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Playlists: songs with lyrical zeugma

March 11, 2026 Peter Kimpton

Zeugma and more … Elvis Costello & The Attractions

It’s a figure of speech in which a word applies to two or more others in different senses, giving a concise form of wordplay. Inspired by last week’s topic nominations, guest playlister magicman picks out many sparkling examples and more

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In blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, easy listening, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, lounge, music, musicals, playlists, musical hall, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rhythm and blues, RnB, rock, soul, trip hop, traditional, songs, ska, showtime Tags songs, playlists, zeugma, wordplay, words, lyrics, Bonnie Tyler, Elvis Costello, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Sergio Mendes, Brasil '66, Ursula Rucker, The Californians, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Flanders and Swann, Kanye West, The Carpenters, Alanis Morissette, The Weakerthans, David Bowie, The Cardigans, Jeremy Irons, The Lion King, Dorothy Ashby, Nara Leão, Belle & Sebastian, DIre Straits, Barry Manilow, Rufus Wainwright, Otis Redding, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Amy Winehouse, Jeff Buckley, Kendrick Lamar, magicman, film soundtrack
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Playlists: songs featuring trumpet solos

December 3, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers with Lee Morgan on trumpet

From fanfares to fantastic technical feats and emotional melodies, the trumpet’s bold, bright but versatile sound is captured from classical to jazz, pop and beyond in perfect playlists picked by Loud Atlas from last week’s topic

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In blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, experimental, funk, gospel, instrumentals, jazz, lounge, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Haydn, Wynton Marsalis, Maggie Jones, Louis Armstrong, Dick Dale, Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Belle & Sebastian, Mick Cooke, Herb Albert, Billy Joel, Yo La Tengo, Roy Campbell Jr, Julian Cope, Yona, Orkestri Liikkuvat Pilvet, Ray Burretto, Roberto Rodríguez, René López, Donald Byrd, Rufus Wainwright, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, The Waterboys, Katzenjammer, Chuck Mangione, The Carpenters, Dinah Washington, Al Hirt, Blasterjaxx, Timmy Trumpet, Cake (band), Tomoo, Blur, Chet Baker, Otis Taylor, Brandon Woody, Luie Luie, The Boo Radleys, OMC, Nino Rota, Laufey, Bruce Springsteen, Randy Brecker, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs about unexpected and unusual friendships

July 22, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Cultured vultures: The Jungle Book brings about surprise levels of support via the medium of song

This Bar creates them too, but what about songs in playlists? From assorted human and animal encounters, generational pals to cultural social crossovers, guest Loud Atlas brings them all together in wonderful entertainment inspired by last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags friendship, songs, playlists, The Jungle Book, Film, film soundtrack, J. Pat O'Malley, Lord Tim Hudson, Digby Wolfe, Chad Stuart, Bruce Reitherman, Bill Lee, A Tribe Called Quest, José Feliciano, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Loudon Wainwright III, The Grateful Dead, Nina Simone, Syd Dale, Bambara, Belle & Sebastian, Fats Waller, Peter Paul and Mary, Steven Wilson, The Police, Cat Stevens, Yusuf, Crosby Stills & Nash, Tenor Saw, John Martyn, Beverley Martyn, Martin Simpson, The Alan Price Set, Alan Price, David Bowie, Turin Brakes, Joao Gilberto, Buddy Guy, Family, Randy Newman, John Powell, Colton Ryan, Ben Platt, Loud Atlas, Disney, Broadway, theatre, musicals, animals
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Playlists: songs about bad boys and bad girls

September 24, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Tricky Ricky …

Lookin' for trouble? Then you've found the right place. Lotharios, vamps, tramps and troublemakers are truly in force as guest of the week tincanman brings us a brilliantly badass selection inspired by last week's topic

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In blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, exotica, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, hip hop, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags Rick James, songs, playlists, The Waitresses, Mike Sarne, Belle & Sebastian, Jake Thackray, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Suzi Quatro, John Kongos, She Wants Revenge, Elvis Presley, Syndicats, The Vibrators, Rose Tattoo, Betty Davis, The Coasters, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Glasvegas, Knack, Leather Boy, Lucille Bogan, M.I.A., Nelly Furtado, pink, P!nk, The Rolling Stones, Splodgenessabounds, 十四代目トイレの花子さん, Art Bergman, Esme Patterson, Gene Clark, tincanman
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Playlists: 7-inch singles that differ from album versions

