Steve Reich's latest album, WTC 9/11, is out next Tuesday. The composer's 75th birthday follows less than two weeks later, on October 3, and the celebrations abound. He is the subject of a special feature on iTunes titled The World of Steve Reich, part of a series that explores every facet of an iconic musician’s career—their roots, their catalog, and other artists they have influenced. Included are six multi-artist compilations, a best-of colleciton, and a sale on Reich's catalog. "We're speaking of the impact of an artist who has changed music as we know it," says iTunes, "and maybe even more importantly, as we will know it."

Björk's forthcoming album, Biophilia, due out October 11, is featured in the latest episode of NPR's All Songs Considered, the show's Fall Music Preview. The show's contributors "talk about some of the releases they're most looking forward to coming out this fall." Host Bob Boilen offers Björk's latest single, "Moon," to the Fall Preview mix. "There's no one that makes music like this," says Boilen. "I'm so glad that there is a Björk in this world." Watch a preview video of the "Moon" app here.

Steve Reich's new piece, WTC 9/11, was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, in the show's coverage of the tenth anniversary of the attacks. KQED's The California Report spoke with Reich and Kronos Quartet's David Harrington about the piece, which Kronos performs on the forthcoming album. There's one more day to listen to the entire album—which also includes Mallet Quartet, performed by Sō Percussion, and Dance Patterns, performed by members of Steve Reich and Musicians—as an NPR First Listen. The Seattle Times calls WTC 9/11 "a stunning work." Sequenza21 calls it "unflinchingly eloquent."

Steve Reich is featured in a new New York Times video that is part of a series of videos from the Times looking at artists' responses to the tragic events September 11, 2001. Reich, whose new piece, WTC 9/11, reflects on the World Trade Center attacks, discusses how he came to write the piece and how he developed its form, pairing three string quartets with pre-recorded voices whose final vowels and consonants are elongated. He also addresses the impact of art in the face of such monumental events. Watch the video here.

Emmylou Harris will perform at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, tonight as part of 9/11: 10 Years Later, a special event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks; it will stream live online at facebook.com/KennedyCenter starting at 7:30 PM ET. The event will be hosted by Christiane Amanpour and also includes performances by Denyce Graves, Wynton Marsalis, Raúl Esparza, and the National Symphony Orchestra, along with commemorative remarks and readings by Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright, and others.

Steve Reich's forthcoming Nonesuch album, WTC 9/11—featuring the title piece performed by Kronos Quartet, Mallet Quartet performed by Sō Percussion, and Dance Patterns from members of Steve Reich and Musicians—is now streaming in full as an NPR First Listen. NPR cites the "haunting power" of WTC 9/11, adding: "Here again and as ever, Kronos plays with fierce beauty and deep intelligence." The Boston Globe asks: "The musical memorials to 9/11 are still arriving but, in the end, how many will match the dark power of Steve Reich's WTC 9/11, finally here in a recording by the Kronos Quartet?"

Nonesuch releases Steve Reich’s album WTC 9/11 on September 20, 2011. Commissioned for and recorded by Kronos Quartet, the title piece will be available for digital purchase on September 6. The album also includes Reich’s Mallet Quartet, performed by Sō Percussion, and Dance Patterns, featuring members of Steve Reich and Musicians, as well as a DVD with a live performance of Mallet Quartet by Sō Percussion. The full album may be pre-ordered now in the Nonesuch Store, where CD orders include a free download of the title piece starting September 6 and the complete album starting September 20.

Emmylou Harris joined Daniel Lanois and Friends in concert at the inaugural Harvest Picnic in Dundas, Ontario, last weekend, contributing to its "memorable moments" (Hamilton Spectator). While much of the set focused on Wrecking Ball, her 1995 Lanois-produced album, it also included songs from her new album, Hard Bargain. Harris recently stopped by the Rolling Stone offices to perform a couple of songs off the album and to discuss her collaborations with Levon Helm and Gram Parsons. Watch her perform "My Name Is Emmett Till" here.

“Virus,” the latest single from Björk’s forthcoming album, Biophilia, is today’s Top Tune at KCRW in Los Angeles, free to download at kcrw.com. The Biophilia album is already receiving critical acclaim in early reviews from the UK, with Uncut, MOJO, and Q all giving it four stars. Q says: "Biophilia is a wonderful record in the most literal sense: it overflows with wonder." The magazine includes "Virus" on its list of "Q50 Essential Tracks," saying it "harks back to the lavish frost-sparkle beauty of Vespertine."

Chris Thile and Michael Daves, while in Newport for what NPR called a "sizzling set" at the Newport Folk Festival last month, took some time out to perform two songs for Paste—"Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms," off their album Sleep with One Eye Open, and another traditional tune, "Darlin' Corey"—now available to watch in the latest issue of Paste's online mPlayer. Thile and Daves are on the road again next month, touring the Midwest, UK, and Ireland, following Thile's current tour with Punch Brothers.

There's just under a week to go before the release of Ry Cooder's new album, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, on August 30. Until then, you can listen to the album in its entirety exclusively on Slate. MOJO and Q give the album four stars; Uncut gives it a perfect five, calling it "one of his best albums ever." Cooder is the subject of a feature article in the magazine, which calls the new album "an impassioned portrait of 21st century America and its injustices" in which Cooder is "remade as a modern-day Woody Guthrie, fearless and funny, for like Guthrie he nails his targets with droll humour while empathising with society's underdogs."