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Angrusori: Live at Tou

May 11, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Angrusori: Live at Tou

Angrusori: Live at Tou

Album review: An extraordinary album of traditional Romany songs and tragic ballads of migration by the Slovakian-Norwegian orchestra, performed with Bulgarian-style voices, strings and percussion with Hindustani to Yiddish echoes

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In albums, folk, traditional, gypsy Tags albums, new releases, Angrusori, Jana Belišová, Iva Bittová, Kitchen Orchestra, Nils Henrik, Hudson Records
Comment

Sophia Kennedy: Monsters

May 10, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Sophia Kennedy’s Monsters - impossible to control or define

Sophia Kennedy’s Monsters - impossible to control or define

Album review: An unholy, beguiling and at times mischievously brilliant mixture of pop, Tin Pan Alley, vintage showtunes, hip hop, abstract electronica and horror film culture, the Baltimore-born, Hamburg-bred artist is just as impossible to define as to not enjoy

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In albums, electronica, experimental, hip hop, indie, jazz, musical theatre, R&B, soul, trip-hop Tags albums, new releases, Sophia Kennedy, City Slang
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Will Graefe: Marine Life

May 10, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Beautiful emptiness: Will Graefe’s breakup album Marine Life

Beautiful emptiness: Will Graefe’s breakup album Marine Life

Album review: This fragile solo album of exquisite melancholy from the Brooklyn-based Okkervil River guitarist was written and recorded after a devastating breakup during Covid lockdown and echoes the sensitivity of Elliott Smith

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In albums, folk Tags albums, new releases, Will Graefe, Okkervil River, 11A Records, lo-fi
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Squid: Bright Green Field

May 8, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Squid’s full debut LP Bright Green Field

Squid’s full debut LP Bright Green Field

Album review: A bold, expansive, experimental and exciting full debut by the postpunk Brighton five-piece, with songs full of musical adventure and dynamic changes, combining krautrock, prog and even a dash of jazz

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In albums, experimental, indie, post-punk, prog-rock Tags albums, new releases, Squid, Dan Carey, Warp Records
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Royal Blood: Typhoons

May 5, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Rocking the dance floor: Royal Blood’s Typhoon

Rocking the dance floor: Royal Blood’s Typhoon

Album review: Third album across a decade of of signature thumping bangers of big fuzz guitar, heavy drums and high rock from the Brighton duo of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher is also given an extra disco kick alongside producer Josh Homme

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In albums, disco, rock Tags albums, new releases, Royal Blood, Josh Homme, Daft Punk, Warner Bros
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Julia Stone: Sixty Summers

May 5, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Julia Stone’s Sixty Summers

Julia Stone’s Sixty Summers

Album review: Third album leaning towards quirky, intelligent and inventively experimental pop by the artist from Sydney with oodles of brass, drums and funk guitar and electronica – by Annie Clark aka St Vincent and Thomas Bartlett

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In albums, electronica, pop Tags albums, new releases, Julia Stone, St Vincent, Annie Clark, Cyndi Lauper
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Girl In Red: If I Could Make It Go Quiet

May 3, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Girl In Red

Girl In Red

Album review: “Honey, I’m not doing so well". Impressively candid, clever pop debut capturing a variety of emotional, relationship and sexuality traumas through catchy songwriting by Norway’s Marie Ulven who has already become a bedroom-produced YouTube star

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In albums, pop Tags albums, new releases, Girl In Red, Marie Ulven, World In Red, AWAL
Comment

Manchester Orchestra: The Million Masks of God

May 3, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Epic scale: The Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra

Epic scale: The Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra

Album review: The Atlanta indie-rockers’ latest LP is has an even more expansive, full-bodied sound of vocal harmonies led by frontman Andy Hull that echo Fleet Foxes with strong songwriting, psychedelic parts and a sense of epic scale that would fill large venues or festivals

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In albums, indie, psychedelia, rock Tags albums, new releases, Manchester Orchestra, Loma Vista
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Teenage Fanclub: Endless Arcade

May 3, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Teenage Fanclub’s Endless Arcade

Teenage Fanclub’s Endless Arcade

Album review: This first album for five years by Scotland’s indie veterans as ever is wonderfully consistent, here marrying the musically sunny and uplifting with dark, tragic subject matter to reflect recent times

