John Adams's music serves as soundtrack for the new film I Am Love. The BBC calls the album "one of those rare soundtracks that merits—and rewards—repeated listening." The Philadelphia Daily News gives the album an A-, citing "John Adams's brilliant score." The San Jose Mercury News, says the "music considerably adds to the grandness and sweep" of the film; the Chicago Tribune includes it among the elements making I Am Love "a film whose texture and atmosphere and fragrances stay with you."

Laurie Anderson's new album, Homeland, was the subject of a feature profile in the Sunday New York Times, which states, "Homeland may be the most frankly emotional record Ms. Anderson has ever made," and on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, which calls her performances "the stuff of legend." Homeland receives four stars from the Financial Times, Metro, Irish Independent, and Irish Times.

Audra McDonald begins performances of 110 in the Shade at the Hale Center Theater in Orem, Utah, tonight. She reprises her Tony-nominated role in the play for a special limited engagement, through July 10, to benefit the nonprofit Hale Center Foundation for the Arts and Education. McDonald recently appeared on the PBS special America's Orchestra: Celebrating 125 Years of the Boston Pops and makes her Tanglewood debut in July.

Punch Brothers spent the weekend at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, for Garden & Gun magazine's Soul of the South Weekend, and perform next weekend at the Caramoor Festival in Katonah, New York. The band's new album, Antifogmatic, is on the latest Sunday New York Times Playlist. "Punch Brothers tuck their instrumental prowess into songs, behind or between the arching melodies carried by [Chris] Thile’s high, aching voice," says the Times. "Emotion still outweighs technique."

Carolina Chocolate Drops continue California tour ... Alarm Will Sound joins Dirty Projectors in London ... The Black Keys hit French, Dutch festivals ... Omara Portuondo, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club come to the States ... Bill Frisell, Joshua Redman play Canadian jazz fests ... Philip Glass closes Cork festival ... Emmylou Harris sells out Atlanta Botanical Gardens ... Punch Brothers headline Garden & Gun's Soul of the South Weekend ... Allen Toussaint plays Bayou Boogaloo ... Sara Watkins kicks off tour with Dar Williams ... and more ...

Punch Brothers close out a banner week with Rhapsody naming their new album, Antifogmatic, Album of the Day, calling its songs "so strong and the emotional impact of the material so direct" that they supersede their complex mix of genres. Relix says: "In the world of acoustic music, mandolinist Chris Thile is arguably the most elastic and wildly imaginative player/singer/composer of his generation. He has met his matches in his fellow Punch Brothers," and their new album "is better than the best of all their worlds."

Today is composer Terry Riley's 75th birthday. The Nonesuch Journal spoke with Kronos Quartet's David Harrington about the group's decades long friendship and working relationship with the composer, celebrated in a concert tonight in California. (Kronos and Riley are pictured here at the composer's 50th birthday party.) "For me he's one of the world leading musical thinkers," says Harrington. "I'm looking forward to many more years together."

In response to the immigration battle currently raging in the US, Ry Cooder wrote the song "Quicksand," which tells the story of six would-be immigrants making their way from Mexico to the Arizona border. The track will be released exclusively on iTunes on June 29, with proceeds going to MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund; it has now premiered exclusively on NPR's All Songs Considered blog.

Alarm Will Sound, which released its Nonesuch debut album, a/rhythmia, last September, makes its London debut at Wilton's Music Hall tonight, performing works by Aphex Twin, Autechre, and the Beatles. The ensemble joins Dirty Projectors to perform the latter group's Getty Address at the Barbican tomorrow. The events are part of the Barbican's London Blaze festival, which also includes performances by Caetano Veloso, Youssou N'Dour, Kronos Quartet, and Philip Glass.

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, featuring Omara Portuondo, was due to kick off a three-city US tour in Brooklyn's Prospect Park tonight. Unfortunately, the performance has been canceled due to visa delays. Instead, a special outdoor screening of Wim Wenders’ classic documentary Buena Vista Social Club will take place. The remainder of the tour, at Ravinia and the Hollywood Bowl, will take place as planned this weekend.

Punch Brothers are back in their adopted hometown of New York City, where they first crafted the songs on their new album, Antifogmatic, for a show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. There's much to celebrate: the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart of new artists. The band will discuss and perform songs from Antifogmatic on WNYC's Soundcheck this afternoon.

Laurie Anderson's long-awaited new album, Homeland, her first studio record in nearly a decade, is out now. Canada's Globe and Mail gives the album four stars, saying it is "blessed with some of the most vivid soundscapes of her career ... [T]he wealth of acoustic detail ensures that there’s something new to discover with each re-hearing." Fenway Bergamot, Anderson's male alter ego, delivers his fifth and final video in the series at nonesuch.com/media.