No one could accuse Bob Dylan of being predictable - particularly given his latest interview where he revealed a surprising appreciation for Welsh rock band Stereophonics.

In a rare, long interview on his website that was conducted by Bill Flanagan, Dylan discussed the making of Triplicate - his new triple album of American songbook classics - and his favourite recent music.

Answering the latter he revealed: "Iggy Pop's Après, that's a good record. Imelda May, I like her. Valerie June, the Stereophonics. I like Willie Nelson and Norah Jones' album with Wynton Marsalis, the Ray Charles tribute record. I liked Amy Winehouse's last record."

Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones was clearly delighted, tweeting: "I was brought up on @BobDylan - to get a nod from the Master, makes me wanna write a new song!"

Asked about the appeal of songs from the pre-rock age Dylan added: "These songs are some of the most heartbreaking stuff ever put on record and I wanted to do them justice. Now that I have lived them and lived through them, I understand them better.

"They take you out of that mainstream grind, where you're trapped between differences which might seem different but are essentially the same. Modern music and songs are so institutionalised that you don't realise it. These songs are cold and clear-sighted, there is a direct realism in them, faith in ordinary life, just like in early rock'n'roll."