Sam Amidon has announced a fall tour of North America, in support of his latest album, The Following Mountain. The tour starts at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center in Seattle on September 23 and continues with stops in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Milwaukee, Chicago, Toronto, DC, and Philadelphia, before culminating with a performance at New York City’s Mercury Lounge on October 10. He has also added new Scandinavian dates on his previously announced European tour.

Dark Matter, Randy Newman's first album of new material in nine years, is out now on CD and digitally from Nonesuch, with the vinyl due August 18. Produced by long-time Newman collaborators Mitchell Froom, Lenny Waronker, and David Boucher, the album includes songs about Vladimir Putin, the Kennedy brothers, Sonny Boy Williamson, science vs. religion, love and loss, and more. NPR says Newman is "capable of telling ordinary stories in ways no one quite has before." He is "still at the top of his game," says the AP.

Sam Amidon plays a free set for Celebrate Brooklyn … Fleet Foxes tour Toronto, Detroit … Rhiannon Giddens is at Newport Jazz Festival … Emmylou Harris performs in Norway … Randy Newman plays benefit in Aspen … Conor Oberst launches European tour in Germany, Poland … Punch Brothers continue American Acoustic tour in upstate New York … Joshua Redman brings Still Dreaming to UK, Sweden … 

Randy Newman, whose new album, Dark Matter, is out on Nonesuch tomorrow, was on WNYC's Leonard Lopate show today. He spoke with Lopate and performed songs from the album live in the WNYC studios. You can hear the conversation and performances here.

Olivia Chaney's solo show at Joe's Pub in NYC tonight comes amidst her tour opening for The Decemberists, her partners in the new project Offa Rex, and is today's Gig Alert from WNYC's Soundcheck. Chaney and The Decemberists' Colin Meloy are also on the latest episode of Soundcheck. They talk with host John Schaefer about Offa Rex, its origin and inspirations, and perform the title track to the group's debut album, The Queen of Hearts. You can hear the conversation and performance here.

Conor Oberst, with the Felice Brothers as his backing band, begins a European summer tour of music from his new album, Salutations, with a festival set at A Summer’s Tale in Germany on Friday. The tour continues with festival sets and concerts in Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK, including O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, and culminating in Glasgow on August 22.

Randy Newman was the musical guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS last night. He performed the timely track "Putin" from his forthcoming album, Dark Matter, which is out this coming Friday on CD and digitally, with vinyl due August 18. You can watch the performance here.

Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau will perform songs from their 2017 debut duo album, Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau, in select cities in the US, Europe, and the UK this autumn. The US shows begin with a concert at The Town Hall in NYC September 13, followed by shows in Wisconsin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Monterey. The European tour begins in Milan on November 8 and includes a set at the Barbican for the London Jazz Festival and stops in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. 

Offa Rex (Olivia Chaney and The Decemberists) was on CBS This Morning: Saturday, performing a Saturday Sessions set of songs from the debut album The Queen of Hearts: "Flash Company" and "To Make You Stay." You can watch the performances here.

Conor Oberst was a guest on the Charlie Rose show on PBS/Bloomberg News last week. He spoke with Rose about and performed songs from his new albums, Salutations and Ruminations. The episode opens with a performance of a "Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out" and closes with "Mamah Borthwick (A Sketch)." You can watch the performances and interview here. Oberst his tour to Europe this coming weekend; the next leg of the US tour starts September 1.

Rhiannon Giddens has been announced as the guest curator for the 2018 Cambridge Folk Festival, its 54th year, August 2–5, 2018. "I am honoured to be the next guest curator for Cambridge Folk Festival," says Giddens. "Having played the Festival before I know how special Cambridge is and I am really excited to be contributing to the line-up next year as well as performing." She is currently touring North America and heads to the UK and Ireland on tour in November.

Fleet Foxes, Rhiannon Giddens, Offa Rex, Punch Brothers play Newport Folk Fest … Laurie Anderson is honored at Watermill Center in the Hamptons … Devendra Banhart is at The Broad in LA … Jeremy Denk plays Mostly Mozart Fest at Lincoln Center … Richard Goode gives recital in Switzerland … Tigran Hamasyan concludes European run in Italy … Emmylou Harris is in France … Shye Ben Tzur, Rajasthan Express bring Junun to WOMAD UK … Lake Street Dive play Pittsburgh … Conor Oberst, Giddens, Offa Rex are at XPoNential Fest ... and more …