Time Out call them their "fave post-jazz band" and after a great performance last night, we'd only want to delete 'fast becoming' from their description of the band..."their accessible sax-led groove-based pieces - that reference modern jazz, Phillip Glass and cool drum 'n' bass - now possess a darker melancholic edge as heard on their excellent second album 'Isla' (Real World). Combined with a new grittier confidence PQ are fast becoming a serious prospect live and on record."

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"At moments, his voice could be smooth like honey, and at other moments, it takes on this texture and this coarseness - it's very gripping," Grewal says. "He's the great Pakistani musical gift to the world. He's sort of like the national musician, but also his name to me immediately has a religious charge because he was a Sufi, and the body of his work is mostly religious music."

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I understand the blues better now that I'm older," he continues. "But doing this album…" He flashes a grin. "This album has made me feel young again."

McDonald recorded the album live at Real World Studios. With of course the usual suspects Doug Wimbish, Keith LeBlanc, Bernard Fowler and Adrian Sherwood, but also with the help of Saranella Ball, Kevin Gibbs, Alan Glenn, The Crispy Horns, Ken Booth and Cyril Atef

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• David Honigmann's review in The Financial Times
• More on Spiro

For a limited time only we are giving away a copy of the Promo I Love Your Smile CD Single with every Hobo purchase.

This CD is not available in the shops anywhere so get your copy from the Womadshop now while stocks last!

• The Radcliffe & Maconie Show

"When I first listened to the music of Spiro, I thought it was really different. The sounds that hit you first are sounds that you are familiar with; they sound folky, but once you start listening to the music and how it's composed you hear elements of systems music - people like Steve Reich, Philip Glass, dance music. All sorts of musical influences are woven into this very contemporary music. I think this is soulful music, passionate music and I love it." Peter Gabriel

• take a look at 'Scratch My Back' in womadshop

Charlie made the video in Spain at the end of last year, teaming up once again with Mark Maggori, the director of his Like A Hobo video. But it didn't stop there - Charlie was also honoured and very happy to have the gorgeous french actress, Audrey Tautou, star in the video with him!

Charlie is off to play Ireland next week, then back to England, Scotland and Wales as support act to Newton Faulkner - then off to Canada in March where his album 'Hobo' is released on 9th.

• Charlie Winston Tour Dates

• Listen at The Guardian

Peter introduces music from Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara's 'Trance Sessions', Portico Quartet's 'Isla', Spiro's 'Lightbox', Charlie Winston's 'Hobo', The Black Swan Effect, Tom Kerstens' 'Utopia', the upcoming Syriana project and Toumast's upcoming 'Amachal'.

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• more on The One Show

It should be in all iTunes stores, but the method of linking internationally seems to be eluding us at present. We've added a couple of links, but a search elsewhere on 'the book of love / Not one Of Us' should get you there.

• 'The Book of Love'/'Not One Of Us' Digital 45 at iTunes U.S.A
• 'The Book of Love'/'Not One Of Us' Digital 45 at iTunes UK

'Not One Of Us' is made available here as part of Peter's 'Scratch My Back' project of reciprocal covers. On the record of the same name Peter has covered 'The Book of Love' by The Magnetic Fields, in return Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic fields chose to cover 'Not One Of Us'. In the spirit of the project Peter is making his original version available to the wider world here on Real World Remixed.

Remixes of 'Not One Of Us' will be part of a competition - details of which we can't yet reveal.

• Real World Remixed
• Not One Of us is part of aDigital 45 release on iTunes today

Peter Gabriel's January update coincides with the release today of the first Double A-side, Digital 45 from the 'Scratch My Back' project on ITunes . We hear from Peter about his version of 'The Book Of Love', and from the writer of that track, Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields, we hear about his cover of Peter's 'Not One Of Us'.

Along the way there is also news of release dates, tour dates and a chance to be part of the project at Real World Remixed, where on a packed full moon, 'Not One Of Us' has just been made available to remixers.

We also get a snippet of 'Heroes' from the 'Scratch' project, with an update on its availability as part of a download in aid of Haiti earthquake victims.

• More on the Digital 45
• More on Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields
• More on remixing 'Not One Of Us'

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• More on the project
• Pre-order the CD

Coming up in the next few weeks we are going to have the first in a new series of packs and competitions from Peter Gabriel.

'Not One of Us' will be made available here at the same time as it is released as the first 'double a-side' from his collaborative 'Scratch My Back' project.

The 'double a-side' will see Peter's cover of The Magnetic Fields song 'The Book of Love' and their, or more precisely Stephin Merritt's version of 'Not One of Us' released as the first pair of songs from 'Scratch My Back'

More details will be coming soon, particularly on the competition. In the meantime, we hope you like Charlie Winston's 'Hobo'

"The gorgeous Like a Hobo - a No 1 single in France - goes the whole pensive hog, with minor chords and whistling, while Tongue-Tied, a flirtation with jazz that's partly sung in Suffolk-accented French, is a showcase for Winston's excellent band. A worthy contender for la petite sensation de 2010 in the UK." The Guardian

• Real World Remixed

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