Emmylou Harris begins Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees with Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, and The Milk Carton Kids in Boulder tonight; Robert Plant will join starting October 12. The tour, which benefits Jesuit Refugee Service/USA's educational programs for refugees around the world, will stop in Kansas City, Lincoln, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, and DC. "After witnessing firsthand the work of JRS in Ethiopia this past June, I have never been more inspired to champion such a critical cause," said Harris. "The better angels of our nature call upon us to act with compassion and not with fear in the face of so much suffering."

The initial music line-up for the 2017 Big Ears Festival has been announced, and among the artists are Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields, performing the forthcoming Nonesuch Records album 50 Song Memoir, and Shye Ben Tzur and the Rajasthan Express, performing music of their 2015 Nonesuch album, Junun. The Big Ears Festival will return to Knoxville, Tennessee, expanding to four days, March 23–26, 2017. Among the other performers are Wilco, Glenn Kotche, Punch Brothers' Chris Eldridge, and composer/pianist Frederic Rzewski. Weekend passes are on sale now.

Rhiannon Giddens will make her Austin City Limits debut this weekend. The set, premiering on PBS stations across this US this Saturday, October 8, includes songs from her solo debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn. She also performs "Spanish Mary," from The New Basement Tapes, which you can watch here. "The breadth of musical vision on Tomorrow is My Turn incorporates gospel, jazz, blues and country, plus a hint of proto-rock and roll," says Austin City Limits, "and Giddens displays an emotional range to match her dazzling vocal prowess throughout."

John Adams's dramatic symphony Scheherazade.2 is out now. His "cinematic music goes a long way in unfolding a potent drama, masterfully illuminated by conductor David Robertson and the St. Louis Symphony," says NPR. "The fierceness and vulnerability [violinist] Leila Josefowicz expresses contributes to an award-caliber performance." Scheherazade.2 "sets a whole new standard for narrative and theatrical vibrancy," exclaims the San Francisco Chronicle.

Conor Oberst, Emmylou Harris play free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco … John Adams conducts LA Phil New Music Group, Timo Andres … Sam Amidon, The Staves play Berlin festival … David Byrne headlines Roots Picnic in NYC … Kronos Quartet performs in Oregon … Lianne La Havas hits Midwest with Leon Bridges … Lake Street Dive takes US tour east … Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau are in NYC, LA … and more …

Conor Oberst's new album, Ruminations, is due out in two weeks, on Friday, October 14. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full here as an NPR First Listen. "Oberst's distinctive warble is set against a spare patchwork of acoustic guitar, piano and the occasional harmonica, drawing most of the attention squarely to his words," writes NPR's Stephen Thompson. His "songwriting remains on point ... [T]hese are some of Oberst's darkest and most personal songs ... That unsparing quality helps Ruminations stand out, no matter how simple its adornment."

Nonesuch Records releases the Metropolitan Opera's performance of Alban Berg's Lulu on Blu-ray and DVD together in one package on October 28, 2016. The Met's new production, directed by acclaimed South African visual artist William Kentridge, premiered in 2015 and starred Marlis Petersen in her final performances as Lulu, a role she has made "hers and almost hers alone" (Opera News) in ten different productions over eighteen years. The New York Times called it "a stunning and searing production." The production will be presented at English National Opera in November 2016.

Conor Oberst will mark the release of his new album, Ruminations, by performing the record in its entirety for an audience of contest winners at NYC's Housing Works Bookstore Cafe on release day, Friday, October 14. NPR Music will webcast the show live on its site and Facebook page as part of the First Listen Live series. Ruminations will be available to stream in full beginning this Friday, September 30, as part of NPR Music's First Listen series. Conor Oberst will be the musical guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 24 and begins a tour of intimate solo shows this week.

Robert Plant has confirmed that he will join Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, The Milk Carton Kids, and more for select dates on the previously announced Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees tour, October 12–21, 2016. Lampedusa is an eleven-stop concert tour intended to raise awareness of the unprecedented worldwide refugee crisis. Funds raised by Lampedusa will support educational programs for refugees around the world.

Devendra Banhart, whose new album, Ape in Pink Marble, was released on Nonesuch Records on Friday, has unveiled the official music video for the album track "Saturday Night." The video was directed by Jon Beasley and Isabelle Albuquerque of Osk Studio. Banhart says: "I'm so excited and honored to have had Osk Studio make this music video for 'Saturday Night.'" Watch it here.

Devendra Banhart's new album, Ape in Pink Marble is out now. The album, Banhart's ninth, was written, produced, arranged, and recorded in Los Angeles by the singer / songwriter / guitarist with his longtime collaborators Noah Georgeson and Josiah Steinbrick, both of whom also worked on Banhart's most recent album, Mala (2013). Q and the Times of London give the album four stars; Uncut calls it "excellent." Banhart will mark the release of the album with sold-out shows at Rough Trade in Brooklyn tonight and at Club Bahia in LA this Tuesday, September 27.

The four-LP, vinyl-only, limited-edition The Randy Newman Songbook box set is out now. The Songbook series—solo recordings of songs from throughout Randy Newman's five-decade career—previously included two volumes on CD; the box set marks their first vinyl release. Sixteen additional songs from a newly released third volume, along with five bonus tracks, join those first two volumes in a new, thematic sequencing, to create a complete Songbook box set. The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 3 is also available as a stand-alone CD and digital album produced by Mitchell Froom and Lenny Waronker.