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Stornoway: Dig The Mountain!

October 8, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Stornoway: Dig The Mountain!

New album: After splitting in 2016 the Oxfordshire indie folk band of Brian Briggs and co return with a very fine fourth LP of clear-voiced, catchy, vivid songs themed on the fragile relationship between humans and the environment

Read more
In albums, alternative, folk, indie, pop Tags Stornoway, Brian Briggs, Fyfe Dangerfield, Cooking Vinyl, Mike Lindsay, albums, new albums, new releases
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Sufjan Stevens: Javelin

October 7, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Sufjan Stevens: Javelin

New album: After a series of collaborative and more experimental projects, the American artist’s first full singer-songwriter solo LP since 2015’s remarkable Carrie & Lowell is just as exquisite, delicate, tender, and beautifully heartbreaking

Read more
In albums, alternative, folk, pop Tags Sufjan Stevens, Asthmatic Kitty, albums, new albums, new releases
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Meatraffle: Base and Superstructure

October 5, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Meatraffle: Base and Superstructure

New album: Biting class social satire from the silly to searing and hilarious are all delivered in this catchy, fun third album of electro-pop with added trumpet by the south London band, packed with toe-tapping melodies and caustic, killer lines

Read more
In albums, alternative, dance, dance music, pop Tags Meatraffle, albums, new albums, new releases, Blang Limited
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Oneohtrix Point Never: Again

October 4, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Oneohtrix Point Never’s new album, Again

New album: Pioneering avant-garde electronic musician and producer Daniel Lopatin returns with another mind-boggling mix of synths, samples, chamber music, prog, pop and more, playfully entwined with AI-induced effects

Read more
In albums, alternative, electronica, experimental Tags albums, new albums, new releases, Oneohtrix Point Never, Daniel Lopatin, Warp Records
Comment

Armand Hammer: We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

October 3, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Armand Hammer: We Buy Diabetic Test Trips

New album: A mesmerically smart, articulate, experimental hip-hop LP packed with ideas, samples and slick delivery by the New York rapper aka Billy Woods and guests, interweaving endlessly inventive, dreamlike hazy maze of voices, stories and sounds

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In albums, alternative, experimental, hip hop, hip-hop, jazz Tags Billy Woods, Armand Hammer, Fat Possum, Elucid, El-P, Shabaka Hutchings, JPEGMAFIA, Segal, albums, new albums, new releases
Comment

Molly Burch: Daydreamer

October 2, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Molly Burch: Daydreamer

New album: Inspired by a rediscovery of her diaries when 13 and under, this fourth LP by the LA and Austin, Texas singer-songwriter is a deep dive into inner emotions, awash with soft focus, beautiful, swooning, lush melodies and her strong, sensual voice

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In albums, alternative, disco, pop Tags Molly Burch, Captured Tracks, albums, new albums, new releases
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Modern Nature: No Fixed Point In Space

October 1, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Modern Nature: No Fixed Point In Space

New album: Following 2021/22’s music and art project Island of Noise, another release of lovely simmering stillness by Jack Cooper and his Cambridge-based band, one that with delicate instrumentation captures nature’s processes “like the sound of roots, branches, mycelium, the intricacies of a dawn chorus, neurons firing, and the unknown”

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In albums, alternative, avant garde, folk, experimental Tags Modern Nature, Bella Union, albums, new albums, new releases, Jack Cooper
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Wilco: Cousin

October 1, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Wilco: Cousin

New album: A 13th LP by Jeff Tweedy and co of the veteran Chicago band, this time with the innovative Welsh artist Cate Le Bon as producer, bringing a more experimental sound than last year’s alt-country double LP Cruel Country, and something more reminiscent of 2001’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

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In albums, alternative, Americana, country, indie, rock Tags Wilco, Jeff Tweedy, Cate Le Bon, dBm Records, dBpm Records
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Sirens of Lesbos: Peace

September 27, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Sirens of Lesbos: Peace

New album: Fascinatingly cool, crisp, delicate, experimental futuristic pop-funk by the band based in Bern, Switzerland, sprinkled with oddball instrumentation and electronica and including a guest appearance by bass legend Bootsy Collins

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In albums, alternative, electronica, experimental, funk, pop Tags Sirens of Lesbos, Bootsy Collins, Erick The Architect, Joshua Idehen
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WaqWaq Kingdom: Hot Pot Totto

September 26, 2023 Peter Kimpton

WaqWaq Kingdom: Hot Pot Totto

New album: Quirky, itchily inventive and eccentric, a wondrous fusion of electronica, African tribal rhythms, Jamaican dancehall, other genres and traditional instruments by the Japanese “minyo footwork” duo of Shigeru Ishihara (DJ Scotch Egg / Seefeel) and Kiki Hitomi in an LP of frenetic fun and ecological anxiety

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In albums, alternative, African, avant garde, dance music, dance, electronica, experimental Tags WaqWaq Kingdom, Phantom Limb, albums, new albums, new releases
Comment

The National: Laugh Track

September 26, 2023 Peter Kimpton

A second album of 2023 by The National

New album: A surprise release, the 10th overall and second LP of 2023 after First Two Pages of Frankenstein by Matt Berninger, the Dessner brothers and co, minimalist, darkly existential, vivid, poetic and engagingly nihilistic

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In albums, alternative, experimental, indie, rock Tags The National, 4AD, Matt Berninger, Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner, Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, albums, new albums, new releases
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Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View

September 20, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View

New album: An LP of delicious, delicate jazz- and African-inflected instrumentals by the Manchester jazz trumpeter, here with a gorgeous, colourful palette of sounds – woodwind, harp, electronica, thumb piano, organ and his own beautiful brass