June 5, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Singularly different: The Undisputed Truth

Sometimes they were an inspiration improvement, sometimes an editing and style aberration. Picking out the differences from last week’s singular topic, guest playlister ParaMhor cleverly chooses the contrasts for better or worse

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags The Primitives, The Blue Hearts, The Move, The Beach Boys, Buddy Rich, Cathy Rich, David Bowie, The The, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Undisputed Truth, The Rolling Stones, Belle & Sebastian, Herbie Hancock, The Grateful Dead, Wire, XTC, The Go-Betweens, The Beatles, Doll By Doll, Roxy Music, The Isley Brothers, Ringo Sheena, Van Der Graaf Generator, Velvet Underground, Miles Davis, Boston, The Who, Subway Sect, singles, vinyl, vinyl records, ParaMhor
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Playlists: songs and pieces featuring the cello

November 22, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Classical to classic pop, rock, folk, African, jazz and beyond, the instrument provides an unmistakably rich, powerful, emotional voice. Inspired by a beautiful, broad scope of nominations from last week’s topic, guest Loud Atlas presents out some equally wonderful playlists

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In African, avant-garde, classical, blues, country, drone, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags JS Bach, Yo-Yo Ma, 2Cellos, Led Zeppelin, Beethoven, The Auteurs, Virgínia Rodrigues, Zak Abel, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, ELO, Fun Boy Three, Fatoumata Diawara, The Mountain Goats, The Beatles, REM, Mabe Fratti, Oasis, Edward Elgar, Jacqueline du Pré, The Singers Unlimited, Arthur Russell, This Mortal Coil, Apocalyptica, Cream, Roy Wood, Dessa, Yusef Lateef, Tom Waits, Belle & Sebastian, Spencer Davis Group, Tom Paxton, Ben Sollee, Honningbarna, David Darling, The Wulu Bunu, Ramin Djawadi, film soundtrack, Game of Thrones, Lindsay Mac, Michael Giacchino, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs about reading

September 20, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Talking Heads - but what’s in the book?

Read all about it! Or in some cases, don’t believe a word. From books to letters to the media and more, guest of the week George Boyland picks out a classy selection from last week’s topic nominations. Browse and enjoy …

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In blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, folk, funk, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, psychedelia, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags reading, books, letters, newspapers, news, media, Liverpool, songs, playlists, Billy Bragg, The Boomtown Rats, Edwin Starr, Johnnie Taylor, Pete Townshend, NIck Lowe, Talking Heads, Blind Willie Johnson, McCarthy, PJ Harvey, Joan Armatrading, Swell Maps, Gordon Lightfoot, Rocket From The Tombs, David Crosby, Fairport Convention, Belle & Sebastian, Grant Hart, Future of the Left, The Bevis Frond, Reggae George, Elvis Costello, Julian Cope, Western Promise, George Boyland
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Playlists: songs about legacy

August 23, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Stevie Wonder has a strong connection with the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr …

It runs within us all, but how is it expressed in song? From major moments and figures in history to personal stories, and even the legacy in our genes, guest Marco den Ouden covers a brought range in fine detail with playlists picked from last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, legacy, inheritance, Christopher Jackson, Hamilton (musical), Josh Groban, George Washington, British Sea Power, First World War, Hitsujibungaku, Stevie Wonder, Martin Luther King, Jay-Z, Errol Walker, The Streets, Mike and the Mechanics, Melissa Etheridge, Linkin Park, Tim Buckley, Carole King, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bob Marley, Oysterband, Belle & Sebastian, Patio, Carmen Twillie, Lebo M, Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Eminem, Polina, Christy Moore, Keith LeBlanc, Sarah McLachlan, Martyn Joseph, Martin Simpson, Sammy Hagar, The Corrs, Leslie Odam Jr, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Pulp, Arrested Development, Pierce Pettis, Fefe Dobson, Cindy Bullens, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Seth Lakeman, Fairport Convention, Fanny, Brooke Fraser, Olivia Newton-John, Lowen & Navarro, Andre Williams, The Rankin Family, Marco den Ouden
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Playlists: songs about famous or notable duos and couples

May 9, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Oh brother, will this playlist take off? High flyers Orville and Wilbur Wright face the music

