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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

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New Albums …

Featured
Book of Churches.jpeg
Mar 19, 2026
Book of Churches: Book of Churches
Mar 19, 2026

New album: Beautiful, tender, melancholic and poetic, a walking-pace acoustic folk and Americana debut solo release by the singer-songwriter Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, co-lead singer with the Nottingham alternative indie band Divorce

Mar 19, 2026
A Pound of Feathers by The Black Crowes.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
The Black Crowes: A Pound of Feathers
Mar 18, 2026

New album: Following 2024’s resurgent release Happiness Bastards, Atlanta, Georgia brothers Chris and Rich Robinson return with their 10th album in four up-and-down decades, with a belting release packed with Stones/ Keith Richards-style riffs, and a full-blooded, full-throttle classic and catchy rock

Mar 18, 2026
 Paris In The Spring by Alexis Taylor.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
Alexis Taylor: Paris In The Spring
Mar 18, 2026

New album: The clarity and high range of the distinctive Hot Chip lead singer returns with his seventh solo LP, packed with personal, candid, philosphofical and sometimes melancholy lyrics allided with bright, melodic leftfield electro-pop, a dash of country, elegant disco-house, and Vangelis-inspired soundscapes, and a title echoing a psychological test where things are not as they seem

Mar 18, 2026
Madeleine by Diagonale des Yeux.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
Diagonale Des Yeux: Madeleine
Mar 18, 2026

New album: Wonderfully weird, wonky, woozy, avant-garde, absurdist oddness by the French duo of Laurène Exposito and Théo Delaunay, with their lo-fi, ramshackle, DIY postpunk and retro-electronica, sharing sung and spoken vocals across French, German, English and Spanish

Mar 18, 2026
Yebba - Jean.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
Yebba: Jean
Mar 18, 2026

New album: Following 2021’s Dawn, a second LP by the American singer and songwriter from West Memphis, Arkansas, aka Abigail Smith, moves towards an eclectic mix of gentler, more understated pop, folk, gospel, R&B, and soul, is named after her late grandmother, and has candid, personal themes of mourning and spiritual healing

Mar 18, 2026
The Sophs - Goldstar.jpeg
Mar 17, 2026
The Sophs: Goldstar
Mar 17, 2026

New album: A fairytale story of a debut for the Los Angeles six-piece fronted by Ethan Ramon, who cold-emailed demos to Rough Trade Records before even playing a live gig and were signed – that instinctive leap of faith rewarded by this stylish, bold, mercurial, confident, darkly humorous, eclectic debut leaping between rock, indie, pop, hoedown country, delta blues and beyond

Mar 17, 2026
Kim Gordon - Play Me album.jpeg
Mar 13, 2026
Kim Gordon: Play Me
Mar 13, 2026

New album: Following 2024’s The Collective, the former Sonic Youth frontwoman’s fourth solo LP continues her extraordinary experimental, innovative journey, moving to more melodic beats and shorter tracks with a motorik krautrock-style driven coloured by strange sounds, intense emotions and sharply angled, dark, droll social commentary

Mar 13, 2026
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Mar 11, 2026
ELIZA: The Darkening Green
Mar 11, 2026

New album: The London artist Eliza Caird (formerly under the mainstream pop moniker Eliza Doolittle) returns with more of the cool, slow, sensual, gentle, sophisticated experimental soul-funk style evolving from her 2022 album A Sky Without Stars, here with particularly polished, silky, stripped back grooves and vocals

Mar 11, 2026
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Mar 11, 2026
Andrew Wasylyk: Irreparable Parables
Mar 11, 2026

New album: The Scottish multi-instrumentalist and composer returns with a new selection of soothing, meditative mix of experimental classical and jazz, but this time joined with six different singers represented by the birds on the album artwork

Mar 11, 2026
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Mar 10, 2026
waterbaby: Memory Be A Blade
Mar 10, 2026

