Punch Brothers performed two songs off their latest album, Antifogmatic, for Relix magazine, now available online at Relix TV. Today's Sun gives the album four stars, saying, "You’re left thinking this is a new and thrilling form of music. Jazzgrass, anyone?" Maverick magazine also gives it four stars: "Notes buzz like a bee in a jar, scales leap from high to low like a crazed man on a cliff top, and a visceral drama exudes from every playful flourish."

Natalie Merchant's performance at the Cambridge Folk Festival earlier this month will be featured on the UK's Sky Arts TV Saturday night, which also includes interviews with Natalie and with Carolina Chocolate Drops, plus performances from the Drops and Rokia Traoré. Merchant's US tour stops in Texas this weekend. The Arizona Republic says: "Her ambitious touring and recording project shows an artist who continues to evolve and push herself."

Laurie Anderson will be the guest on NPR's World Cafe today to talk about her latest album, Homeland, which the show describes as "hard-hitting yet humorous," and perform songs from the album. Listeners around the world can tune in online at 2 PM ET on xpn.org.

Carolina Chocolate Drops are featured on the latest episode of BBC Radio 2's The Mike Harding Show, which includes songs off the album Genuine Negro Jig and an interview with the band from the Cambridge Folk Festival. "The Carolina Chocolate Drops went on an absolute storm at the Cambridge Folk Festival this year," Harding reports, "with their blend of banjo, jug, and fiddle and their fire and showmanship."

Rhys Chatham's A Crimson Grail, due out September 14, is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store. This outdoor version of the piece—featuring 200 guitarists, 16 bassists, five conductors, and one percussionist—was performed for the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival. As with almost all Nonesuch Store CD orders, A Crimson Grail includes downloads of the complete album as high-quality, 320-kbps MP3s, starting release day.

Though Punch Brothers have a few weeks off from their tour, Chris Thile takes the stage for a solo set at New Yorks' Rockwood Music Hall this Saturday. The band was featured on the BBC World Service's The Strand. Noam Pickelny tells host Mark Coles, "We really are just trying to create something new and bring all of our favorite styles and influences to the table and just throw them into a melting pot."

The Black Keys have a few weeks off from their North American tour before hitting the road for several weeks with the Kings of Leon in September. A recent home-state performance "brought the audience to a fist-pumping fever," reports the Columbus Dispatch, which says the band's new album, Brothers, "casts its essence in musical gold." The band shares the secret of their success in a new CNN interview: "Turn everything up really loud."

Ben Folds has announced the first two fan interviewers in his series of live online video interviews leading up to the release of his collaboration with Nick Hornby, Lonely Avenue: Josh Sondock and Lauren Gardier, who will interview Ben Wednesday, August 18. The following day, Ben will speak with the inimitable Mr. Bob Saget. Lonely Avenue is available for pre-order now.

The Times of London has published a profile of Philip Selway, calling his forthcoming album, Familial, "remarkably assured." The Word says: "The whole thing is rather beautiful." MOJO and MusicOMH give the album four stars, the latter calling it "incredibly folky and intimate" and proclaiming: "Selway can sing." Q concurs, saying Selway is "blessed with a warm and gentle voice"; Uncut calls Familial "moving and accomplished."

Natalie Merchant's US summer tour came to California last week for a number of concerts, including stops at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles and the Spreckels Theatre in San Diego over the weekend. Merchant had previously performed in the Bay Area and stopped by 826 Valencia, Dave Eggers' writing program for students. The San Francisco Chronicle described the event as "a kind of 'master class' for high school kids."

Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday has been celebrated in many ways, including concerts with renowned interpreters of the composer's music, like Bernadette Peters, who taks to the Sunday New York Times about her new role in A Little Night Music. Times critic Anthony Tommasini offers own birthday wishes to the composer in a video featuring the writer at the piano performing and discussing some of his favorite Sondheim musical moments. After one such piece, he says: "It's that kind of detail that makes Stephen Sondheim so important to musicians and composers, but it is also what makes the show so rich and meaningful, and why he is so beloved by so many people, including me."

Timothy Andres has announced a number of dates for his 2010–2011 season, including a Carnegie Hall concert with Brad Mehldau featuring selections from his piece Shy and Mighty. Fanfare says Andres "conjures up a wonderful 'world of ideas'" on the piece and album. "The music is consistently imaginative, clever, and expressive." The reviewer declares the album "strongly recommended" and "can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this fine music."