Ry Cooder recently stopped by Pacifica Radio's KPFK in Los Angeles to discuss his new album, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, sharing insights on channeling the voice of John Lee Hooker and much more. "This is a fantastic album," says host Jon Wiener, who is joined in his praise by the Irish Times, which gives the album four stars, saying: "Cooder again defies the belief that music with a message can’t be fun." Sweden's Sydsvenskan credits it with "the most godlike groove you'll ever hear on a protest record." The New Zealand Herald gives it a perfect five stars, calling it "exceptional."

Steve Reich is featured in a new New York Times video that is part of a series of videos from the Times looking at artists' responses to the tragic events September 11, 2001. Reich, whose new piece, WTC 9/11, reflects on the World Trade Center attacks, discusses how he came to write the piece and how he developed its form, pairing three string quartets with pre-recorded voices whose final vowels and consonants are elongated. He also addresses the impact of art in the face of such monumental events. Watch the video here.

Brad Mehldau, whose new album with pianist Kevin Hays and composer/arranger Patrick Zimmerli, Modern Music, is due out on September 20, launches a brief solo tour of Europe at the Montlouis Jazz Festival in France tonight. Label mate Chris Thile launches his own solo tour as well. Along the way, the two will meet up for a very special duo concert with at London's Wigmore Hall, part of the jazz series Mehldau has curated there. Michael Daves, who was due to join Thile on tour, is unable to do so due to an illness in the family.

Emmylou Harris will perform at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, tonight as part of 9/11: 10 Years Later, a special event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks; it will stream live online at facebook.com/KennedyCenter starting at 7:30 PM ET. The event will be hosted by Christiane Amanpour and also includes performances by Denyce Graves, Wynton Marsalis, Raúl Esparza, and the National Symphony Orchestra, along with commemorative remarks and readings by Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright, and others.

Randy Newman will perform before a live studio studio audience at the new ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas, on September 19, recorded for future broadcast on PBS's Austin City Limits upcoming season. The show is giving away a limited number of passes to the taping. Enter to win by this Monday, September 12. Those chosen will receive an e-mail notification from the show with details about the taping and how to get their passes.

Tune in to WNYC's Soundcheck today for an encore presentation of an interview with Steve Reich, in which the composer discusses WTC 9/11, the title piece from his forthcoming album. The interview first aired in April for the NY premiere of WTC 9/11 at Carnegie Hall by Kronos Quartet, which performs the piece on the new album. Reich discussed WTC 9/11 on the BBC World Service's The Strand, launching the show's week-long look at artistic responses to 9/11, and will be featured on BBC Radio 3's forthcoming special A Guernica for Gotham, airing this Sunday.

Björk continues to unveil Biophilia with the release of the brand new track “Moon” as a single and as a special feature of the Biophilia App, both available exclusively through iTunes. The app is a song and music sequencer inspired by similarities between cycles in music and cycles of the moon and tides. It also contains an animation, a scrolling music notation and an essay exploring Björk’s ideas about cycles in music and nature.

Ry Cooder's new album, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, was released to great critical acclaim and a few choice tweets, not least yesterday's from Billy Bragg, who recommended the track "No Banker Left Behind" as a way to celebrate Labor Day. The album has received three more five-star reviews. "Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down is a stunning return to form for one of America's most original and talented musicians," exclaims the Daily Telegraph. Cooder "has been inspired anew by 21st-century social ills to produce one of the best albums of a distinguished career." The Observer says: "He's become a Woody Guthrie for our times." Scotland on Sunday names it the Release of the Week, saying: "Cooder has now made one of the best records of his considerable career."

Kronos Quartet received the Polar Music Prize in a ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall last week, along with their fellow laureate, Patti Smith. "Music is one of humanity's most essential resources—the 'greenest' of substances—here one moment, a memory the next," said Kronos artistic director David Harrington in the group's acceptance speech. "The greatest piece has yet to be written, the most perfect note has yet to be played." Read the complete text of the speech and see several photos from the ceremony here.

New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity dedicated the Musicians’ Village Toddler Park last month in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The central walkway, Hurwitz Way, is named in honor of Bob Hurwitz, president of Nonesuch Records. A gallery of photographs from the park's dedication has now been posted to nonesuch.com/media, along with several of Hurwitz's photos of Musicians' Village. In 2005, Nonesuch released the benefit album Our New Orleans, which raised 1.1 million dollars to create new housing for the Musicians' Village.

Steve Reich's forthcoming Nonesuch album, WTC 9/11—featuring the title piece performed by Kronos Quartet, Mallet Quartet performed by Sō Percussion, and Dance Patterns from members of Steve Reich and Musicians—is now streaming in full as an NPR First Listen. NPR cites the "haunting power" of WTC 9/11, adding: "Here again and as ever, Kronos plays with fierce beauty and deep intelligence." The Boston Globe asks: "The musical memorials to 9/11 are still arriving but, in the end, how many will match the dark power of Steve Reich's WTC 9/11, finally here in a recording by the Kronos Quartet?"

This Labor Day weekend, The Low Anthem hits the final installment of the Dave Matthews Band Caravan in WA ... Carolina Chocolate Drops return to their home state for the inaugural Triad Music Fest ... Wanda Jackson headlines Muddy Roots Festival in TN ... Jessica Lea Mayfield plays the Bumbershoot festival in WA ... Audra McDonald is Bess at A.R.T. in Cambridge ... Punch Brothers have three shows out West ... Caetano Veloso is Guest Director at Telluride Film Festival ... Sara Watkins joins Garrison Keillor at the Minnesota State Fair ... and more ...