k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang round out a week of celebrations marking the release of their new album, Sing it Loud, with a performance of the album's opening track, "I Confess," on ABC's The View this morning; watch it here. The song is today's Free Song of the Day at Amazon. They stop by WFUV to talk with host Rita Houston this evening and head next to the UK for a week of appearances marking the release of the new record there.

The Low Anthem began their US spring tour last night with the first of several sold-out shows with Iron and Wine. This weekend, The Low Anthem can also be heard on NPR stations across the country as their recent performance on Mountain Stage premieres; Lucinda Williams is also on the show. The band closed out its European tour at a sold-out show at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, to which the Guardian and the Independent both gave four stars. You can now watch the video for "Boeing 737" here.

Legendary AfroBeat drummer Tony Allen will be the guest on WNYC's Soundcheck today. He will talk with the show's host, John Schaefer, and perform songs from his album Secret Agent. "The great Nigerian bandleader Fela Kuti had a not-so-secret weapon when he was creating the funk-infused style known as Afrobeat in the 1970s," says WNYC. "That weapon was drummer Tony Allen. A legend among drummers of all styles, Allen is still going strong." Allen launches a North American tour this week with special guest Amp Fiddler.

Before they left for their current European tour, The Low Anthem visited NPR member station WFUV in New York to discuss their latest release, Smart Flesh, and perform a number of songs off the album. You can hear the performances on WFUV's Words and Music from Studio A and their conversation with host Claudia Marshall on npr.org. The Low Anthem's music "is at times a rowdy stomp, at others a breathless, hymn-like hush," says Marshall, "always compelling, inventive and fresh. Welcome to folk music 3.0."

k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang are heading Down Under this week to celebrate this Friday's Australian release of their new album, Sing it Loud, due out in North America on April 12. Fans in Australia can catch lang and the band on TV starting release day and throughout April. They'll be able to watch them live in concert later this year on k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang's just-announced tour of Australia this November. Watch an excerpt of their recent performance at the John Varvatos 8th Annual Stuart House Benefit here.

SXSW is in full swing today in Austin, with countless showcases, performances, parties, events, and radio broadcast on tap. Emmylou Harris and Jessica Lea Mayfield are among today's SXSW performers who can be heard around the world when their sets stream live online: Harris via NY public radio station WFUV, Mayfield on the Waterloo Records site. "Our Hearts Are Wrong," off Mayfield's album Tell Me, has been named NPR Song of the Day.

Wanda Jackson's new album, The Party Ain't Over, "secures Jackson's place as a 21st-century entertainer," says a new review from NPR's All Things Considered. Producer Jack White "cleverly matches Jackson's infamous vocal growl with huge arrangements, creating an instant party on the first track," says NPR. "White coaxes a performance from Jackson that fits her as well today as it did in 1958." Tune in to CMT's Insider this weekend for a look at the collaboration. Jackson performs at the Robson PAC in Claremore, Oklahoma, tonight to benefit the Akdar Shrine Center.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops' and Luminescent Orchestrii's performance of "Knockin'," off their self-titled, four-song EP, has been named Song of the Day by NPR. "Knockin'' is the perfect song to capture the two groups' individual and combined gifts," says NPR. It "offers a new way to hear the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The group has long bridged the sounds of American roots music for modern audiences, but between 'Knockin'' and 'Hit 'Em Up Style,' it's exciting to hear [Rhiannon] Giddens sing with so much verve and conviction."

The soundtrack for Norwegian Wood, the new film based on Haruki Murakami’s bestselling novel, featuring a score by Jonny Greenwood, is out next week. Greenwood spoke with BBC 6 Music about finding inspiration for the score in Murakami's novel, his acclaimed score for There Will Be Blood, and future plans for Radiohead. MusicOMH says Greenwood's new score "shows how the string orchestra remains a descriptive force in the right hands." The Evening Standard says it "creates a powerful atmosphere" for the film.

Natalie Merchant performs a benefit concert for the Bard College Conservatory of Music Saturday night. She will be joined by the conservatory orchestra in performing songs from her latest album, Leave Your Sleep, and throughout her career. Merchant will preview the event with an intimate, live "Parlour Session," broadcast on WKZE today at noon. She recently spoke about the Bard event with WAMC, which calls Leave Your Sleep "just plain beautiful."

Jessica Lea Mayfield is in the UK this week, bringing the music of her new album, Tell Me, to the British airwaves—on BBC 6 Music's Marc Riley and Nemone earlier this week, XFM's X-Posure tonight, and BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends on Saturday—and a live in-store performance today in London. Mayfield then returns to the States to launch her extensive US tour, which includes several events at SXSW and has now been extended into May with some 18 new dates added.

Wanda Jackson will be the guest on NPR's World Cafe today, performing songs from her new album, The Party Ain't Over, and talking with host David Dye about recording the album with producer Jack White. Jackson resumes her US tour later this month and will be featured in a new exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame titled Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power, opening in May.