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In albums, indie, pop Tags albums, new releases, Teenage Fanclub, PeMa
Comment

Matt Sweeney and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: Superwolves

May 2, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

Album review: Gorgeously sensitive and emotional collaborative album between old friends, guitarist and singer-songwriter of folk, Nashville country, Appalachian and some Malian in the mix with guest players

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In African, country, folk, traditional, albums, blues Tags albums, new releases, Bonnie Prince Billy, Will Oldham, Matt Sweeney, Mdou Moctar, Ahmoudou Madassane, Domino Records, Drag City
Comment

Gojira: Fortitude

May 2, 2021 Peter Kimpton
A cri de coeur on climate change: Gojira’s new album, Fortitude

A cri de coeur on climate change: Gojira’s new album, Fortitude

Album review: Metal may not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s no denying the songwriting and musicianship of this seventh album by the French quartet which is a powerful, engaging and stormy cri de coeur about climate change

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In albums, metal, rock Tags albums, new releases, Gojira, climate change, protest, Roadrunner Records
Comment

Marianne Faithfull with Warren Ellis: She Walks In Beauty

May 1, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Poetic ends: friends Marianne Faithfull with Warren Ellis

Poetic ends: friends Marianne Faithfull with Warren Ellis

Album review: Alongside music by the Australian composer and musician, the iconic singer recites well-known poems from Coleridge, Keats, Wordsmith and more, with addition sounds by friends Nick Cave, Brian Eno and cellist Vincent Ségal

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In albums, ambient, electronica, experimental, poetry, spoken word Tags albums, new releases, Marianne Faithfull, Warren Elllis, Nick Cave, Brian Eno
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The Coral: Coral Island

April 30, 2021 Peter Kimpton
The Coral’s new double album

The Coral’s new double album

Album review: Themed loosely in setting, characters and narrative around a British seaside resort, this new double album by the Liverpool band glitters with beautifully relaxed, timeless tunes that shimmer with a late-60s psychedelia

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In albums, pop, indie, psychedelia Tags albums, new releases, The Coral, Run On Records
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Alfa Mist: Bring Backs

April 30, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Alfa Mist’s third album, Bring Backs

Alfa Mist’s third album, Bring Backs

Album review: A mellifluous weave of jazz, soul, poetry hip hop by the east London rapper, producer and instrumentalist aka Alfa Sekitoleko with a nod to his various musical influences, especially the capital's vibrant jazz scene

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In albums, hip hop, jazz Tags albums, new releases, Alfa Mist, Lex Amor, Kaya Thomas-Dyke
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Art D'Ecco: In Standard Definition

April 28, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Art D’Ecco’s In Standard Definition

Art D’Ecco’s In Standard Definition

Album review: A stylish and charismatic glam-rock electro-funk-disco pop second album, echoing everything from early 70s Bowie or Bolan’s T-Rex to 80s synth New Romantics, by the wonderful Canadian androgynous singer

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In albums, pop, rock, electronica, dance music Tags albums, new releases, Art D'Ecco, Paper Bag Records
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Dinosaur Jr: Sweep It Into Space

April 28, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Dinosaur Jr return with Sweep It Into Space

Dinosaur Jr return with Sweep It Into Space

Album review: Packed with tender lo-fi to full-on rock numbers, the distinctive voice and playing of J Mascis joined Lou Barlow’s bass and Murph on drum, rolls out in the form of a very fine new LP, their first together for five years

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In albums, rock, indie, shoegaze Tags albums, Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis, Jagjaguwar
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Wasuremono: Let's Talk, Pt. 1

April 28, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Wasuremono-Lets-Talk-Pt-1.jpeg

Album review: Refreshing, full-bodied vocal harmonies and almost messianic, upbeat lyrics make this new indie pop album by the West Country quartet a breath of positivity that also echoes the energy of Arcade Fire and The Polyphonic Spree

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In albums, indie, pop Tags albums, new releases, Wasuremono, Arcade Fire, The Polyphonic Spree, William Benjamin Southward
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Lady Dan: I Am The Prophet

April 28, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Lady Dan’s debut I Am The Prophet

Lady Dan’s debut I Am The Prophet

Album review: A strong, emotional debut by singer-songwriter Tyler Dozier from Alabama, in which she address a number of issues from a strict religious upbringing to escaping from a difficult, controlling relationship

