A remastered, expanded edition of the 2005 benefit album Our New Orleans will be released for the first time on vinyl on January 29, 2021. The two-LP set, also available then digitally, includes five previously unreleased tracks by Davell Crawford, Buckwheat Zydeco and Ry Cooder, Dr. Michael White, Dr. John, and The Wardell Quezergue Orchestra featuring Donald Harrison. A video of the late Dr. John recording the added track “Walking by the River” in 2005 can be seen here. To date, $1.5 million has been raised from the 2005 release to benefit the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village.

Mountain Man has shared a video of its performance of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," from the first of its streaming concert series, Live From the Garden, which you can watch here. The performance comes from last Thursday's event; the second concert takes place this Thursday, December 10, at 9pm ET, followed by a final set on December 17. The band filmed the three shows in North Carolina: in the woods, at home, and by the fire. Each night has a different set list.

Rob Mazurek is on the latest episode of Kreative Kontrol with Vish Khanna, who says this "tremendously gifted" artist has created "one of the finest and most vivid albums of 2020" in the new Exploding Star Orchestra album, Dimensional Stardust. You can hear their conversation here.

Devendra Banhart's cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Franklin’s Tower,” first released as an Amazon Original in September in honor of the 45th anniversary of The Grateful Dead album Blues for Allah, is now available to stream and download everywhere. The song was produced and mixed by Noah Georgeson and recorded with his current touring band remotely in various studios and home studios.

Clint Mansell's haunting score to director Darren Aronofsky's 2000 film Requiem for a Dream, performed by Kronos Quartet, has returned to vinyl for the film's twentieth anniversary year, out now. The soundtrack was originally released on Nonesuch in 2000; the first vinyl edition was released for Record Store Day in 2016 with new artwork and two previously unreleased bonus tracks. The new 2-LP vinyl edition, which also includes the bonus tracks, features the original 2000 soundtrack cover art for the anniversary. "Brilliant stuff," says Classic FM.

Brad Mehldau gave a special solo performance without an audience in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw as part of its Empty Concertgebouw Sessions. He performed five pieces from his new album, Suite: April 2020, followed by John Coltrane's "Satellite" and Van Heusen/Burke's "Here’s That Rainy Day." You can watch the session here.

The Staves have release the song “Satisfied” from their upcoming album, Good Woman, and a live video performance of the same, which can be seen here. "This started out with an acoustic guitar," the band says of "Satisfied." "The song asking its subject, ‘Will they ever be satisfied with what they have? Is it ever enough?’ But also urging them not to give up on themselves, and love. The song really came to life when we added the band and gave strength and a backbone to the whole sentiment of the song (as well as a great groove!). Hope you enjoy.”

Lianne La Havas's new, self-titled album has made the Best Albums of 2020 lists of the New York Times and NPR Music. Its songs are "brimming with poised musicality," writes the Times's Jon Pareles. "Graceful melodies, supple guitar syncopations, sophisticated harmonies and a voice that can sparkle with anticipation or cry out in pain capture all the hope and heartache of her narrative." NPR's Suraya Mohamed says: "The songs on this album, La Havas' third and perhaps best, reveal how her sophisticated artistry is made of not just brilliantly crafted lyrics, but a rich musicality, full with gorgeous harmonic voicings, catchy rhythms and soulful melodies."

Louis Andriessen’s The only one will be released on Nonesuch Records on March 5, 2021. This world premiere performance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic was recorded live at Walt Disney Concert Hall in May 2019, conducted by LA Phil Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen, with solo vocalist Nora Fischer. Two artistic discoveries influenced Andriessen as he wrote The only one: a collection of poems by the Flemish poet Delphine Lecompte from The animals in me, and the work of Nora Fischer, an Amsterdam–based singer known for developing dynamic creative projects that fuse classical and pop music.

Steve Reich's seminal 1974–76 work Music for 18 Musicians—the Nonesuch recording of which, performed by Steve Reich and Musicians, won a Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance—is among ten compositions chosen to inspire visual artists to create their own works for the inaugural Concord Art Prize. The prize, created by Concord Music Publishing, is open to all UK artists, with a prize of £10,000. "Over the years I have heard from several artists, including Gerhard Richter, saying they have used 18 Musicians while painting, sculpting or working with media," Reich says. "I am very excited to see what it may inspire."

Joachim Cooder was on NPR's World Cafe to talk with contributor Jessie Scott about his new album, Over That Road I'm Bound. Cooder, on electric mbira and vocals, is joined by his father Ry Cooder on guitar for "beautiful, haunting" live duo performances of several songs from the new album. You can hear the session here.

The Magnetic Fields' new album, Quickies, is now available as a limited-edition 12” LP for Record Store Day's annual Black Friday event. This Record Store Day exclusive edition is available via independent record stores today on translucent magenta vinyl and includes the previously unreleased bonus track "The Witches Fly." Head to your favorite local independent record store's website to find out how to pick up yours and check for any COVID-related procedures.