Biblical brothers to medieval lovers, abandoned siblings to fictional detectives, inspired by last week’s topic, this week we get double the fun as guest playlister Uncleben brilliantly flies through time to interview notable pairs about their lives and attributed songs

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, duos, The Sweet, Unrest, Wednesday Campanella, The Spirits of Rhythm, Paul Kelly, Chico Buarque, Nara Leão, Bill Russell, Henry Krieger, Raydio, Radio Birdman, Louis Armstrong, Veda Hille, Niall McNeil, Marcus Youssef, Richard Wagner, Kasey Chambers, Shane Nicholson, The Reflections, Catatonia, The Damned, Belle & Sebastian, The Beatles, Vince Guaraldi, Mark Knopfler, Joe Ely, Joel Guzman, Lead Belly, Azabache, When, Tenor Saw, Uncleben
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Playlists: songs about higher education and graduation

May 11, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Results are in the air tonight

Applications have been made, papers marked, but from last week’s many entries, which made the grade and will reach graduation to make the playlists? Examiner Marco den Ouden reveals the full results …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, reggae, punk, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, further education, university, college, education, The Rover Boys, Suzy Bogguss, Rudy Vallee, Smoking Popes, Jefferson Starship, Jimmy Rushing, The Isley Brothers, Timbuk 3, David Bazen, Vampire Weekend, Pat Green, Griot B & School Yard Rap, Chris Webby, Madi Wolf, Speedy Ortiz, The Bolshoi, Clifford T Ward, Belle & Sebastian, Tom Lehrer, Asher Roth, The Verve Pipe, Townes Van Zandt, Albert Hammond, Indigo Girls, Franz Ferdinand, Derailers, The Specials, Anita O'Day, Luke Haines, Sam Adams, Dub Syndicate, Andy Fairly, Prince Buster, Terence Boylan, The Beach Boys, paul simon, Elvis Presley, Phil Ochs, Malvina Reynolds, Rhiannon Giddens, Waring's Pennsylvanians, Harry Reser and His Six Jumping Jacks, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Chris Isaak, David Roth, Vitamin C, Weird Al Jankovic, Marco den Ouden
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Playlists: songs about fun

May 5, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Koko Taylor: fun at work …

Koko Taylor: fun at work …

From various locations – in the bar, on the beach, down the street, and many forms – reggae to soul, rock to new wave. From a huge wave of fun nominations guest picker Olive Butler has a blast with brilliant set of playlists

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In African, blues, calypso, comedy, dance, country, disco, dub, experimental, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, fun, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Willie Dixon, The Monkees, Kevin Coyne, Belle & Sebastian, Prince, The New Power Generation, Betty Davis, Koko Taylor, Floetry, Shirley and Lee, Billie Holiday, Elton John, Yul Ogura, First Class, Prince Buster, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Fred Lane, Modern Jazz Quartet, Jimmy Giuffre, paul simon, Fleetwood Mac, Terry Jacks, Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee, The Photos, Sparks, Julie London, Olive Butler
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Playlists: songs about indifference

April 6, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Honey badger: ‘Yeah? And? So what?’

Honey badger: ‘Yeah? And? So what?’

As independent and tough as the honey badger, these playlists rise above any concerns. They don’t care what anyone else thinks. How come? They are brilliantly compiled by guest AmyLee, picked from hundreds of nominations

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In blues, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, indifference, Irma Thomas, Frank Zappa, The Lyrics, The Byrds, Kirsty MacColl, Smokey Robinson, bread, Alison Krauss, Union Station, John Prine, Morrissey, Green Day, Nirvana, Sick On The Bus, The Stooges, Graham Parker, The Leisure Society, The Flaming Lips, Spiritualized, The Grateful Dead, Hank Mobley, Steely Dan, Candi Staton, George Jones, America, Elliott Smith, Velvet Underground, Belle & Sebastian, Snog, Fiona Apple, Dead Can Dance, Everything But The Girl, The Go-Betweens, Primitive Radio Gods, The Folk Implosion, Transvision Vamp, Liam Lynch's Lynchland, Chicago, Ten Years After, Courtney Barnett, The Cure, Sleaford Mods, Alternative TV, The Defects, The White Stripes, The Rolling Stones, Leonard Cohen, The Smiths, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Anti-Nowhere League, AmyLee
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Can you pull this off? Songs about underwear

