Rostam recently stopped by his parents' home and joined his mother, celebrated Iranian-American chef and cookbook author Najmieh Batmanglij, in the family kitchen to cook some of his favorite dishes and chat with Vevo's Kim Taylor Bennett about food, family, and his new album, Half-Light. You can watch the piece below.

Randy Newman was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He performed "It's a Jungle Out There" from his new album, Dark Matter, with help from the Roots, and was joined by Fallon for a piano-side chat. You can watch both plus a special web-exclusive performance of his classic tune "Short People" here.

The Staves and yMusic were on Live From Here with Chris Thile, broadcast live from The Town Hall in NYC on Saturday, performing three songs from their new album, The Way Is Read: the title track, "Trouble on My Mind," and "All My Life." The Staves also joined Thile and the show's other guests, Jeff Tweedy, Sarah Jarosz, and Punch Brothers, to perform the Pogues' Christmas classic "Fairytale of New York." Watch the performances here.

Punch Brothers were the house band on Live From Here with Chris Thile, broadcast live from The Town Hall in NYC on Saturday. The group debuted a new song, "Locked In," as the Song of the Week, and joined the week's guests on several songs, including Jeff Tweedy on Wilco's "Poor Places." You can watch both here. The band will perform on a special holiday edition of CBS This Morning's Saturday Sessions on December 23.

American Songwriter magazine has released its year-end-best lists, and among the artists featured are Rhiannon Giddens, Robert Plant, and Fleet Foxes. Rhiannon Giddens's album Freedom Highway and Robert Plant's Carry Fire have made the Top 25 Albums of 2017, and Giddens, Plant, and Fleet Foxes have songs on the list of the Top 25 Songs of 2017.

Chris Thile's new album, Thanks for Listening, released on CD and digitally last week, is now available on vinyl as well. It's a collection of new studio recordings, produced by Thomas Bartlett, of ten songs originally written as Songs of the Week on A Prairie Home Companion. Thile manned almost all of the stringed instruments on the album and is joined by guest singers Sarah Jarosz, Gaby Moreno, and Aoife O'Donovan. "Thile’s virtuosic mandolin shines," says Relix, "but here, he’s got a greater goal than reminding us that he is peerless on the instrument—with Thanks for Listening, Thile is both extending his sincere gratitude to us for coming along on his ride and laying down tracks toward wherever this might take him."

This holiday season, Chris Thile is on the radio with Punch Brothers, The Staves & yMusic … Randy Newman performs at Holiday Cheer for FUV in NYC … Sam Amidon is in Munich … Laurie Anderson plays Day for Night fest … Tyondai Braxton is in Brooklyn … Devendra Banhart brings Ape in Pink Marble to Argentina … Fleet Foxes are in Australia … Rhiannon Giddens tours France with Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne … Richard Goode plays Mozart in NYC … Conor Oberst plays New Year’s Eve show in LA …

Nonesuch releases Steve Reich's Pulse / Quartet February 2, with vinyl due March 30. The album includes the world-premiere recordings of Pulse, performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble, and Quartet, played by the Colin Currie Group. The Los Angeles Times notes the "lyricism, gorgeous instrumental textures and affecting harmonies" of Pulse, and the New York Times says of Quartet: "Written for two vibraphones and two pianos, Quartet is Mr. Reich's first piece for those two instruments alone, and the combination is ingenious and seductive, and deployed with subtle craftsmanship." Pre-order to download the third movement of Quartet now.

Robert Finley debuted his music video for "Holy Wine," from his new album, Goin' Platinum!, via Relix. "This as close to gospel as you are going to get," Finley says. "The song tells the story of generations, especially the video, with the baby into young manhood. It’s like three generations in one video. Hopefully it fills a generational gap, that’s what the intention was, to try to bring the old and young together." Watch the video, directed by Gus Black, here.

Chris Thile's new album, Thanks for Listening, is out now on CD and digitally, with vinyl to follow next Friday, December 15. It's a collection of new studio recordings, produced by Thomas Bartlett, of ten songs originally written as Songs of the Week on A Prairie Home Companion. Thile manned almost all of the stringed instruments on the album and is joined by guest singers Sarah Jarosz, Gaby Moreno, and Aoife O'Donovan. 

A very limited number of Fleet Foxes' special 10" EP The Electric Lady Session, released for Record Store Day's 2017 Black Friday event, is now available in the Nonesuch Store. The EP is four songs from the band's 2017 Nonesuch debut album, Crack-Up, selected from a WFUV session recorded at the historic Electric Lady Studio in NYC in June. Tickets to Fleet Foxes new run of 2018 tour dates in the US South, announced earlier this week, go on sale today.

Randy Newman brings Dark Matter to Austin … Sam Amidon performs in London … Devendra Banhart exhibits artwork in Japan … Jeremy Denk gives solo recital in NYC … Richard Goode joins Cleveland Orchestra … Emmylou Harris plays Bonaparte’s Retreat benefit in DC … Kronos Quartet previews new documentary at MASS MoCA … Robert Plant takes Carry Fire tour to London … Chris Thile is on the radio from NYC …