Garth Hudson was the classically trained muso of The Band, giving gravitas to the group that arguably invented the Americana genre.

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I’m not always a fan of slavishly retro sounds but I can make an exception for the funky, murky psychedelia of Project Gemini – the musical vision of Paul Osborne.

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Skinshape is a new name to me but I’ve enjoyed discovering their mostly instrumental blend of atmospheric trip-hop with ’60s and ’70s funk, reggae, soul and psych-rock.

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I’m startled to learn that Will Oldham has been making music now for 32 years – for the first four years as Palace (and variations thereon) and, after a brief interlude under his own name, as Bonnie “Prince” Billy. 

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Iggy Pop returns to what he does best with Strung Out Johnny, a powerful song about addiction, from his 2023 album Every Loser.

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Mogwai return with Fanzine Made Of Flesh, a characteristically bizarre and sinister new song and video from forthcoming album The Bad Fire.

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Genre-bending punk survivors The Mekons turn their ire towards British imperialism in general, and the Irish potato famine in particular, on a new album called Horror.

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My December playlist, as you might expect, features a handful of Christmas tunes towards the end. But it’s also got some eclectic choices for a cold winter month, kicking off with a much-needed winter warmer of Electricity. There’s a prominent African flavour to blast away the chills, and some vintage jazz and funk.

Long Island rapper Roc Marciano samples old soul and jazz records and Memphis horrorcore instrumentals to create his unique style of hip-hop.

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