Nickel Creek recently stopped by Last.fm to discuss their new album, A Dotted Line, and the band's officially reuniting for the first time since its 2007 self-described "indefinite hiatus." The trio—Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins—also performs two songs from the new album, "Destination" and "Rest of My Life." You can watch the interview and performances here and catch the band live on tour in the US this summer. 

Natalie Merchant was featured on two radio sessions over the weekend: NPR’s World Cafe Friday, performing four songs from her new, self-titled album, “Lulu,” “Texas,” “Giving Up Everything,” and “Ladybird,” and on BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris program Sunday, performing “It’s A-Coming” and “Texas” from the album, plus “Kind & Generous,” from 1998's Ophelia. Merchant, says Harris, has “one of the most beautiful and distinctive voices in the whole of rock and pop music.” Hear the Harris session here.

Conor Oberst, who performed songs from his new album, Upside Down Mountain, at Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn last night, recently stopped by WFUV, 90.7 FM, in NYC to discuss the album and perform three songs from it for WFUV Live: "Hundreds of Ways," "Double Life," and "Time Forgot." You can watch them here. "For someone looking for a primer on the talents of Conor Oberst as a poet and songwriter," says FUV, "one need not look any further than Upside Down Mountain ... [He] has established himself as one of rock’s preeminent creative minds."

Conor Oberst was musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC last night, joined by Dawes to perform "Zigzagging Toward the Light," off his just-released album, Upside Down Mountain. He recently stopped by Last.fm to talk about and perform "Hundreds of Ways" and "Double Life" off the new album. Watch all of these performances and the interview here. The New York Times says: "All of Mr. Oberst’s gifts align on Upside Down Mountain." He can be heard on NPR's World Cafe this afternoon and performs at Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn tonight.

Natalie Merchant's new, self-titled album was released earlier this week to great critical acclaim. The New York Times describes the album as "a set of dark, brave, thoughtful and serenely startling songs." NPR's All Things Considered says: "This record gives full rein to Natalie Merchant's voice, which is stronger than ever, especially in her magnificent lower register." A USA Today feature finds Merchant "driven by the same sense of empathy that has always motivated her." Refinery29 says the new album marks "the return of one of music’s most illustrious voices." 

The Black Keys stopped by the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London to talk with Zane Lowe and perform three tracks from their forthcoming album, Turn Blue: the first single, "Fever"; the title track; and an exclusive new track from the album, "Bullet in the Brain." You can watch the performance of "Bullet in the Brain" here. The band was on Later … with Jools Holland live on Tuesday and will be on the full show Friday night.

The Black Keys, after performing “Fever,” from their new album, Turn Blue, on Che Tempo Che Fa in Italy Sunday, performs on BBC Two’s Later … with Jools Holland tonight and Friday. On Wednesday, The Black Keys perform on BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe. The band is featured on the cover of the new issue of Mojo magazine (pictured at left), and Turn Blue is Album of the Month in Uncut, which exclaims: “Turn Blue turns out to be The Black Keys’ sneakiest, subtlest and most seductive album.” The Independent gives it five stars, calling it "a post-modern blues-rock marvel."

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." 

Nickel Creek performed "Destination," off the new album A Dotted Line, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC last night and gathered for a web-exclusive video to discuss how they wrote their earlier tune "Helena." Watch both videos here. The band performs live on WNYC's Soundcheck today at 2 PM ET. The Los Angeles Times says: "Fresh energy—and fresh ideas—course through A Dotted Line ... They’ve never blended their voices more thrillingly."

Conor Oberst visited the BBC studios yesterday to discuss his forthcoming album, Upside Down Mountain, on BBC Radio 6Music's Lauren Laverne program in the morning, also performing "You Are Your Mother's Child" and "Hundreds of Ways" off the new album, and the Jo Whiley show on BBC Radio 2 at night, offering another take on "Hundreds of Ways" and the beloved Bright Eyes song " First Day of My Life," one of Whiley's favorite tunes. 

Kronos Quartet's new album, A Thousand Thoughts, is due out next Tuesday, April 8. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the new album is streaming in full all this week as Q2 Music Album of the Week. "The album would be worth checking out just for the spectacular roster of guest stars the quartet has brought into the studio over the years," says Q2. "But just as impressive as these stellar cameos is the chameleonic playing of the quartet themselves, who manage to blend themselves into musics from Afghanistan, Vietnam and Austin, Texas, even while the core of their sound remains as warm and steady as ever."

Nonesuch Records releases Caetano Veloso’s album Abraçaço in North America next Tuesday, March 25. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full via WNYC's Soundcheck. "Abraçaço, (which means “big hug”) is not some subdued, late-career exercise in nostalgia or retrospection," asserts Soundcheck host John Schaefer. KCRW, also streaming the album, calls it Veloso "at his best." You can download two album tracks, "A Bossa Nova É Foda" and "Um Abraçaço," when you pre-order the album in the Nonesuch Store.