New album: A delicate, experimental, understated soulful chamber pop debut by the pure-voiced Stockholm-born singer-songwriter (aka Kendra Egerbladh) in 25-minute, eight-track release of lo-fi, lyrically semi-improvised numbers about heartbreak and self-renewal in a world of gorgeous musical sensations

Mar 10, 2026
Joshua Idehen - I Know You're Hurting ....jpeg
Mar 10, 2026
Joshua Idehen: I know you're hurting, everyone is hurting, everyone is trying, you have got to try
Mar 10, 2026

New album: With a strikingly long title, a euphoric and honest full debut LP by the British-born Nigerian poet, spoken word artist and musician based in Sweden, working with his musical partner Ludvig Parment’s sonic layers, packed pacy dance and hip-hop grooves, clever sampling, slower reflections, and articulate expressions of positivity through the ups and downs of grief and hope

Mar 10, 2026
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Mar 10, 2026
Gnarls Barkley: Atlanta
Mar 10, 2026

New album: Finally, after an 18-year gap since their last collaboration in the heady days of the hit Crazy, with the St Elsewhere and The Odd Couple LPs a third and supposedly final album from fabulous singer CeeLo Green and producer and musician aka Brian Burton with a mix of soaring soul, hip-hop, pop and RnB with songs filled with vivid lyrical memories and strong, emotive melodies

Mar 10, 2026
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Mar 9, 2026
Various: HELP(2) - War Child Records
Mar 9, 2026

New album: Not only a timely and topical milestone charity record following the first in 1995 to help bring aid and wide variety of support to children in war zones around he world, but an impressive double-LP array of stellar British and international talent and powerful, poignant 23 songs from Arctic Monkeys to Young Fathers

Mar 9, 2026
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Mar 9, 2026
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: We Are Together Again
Mar 9, 2026

New album: Just over a year after 2025’s The Purple Bird, but from parallel recording sessions and familiar co-musicians, the veteran Louisville-Kentucky singer-songwriter Will Oldham returns with another collection of exquisite, intimate, gently defiant lo-fi folk to troubled times, an ode to community with a beautiful array of acoustic instruments and his poignant, insightful lyrics and delivery

Mar 9, 2026

new songs …

Featured
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Mar 20, 2026
Song of the Day: Jorja Smith - Price Of It All
Mar 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Sumptuous, soaring, classic soul/R&B/pop by the British smooth-voiced singer-songwriter from Walsall, West Midlands, in this number from the soundtrack for new TV series, Bait, starring Riz Ahmed, and released on FAMM

Mar 20, 2026
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Mar 19, 2026
Song of the Day: Liza Lo - Birdsong
Mar 19, 2026

Song of the Day: Following her acclaimed debut album Familiar, a beautiful, warm, intimate, tender folk number featuring guitar, fiddle and double bass by the Amsterdam-born, London-based producer and singer-songwriter, Liza Lo Hoek, out on Gearbox Records

Mar 19, 2026
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Mar 18, 2026
Song of the Day: Rostam - Like A Spark
Mar 18, 2026

Song of the Day: A beautiful new acoustic folk-pop single with echoes of early 70s Van Morrison by the US musician, producer and former member of Vampire Weekend, heralding his upcoming third solo album American Stories out on 15 May via Matsor Projects

Mar 18, 2026
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Mar 17, 2026
Song of the Day: Kacey Musgraves - Dry Spell
Mar 17, 2026

Song of the Day: A catchy, witty, innuendo-filled new number about being and single and lonely, with some stylistic echoes of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, heralding the acclaimed Grammy-winning Texas country singer-songwriter’s upcoming seventh album, Middle of Nowhere, out 1 May on Lost Highway

Mar 17, 2026
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Mar 16, 2026
Song of the Day: Jaakko Eino Kalevi - Black Diamond
Mar 16, 2026

Song of the Day: A splendidly rousing eight-minute retro-style electro-pop baroque melodrama by the Finnish artist with the deep, rich voice, one that stylistically and in his own fashion, draws a pentagram between Goblin, Rondo Veneziano, Cerrone, Doris Norton and Lindstrom, out on Domino Records

