Celtic Connections @ Various Venues (Glasgow), 13-30 Jan

The biggest celebration of Scottish music and talent gets even bigger in January, with an eclectic selection of acts to please even the fussiest of palates. Aside from a myriad assortment of musical workshops, Howe Gelb of Giant Sand fame will be providing an evening of psychedelic Americana (O2 ABC, 15 Jan) while Canadian/Scottish indie troupe The Burns Unit, featuring King Creosote, Emma Pollock and too many others to mention, will be bringing the spirit of Rabbie Burns to the 21st Century (Old Fruitmarket, 16 Jan).

New York’s The Walkmen will be tearing up the stage (Òran Mór, 19 Jan) with a sound that has drawn comparisons to everyone from The Pogues to The Pixies, but if something more traditional is your taste folk pioneer Alasdair Roberts will be returning to his heritage with the assistance of Cameroonian guitarist/harmonica player Muntu Valdo (Tron Theatre, 19 Jan). Don’t miss an evening soon to enter legend with veteran songstress Ani DiFranco and MOJO award-winner Jim Moray (O2 ABC, 20 Jan), or Glasgow’s own avant-rock stars Trembling Bells (Òran Mór, 21 Jan) before the influential BMX Bandits celebrate their 25th anniversary at the same venue (23 Jan). And who better to close the show than Mike Scott and an extended line-up of The Waterboys (Royal Concert Hall, 30 Jan)? [David Bowes]