Thea Gilmore, "Ghosts & Graffitti" (Fulfill Records)- This memorable celebration of Thea Gillmore's career to date draws on a captivating blend of new songs, re-vamped oldies and bona fide back catalogue gems, underpinned by guest appearances from luminaries such as Joan Baez , Billy Bragg and veteran punk poet John Cooper Clarke. The four newly minted songs demonstrate that the Oxford born singer-songwriter's creative vision hasn't been dimmed by seventeen year's worth of exemplary music-making, with Thea's current single, "Coming Back To You" and her collaboration with The Waterboys on "Glistening Bay" emerging as the best of a tuneful and thought provoking bunch.

Merle Travis, "Sixteen Tons" (Nimbus Retrospective)- Nimbus Records' latest archive anthology focusses attention on influential country singer and guitarist Merle Travis' musical output between 1946 and 1954 , including his complete 78 album, "Folk Songs From The Hills." Classic songs such as "Sixteen Tons" and "Dark As A Dungeon" chronicled the plight of coal miners in his native Kentucky, while dazzling instrumentals like "Cannonball Stomp" and "Walkin' The Strings" showcased the innovative guitar technique which made such an enduring impact on aspiring young performers such as Chet Atkins and Elvis Presley's sidekick Scotty Moore during their formative years.

The Foghorn Stringband, "Devil In The Seat" (Self Released)- This splendid outfit emerged from Portland Oregon's underground roots music scene in the late nineties, and over the course of eight subsequent albums The Foghorn String Band have established themselves as prime purveyors of the purest Americana imaginable. The four musicians interweave square dance tunes, Cajun waltzes and honky-tonk ballads with an intensity and passion which is a joy to behold, and "Devil In The Seat" should be required listening for anyone who's ever succumbed to the charms of old-time music at its most vibrant and unrestrained.

"Manuel de Falla : When The Fire Burns & Nights in the Gardens of Spain" (Euroarts)- The rich and sensual musical landscapes created by the great Spanish composer Manuel de Falla permeate this excellent new DVD from the good people at Euroarts. Larry Weinstein's two documentary films feature arresting performances by Falla's compatriots Teresa Berganza, Alicia de Larrocha and guitarist Narciso Yepes alongside video footage of a series of evocative locations in Spain and Argentina, where this avowedly apolitical figure had chosen to spend the final decade of his life in the aftermath of Francisco Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War.