March 11, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Art of suspense … the inimitable Tim Curry from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Art of suspense … the inimitable Tim Curry from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Descriptive, metaphorical, sexy, suspenseful, comical, funny, sensible, functional, or filthy, it’s time to rummage though your musical unmentionables, big up the smalls, fill out those bras, slip on those slips, and disc jockey up your shorts …

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In avant-garde, blues, calypso, African, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, underwear, Tim Curry, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jerry Seinfeld, Bertolt Brecht, Margaret Murray, Belle & Sebastian, John John Baldry, Cabaret (musical), history, fashion, sex, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Randy Newman, Madonna, Katie Price, Dale Carnegie, Nicky Gumbel, Chris Pirillo, Jenny Agutter, The Railway Children, Film, Britney Spears, Fiona Apple, Paul Newman, Jean Harlow, David Mamet, Woody Allen, Hugh Grant, Cary Grant, Andy Warhol
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Playlists: meta-songs or songs that reference themselves

January 12, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Portrait of Laurence Sterne by Joshua Reynolds, 1760. Sterne’s revolutionarily divergent meta-novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, became a huge influence on great 20th century novelists from James Joyce to Italo Calvino and T…

Portrait of Laurence Sterne by Joshua Reynolds, 1760. Sterne’s revolutionarily divergent meta-novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, became a huge influence on great 20th century novelists from James Joyce to Italo Calvino and Thomas Pynchon

In the spirit of Laurence Sterne’s wonderfully original novel, and inspired by a hive mind of nominations, guest guru Uncleben embarks on a marvellous meandering journey of deliberate divergence to explore a self-referential mirror-hall of lyrical meta

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, meta-songs, Stan Kenton, Odyssey, Donny Hathaway, Yachts, The Frank and Walters, Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto, Carla Bley, Billie Eilish, The Yummy Fur, David Bowie, Belle & Sebastian, Procul Harum, Marty Feldman, Simon & Garfunkel, Christine and the Queens, The Burning Hell, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Todd Rundgren, Neil Young, The Gladiators, The Four Intruders, Car Seat Headrest, Wire, Quiet Sun, Al Green, King Curtis, Pulp, Matching Mole, Chic, Baccara, Fujiya & Miyagi, The Beatles, Thin Lizzy, Camera Obscura, Public Image Limited, Magazine, Captain Beefheart, Uncleben
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Reflect back on this: meta songs

January 7, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Getting right into each other: ABBA

Getting right into each other: ABBA

Songs about themselves. Does this sound loopy? You’re right. It’s all about the self-referential to any aspect of a songs’s own music, structure, instruments, format, lyrics and more. Droste effect? Mirroring? It’s all about the song

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, reggae, punk, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, meta-songs, paradox, Rudolf Carnap, Douglas Hofstadter, Badly Drawn Boy, Nick Cave, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Public Image Limited, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Al Green, Jeffrey Lewis, Leonard Cohen, Elton John, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Belle & Sebastian, The Beatles, OutKast, Matching Mole, heraldry, mise en abyme, art, Giotto, Jan Van Eyck, Jan Misset, brands, MC Escher, Film, Orson Welles, Woody Allen, Charlie Kaufman, Philip K Dick, Laurence Sterne, Russell Hoban, The Simpsons, Mandelbrot, Pink Floyd
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Playlists: songs about different jobs

November 20, 2019 Peter Kimpton
‘The morning is here and there’s work to be done': Who sings a story of the ‘navvies’ who built our railways?

‘The morning is here and there’s work to be done': Who sings a story of the ‘navvies’ who built our railways?

