The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced its 2012–13 season, which will feature the fully staged version of John Adams's oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary, directed by Peter Sellars and conducted by the Philharmonic's Music Director Gustavo Dudamel. The project will be taken on an international tour, with performances in London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York. Adams, who is the orchestra's Creative Chair, continues to oversee its popular Green Umbrella new-music series and will conduct two of the series' concerts in Los Angeles.

The Black Keys launched the UK leg of their European tour with sold-out shows in Nottingham Friday and Edinburgh on Saturday. Up next are more sold-out shows in Manchester, followed by a three-night run in London. The Keys got the "crowd rocking madly, a tight mass of bodies punching the air" at Friday's show, notes the Independent in a perfect five-star review. The band has "turned an old-fashioned sound into something timeless," says the Guardian in a four-star review. "As Nottingham roars its approval, it's another fine victory for pop's unlikely lads." STV calls Saturday's show "spectacular."

Björk launched her ten-show Biophilia residency in NYC with a performance Friday night at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. Five more shows at the unique venue are ahead, with four to follow at Roseland in Manhattan. Björk's "dazzling style" was on display on Friday's premiere, says NPR, which proved to be "a lesson in the scientific art of music, and how limitless it can be." Rolling Stone says of her voice: "Unearthly in its range and force, yet absolutely natural and frank in its ardor and hope, it is the vital human tissue connecting everything else." Fuse calls the show "jaw-dropping," explaining "it was evident that one of those special, unforgettable concert moments had just occurred."

k.d. lang has just confirmed a series of new shows in North America this spring and summer with her band the Siss Boom Bang. The band is featured on lang's latest album, Sing it Loud, and joined her on an extensive tour across the globe in support of the record all last year. The first date on the upcoming tour is slated for May 8 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, followed by stops across the Midwest, down South, on the East Coast, and back out West, as well as sets slated for festivals like Spoleto, Telluride, and more.

The Black Keys kick off the sold-out UK run of their European tour ... John Adams talks with BBC Radio 3 ... Laurie Anderson talks "Brain Bugs" in NYC ... Timothy Andres joins Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony in Iowa ... Björk launches NYC Biophilia residency ... Carolina Chocolate Drops, Luminescent Orchestrii play UNC ... Richard Goode performs in Scotland ... Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica are in Germany, Netherlands ... Kronos Quartet plays Berkeley with Alim Qasimov Ensemble ... The Low Anthem, City and Colour take tour to Minneapolis ... Brad Mehldau plays NYC ... Joshua Redman Trio tours Germany ... Sara Watkins opens for John Prine then heads out on Cayamo Cruise ... and more ...

In partnership with The Creators Project and the New York Hall of Science, Björk has brought her live Biophilia show to New York City for a ten-show residency, starting tonight and running into March. The first six performances take place at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, followed by four at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. Björk gave a small taste of what's to come over the next month's residency in her performance on The Colbert Report earlier this week.

Punch Brothers—whose new album, Who's Feeling Young Now?, is due out on Valentine's Day—will be taking the show on the road across the United States starting the following Friday, February 17, in North Carolina. The band recently added another string of new East Coast dates to their tour schedule in April, including stops in New York City, Philadelphia, DC, Atlanta, Nashville, and more. All of these dates are now on sale, starting today. "I never flinch or hesitate to say the Punch Brothers are the tightest, most impressive live band I have ever seen," raves the Boston Globe's Mike Flanagan. "If you’re not sold yet, you’re reading the wrong blog."

Carolina Chocolate Drops' song "Country Girl," off their forthcoming album, Leaving Eden, has been named Song of the Day by NPR; an instant download of the track is included with album pre-orders. The band is currently touring the US. Listen to their recent appearance on WTJU in Charlottesville here. The Schenectady Daily Gazette, reviewing a recent show, says: "The Carolina Chocolate Drops are highly skilled musicians, but they’re also a lot of fun, with a gift for showmanship." The Independent Weekly in Durham concurs, saying the band has been "wowing audiences with their roots music chops and pure showmanship." Highlights from the band's recent set at Celtic Connections can be heard on BBC Radio 2.

Locked Down, the forthcoming album from storied musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dr. John, due out April 3 on CD and April 21 on vinyl, is now available to pre-order in the Nonesuch Store. The new album, which marks a significant departure from his recent efforts, was produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and will be Dr. John's first for Nonesuch Records. Nonesuch Store pre-orders include an exclusive print of Dr. John and Auerbach.

Björk was the guest on last night's episode of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. She performed the song "Cosmogony" off her new album, Biophilia. For the performance, Björk was backed by members of an award-winning Icelandic women's choir, Alarm Will Sound percussionist Chris Thompson, and app developer Max Weisel, who will also perform on stage alongside Björk in the live shows. Watch it here, along with Björk's conversation with Colbert.

Björk, whose ten-night Biophilia residency in New York City begins this Friday, will be the guest on tonight's episode of The Colbert Report. Tune in to Comedy Central starting at 11:30 PM ET tonight to see Björk perform "Cosmogony" from Biophilia and talk with host Stephen Colbert about the multimedia project: the album, the Apps, the educational series, and the residency, which includes six shows at the New York Hall of Science in Queens and four at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.