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In albums, country, folk Tags albums, new releases, Tyler Dozier, Lady Dan, Earth Libraries
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Field Music: Flat White Moon

April 26, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Flat White Moon

Flat White Moon

Album review: The eighth LP from Sunderland brothers Peter and David Brewis brings together a wealth influences and accessibility, cleverly marrying pop, funk and postpunk with echoes of the Beatles, XTC and Todd Rundgren

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In albums, funk, indie, pop, post-punk, rock Tags albums, new releases, Field Music, The Beatles, Todd Rundgren, XTC, Memphis Industries
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Sharon Van Etten: epic Ten

April 25, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Sharon Van Etten is joined by guests’ new cover version on this special 10-year anniversary double album edition

Sharon Van Etten is joined by guests’ new cover version on this special 10-year anniversary double album edition

Album review: A decade after the American singer-songwriter’s acclaimed second album, seven wonderfully written songs are reissued alongside versions by contrasting guests including Fiona Apple, IDLES, and Lucinda Williams

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In albums, indie, pop Tags albums, new releases, Sharon Van Etten, Fiona Apple, IDLES, Big Red Machine, Justin Vernon, Bon Iver, Aaron Dessner, The National, Shamir, Courtney Barnett, Lucinda Williams, St Panther, Ba Da Bing! Records
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

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New Albums …

Featured
Favourite Albums of 2025 - Part 3.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Three
Dec 18, 2025

Welcome to the third and final part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also Part One, and Part Two. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Two.jpeg
Dec 17, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Two
Dec 17, 2025

Welcome to the second part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also a first part and a third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 17, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part 1 updated.jpg
Dec 16, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part One
Dec 16, 2025

Welcome to the first part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There will also be a second and third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 16, 2025
Juliana Hatfield.jpeg
Dec 16, 2025
Juliana Hatfield: Lightning Might Strike
Dec 16, 2025

New album: Personal upheaval, grief, powerlessness, trauma, sudden change inform the title and colour the lyrics of this latest LP by the seasoned Boston indie artist but her songs are packed with brutally honest, candid, concise reflections and warm, catchy, stirring riffs and melodies

Dec 16, 2025
Dove Ellis - Blizzard.jpeg
Dec 9, 2025
Dove Ellis: Blizzard
Dec 9, 2025

New album: An extraordinarily mature, passionate, poetic, and outstandingly powerful debut by the Manchester-based Galway-born singer-songwriter, whose soaring delivery has instant echoes of Jeff Buckley and lyrics that go above and beyond

Dec 9, 2025
Spíra by Ólöf Arnalds.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Ólöf Arnalds: Spíra
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A gorgeous, delicate, ethereal first release in a decade by the Icelandic singer-songwriter, acoustic instruments and her gentle, high, pure voice, all in her native language, caressing this listening experience like pure waters of some slowly trickling glacial stream

Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber - Unclouded.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber: Unclouded
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A fourth album, here full of delicious uplifting, dreamily chic, psychedelic soul pop by the French musician Melody Prochet, with bright, upbeat, optimistic numbers and a title lifted from a quote by the acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, about achieving equilibrium

Dec 5, 2025
Devotion & The Black Divine by anaiis.jpeg
Dec 2, 2025
anaiis: Devotion & The Black Divine
Dec 2, 2025

New album: Following a summer Song of the Day - Deus Deus, a review of the autumn release and third LP by the London-based French-Senegalese singer-songwriter of resonantly beautiful, dynamic, sensual soul, gospel, R&B and experimental and chamber pop, with themes of new motherhood, uncertainty, religion, self-love and acceptance

Dec 2, 2025
De La Soul - Cabin In The Sky.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
De La Soul: Cabin In The Sky
Nov 26, 2025

New album: The hip-hop veterans return with their first without, yet including the voice of, and a tribute to, founding member Trugoy the Dove, AKA Dave Jolicoeur who passed away in 2023, alongside many hip-hop luminary guests, with trademark playful skits, and all themed around the afterlife

Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats- Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats: Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan
Nov 26, 2025

New album: An evocative musical journey of a concept album by the indie-folk band from Claremont, California, fronted by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, based on a dream of his in 2023 about a voyage to a fictional island by the titular captain, charting adventure, wonder and tragedy

