RADIO CHOICE

BARBED wire fenced in the Pampas of Argentina, tamed the Wild West, added to the slaughter of World War I and has kept millions imprisoned. In today’s instalment of 50 THINGS THAT MADE THE MODERN ECONOMY (RADIO 4, 12.04PM), Tim Harford (pictured) tells the story of the development of a fast, light and sharply effective form of fencing that changed the world.

CODY, John, Jeff and Gary, of the band Whiskey Myers, aren’t the healthiest-looking chaps currently gracing the Texas Red Dirt scene, but if you like Lynyrd Skynyrd and other such louche Southern rockers, you’ll like their work. Ballad Of A Southern Man — from the album Firewater — got them noticed, and their latest album, Mud, has won them new fans. They’ll be on

BOB HARRIS COUNTRY (RADIO 2, 7PM) for a studio session this evening.

THE Walker Brothers weren’t brothers and none of them was really named Walker. They had some big hits, including Make It Easy On Yourself and The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore. Scott Engel’s fine baritone voice helped to shift the records and, keeping the name of Walker, Scott went solo and pursued a career in avant-garde music. Jarvis Cocker, a big fan, has put together an exclusive Scott Walker mixtape for tonight’s LATE JUNCTION (RADIO 3, 11PM).