The original cast recording for three-time Tony Award nominee Dave Malloy's musical Octet—recorded live during Signature Theatre's world premiere production—is out today digitally and January 17 on CD. Featuring a score for an a cappella chamber choir and an original libretto inspired by internet comment boards, scientific debates, religious texts, and Sufi poetry, Octet explores addiction and nihilism within the messy context of twenty-first century technology. "The most original and topical musical of the year," says the New York Times; "the sublime a cappella chamber opera is a portrait in song of perhaps the greatest David and Goliath struggle of our time."

The cast album for the critically acclaimed Broadway production of David Byrne’s American Utopia, with music and lyrics by David Byrne, is now available on a double CD, following its recent digital release. The album will be available in a double-vinyl edition on December 27 and is available to pre-order in the Nonesuch Store. "Dazzling, rapturous and jubilant," exclaims the New York Times of the show. "Gorgeously designed, deliciously fun," says the New Yorker. "Most important, the songs sound great.” Byrne and cast will perform on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday.

Sam Amidon's 7" vinyl record Fatal Flower Garden EP (A Tribute to Harry Smith) is out now 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. Amidon concludes a UK tour in the week ahead, then tours the US Northeast.

Vagabon's self-titled sophomore album, released digitally and on CD on Nonesuch Records last month, is now available on vinyl. "Each song on Vagabon feels like a small world," says the New Yorker. It's an "indie-pop masterpiece," says Clash, "simply captivating from start to finish." Vagabon tours North America as special guest of Angel Olsen through December.

Stephin Merritt begins Symphony Space residency in NYC with Magnetic Fields … Sam Amidon tours UK … The Black Keys head West … Carminho, Gaby Moreno, Mandy Patinkin tour California … Daughter of Swords plays NYC with Sylvan Esso … Jeremy Denk is in Florida … Tigran Hamasyan tours Europe … Kronos Quartet, Pat Metheny perform in Italy … Brad Mehldau plays solo in Germany … Joshua Redman Quartet plays SFJAZZ … Chris Thile hosts Live From Here from NYC … Vagabon plays Michigan, Toronto … Yola tours Belgium with Greta Van Fleet, headlines in Germany …

Pat Metheny's new album, From This Place, is due February 21, 2020. The record features ten compositions by Metheny, who is joined by drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and pianist Gwilym Simcock, as well as the Hollywood Studio Symphony conducted by Joel McNeely. Meshell Ndegeocello, Gregoire Maret, and Luis Conte are special guests. Nonesuch Store pre-orders include an instant download of the track "America Undefined."

Devendra Banhart stopped by KUTX, 98.9 FM, in Austin for an intimate in-studio session following his performance at Levitation Festival late last week. He performed three songs from his new album, Ma—"Is This Nice," "Carolina," and "Taking a Page"—which you can watch here. 

Aria Code, the Rhiannon Giddens–hosted podcast from The Metropolitan Opera and WQXR, returns for its second season today. This time around, Giddens leads the conversation as opera singers and experts examine ten arias centered on the theme of desire. "I've been thinking about what makes great arias so powerful," Giddens says, "and I think a big part of it is that they tap into our strongest emotions. One of the emotions that come up over and over again in opera, and in life, is desire." You can hear the first episode of the new season, on Verdi's Lady Macbeth, here.

"The Black Keys are the last rock and roll band to really matter," says the Broken Record podcast. Bandmates Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney talk with host Rick Rubin about everything from their early days together to their new album, "Let's Rock," and even share some unreleased songs. "We started playing when we were sixteen and seventeen before we were a band," Auerbach says, "and we learned how to play together ... We always recorded ourselves because that's what was so much fun ... So, the beginnings of The Black Keys were a recording." Hear it here.

Chris Thile gave a thirty-minute solo set at the Fine Line in Minneapolis in August as part of the MicroShow series from MPR's The Current that can now be seen here. The set includes solo takes on music by Punch Brothers, Radiohead, and Bach, a Song of the Week from his public radio show Live From Here, and the traditional tune "Rabbit in the Log."

Mountain Man—the trio of Amelia Meath, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, and Molly Sarlé—follows up its 2018 Nonesuch debut album, Magic Ship, and its Sings John Denver EP with the second in its Sings cover series: the 1942 Irving Berlin holiday classic, "White Christmas," available now. "We wanted to record a song that could be played in people's homes throughout the holidays, like a gentle push of light," says the band. "We thought 'White Christmas' might do the trick!" Mountain Man will present a three-night COSMIC PROM of songs from the trio's collective catalog in Durham, NC, January 17–19.

Carminho tours Boston, Toronto, and Montreal … Sam Amidon performs in Ireland and UK … The Black Keys, Emmylou Harris are in North Carolina and Atlanta … Richard Goode performs in Boston … Tigran Hamasyan is in the Netherlands … Kronos Quartet performs Riley’s Sun Rings in Ontario … Gaby Moreno tours Pacific Northwest … Mandy Patinkin visits Newark, St. Louis … Rachael & Vilray tour New England … Joshua Redman is in LA … Caroline Shaw is in Latvia … Vagabon tours US with Angel Olsen … Yola tours UK with Greta Van Fleet …