Drivers to traders, craftsmen to carers, traffic wardens to roadies, this week’s superb playlists by guest writer ShivSidecar capture a huge spectrum of styles, emotions, toil and characters, and after so many nominations, it’s a job very well done indeed

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In avant-garde, blues, country, dance, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, work, jobs, Buck 65, Elliott Smith, Glasvegas, Richard Dawson, Kacey Musgraves, The Pogues, Elbow, The Bevis Frond, The Whitlams, The Beatles, St Vincent, Richard Thompson, Linda Thompson, Neil Young, Hoodoo Gurus, Webb Wilder, Nico Wayne Toussaint, Brooklyn Funk Enterprises, Talking Heads, Angelique Kidjo, Charlie Parr, Mark Kozelek, Jimmy LaValle, The Unthanks, Patrice Holloway, Blotto, Belle & Sebastian, Robb Johnson, Captain Beefheart, Television Personalities, T Rex, Roger Daltrey, John Cale, Clive Gregson, Christine Collister, Iron + Wine, RIchie Havens, The Wailing Souls, Cotton Mather, The Loud Family, Voice Of The Beehive, Spencer Davis Group, Johnny Burton, Lal Waterson, Mike Waterson, Johnny Ryan, Sidecar Shiv
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Playlists: songs about urban wildlife and nature

May 29, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Biscuit time? Deer think so, in Nara Park, Japan

Biscuit time? Deer think so, in Nara Park, Japan

Foxes, deer, ducks, ospreys, to blossoms and orchids, leaping up into life from last week’s topic, guest writer barbryn picks a magical musical menagerie and floral fanfare in playlists about the wildlife that inhabit our towns and cities

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In avant-garde, blues, country, experimental, electronica, folk, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, prog, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, wildlife, animals, plants, biology, Abbey Lincoln, The Rats, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Shonen Knife, The Handsome Family, The Brunettes, Richard Hawley, The Nightingales, Grasscut, Simpson Cutting Kerr, XTC, CocoRosie, Archie & Lynn, Shakatak, Burial, Four Tet, The Mountain Goats, Grandaddy, Belle & Sebastian, Vera Lynn, Superchunk, Paul Westerberg, Lou Reed, Jeffrey Lewis, Barbryn, Indigo Girls
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Playlists: songs about oddballs, outcasts and outsiders

August 29, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Bunny Wailer

Bunny Wailer

Bunny Wailer, Blind Melon, Beastie Boys, Blur … there all here, you know, and very different. And that’s just a few of the Bs. This week’s guest playlist writer amylee gives you a whole lot more than fantastic playlists inspired by last week’s topic.

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In blues, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, outsiders, outcasts, eccentricity, oddballs, Monty Python, The Ramones, Le Tigre, The Lewis Sisters, Arcade Fire, The Cure, Bunny Wailer, Blind Melon, Beastie Boys, Barbara Manning, Blur, Chumbawumba, Jackie Leven, Julian Cope, David Bowie, The Charlatans, The Shins, Barenaked Ladies, Mitski, The Strawbs, Dexys Midnight Runners, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Betty Davis, Was (Not Was), Cameo, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, The Fall, Stratford Mercenaries, Okkervil River, Joni Mitchell, Todd Rundgren, Susan McKeown, Belle & Sebastian, Beck, Soundgarden, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs about anonymity

March 28, 2018 Peter Kimpton
That's not us.

That's not us.

Who are you? Who are they? Hackers to the hidden, secret societies to strangers in crowds, masked meetings to sexual liaisons, this week's playlists are superbly assembled by a famous but Anonymous figure

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In soul, ska, rock, reggae, punk, postpunk, pop, playlists, music, indie, hip hop, dance, country, electronica, folk, blues Tags Songs, playlists, Anonymous, anonymity, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, The Cramps, David McWilliams, Suzanne Vega, The Cravats, Courtney Barnett, Traffic, The Who, Soft Cell, Kate Bush, Poison Girls, Alicia Keys, Andrés Calamaro, Elvis Costello, The Taxpayers, Sigrid, Buffy Sainte-Marie, UB40, Belle & Sebastian, Carly Simon, Gene Vincent, Van Morrison, The Chordettes, The Ramones, The Upsetters
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Playlists: songs about alternative outcomes

October 25, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Beyoncé ... imagining herself as a boy, if that's not a stretch …

Beyoncé ... imagining herself as a boy, if that's not a stretch …

If only, maybe or perhaps it happened differently? From Beyoncé to Beach Boys and Belle & Sebastian, this week's guest playlister EnglishOutlaw skilfully treads alternative paths inspired by last week's song nominations

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In indie, folk, country, music, playlists, rock, punk, songs, soul, comedy Tags songs, playlists, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Belle & Sebastian, The Actress, Barenaked Ladies, The Beach Boys, Glasvegas, Hello Saferide, Paul Kelly, Moddi, The Steeldrivers, Beyonce, Tim Minchin, Flight of the Conchords, Pulp, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Call, Willie Nelson, Judy Garland, Dusty Springfield, John Lennon, Gene Pitney, Counting Crows, Olu Dara, Tom Petty, Tyla J Pallas, EnglishOutlaw
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

