The Low Anthem concluded a week of events in New York City—which included performances on the Late Show with David Letterman and WNYC's Soundcheck—with a sold-out show at the Allen Room as a part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. The show featured songs from the band's forthcoming album, Smart Flesh, and a number of lovely surprises. Brooklyn Vegan says "the unique venue and view ... seemingly prompted the band to up their game just a bit more." The band will return to New York City to perform at the Bowery Ballroom on March 8.

Sara Watkins is no stranger to NPR's A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. She has appeared as a guest on the show several times and joined Keillor and cast on tour last summer. This weekend, Watkins embarks on a historic first for both her and the show as its first-ever guest host. "I've never gotten to see the show myself," says Keillor. "I've always been standing in the wings and thinking about what I'm supposed to do next. For once in my life, I want to stand in the back of the hall and watch for a few minutes. And Sara is a smart and funny and hugely gifted young woman." Watkins calls it "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The Black Keys are sorry to announce the cancellation of the New Zealand and Australian tour including all appearances at the Big Day Out touring festival as well as a portion of the European tour in March. An arduous year of touring and promotion has drained the band and necessitated time off. The band thanks everyone who has shown such incredible support since the release of Brothers and have helped make the album a success.

The Low Anthem were the musical guests on the Late Show with David Letterman last night, performing "Ghost Woman Blues," the opening track off their forthcoming album, Smart Flesh. The band gathered close with Ben Knox Miller on guitar, Jocie Adams on clarinet, Jeff Prystowsky on jaw harp, Mat Davidson on hammer dulcimer, and all four on vocals. Watch it here. The band plays a sold-out show tonight in The Allen Room as a part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series.

Four decades ago, Nonesuch Records released Joshua Rifkin's recordings of Scott Joplin's Piano Rags that went on to ignite a national passion for ragtime jazz and "created, almost alone, the Scott Joplin revival," as New York magazine wrote. On January 30, Rifkin will make his debut at New York's (Le) Poisson Rouge performing the music of Joplin and J.S. Bach in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the album.

Punch Brothers kick off their 2011 tour schedule with a sold-out show at the Somerville Theater outside Boston. The Secret Sisters join tonight and at this weekend's concerts in Burlington, Vermont, and New York City. The Improper Bostonian spoke with Chris Thile about the band's efforts to "cross bluegrass borders in search of transcendence." Time Out New York calls the band "jaw-dropping" and lists Saturday's show as a critics' pick. Chef Mario Batali includes the band's album Antifogmatic among his favorite listens.

Ali and Toumani, the second and last album pairing kora master Toumani Diabaté with the late guitar virtuoso Ali Farka Touré, has made the Metacritic list of the best-reviewed, highest-scoring albums of 2010, coming in at No. 5. "On Metacritic, we consider 'great' albums—those we label as having 'universal acclaim' from critics—to be those with a Metascore of 81 or greater," says the site. Ali and Toumani received an 89.

Congratulations to The Black Keys: their latest album, Brothers, has just been certified Gold! The band stopped by the Nonesuch offices in New York  yesterday to receive their Gold records. While in the city, band mates Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have kept themselves busy, performing on Saturday Night Live and the Late Show with David Letterman. Last night, they stopped by The Colbert Report as "leading scholars on The Black Keys" to help Stephen fill out his Grammy ballot for Best Alternative Music Album, one of six categories in which the band is nominated. Watch the segment here.

Carter Burwell will be the guest on Soundcheck from New York public radio station WNYC today. In today's episode, titled The Western Frontier, Burwell talks about his score for True Grit, the new film from Joel and Ethan Coen starring Jeff Bridges, and the 19th-century hymns that inspired it. Also on the air today, the Coen brothers will appear on NPR's Fresh Air to discuss the new film.

The Low Anthem are the musical guests on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight on CBS and will play "Ghost Woman Blues," off their forthcoming album, Smart Flesh. The band promises "a simple affair, possibly around a single microphone!" The Low Anthem performed three songs from Smart Flesh live on WNYC's Soundcheck yesterday, which you can hear here. They perform at The Allen Room in New York Thursday as a part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series.

Malian duo Amadou & Mariam release a 13-track digital album of remixes today, available exclusively in the US on iTunes. The Remixes collection features favorite singles from their best-selling albums Welcome to Mali and Dimanche à Bamako, along with several new versions, and some previously unreleased mixes, from across their catalog by what Pitchfork calls a "wonderfully random" group of collaborators. Highlights include new versions of the single "Sabali" by Miike Snow and French techno maestro Vitalic; and "Afrika" revisited by Bob Sinclar. 

Wanda Jackson's The Party Ain't Over isn't due out for two weeks still, set for release on January 25, but the BBC review is out now and calling the album "rich, warm, big-hearted and hilarious ... a sumptuous, brassy stew of country and blues." Producer Jack White "may, at this late stage, have brought the very best out of Jackson," says the BBC. Tune in to the Grand Ole Opry this Saturday to hear Jackson and the Third Man House Band, featuring White on guitar.