fellow Canadian k.d. lang seems to have found ... Watershed, her aptly named new CD, finds lang achieving an effortless-sounding blend of the personal and the artistic, while adding Brazilian accents to her resolute torch and twang."

Youssou N'Dour, in advance of his upcoming show in London, spoke with The Independent, which calls the singer's latest Nonesuch release, Rokku Mi Rokka, "an infectious, highly rhythmic delight, his voice permeating everything like a snake in a hurry. As ever, he sings almost exclusively in Wolof, but for those of us not fluent in the language, its emotion shines through." Youssou will be among the performers at KCRW's World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl.

This Tuesday, the Brad Mehldau Trio will release the two-CD Live album. "It's the trio's increasing open-mindedness that distinguishes Live from its previous live outings," says All About Jazz. "Refined simplicity contrasts with sophisticated complexity while spare economy coexists alongside busier dynamics, making Live another exceptional milestone in a career defined by gradual but unrelenting growth and exploration."

The Black Keys are in London to play a special show tonight at Wilton's Music Hall, an intimate, 300-seat theater, featuring music from their forthcoming Nonesuch record, Attack & Release, and helping to relaunch the monthly MOJO Club series, presented by MOJO magazine. "We love playing England," the Keys' Dan Auerbach told the magazine. "We have a few interesting ideas in terms of what we can do as a two-piece this time around, and we can't wait to get out there and see if they work."