Jessica Lea Mayfield's forthcoming Nonesuch debut album, Tell Me, produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, receives four stars from MusicOMH. "Tell Me is a deliciously dark album," reads the review. "Every track on this album is elevated beyond simple country-pop singer-songwriter territory ... This album will prove to be as addictive listening come the end of the year as it is right now."

Nonesuch releases guitarist/composer Jonny Greenwood’s instrumental score to director Tran Anh Hung’s new film Norwegian Wood on March 8. An adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s bestselling novel, the film will be released in the UK on March 11 and stars Kenichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi, and Kiko Mizuhara. The score is performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra led by Robert Ziegler, and the Emperor Quartet, and is produced by Graeme Stewart. The soundtrack album also features three tracks written and performed by CAN.

Chris Thile will appear on The Travel Channel's new series The Traveler’s Guide to Life tonight. On the series, guests share stories that shed insight on the important things in life, including, on tonight's episode, "Hometown," and on next week's episode, "Celebrations," also featuring Thile. His own travels continue with a performance of his Mandolin Concerto in Iowa this weekend, followed by a duo show with guitarist Michael Daves close to home in New York, and the next leg of his tour with Punch Brothers next week.

Nonesuch Records will release k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang’s Sing it Loud on April 12, 2011. Produced by lang and Joe Pisapia, it is the singer-songwriter’s first record made entirely with a band of her own since the pair of albums with the Reclines that launched her career. Fans can receive a free download of the new album track “Perfect Word" at kdlang.com. Pre-orders begin on February 7 and include a manuscript lyric sheet, a number of which will be signed by k.d. 

John Adams's groundbreaking 1987 opera, Nixon in China, receives its Metropolitan Opera premiere tomorrow night, with the composer making his Met debut on the podium and Peter Sellars making his Met directorial debut; the Met is hosting a conversation with Adams and Sellars tonight. The Nonesuch reissue of the Grammy-winning original cast recording, in a newly redesigned and specially-priced three-CD set, is out today. "Adams’s Nixon is finally about to get the respect it deserves," says Newsweek. "After all these years, this Nixon’s return is most welcome."

Jessica Lea Mayfield has been named a Band to Watch by Rolling Stone, which recently included her on its Hot List. Describing Mayfield's forthcoming Nonesuch debut album, Tell Me, produced by Dan Auerbach, the magazine says: "Mayfield's vocal delivery often recalls the bold, plaintive drawl of Lucinda Williams, but her taste for oblique lyricism and unusual musical textures owes more to the anything-goes alternative country of Neko Case and Wilco." The Cleveland Scene recently called it "an alt-country torch storm that rivals Neko Case’s best."

Laurie Anderson will be among the Grammy nominees presenting the first awards of the day at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards pre-telecast ceremony on Sunday, February 13. The event will be streamed live on grammy.com and YouTube. Anderson has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Flow" off of Homeland; you can download the song here. Hers is among 11 nominations for Nonesuch artists this year.

Sara Watkins kicked off her tour with The Decemberists last week and continues through the coming months. Prior to the launch of the tour, Watkins was given the very special opportunity to serve as guest host of the beloved radio show A Prairie Home Companion. Her appearance on WNYC's Soundcheck, in which she discusses her guest-hosting gig, was originally slated to air last week but will air today instead.

Ben Folds's US tour came to close one day earlier than expected when his concert in Tulsa tonight had to be postponed due to a major snowstorm blanketing the region. Throughout the tour, Folds has enlisted the help of audience members to perform an a cappella version of the song "Working Day" off Lonely Avenue, his collaboration with Nick Hornby. You can see this new a cappella work in progress come together in video clips on Folds's YouTube channel; watch the first one here.

The Black Keys will be the guests on today's episode of NPR's Fresh Air to talk about their music, not least their latest Nonesuch release, 2010's Brothers, which is nominated in six categories at next month's Grammy Awards and recently garnered the band a Gold record. On The Black Keys' tour schedule are two sold-out shows in Las Vegas and the Coachella festival. Rolling Stone placed Patrick Carney at No. 3 among the 50 Top Tweeters in Music.

Wanda Jackson gave a free hometown show in Oklahoma City on Friday. "The enduring power of the 73-year-old's voice was on full display," says the Oklahoman. "And yes, by all accounts, Wanda Jackson ripped it up. Ripped it to shreds." Clash Music has made her take on Dylan's "Thunder on the Mountain" today's Track of the Day, calling the album "a stunning return." PopMatters says Jackson "is positively incendiary." The Ottawa Citizen gives four-and-a-half stars to "this outstanding comeback." Jackson opens the latest episode of public radio's Dinner Party Download.

There's just one more week to go before the release of Jessica Lea Mayfield's Nonesuch debut album, Tell Me, produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. "Auerbach brings out the best" in Mayfield, says the Cleveland Scene; "this is Mayfield’s strongest record, an alt-country torch storm that rivals Neko Case’s best." Pre-order here with an exclusive signed 7” of the album’s first single, “Our Hearts Are Wrong.” Mayfield kicks off a tour with Justin Townes Earle this weekend.