Rhiannon Giddens's new album, Freedom Highway, was released on Friday to great critical acclaim. Giddens spent the day at Sing Sing prison, working with and performing for inmates as a part of Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections program. "Giddens is an immensely talented singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with the instincts of a musical historian," says WFUV, which named Freedom Highway its New Dig of the week. "On this new collection, she expertly and powerfully tells the stories of those who could not and bears witness to their struggle ... Freedom Highway is welcome, relevant and important." The Los Angeles Times says: "It’s a powerful collection made all the more visceral by the stripped-down instrumental accompaniment around full-force-gale vocals in big moments, and delicate pleadings when songs are at their most intimate."

Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens' follow-up to her highly praised solo debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, is out now. It's a "rich collection," says NPR. "[H]ope comes back to life in Giddens' music." Pitchfork exclaims: "Rhiannon Giddens emerges as a peerless and powerful voice in roots music on her second solo album." The AP calls it "a rich tapestry with threads of blues, folk, gospel, soul, country and jazz ... rootsy and relevant, delivered with crystal-clear emotion and understated musical skill." Uncut names this "remarkably wise and timely new album" its Album of the Month. It earns four stars in American Songwriter, Irish Times ("a record for and of our times"), Observer, and Guardian, which calls it a "powerful and timely set."

John Adams’s Scheherazade.2 is performed by San Francisco Symphony, violinist Leila Josefowicz … Timo Andres performs Adams, premieres new work at Barbican … Devendra Banhart is in Florida … Richard Goode plays Bach, Chopin in Texas … Tigran Hamasyan launches world tour in Los Angeles … Lake Street Dive heads south … Brad Mehldau Trio rounds out European run … Joshua Redman brings new quartet to Houston … The Staves play out West … and more …

Tigran Hamasyan has unveiled the music video for "The Cave of Rebirth" from his forthcoming album, An Ancient Observer. The video, produced by Truth.io, was directed by Ruben van Leer. Made in collaboration with fractal animator Julius Horsthuis and computer facilities at Hectic Electric Amsterdam, the video translates Hamasyan's music to 3D visuals based on mathematic formulas. "As a pianist and composer, he draws inspiration from jazz, folkloric and classical sources, in ways that feel both hypermodern and practically ageless," says NPR's Nate Chinen. "This synthesis is well captured in the video." Watch it here and get the song now with album pre-order.

Lake Street Dive was the guest on PBS's Charlie Rose on Tuesday. The quartet spoke with guest host Anthony Mason about how they formed the band, the trust and chemistry within the group, philosophies of success and artistic integrity, and more. They also perform their song “Rental Love” and offer their take on Prince’s “When You Were Mine.” You can watch it here.

Conor Oberst has shared the music video for "Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out," from his forthcoming album, Salutations. The video, directed by Greg Marinaccio, was filmed at the very same bar in Manhattan's East Village that inspired the song. You can watch it here and download the track (and three others) now when you pre-order Salutations. Oberst, with The Felice Brothers as his backing band, will tour in support of Salutations beginning March 9 in his hometown of Omaha, including several just-announced new dates.

Rhiannon Giddens has announced an extensive US tour this spring, including several new shows that go on sale this Friday, the day her new album, Freedom Highway, will be released. Following several intimate performances in the Northeast in March with Dirk Powell, with whom she co-produced the album, and a performance in a multi-artist tribute to Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall, Giddens heads to Europe and Australia to tour. She returns to the US in April to tour, starting at the Stagecoach festival in California on April 28. The tour includes headline shows throughout the country and festival sets at New Orleans Jazz Fest, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz, Spoleto, ROMP, and more.

The Magnetic Fields have unveiled the video for "'81 How to Play the Synthesizer," a song on the forthcoming album 50 Song Memoir. The song, which may be downloaded now with pre-orders of the album, 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. The video was directed by John Erickson, Alex Basco Koch, and José Zayas and produced by Ghost Corporeal. It was originally created for the Magnetic Fields' 50 Song Memoir concert tour directed by Zayas. Watch it here.

This President’s Day weekend, The Staves tour West Coast … San Francisco Symphony performs John Adams … Devendra Banhart heads south … Jeremy Denk joins Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra … Emmylou Harris is aboard Cayamo cruise … Kronos Quartet is in Geneva … Lake Street Dive tours Northeast … Brad Mehldau Trio tours Europe … Chris Thile hosts A Prairie Home Companion in St. Paul, holds artist talk in Atlanta … and more …

Shye Ben Tzur and the Rajasthan Express will perform music from their album Junun as the opening act for Radiohead in select cities on the band's sold-out European tour: at the Spektrum in Oslo on June 6 and 7, Ericsson Globe in Stockholm on June 9, 3 Arena in Dublin on June 20, and Manchester Arena on July 4 and 5. Ben Tzur and the Rajasthan Express will also perform at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona on June 3 and Best Kept Secret in the Netherlands on June 18. The Times of London calls Junun "intriguing, sinuous, and essential listening."

Rhiannon Giddens's new album, Freedom Highway, is due next Friday, February 24. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full here as an NPR First Listen. It's a "rich collection, the latest chapter in the 40-year-old master folklorist, banjo virtuoso and vocal powerhouse's epic retelling of our history with its sins and sorrows—and joy born of resilience—fully reinstated," says NPR. "[H]ope comes back to life in Giddens' music."

Emmylou Harris will join John Mellencamp as very special guest on his US tour this spring and summer. Their first stop is at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre in Denver, followed by shows across the country, in Idaho, Washington, California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York, culminating at the Forest Hill Stadium in Queens on July 11. Tickets for most shows go on sale starting next Friday, February 24.