The Low Anthem makes its TV debut tonight with a spot on the famed UK performance show Later ... with Jools Holland. The trio will perform "To Ohio," off their Nonesuch debut, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. Fans in the UK can tune in on BBC2 tonight at 11:45 PM GMT, while fans across the globe can catch a sneak preview by watching the band's performance of "Charlie Darwin" online.

Kronos Quartet was in New York City earlier this week to receive the Asia Society's Cultural Achievement Award at the organization's annual gala at the Waldorf Astoria hotel Tuesday night. Kronos was recognized for its efforts to link cultures and create a global cultural dialogue through music. Among the night's honorees were Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, and Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney.

Bill Frisell premieres a new work he co-wrote with Mike Gibbs in a performance at London's Barbican Hall tonight with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday. The Financial Times writes of Frisell: "Panoramic and evocative, his cocktail of jazz warmth, country whine and the echoing throb of jukebox rhythm-and-blues conjures images from the underbelly of American life. It is a vision that he never fails to coax from the many ensembles he works with."

Wilco has just completed its tour of Europe that included a London show the Independent called "one of the best gigs of the year, by one of the best bands in the world." The band tours North America in February and March and has now added a number of dates in Japan and Australia starting in April. The Vine says the band was "reliably excellent" when last in Australia, in "that hypnotic, skillful vein of Americana that suggests the band could play pretty much any style of music they want and still be better than most everyone, in any era."

NPR's All Songs Considered has compiled a list of The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings. Among them are three Nonesuch recordings: John Adams's On the Transmigration of Souls, Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté's In the Heart of the Moon (World Circuit/Nonesuch), and Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. "These are the game-changers," says NPR of the 50, "records that signaled some sort of shift in the way music is made or sounds, or ones that were especially influential or historically significant."

Carolina Chocolate Drops, as announced earlier this week, will release their Nonesuch debut, Genuine Negro Jig, on February 23, 2010. Now comes the announcement of a two-month tour, with dates across the United States, from Atlanta to Boston, and the UK, this January and February, leading up to and following the new album's release date, capped by a set at Schuba's in Chicago.

Natalie Merchant's musical sweep through London concludes with a free performance at the Free Word Centre, with songs from her forthcoming Nonesuch debut, Leave Your Sleep. Natalie was featured on BBC Radio 4's Today earlier this week. Her guest turn at Friday's opening night concert of the London Jazz Festival is available via BBC Radio 3, and BBC Radio Scotland has a preview of songs from the album on Global Gathering.

The Magnetic Fields’ Realism will be released by Nonesuch on January 26, 2010. The follow-up to 2008’s Distortion finds Stephin Merritt drawing inspiration from late 1960s / early 70s orchestral and psychedelic folk for an all-acoustic set. A Nonesuch Store exclusive, now available for pre-order, includes the album on vinyl or CD plus a limited-edition, silk-screened poster signed by Merritt. The band will tour the US in support of the album beginning February 4.

The Low Anthem is back on the road with several dates in Europe in the coming coming week. Closer to home, the band has been nominated for three Boston Music Awards: Act of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year, making it one of only two bands with all three. Spinner has named "Charlie Darwin" its Video of the Day; Magnet says: "The song’s lush harmonies and sparse instrumental sound combined with the video’s strange desultory main character convey a certain sorrow that will haunt you for days on end."

Nonesuch Records is set to release the label debut of North Carolina–based string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops on February 23. Produced by Joe Henry, Genuine Negro Jig features string band interpretations of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style” and Tom Waits’ “Trampled Rose,” as well as a pair of original compositions, alongside a number of traditional tracks. NPR calls the band “the hottest thing to hit the old-time music community in decades.”

Wilco's European tour comes to a close this week with two shows in the Netherlands. Tonight's concert at the Paradiso in Amsterdam will be webcast live on the band's site. There are already more live performances planned for next year, including a gala benefit honoring Neil Young as MusiCares Person of the Year during Grammy week, a Canadian tour, and, now, the End of the Road Festival in England, which the band will headline next September.

Stephen Sondheim talks with Frank Rich in Boston ... John Adams receives NEA Opera Honors Award ... Dan Auerbach's tour continues in Maryland and North Carolina ... Christina Courtin comes to NYC's Housing Works Café ... Autumn in Normandy fest celebrates Philip Glass ... Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller play two shows in Boise ... Brad Mehldau Trio, Wilco are in Italy ... Natalie Merchant launches London Jazz Fest ... Youssou N'Dour sings in Dar es Salaam ... Allen Toussaint has two shows in Spain ... Dawn Upshaw joins LA Phil ... and more ...