Galaxy Lemonade


SNACK OF THE WEEK

Orange twiglets from Jupiter


New Albums …

Featured
KNEECAP - FENIAN.jpeg
May 3, 2026
KNEECAP: FENIAN
May 3, 2026

New album: Still the scourge of the establishment after 2024’s debut LP Fine Art, a hugely entertaining second LP of punchy, slick, defiant Irish Gaelic rap by Belfast’s Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap, and beatmaker DJ Próvaí, with an expanded sound aided by innovative producer Dan Carey and an appearance by Kae Tempest

May 3, 2026
Long Wave Home by Jesca Hoop.jpeg
May 2, 2026
Jesca Hoop: Long Wave Home
May 2, 2026

New album: Brilliantly inventive, eclectic, poetic, experimental folk and art-pop by the acclaimed Manchester-based Californian singer-songwriter and guitarist in her first self-produced album, variously about the end of relationships, life changes, technology’s social effects, Gaza victims and other contemporary issues with perhaps her finest yet

May 2, 2026
Sam Grassie - Where Two Hawks Fly.jpeg
Apr 29, 2026
Sam Grassie: Where Two Hawks Fly
Apr 29, 2026

New album: Beautiful debut LP by the London-based Glaswegian fingerstyle folk guitarist and singer-songwriter, with added saxophone, double bass, flute, clairsach and clarinet in a release of mostly the traditional, covers, sung or instrumental, and supported by the Bert Jansch Foundation

Apr 29, 2026
Irmin Schmidt - Requiem.jpeg
Apr 29, 2026
Irmin Schmidt: Requiem
Apr 29, 2026

New album: A strangely mesmeric, avant-garde and analogue-ambient, field recording-based experimental release by the last surviving founding member of experimental ‘krautrock’ band CAN, who, approaching the age of 89, has also written over 40 TV and film scores

Apr 29, 2026
Gia Margaret - Singing.jpeg
Apr 28, 2026
Gia Margaret: Singing
Apr 28, 2026

New album: Gently profound, and full of wondrous, mesmeric, slow, delicate experimental songs, this simple title has a powerful resonance – it is the Chicago artist’s first vocal album since 2018’s There’s Always Glimmer (there have been two instrumental LPs since), having suffered and recovered from a severe vocal injury, she returns with a delicate, candid, whispery but hauntingly beautiful delivery

Apr 28, 2026
Angel In Plainclothes by Angelo De Augustine.jpeg
Apr 28, 2026
Angelo De Augustine: Angel in Plainclothes
Apr 28, 2026

New album: A beautiful, delicate fifth LP from the Los Angeles singer-songwriter, friend and collaborator with Sufjan Stevens with whom he shares a stylistic resemblance, here with themes on life's fragility, second chances, and picking up the pieces after an undiagnosed illness forced him to re-learn basic abilities

Apr 28, 2026
Carla dal Forno - Confession.jpeg
Apr 28, 2026
Carla dal Forno: Confession
Apr 28, 2026

New album: This lo-fi, darkly minimalist but also oddly candid fourth LP by the Australian, Castlemaine-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist centres on the conflicted, obsessive feelings about “a friendship that became emotionally charged in an unexpected way”, and “an album about closeness that arrives late and unexpectedly. About stability rubbing up against desire.”

Apr 28, 2026
Friko - Something Worth Waiting For album.jpeg
Apr 26, 2026
Friko: Something Worth Waiting For
Apr 26, 2026

New album: Passionate, powerful, dynamic indie rock in this sophomore LP by the Chicago-based quartet that gallops forwards with a driving momentum, some elements of early PJ Harvey and Radiohead, and is produced by John Congleton

Apr 26, 2026
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Apr 26, 2026
White Denim: 13
Apr 26, 2026

New album: This 13th LP in two decades by the Austin, Texas rock band fronted by James Petralli has a particularly mischievous experimentalism, spreading styles far beyond breathlessly paced prog rock, with wrily humorous, surreal, personal and passionate numbers across heavy funk, dub, soul, psyche, country, dirty blues and more, joined by host of outstanding extra musicians

