British singer/songwriter/guitarist Lianne La Havas' debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, produced by Matt Hales (Aqualung), is due out in the US August 7 on Nonesuch Records and is now available to pre-order in the Nonesuch Store; the first 100 pre-orders include an exclusive print signed by La Havas. The album is out now on Warners in the UK and Ireland, earning four-star reviews from Q, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, and the Irish Times, Independent, and Herald. "It’s always been clear that La Havas has a special voice, and so it proves here," says the BBC. "Her vocals are soulful, edged with lounge-bar smoke, but each note is sung with force and precision ... It’s a voice that invites you in, and only the hardest heart will resist the offer."

Singer/songwriter Fatoumata Diawara’s debut album, Fatou, will be released in North America by World Circuit / Nonesuch Records on August 28, 2012. Diawara has been receiving rave reviews since the album’s release in the UK and Europe last year. The Telegraph says “this stylish debut doesn’t put a foot wrong"; Pitchfork calls it "beguiling." Diawara uses elements of jazz, pop, and funk along with her ancestral Wassoulou tradition in her songwriting. John Paul Jones, Toumani Diabate, and Tony Allen all make guest appearances on Fatou. Watch the official video for the album track "Bissa" here.

British singer/guitarist Lianne La Havas' full-length album Is Your Love Big Enough? is due out in the United States on August 7 via Nonesuch Records. The title track—which was recently featured on NPR Music’s list of “5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing” and comes recommended by The Root—is out today on iTunes in the US, paired with the album version of the song “Lost & Found,” both mastered for iTunes.

Pat Metheny's new album, Unity Band, featuring Chris Potter on sax and bass clarinet, Antonio Sanchez on drums, and Ben Williams on bass, is out now. The Evening Standard and the Guardian give the album four stars. BBC Music calls it "arguably one of Metheny’s best releases in recent times." Guitarist gives it five stars, calling it "a sterling example of why Metheny is so relevant and respected today ... Most impressive." All About Jazz says the new album is "unequivocally one of Metheny's finest—an album that's sure to find its way to 'best of' lists for 2012." Watch the new Pat Metheny podcast, featuring music from the album and commentary from Metheny, here.

Ry Cooder’s Election Special, due out August 21, is a wake-up call as the US heads into the 2012 fall election season. "'Wasting Away in Margaritaville' was a good song in its day," says Cooder, "but we need a different kind of a song now if we’re going to make headway against the likes of Charlie and Dave." On Election Special, which he produced, Cooder plays mandolin, guitar, and bass and wrote all of the songs, co-writing one with Joachim Cooder, who plays drums on the record. Stay tuned for an exclusive Nonesuch Store pre-order offer to come.

In recent months, British singer/songwriter/guitarist Lianne La Havas emerged as one of the UK’s most buzzed-about new talents, with critically acclaimed EPs, sold-out shows worldwide and nods from the likes of Bon Iver and Ryan Adams. La Havas’ debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, will be released in the US on August 7 via Nonesuch Records. The album was recorded in Brooklyn and Los Angeles last summer and produced by Matt Hales (Aqualung). She will return to LA on Tuesday, May 22, for a headline show at Bootleg Bar. Album pre-order and US tour dates will be announced shortly. Watch the official video for the track "Lost & Found" here.

Sun Midnight Sun, the second solo album from acclaimed singer, songwriter, and fiddle player Sara Watkins, is out today in North America, with a worldwide release on May 28. USA Today describes Sun Midnight Sun as "flawless" and gives the album four stars, "a gorgeous pop masterpiece with a string-player's sensibility ... pure musical pleasure." Watkins will celebrate the release of the album with a performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday and resumes her tour later this month.

Shawn Colvin, whose new album, All Fall Down, is due out June 5, will preview tracks from the album at NYC’s City Winery on June 4. The show will be broadcast live on New York's WFUV, 90.7 FM, streaming live at wfuv.org. A consummate, natural and engaging performer, Colvin has a run of live shows leading up to and following the album’s release, including headlining shows, duo dates with Mary Chapin Carpenter, and shows as very special guest of Chris Isaak. Fans can expect to hear much loved favorites as well as songs from the new album. 

For the first time since his 1980 release 80/81, Pat Metheny has recorded with a band that features tenor saxophone. Unity Band, due out June 12, introduces a new Metheny ensemble with Chris Potter on sax and bass clarinet, longtime collaborator Antonio Sanchez on drums, and the up-and-coming Ben Williams on bass. The album features nine new Metheny compositions. The Pat Metheny Unity Band will tour the US this summer and fall, with stops in 39 cities. Pre-orders of Unity Band are available now in the Nonesuch Store with a signed print and an instant download of the opening track, “New Year.”

To mark the May 15 release of his Nonesuch label debut, pianist Jeremy Denk will make his first appearance at (Le) Poisson Rouge, taking over the downtown NYC venue for a one-night-only Ligeti/Beethoven celebration on Monday, May 21. The concert program comprises Book 1 of Ligeti’s Piano Études and Beethoven’s Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111. (The new album adds selections from Ligeti’s Piano Études, Book 2). Other spring tour highlights include concerts in DC, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Happy Record Store Day! Nonesuch Records has made a series of special releases available today in honor of the fifth annual Record Store Day, a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA and hundreds of similar stores internationally. Among the artists releasing albums and singles today are The Black Keys, Dr. John, Billy Bragg & Wilco, Sara Watkins, and Carolina Chocolate Drops. A limited quantity of each Record Store Day title is also available on the Nonesuch Store now.