Nov 26, 2025
Allie X - Happiness Is Going To Get You.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
Allie X: Happiness Is Going To Get You
Nov 26, 2025

New album: A hugely entertaining, witty, droll, inventive, chamber and synth-pop fourth LP with a goth twist by the charismatic and theatrical Canadian artist Alexandra Hughes, who brings paradox and dark themes through sounds that include string quartet, harpsichord, classical and pure pop piano with killer lyrics

Nov 26, 2025
Tortoise - Touch.jpeg
Nov 25, 2025
Tortoise: Touch
Nov 25, 2025

New album: A welcome return with a cinematic and mesmeric groove-filled first studio LP in nine years, and the eighth over all by the eclectic Chicago post-rock/jazz/krautrock multi-instrumentalists Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire and Jeff Parker

Nov 25, 2025
What of Our Nature by Haley Heynderickx, Max García Conover.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover: What of Our Nature
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Beautiful, precise, poignant and poetic new folk numbers inspired by the life and music style of Woody Guthrie as the Portland, Oregon and New Yorker, now Portland, Maine-based singer-songwriters bring a delicious duet album, alternating and sharing songs covering a variety of forever topical social issues

Nov 24, 2025
Tranquilizer by Oneohtrix Point Never.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Oneohtrix Point Never: Tranquilizer
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Ambient, otherworldly, cinematic, mesmeric, and at times very odd, the Brooklyn-based electronic artist and producer Daniel Lopatin returns with a new nostalgia-based concept – constructing tracks from lost-then-refound Y2K CDs of 1990s and early 2000s royalty-free sample electronic sounds

Nov 24, 2025

new songs …

Featured
King Hüsky - December95.jpeg
Dec 23, 2025
Song of the Day: King Hüsky - December95
Dec 23, 2025

Song of the Day: Poignant, evocative, beautiful, vivid, alternative mandolin folk-pop about a severe winter at Christmas by Oslo’s Vidar Landa, who in this guise departs from his his usual role as as guitarist of Norwegian heavy metal band Kvelertak and indierock/powerpop band Beachheads, out on Hype City Music

Dec 23, 2025
Yumi Zouma - No Love Lost.jpeg
Dec 22, 2025
Song of the Day: Yumi Zouma - 95
Dec 22, 2025

Song of the Day: A beautiful, gentle, reflective new single by the New Zealand experimental indie-pop band referencing the US east coast Maine to Miami interstate road about homesickness and more, heralding the new album No Love Lost to Kindness, out on 30 January, out on Nettwerk Music

Dec 22, 2025
Deadletter - To The Brim.jpeg
Dec 19, 2025
Song of the Day: DEADLETTER - To The Brim
Dec 19, 2025

Song of the Day: A moody, mysterious minute-long intro with gentle bursts of brass and woodwind veils what becomes a punchy new lead single by the Leeds post-punk band heralding their second LP - Existence is Bliss out on 27 February via SO Recordings

Dec 19, 2025
Greentea Peng - Prisoners Round.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Song of the Day: Greentea Peng - Prisoners Round
Dec 18, 2025

Song of the Day: Following March 2025’s acclaimed album, Tell Dem It’s Sunny, the south-east London artist (aka Aria Wells) returns with another smoky, dark, track with hues of blues, dub and soul and Portishead-esque trip-hop, focusing on the trappings and challenges of modern life

Dec 18, 2025
Kaitlyn Aurela Smith - I Miss The Way You Swim.jpg
Dec 17, 2025
Song of the Day: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - I Miss the Way You Swim
Dec 17, 2025

Song of the Day: Beautiful modular synths and intermingling orchestral sounds ripple in this work by the American composer, performer and producer in a piece shaped by loss of someone loved, taken from an upcoming instrumental album Thoughts On The Future, out on Nettwerk Music

Dec 17, 2025
The Paper Kites - If You Go There.jpeg
Dec 16, 2025
Song of the Day: The Paper Kites - Change Of The Wind
Dec 16, 2025

Song of the Day: A beautiful, reflective number by the alternative folk-rock band from Melbourne fronted by Sam Bentley, heralding their seventh studio album If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, out on 23 January via Nettwerk Music Group

