A term coined in the early the 20th century, often played on guitar but also on piano and other instruments, this core, repetitive musical phrase could be even more memorable and catchy than the sung melody. But what riffs have you humming from the last 25 years?

Silly ballads to battles of the sexes, parodies to social commentary, odd duets and witty wordplay and musical japery, guest jester Marco den Ouden picks a bundle of lyrical and other laughs inspired by last week’s comedic songs theme

In words or notes, from dark parody to the plain old silly, it’s time to celebrate comedic songs, those written specifically to tickle, to amuse, to make you smile and laugh. If they do that, then they count

Strange weather to personal life events, sudden death to delivery of good news, January can bring all sorts of surprises, stories, memories and emotions. Guest SweetHomeAlabama makes some top picks from last week’s topic

It’s a month of mixed feelings and perspectives, and can bring optimism as well as anguish. Songs about January, or set during it, so let’s see what settings, stories and emotions it inspires and produces …

New album: Liverpool’s John Power and co returns after 2024’s Love Is The Call with an eighth LP, packed with anthemic, catchy, voluminous indie rock bangers with P.P. Arnold adding classy backing vocals

New album: A truly magical, highly original, otherworldly landscape of experimental Arabic, electronica, avant-pop, dark ambient and industrial forms by the Beirut-born, Amsterdam-based musician, sound designer, producer, film-maker singer and composer

New album: Beautiful, evocative, poetic and profound original folk numbers with a traditional style by Irish brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn in their fourth LP, recorded live in a Galway house with acclaimed producer Philip Weinrobe (Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker), and vivid lyrical themes of home and memory

New album: The nimbly inventive, experimental prog trio from Brighton return following their debut LP Terrapath, with an evolved, often catchier style of oddball riffs, licks, clever tempo changes, unusual rhythms, and unconventional chord progressions with a stirring of jazz inflections, dream pop, psych rock and shoegaze

New album: A bolder, more strident, indie-rock urgency of style by the New Zealand quartet previously known more for dream pop, particularly front-loading this fifth LP with a pacier, spikier material in their decade-long career

Song of the Day: An intriguingly experimental, eclectic, slowing unfolding number with a gently spooky video by the London art-rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Sophie Harris, heralding their debut album Johnny’s Dreamworld on 1 May via One Little Independent Records

Song of the Day: Punchy, sharp, witty super-catchy art-punk indie by the Los Angeles-based band from Utah, consisting of Spence (guitar/ lead vocals), Tom (drums), Derv (bass), and Kathleen (keyboards and guitar)

Song of the Day: A beautiful Nick Drake-reminiscent new folk number with intricate finger-picking by the Yorkshire-based singer-songwriter, and the title track heralding his new album Red Sun Rising, out 1 May via Big Sun Records

Song of the Day: A powerful brand new protest song by the Boss, tackling America’s controversial influx of ICE agents into Minneapolis and their recent murders of innocent bystanders Alex Pretti and Renée Good, released on Columbia

Song of the Day: Striking, dynamic, noisy stop-and-start, stylish experimental post-rock and post-rock by the band from Burlington, Vermont, fronted by Nina Cates, heralding their new album, Two Wheels Move the Soul, out on 3 April via on Fire Talk