Hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are back from their holiday journey to the heartland, rested and ready to celebrate the new year with a batch of new music from some of their favorite artists, and latest discoveries.

Robin kicks things off with a new cut from St. Vincent, an artist who continues to redefine what it means to rock an electric guitar. Her new, self-titled album isn’t out until late February, but you can get a good taste of it with the fantastically gritty, disjointed song “Digital Witness.” (For more on this record, check out our interview with singer-guitarist Annie Clark.)

Also on the show: Bruce Springsteen reimagines his somber, acoustic classic, “The Ghost Of Tom Joad,” as massive, noisy rock song, courtesy of Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello; Lost In The Trees, a band normally defined by its lush string arrangements, is back with a brand new sound; singer-songwriter Damien Jurado takes us on a journey through an imaginary world where everyone is named “Silver.” Plus, Bob Boilen shares some bold and beautiful new discoveries from the Swedish duo I Break Horses and Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Danny Brewer, who writes and records as Besides Daniel.

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