I’m still on a high after Richard and I went down to King Tuts yesterday to meet up with The Alabama Shakes and despite the best efforst of their Tour Manager to derail the encounter we met up with Brittany Howard – charm itself – for a long chat which we will broadcast soon. I took my 11 year old Shakesloving son to the soundcheck and my 19 year old daughter to the gig. The Rosses are all smiling today.

Let’s cut to music. Here’s what I’ve been listening to:

The new Tom Jones album which not only includes that Leonard Cohen cover, but  remarkable versions of Bad As Me by Tom Waits and Charlie Darwin by The Low Anthem. Right now though I’ve just had my ears bent by Kev  (one of our Facebookers) into listening to Honey Honey and Father John Misty (Josh Tillman) is a record you will surely get to love soon.

On holiday Monday the family took a trip with pals to the seaside and played the Sweet Billy Pilgrim album from beginning to end. It’s stayed in Mrs R’s car since and I doubt I’ll see it again. Such a lovely record on every level and, though time will forbid this Friday, I fully intend to play more soon. I’ve been enjoying new tracks from Lambchop, Fire Mountain, The Soft Hills and the new album by Beach House.  A kind friend me sent me Roy Orbison’s Monument singles collection and it is quite amazing how great the singing, the songs and the mono production is.

Phew….. I think that about covers it…but there has been so much.

So we’ll play you some Tom, some Soft Hills and certainly Beach House on Friday. As always we’ll find something magical by Woody Guthrie and I think you’ll like this week’s choice.

A few weeks back Dave Alvin popped in to play us some songs and have an extended blether. There was so much in this extended chat that Richard has devoted the second half of Friday’s show to Dave and his music. We’ll play Dave, The Blasters, Dave and Tom Russell, Dwight Yoakem and you’ll be in the company of a great American songwriter. Even if you are not familiar with Dave Alvin I know you’ll love this very special night. Dave is company you certainly want to keep.

So we move from American Post Punk  to Willie Nelson (forgot to mention him earlier and his cover of Pearl Jam!) via Beach House to Johnny Ace. It’s all just a regular Friday night thing. Don’t miss a minute of it. We start at five past eight on BBC Radio Scotland.