Read more
In albums, alternative, electronica, experimental, jazz Tags Matthew Halsall, Gondwana Records, albums, new albums, new releases
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Alabaster DePlume: Come With Fierce Grace

September 19, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Alabaster DePlume: Come With Fierce Grace

New album: After last year’s Gold, another offbeat, truly oddball but original offering by Manchester-raised, London-based Gus Fairburn, his jittery side-of-mouth sax style and gnomic, mantra-style lyrics with guest such as Guinea vocalist Falle Nioke and polyrhythmic drummer Sarathy Korwar to fuse Afrobeat with clunky alt-folk-jazz

Read more
In albums, alternative, avant garde, folk, jazz, experimental Tags Alabaster DePlume, International Anthem Co, albums, new albums, new releases
Comment

Corinne Bailey Rae: Black Rainbows

September 17, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Corinne Bailey Rae: Black Rainbows

New album: A landmark of powerful storytelling and songwriting in this fourth album by the Leeds-born singer with songs inspired by immersion into a rich collection of art, books and artefacts about Black history organised by Theaster Gates at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago

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In albums, alternative, blues, electronica, experimental, jazz, pop, psychedelia, rock, soul Tags Corinne Bailey Rae, albums, new albums, Black Rainbows Music, Thirty Tigers, black history
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Public Service Broadcasting: This New Noise (Live)

September 13, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Public Service Broadcasting: This New Noise

New album: A tremendous noise indeed about radio, as the vintage footage-inspired experimentalist band led by J Wildgoose Esq release a remastered album version of their acclaimed 2022 BBC Proms performance from London’s Royal Albert Hall with the full BBC Symphony Orchestra

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In albums, alternative, classical, indie, krautrock, pop, spoken word, traditional Tags Public Service Broadcasting, Test Card Recordings, radio, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jules Buckley, BBC Proms
Comment

CLT DRP: Nothing Clever, Just Feelings

September 13, 2023 Peter Kimpton

CLT DRP: Nothing Clever, Just Feelings

New album: Brilliantly original and fresh post- and dance-punk and electro-pop by the Brighton band with songs about heartbreak and queerness, feminism, vulnerability and gender fluidity, packed with unique sounds, passion and humour

Read more
In albums, alternative, dance music, experimental, electronica, pop, post-punk Tags CLT DRP, Venn Records, albums, new albums, new releases
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Róisín Murphy: Hit Parade

September 12, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Róisín Murphy’s sixth album, Hit Parade

New album: Recent controversies aside, the Irish singer-songwriter’s collaboration with German producer DJ Koze is a mesmerically inventive, intimate, candid exploration of funk, pop, disco and house, skilfully pushed through an wonderfully warped aural lens of vocal effects and sounds

Read more
In albums, alternative, dance music, dance, disco, experimental, electronica, funk, pop Tags Roisin Murphy, Ninja Tune, DJ Koze, albums, new albums, new releases
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Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music

September 12, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music

New album: Taking a title cue from Miles Davis, a brilliant, landmark 19-track debut LP by the supremely gifted British jazz drummer variously exploring and re-interpreting many sides of 70s funk, reggae and afrobeat, joined by a stellar group of musicians and vocalists

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In albums, African, alternative, experimental, funk, jazz, hip-hop, poetry, reggae, soul, spoken word Tags Yussef Dayes, Shabaka Hutchings, Leon Thomas, Charlie Stacey, Venna, Alexander Bourt, Tom Misch, Nathaniel Cross, Elijah Fox, Chronixx, Brownswood Recordings, albums, new albums, new releases
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Pale Blue Eyes: This House

September 7, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Pale Blue Eyes: This House is a wistful look back at happy childhood with parents now passed on

New album: After last year’s promising debut, Souvenirs, the Devon trio return with an uplifting fusion of electro-pop and krautrock, one that deals with parental loss, but with a fondness, stylistically with some echoes of Django Django and some 80s sounds reminiscent of New Order and The Cure

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In albums, alternative, electronica, experimental, indie, pop, krautrock Tags Pale Blue Eyes, Full Time Hobby, songs, albums, new albums, new releases
Comment

Buck Meek: Haunted Mountain

September 6, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Buck Meek: Haunted Mountain

New album: The New York-based, Texas-bred singer/songwriter and Big Thief guitarist returns with a beautiful third solo album of sensitive, moving, melodious alt-country, Americana and folk rock

Read more
In albums, alternative, blues, Americana, country, folk, rock Tags Buck Meek, Big Thief, albums, new albums, new releases, 4AD
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

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SNACK 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
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
ELIZA - Anyone Else.jpeg
Dec 7, 2025
Song of the Day: ELIZA - Anyone Else
Dec 7, 2025

Song of the Day: Stripped-back, bluesy, fuzzy funk with slight echoes of Prince and alt-R&B are conjured up in this love song by the London-based singer-songwriter Eliza Caird, her first single for two years, now off the mainstream and out on Log Off Records

Dec 7, 2025
SILK SCARF by Tiga & Fcukers.jpg
Dec 6, 2025
Song of the Day: Tiga (featuring Fcukers) - Silk Scarf
Dec 6, 2025

Song of the Day: A fun, sensual, quirkily oddball electronica dance single with a slick, fetish-flirtatious ode to a favourite smooth material by the Montreal musician (Tiga James Sontag) joined here with vocals by the New York band (Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis), and heralding Tiga’s upcoming album Hotlife, out in April on Secret City Records

Dec 6, 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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