Dec 16, 2025
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine.jpeg
Dec 15, 2025
Song of the Day: Courtney Marie Andrews - Little Picture Of A Butterfly
Dec 15, 2025

Song of the Day: Beautiful, delicate, fluttering, eclectic, heartbreak folk and Americana by the singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, heralding her forthcoming new album, Valentine, out on 16 January via Loose Future

Dec 15, 2025
Peter Perrett - Proud To Be Self-Hating.jpeg
Dec 12, 2025
Song of the Day: Peter Perrett - PROUD TO BE SELF-HATING (irony and provocation)
Dec 12, 2025

Song of the Day: The veteran British artist, originally frontman of The Only Ones, and now with three solo albums, who actually has Jewish heritage, releases a gently powerful, nuanced, pro-Palestine acoustic number as a response to ongoing genocide by the Israeli government, out on Domino Records

Dec 12, 2025
Maddie Ashman - Jaded.jpeg
Dec 11, 2025
Song of the Day: Maddie Ashman - Jaded
Dec 11, 2025

Song of the Day: Magical, delicate, eclectic, intricate, experimental microtonal music by the London musician and singer, released alongside a longer track, In Autumn My Heart Breaks

Dec 11, 2025
Ye Vagabonds.jpeg
Dec 10, 2025
Song of the Day: Ye Vagabonds - The Flood
Dec 10, 2025

Song of the Day: Wonderfully warm, rich, lively fiddle-driven Irish folk by the award-winning band fronted by Carlow brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn with a heartbreaking number about the housing crisis, heralding their upcoming new album, All Tied Together, out on Rough Trade’s River Lea Recordings on 30 January

Dec 10, 2025
DBA! band.jpeg
Dec 9, 2025
Song of the Day: DBA! A Poet And A Clown
Dec 9, 2025

Song of the Day: Catchy fuzz-guitar indie rock with a swagger by the Liverpool-formed trio of Sam Warren, James Lindberg and Joshua Grant in a song described as “a confessional story of desire tangled with religious guilt”

Dec 9, 2025
Puma Blue - Croak Dream.jpeg
Dec 8, 2025
Song of the Day: Puma Blue - Croak Dream
Dec 8, 2025

Song of the Day: A dark, esoteric, mysterious and stylish title track with a hint of Radiohead and playing with the idea of knowing your future death, from the experimental indie/goth/ambient London artist Jacob Allen’s forthcoming album out on 6 February via Play It Again Sam

Dec 8, 2025

Word of the week

Featured
Hangover.jpeg
Dec 4, 2025
Word of the week: crapulence
Dec 4, 2025

Word of the week: A term that may apply regularly during Xmas party season, from the from the Latin crapula, in turn from the Greek kraipálē meaning "drunkenness" or "headache" pertains to sickness symptoms caused by excess in eating or drinking, or general intemperance and overindulgence

Dec 4, 2025
Running shoes and barefoot.jpeg
Nov 20, 2025
Word of the week: discalceate
Nov 20, 2025

Word of the week: A rarely used, but often practised verb, especially when arriving home, it means to take off your shoes, but is also a slightly more common adjective meaning barefoot or unshod, particularly for certain religious orders that wear sandals instead of shoes. But in what context does this come up in song?

Nov 20, 2025
autumn-red-leaves.jpeg
Nov 6, 2025
Word of the week: erythrophyll
Nov 6, 2025

Word of the week: A seasonally topical word relating to the the red pigment of tree leaves, fruits and flowers, that appears particularly when changing in autumn, as opposed to the green effect of chlorophyll, from the Greek erythros for red, and phyll for leaves. But what of songs about this?

Nov 6, 2025
Fennec fox 2.jpeg
Oct 22, 2025
Word of the week: fennec
Oct 22, 2025

Word of the week: It’s a small pale-fawn nocturnal fox with unusually large, highly sensitive ears, that inhabits from African and Arab deserts areas from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. But has it ever been seen in a song?

Oct 22, 2025
Narrowboat.jpeg
Oct 9, 2025
Word of the week: gongoozler
Oct 9, 2025

Word of the week: A fabulous old English slang term for someone who tends to stand or sit for long periods staring at the passing of boats on canals, sometimes with a derogatory or at least ironic use for someone who is useless or lazy. But what of songs about this activity and culture?

Oct 9, 2025

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