David Byrne begins a five-city European tour of his Reasons To Be Cheerful project at the Copenhagen Main Library, followed by stops in Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, and London. At the free events, Byrne presents hopeful writings, photos, music, and lectures he has curated over time, as he did at the presentation he gave at The New School in NYC earlier this month introducing his new album, American Utopia, and tour.

Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, Phantom Thread, opens in theaters across the US today. The film, set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, and Vicky Krieps. It's "a film composed entirely from exquisite moments," says the Los Angeles Times. "Spellbinding." The soundtrack, featuring eighteen compositions by Jonny Greenwood, is now available digitally, with the CD due February 9, vinyl April 21.

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet have shared two new tracks from their forthcoming album, Landfall: "The Water Rises" and "Our Street Is a Black River." Both can be downloaded now with pre-orders of the album, along with the previously released album track "We Learn to Speak Yet Another Language." Nonesuch Store pre-orders also include an exclusive, limited-edition print autographed by Anderson. The new songs can also be heard on Apple Music, Spotify, and in the video here.

Kronos Quartet gives the opening concert of Carnegie Hall’s The ’60s: The Years that Changed America festival … Jeremy Denk performs Ives at Duke University … Fleet Foxes are in Japan … Natalie Merchant joins The Klezmatics in NYC … Colin Currie Group performs Steve Reich in London ... Chris Thile hosts Live From Here on the radio via New Orleans …

Louis Andriessen's Theatre of the World has been nominated for a BBC Music Magazine Award in the Opera category. A jury of expert critics selected this year's nominees; the public vote is now open at the magazine's website. "This year's nominations are breathtaking," says Oliver Condy, the magazine's editor, "not only in their standards of recording and performance, but in their wide-reaching scope." BBC Music Magazine gave the album a perfect five stars for both performance and recording. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on April 5.

David Byrne has announced an extensive tour in support of his forthcoming solo record, American Utopia. He will perform songs from the new album, due March 9, as well as classics from his solo career and his days with Talking Heads. A twelve-piece band will also join Byrne on stage for a choreographed concert that he has called “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.”

Fleet Foxes have announced additional dates to their 2018 Crack-Up tour. The tour includes festival sets at Coachella, Boston Calling, and Shaky Knees; headline shows across the US West and South, with two nights at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium; and a return to Europe in the summer.

Jonny Greenwood's score to Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, Phantom Thread, is now available digitally, with the CD to follow February 9 and vinyl April 21. The film, which is now playing in select US theaters and opens in additional theaters next week, is set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, and Vicky Krieps. The soundtrack was recorded in London with a sixty-piece orchestra led by Robert Ziegler and is featured more prominently in the film than any of Greenwood's scores have been before.

Joshua Redman Quartet leads residency at Blue Note in NYC … Fleet Foxes take Crack-Up tour to Singapore … Emmylou Harris performs at 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida … Chris Thile hosts Live From Here on the radio via Portland …

Pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan's third Nonesuch recording, For Gyumri, is due February 16, 2018. A companion to 2017’s An Ancient Observer, For Gyumri includes five additional songs. Hamasyan says: "These songs are musical observations about the world we live in now, and the weight of history we carry with us." He will tour this winter/spring. For Gyumri is available to preorder with an instant download of the track "Rays of Light," the video for which you can watch here.

Emmylou Harris will receive the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, along with Hal Blaine, Neil Diamond, Louis Jordan, the Meters, Queen, and Tina Turner. A special award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held in summer 2018. "Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy," Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. Harris is a 13-time Grammy winner, including for her Nonesuch albums Red Dirt Girl and Old Yellow Moon.

David Byrne announced his new solo record, American Utopia, in a presentation of "Reasons To Be Cheerful," an ongoing series curated by Byrne of hopeful writings, photos, music, and lectures. The album is due March 9, 2018, accompanied by a world tour. American Utopia morphed during the writing and recording process, beginning with Brian Eno and growing to include collaboration with producer Rodaidh McDonald and contributors Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never), Jam City, Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), Jack Peñate, and others. American Utopia is available to pre-order now with an instant download of the track "Everybody's Coming To My House." Nonesuch Store pre-orders also include an exclusive print.