Caetano Veloso and many other celebrated Brazilian musicians, inspired to protect the rainforest of their native Brazil from further destruction, came together in Rio de Janeiro’s Floresta da Tijuca to create a music video and original composition in celebration of today, Earth Day 2014. The project supports the Rainforest Alliance, which works in partnership with Brazilian nonprofit Imaflora—as well as farmers, forest communities and cattle ranchers—to protect Brazil’s magnificent and ecologically fragile natural heritage.

Happy Record Store Day! Today is the seventh annual celebration of the unique culture surrounding independently owned record stores around the world. For the occasion, Conor Oberst releases a limited-edition 7" single including "Hundreds of Ways," off his forthcoming Nonesuch debut album, Upside Down Mountain, along with album outtake "Fast Friends" on the B-side.

LA Philharmonic gives West Coast premiere of Louis Andriessen’s De Materie at Disney Hall, performs Philip Glass’s the CIVIL warS ... Devendra Banhart, Iron and Wine, Dr. John all tour Australia in and around Byron Bay Bluesfest ... Bombino plays Tulsa, returns to Coachella ... Jeremy Denk joins Nashville Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven ... Brad Mehldau Trio is in Chicago and Kansas City ... Nickel Creek gives two sold-out shows in Nashville ... and more ...

Carolina Chocolate Drops' Rhiannon Giddens is featured on the latest episode of Nurse Jackie, airing on Showtime this Sunday, April 20. She performs four traditional tunes, backed by her bandmate Hubby Jenkins and three other old-time musicians, with Giddens doing square dance calls and playing fiddle. The episode is available now via Showtime's online streaming service, Showtime Anytime. The New York Times, reviewing Carolina Chocolate Drops' recent show in Brooklyn, called it a "rollicking, revelatory concert," lauding Giddens as "ridiculously charismatic." Times columnist Paul Krugman called the show "totally amazing."

Nonesuch Records marked Kronos Quartet's 40th anniversary year with two releases this month: the Kronos Explorer Series five-CD box set and a new album, A Thousand Thoughts. As a highlight of its anniversary season, Kronos was in NYC to perform at Carnegie Hall late last month and was the subject of a marathon stream of music and tributes on Q2 Music, the online new-music station from WQXR. The event culminated in a live, performance by Kronos Quartet from The Greene Space at WQXR, which you can watch here.

Nickel Creek—Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins—officially reunited for the first time since its 2007 self-described "indefinite hiatus" for the release of its new album, A Dotted Line, on Nonesuch Records earlier this month and for a spring and summer tour that kicks off at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham tonight. The tour's special guests include The Secret Sisters through May, Josh Ritter, and Sarah Jarosz.

Nonesuch Records is set to release Natalie Merchant’s new self-titled album on May 6. In support of the new album, the multi-platinum singer will embark on a 16-date US summer tour, making stops along the East Coast and into the Midwest. A fan pre-sale begins on Wednesday, followed by general on sale. Nonesuch Store pre-orders of the new album, Merchant's first recording of entirely original songs in 13 years, include an instant download of the track "Ladybird."

Devendra Banhart launches a four-concert tour of Australia with a performance at the Factory Theatre outside Sydney Wednesday night, followed by a show at the Prince Bandroom outside Melbourne Thursday, and two sets at the 25th annual Byron Bay Bluesfest (pictured) this Saturday and Monday. The weekend's sets mark Banhart's Bluesfest debut. Also performing at the festival are Iron and Wine and Dr. John. In May, Banhart joins Rokia Traoré to kick off the Barbican's month-long celebration of Nonesuch at 50.

"Turn Blue," the title track of The Black Keys’ forthcoming album, premiered earlier today on Patrick Carney’s SiriusXM show, Serious Boredom, and can be heard here. The song, as well as the first single, "Fever," are both included as free instant downloads with LP, CD, and digital pre-orders of the album in the Nonesuch Store and at the band's site, and with iTunes pre-orders.

Conor Oberst performed seven songs from his forthcoming album, Upside Down Mountain, live at the Greene Space in NYC last Wednesday night as part of Gigstock, a mini festival from WNYC's Soundcheck. You can watch Oberst's performance here. "If the songs he played at Gigstock are any indication," says CMJ, "Upside Down Mountain is going to be a hell of a record."

Nickel Creek celebrated the release of its new album, A Dotted Line, earlier this month with a number of TV and radio performances, including WNYC's Soundcheck, on which the band performed three tracks from the album—"Destination," "21st of May," and "Rest of My Life." You can hear the full show and watch the three song performances here. "Remarkably, while each member's distinctive musical voice comes through, the chemistry between Thile and Sara and Sean Watkins when they play together has never felt stronger," says the show. "While A Dotted Line documents a more mature Nickel Creek than it once was, yet that joyfully rebellious spirit that so many of us fell for still shines through." 

John Adams leads LA Phil in three concerts of contemporary works, including his own Naive and Sentimental Music ... Sam Amidon is in Belgium ... Bombino is a "must-see" (Rolling Stone) at Coachella ... Carolina Chocolate Drops tour New England ... Shawn Colvin is in Northeast ... Jeremy Denk plays Peoples’ Symphony Concert in NYC ... Fatoumata Diawara tours the US ... Dr. John plays two Louisiana festivals ... Richard Goode joins Toronto Symphony Orchestra ... Emmylou Harris takes Wrecking Ball to DC, NYC, Boston ... Kronos Quartet plays San Fran's Switchboard Music Fest ... Brad Mehldau Trio tours South ... Natalie Merchant sings in New Hampshire ... Joshua Redman is in Austin ... Rokia Traoré tours France ... and more ...