Iron and Wine makes its Nonesuch Records debut with the release of Ghost on Ghost next week. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it. The album is streaming in full all this week as an NPR First Listen. "Beam now presides over arrangements springy and three-dimensional enough to accommodate a horn section—and yet he still finds a way to wrap his agreeably soft voice around thematically weighty material," writes NPR's Stephen Thompson. "Beam still lets his songs and sound morph and evolve; more than ever, he's a songwriter versatile enough to pack huge ideas into simple arrangements and vice versa."

Bombino's new album, Nomad, was featured on NPR's All Things Considered, which calls it "a landmark in African rock music." Reviewer Banning Eyre says producer Dan Auerbach "has done nothing to dilute Bombino's folksy, organic songs. Instead, he's given them sonic heft rarely heard on African guitar recordings and added a few tasteful Nashville touches, like lap steel guitar." Eyre concludes: "This is a seductive, friendly album. It doesn't pander with gimmicks or English lyrics, but it manages to bring a distant, Islamic culture unexpectedly close through the universal language of rock and roll."

Nataly Dawn, who is currently touring the US, recently appeared on WNYC's Soundcheck to perform a few songs from her new album, How I Knew Her, and talk with host John Schaefer. You can listen to the episode here. The latest video shot at the recording sessions for How I Knew Her at Prairie Sun Studios, for "Why Did You Marry," is now available to watch here as well, via Dawn's YouTube channel. 

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell were guests on today's episode of NPR's Fresh Air, talking with host Terry Gross about their long friendship and their new album, Old Yellow Moon. "Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell are such good solo singers," says Gross, "it's wonderful to hear them together, duetting on the new album Old Yellow Moon." Reviewing last night's show at the Beacon Theatre, the New York Times says they "reminisced, harmonized, sketched their kind of country canon and extended it to reflect on the present." Harris and Crowell "reclaimed the close harmonies they had in the 1970s, and their band was impeccable."

Iron and Wine, whose Nonesuch Records debut album, Ghost on Ghost, is due out on April 16, hit SXSW last week, performing at several showcases throughout Austin. One such set was at the SXSW Radio Day Stage, where Sam Beam and band performed songs from the new album and more. You can now listen to the entire set, including "Grace for Saints and Ramblers" and "Winter Prayers" from Ghost on Ghost, streaming here via WFUV.

The 27th South by Southwest (SXSW) Music and Media Conference gets under way in Austin, Texas, as thousands of bands and music lovers from all over the world descend on the live-music capital for several days of non-stop music making. Nonesuch artists will be well represented among them, with several performances throughout the week from Devendra Banhart, Nataly Dawn, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, Lianne La Havas, and Iron and Wine.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, whose new duets album, Old Yellow Moon, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Country Album chart, perform three songs from and discuss the album on Soundcheck, airing tonight on WNYC. You can also watch the show here. The two host an exclusive one-hour special on SiriusXM's Outlaw Country tonight and join Steve Earle for his "Hardcore Troubadour Radio" show this weekend. Harris and Crowell launch their US tour next week.

Radio Rewrite, Steve Reich’s new ensemble work, which draws inspiration from songs by Radiohead, will be premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in London tonight, travelling with the London Sinfonietta to Birmingham, Brighton, and Glasgow this week. The all-Reich program opens with the composer in Clapping Music, and also includes Electric Counterpoint, 2x5, and Double Sextet. Tonight's concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3's Live in Concert. Alarm Will Sound gives the first US performances of Radio Rewrite at Stanford Live and Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis later this month.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell were featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, talking about and performing from their new album, Old Yellow Moon, and later that day on A Prairie Home Companion. They also performed on Wall Street Journal's WSJ Café, which you can watch here. Old Yellow Moon is out today in the UK, where it has received critical acclaim, earning four stars nearly across the board, from Mojo to the Evening Standard; the duo were featured on BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris and BBC Radio Scotland's Another Country.

Nataly Dawn makes her Nonesuch debut with today's release of her solo album How I Knew Her. She has also unveiled a video for the title track, which you can watch here. The album comprises 12 autobiographical, introspective songs by Dawn, one half of Pomplamoose, and was produced by her longtime partner Jack Conte. "While she retains a lot of the whimsy and charm of Pomplamoose," says NPR's All Things Considered, "the music here reveals a whole different side of Nataly Dawn that Pomplamoose fans might not have known was there ... It's funny, and it's challenging. It's poignant, spiritual." Listen to her recent performance on Portland's KINK FM here.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell's forthcoming album, Old Yellow Moon, has made NPR's Heavy Rotation: 5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing. "Their new album of duets, Old Yellow Moon, sounds classic in every sense of musical accomplishment: from their gorgeous singing and inspiring studio performances to their excellent choice of material," says NPR station XPN2. "It hearkens back to classic recordings like Harris' Elite Hotel and Crowell's Diamonds and Dirt, and brings the best out of the two veterans." Harris and Crowell are currently in the UK, with appearances on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends, and BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo show.

Lianne La Havas, who rang in the New Year performing on Jools Holland's Hootennany on BBC Two (watch her performance of "Age" from the show here), is set to return to North America for an 18-city headlining tour starting March 17, following shows this month and next in Australia, the UK, and Ireland. Last week, La Havas was featured on NPR's daily talk show Tell Me More to discuss her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?. "It's a great album," says NPR's Celeste Headlee. "And I recommend people go pick it up."