Mar 16, 2026
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Mar 15, 2026
Song of the Day: Hannah Lew - Sunday
Mar 15, 2026

Song of the Day: An appropriate day to highlight this classy latest single of shimmering 80s-style synth-pop with echoes of OMD, with themes about pain, love and grief from the upcoming debut album by the Richmond, California artist, out on 10 April via Night School Records

Mar 15, 2026
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Mar 14, 2026
Song of the Day: Mei Semones - Tooth Fairy (featuring John Roseboro)
Mar 14, 2026

Song of the Day: A charming cross-genre fusion of bossa nova, jazz, folk and chamber pop sung in English and Japanese by the Brooklyn-based American musician with a tale of losing a tooth on the subway and friendship, from the upcoming album Kurage, out 10 April on Bayonet Records

Mar 14, 2026
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Mar 13, 2026
Song of the Day: Robyn - Blow My Mind
Mar 13, 2026

Song of the Day: Quirky, sensual electro-pop with a dash of Kraftwerk by the acclaimed Swedish singer, songwriter and producer Robin Miriam Carlsson, in this latest from the upcoming album Sexistential out on 27 March via Konichiwa / Young Records

Mar 13, 2026
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Mar 12, 2026
Song of the Day: Lava La Rue - Scratches
Mar 12, 2026

Song of the Day: The latest single by the London singer-songwriter is punchy, powerful psychedelic rock number with tearing riffs and lyrics about damage from troubled relationship, abuse and self-harm, from the forthcoming EP Do You Know Everything?, out on BMG

Mar 12, 2026
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Mar 11, 2026
Song of the Day: Alewya - City of Symbols (featuring eejebee)
Mar 11, 2026

Song of the Day: A stylish fusion of electronica, soul, hip hop and Ethiopian rhythmic influences centring on themes of heritage, family by London singer, songwriter, producer and multidisciplinary artist, with drums from eejebee and guitar from Vraell, heralding from the forthcoming new debut Zero out 22 June via LDN Records / Because Music

Mar 11, 2026
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Mar 10, 2026
Song of the Day: Huarinami - Carried Away
Mar 10, 2026

Song of the Day: Explosive, stylish, gritty, restless indie-psychedelic punk with angular, angry guitars, driving bass and wonderfully arresting vocals by Pauline Janier (aka Cody Pepper) fronting the French London-based four-piece in this single fuelled by the frustration of big-city life, and heralding their sophomore EP Nothing Happens, due for release on 6 June

Mar 10, 2026
Avalon Emerson - Written Into Changes album.jpeg
Mar 9, 2026
Song of the Day: Avalon Emerson & The Charm - Written into Changes
Mar 9, 2026

Song of the Day: Following the singles Eden and Jupiter and Mars, another stylish, experimental indie synth-pop release by the New York artist with the title track of upcoming second Charm moniker album, out on 20 March via Dead Oceans

Mar 9, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
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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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Feb 12, 2026
Word of the week: yanggeum
Feb 12, 2026

Word of the week: A form or hammered dulcimer, this traditional Korean instrument, with a flat and trapezoidal shape, has seven sets of four metal strings hit by thin bamboo stick

Feb 12, 2026
Zumbador dorado - mango bumblebee Puerto Rico.jpeg
Jan 22, 2026
Word of the week: zumbador
Jan 22, 2026

Word of the week: A wonderfully evocative noun from the Spanish for word buzz, and meaning both a South American hummingbird, a door buzzer, and symbolic of resurrection of the soul in ancient Mexican culture, while also serving as the logo for a tequila brand

Jan 22, 2026
Hamlet ad - Gregor Fisher.jpg
Jan 8, 2026
Word of the week: aspectabund
Jan 8, 2026

Word of the week: This rare adjective describes a highly expressive face or countenance, where emotions and reactions are readily shown through the eyes or mouth

Jan 8, 2026

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