Apr 26, 2026
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Apr 24, 2026
Hukwe Zawose Foundation: Asili ya Mama
Apr 24, 2026

New album: Wonderfully evocative field recordings release of Wagogo, Waluguru and Wasambaa Tanzanian women singing traditional songs in their villages, rarely heard outside of their own circles, the title is translated as The Origin of Mother, rich in stories and capturing the place where song is first learned, first felt, first shared

Apr 24, 2026
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Apr 23, 2026
They Might Be Giants - The World Is To Dig
Apr 23, 2026

New album: Four decades since their self-titled debut, Brooklyn alternative rockers John Flansburgh and John Linnell return with their 24th LP, packed with of punchy, pacy, wistful, whimsical, clever wordplay and indie rock-pop, buoyantly satirical and also a little world weary at times, they remain oddball, lively commentators on the ongoing absurdity of life

Apr 23, 2026
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Apr 22, 2026
Eaves Wilder: Little Miss Sunshine
Apr 22, 2026

New album: After 2023’s Hookey EP, a strong, passionate indie-dream-pop-shoegaze full debut by the London singer-songwriter, whose breathy voice intertwines with strong, stirring riffs and textured sounds, themed around cycles of nature aiming to explain and celebrate the mercurial nature of human emotional weather

Apr 22, 2026
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Apr 22, 2026
Honey Dijon: The Nightlife
Apr 22, 2026

New album: The irrepressible, prolific and charismatic London-based Chicago DJ, musician, producer and vinyl lover returns with a flamboyantly fun celebration of club and queer culture through the prism of dance music from disco to house, with a wide variety of guest vocalists

Apr 22, 2026
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Apr 21, 2026
Tiga: HOTLIFE
Apr 21, 2026

New album: Montreal’s acclaimed electronica/techno/dance artist Tiga Sontag returns with his fourth album - inventively packed with head-nodding, toe-tapping, oddly itchy, infectious grooves, cleverly crafted retro sounds recalling Kraftwerk to acid house and electroclash, insistent bold beats and synth riffs, with lyrics of the existential, droll and surreal

Apr 21, 2026

new songs …

Featured
Hodge - Wiggler.jpeg
May 4, 2026
Song of the Day: Hodge - Wiggler
May 4, 2026

Song of the Day: A hugely fun, energising, infectious, effervescent, repetitive electronic dance track by the Bristol-based DJ/producer (aka Jake Martin) featuring a 3D pipe bassline by Memotone, and released alongside another track,Trust, out on Local Action

May 4, 2026
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May 3, 2026
Song of the Day: Ibibio Sound Machine - Return To Sender
May 3, 2026

Song of the Day: Fizzing with vibrant energy and intricate rhythms, a fabulous new single with a personal accidental backstory by the London electronic afro-funk band out of London fronted by vocalist Eno Williams, out Merge Record

May 3, 2026
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May 2, 2026
Song of the Day: The Puppini Sisters - Total Eclipse of the Heart
May 2, 2026

Song of the Day: A fabulous new version of the Jim Steinman-penned 1983 Bonnie Tyler power pop hit, arranged by Marcello Puppini in an entirely different style for her swing-jazz trio and band, part of their 20th anniversary celebrations and album, The Birthday Party, out now on Millionaire Records

May 2, 2026
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May 1, 2026
Song of the Day: Bleachers - I'm Not Joking
May 1, 2026

Song of the Day: Featuring harpsichord, Hammond organ, Dobro and more, producer Jack Antonoff and his New Jersey rock band return with a heartfelt love song single heralding the upcoming album, Everyone For Ten Minutes, out on 22 May via Dirty Hit

May 1, 2026
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Apr 30, 2026
Song of the Day: Alewya - Selah
Apr 30, 2026

Song of the Day: Striking, stylishly agile electronica and dance with a rich African and Arabian influence by the London-based British singer-songwriter, producer, multidisciplinary artist and model Alewya Demmisse, heralding her upcoming album, Zero, out on 26 June via LDN Records

Apr 30, 2026
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Apr 29, 2026
Song of the Day: Metric - Crush Forever
Apr 29, 2026

Song of the Day: Uplifting, effervescent electro-disco-pop by the Toronto indie rock band, with a song vocalist/keyboardist Emily Haines describes as “my love letter to strong girls in this world”, taken from their recently released 10th album, Romanticize the Dive, out on Metric Music via Thirty Tigers

Apr 29, 2026
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Apr 28, 2026
Song of the Day: Jim Ghedi - The Hungry Child
Apr 28, 2026

Song of the Day: Dark, gripping, visceral folk by the Sheffield singer-songwriter, with a striking number based on an early 19th-century German poem about the fatal story of a child pleading for food, and, following last year’s acclaimed album, Wasteland, also out on Basin Rock, it heralds his upcoming soundtrack for the Hugh Jackman film, The Death of Robin Hood.

