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.

Chris Thile and Michael Daves's debut album, Sleep with One Eye Open, due out May 10, is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store. Recorded at Jack White’s studio in Nashville, the album is a collection of 16 traditional tunes by bluegrass legends like The Monroe Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Flatt & Scruggs. Anyone who pre-orders the album here will get an autographed CD and be entered to win a Martin 000X1AE guitar. You can also enter to win by downloading the free track "My Little Girl in Tennessee" here. The duo take their show on the road with a series of East Coast dates in May.

The complete lineup for the 2011 Newport Folk Festival won't be revealed till Wednesday, and tickets won't go on sale to the general public till the following day, but we can now reveal that Emmylou Harris, Wanda Jackson, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops will be performing at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, July 31, and fans now have access to special pre-sales and discounts starting right now through an exclusive promo code.

Emmylou Harris, Sara Watkins join Garrison Keillor for A Prairie Home Companion ... Jessica Lea Mayfield kicks off US tour in Nashville ... Timothy Andres performs in Brooklyn ... Bill Frisell brings Disfarmer to France ... Philip Glass discusses his work in Newark ... Wanda Jackson tours Midwest ... The Low Anthem is in Europe ... Brad Mehldau plays Spain and Portugal ... Pat Metheny Trio performs in Mexico City ... Randy Newman heads from Long Island to Toronto ... Dawn Upshaw performs with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ... and more ...

Wanda Jackson's performance of "Like a Baby," off her new album, The Party Ain't Over, has been named Song of the Day by NPR. "Half a century ago, 'Like a Baby' was sung by a man whom Jackson dated briefly, who went by the name Elvis Presley," says NPR. "But for all the history wrapped up in the song, it's also a testament to a man who's done right by Jackson: The White Stripes' Jack White, who crafted a dynamically down-and-dirty rockabilly sound for Jackson's fine new comeback album, The Party Ain't Over." Spinner has named Jackson one of the 25 Women Who Rock Right Now.

Steve Reich's 75th birthday year is being celebrated around the world in 2011. Cité de la Musique in Paris has now announced details of its plans for a week of concerts in October to mark the occasion. Dubbed Steve Reich, Pulsations, the festivities features works from throughout Reich's career and even a performance by the composer himself. Reich discusses his career in a new short film from his publisher, an excerpt of which can be seen here.

Nonesuch Records releases Tell My Sister, a special three-disc set comprising remastered versions of Kate and Anna McGarrigle’s beloved 1976 self-titled debut; its equally praised 1977 follow-up, Dancer with Bruised Knees; and a collection of previously unreleased songs, including solo and duo demos, on May 3, 2011. Joe Boyd, who produced the McGarrigles’ first two albums, assembled the material for the third disc in addition to serving as producer for the whole set. Tell My Sister is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store, along with an exclusive, limited-edition commemorative poster.

While at SXSW last week, Emmylou Harris performed songs from her forthcoming album, Hard Bargain, at the IFC Crossroads House. "The legendary singer's crooning countrified voice swirled over the scene like a cloud," says IFC, "entrancing everyone who heard it." The show will be broadcast soon on the IFC cable channel. In the mean time, IFC.com has posted three videos from the event, including an interview with Ted Leo and a performance of a song off Hard Bargain, all of which you can watch here.

Wanda Jackson celebrated the release of her new Jack White-produced album, The Party Ain't Over, in January with a performance of "Funnel of Love" with White on Conan; the episode re-airs tonight. The Smithsonian Channel airs The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice, a documentary that looks at the Queen of Rock's groundbreaking career, on Friday. Jackson kicked off her spring tour in Chicago, after which, says the Chicago Tribune, "there was no question that Her Highness still rules."

Louis Andriessen's Anaïs Nin will receive its UK premiere at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on April 14 in a staging by the London Sinfonietta, with Cristina Zavalloni in the title role. The London Sinfonietta co-commissioned the work, which explores Nin's erotic memories of 1930s Paris, and will perform it in an all-Andriessen program alongside his minimalist classic from the 1970s, De Staat, featuring Synergy Vocals. The composer will be in attendance for the performance.

The Low Anthem, currently on tour in Europe, brought its winter US tour to a close earlier this month with an unforgettable gathering at the Rhode Island pasta sauce factory where the band recorded its new album, Smart Flesh. ABC News was there, capturing an up-close look at the space for the latest episode of Amplified, in which Matt Pinfield talks with the band about the new record and more. Watch it here.

Jessica Lea Mayfield left quite an impression at the 2011 SXSW Music Conference last week in performances that SPIN says "proved she has what it takes to be your favorite new artist." Now you can take home some of the SXSW magic with the new digital album iTunes Live: SXSW, recorded at Mayfield's SXSW showcase at St. David's Historic Sanctuary, including several songs from Nonesuch debut album, Tell Me.