Apr 28, 2026
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Apr 27, 2026
Song of the Day: holybones (with Baxter Dury) - SLUGBOY
Apr 27, 2026

Song of the Day: Dark, unsettling, sleazy and strange, this is arrestingly vivid new collaborative single between the clandestine London electronic collective and the downbeat, deep-voiced poetic Londoner, out on Promised Land Recordings

Apr 27, 2026
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Apr 26, 2026
Song of the Day: Hand Habits - Good Person
Apr 26, 2026

Song of the Day: Gentle, droll, humorously self-deprecatingly, and also delicately beautiful, this new experimental folk single by the moniker of Los Angeles singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Meg Duffy addresses the love-hate relationship with making music, out on Fat Possum

Apr 26, 2026
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Apr 25, 2026
Song of the Day: Pigeon - Miami
Apr 25, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, sunny, upbeawt indie synth-pop with an African twist by the Margate band fronted by Falle Nioke, with flavours of William Onyeabor, Hot Chip and New York 70s disco, heralding their upcoming album OUTTANATIONAL, out on 1 May via Memphis Industries

Apr 25, 2026
Tricky - Out of Place.jpeg
Apr 24, 2026
Song of the Day: Tricky - Out of Place (featuring Marta Złakowska)
Apr 24, 2026

Song of the Day: A pulsating fusion of beats, orchestral strings and the Bristol trip-hop pioneer’s distinctive, deep, croaky voice, with an emotional reference to his daughter Mina Topley-Bird (1995–2019), and heralding his first solo album for six years, Different When It’s Silent, out on 17 June via False Idols

Apr 24, 2026
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Apr 23, 2026
Song of the Day: Beck - Ride Lonesome
Apr 23, 2026

Song of the Day: Beautiful, simmering, slow, melancholy and reflective, a surprise single and welcome return by the acclaimed US artist, evoking the haunting, sun-bleached landscapes and musical textures of his 2015 Grammy winning album Morning Phase, out now on Iliad Records/Capitol Records

Apr 23, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Song thrush 2.jpeg
Apr 23, 2026
Word of the week: throstle
Apr 23, 2026

Word of the week: An archaic, evocative noun with two connected meanings, originally for the song thrush, then later a textiles industrial frame for spinning, twisting and winding machine for cotton, wool, and other fibres simultaneously

Apr 23, 2026
Undine - Novella.jpeg
Apr 9, 2026
Word of the week: undine
Apr 9, 2026

Word of the week: It might sound like the act of abstaining from food, but this noun from derived from undina (Latin unda) meaning wave, refers to mythical, elemental beings associated with water, such as mermaids, and stemming from the alchemical writings of the 16th-century Swiss physician, alchemist and philosopher Paracelsus

Apr 9, 2026
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Mar 27, 2026
Word of the week: veena
Mar 27, 2026

Word of the week: This ornate, curvaceous, south Indian classical instrument, the saraswati veena, is a special bowl lute with a rich, resonant tone, has 24 copper frets with four playing strings and three drone strings, and is used for Carnatic music

Mar 27, 2026
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Mar 12, 2026
Word of the week: wallfish
Mar 12, 2026

Word of the week: It sounds like the singing finned picture ornament Big Mouth Billy Bass that became popular in the late 1990s, but this is a much older noun, derived in Somerset, England, pertains to the climbing gastropod that can slowly climb up any surface

Mar 12, 2026
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Feb 25, 2026
Word of the week: xiphias
Feb 25, 2026

Word of the week: Get the point? This is the scientific name for the swordfish, in full Xiphias gladius (from the Greek and Latin for sword), that extraordinary sea creature with the long, pointy bill. But what of it in song?

Feb 25, 2026

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