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Playlists: songs about talent and genius

March 24, 2026 Peter Kimpton

The incomparable Fela Kuti

Famous classical composers to a certain theoretic physicist, as well as a wealth of unusual skilled people, this week guest Loud Atlas takes a sparklingly talented turn picking playlists from from the latest topic and song nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, classical, comedy, country, disco, dance, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rhythm and blues, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, talent, talents, Sparks, Sprints, Tony Allen, Hugh Masekela, Fela Kuti, Niña Pastori, Niccolò Paganini, Frédéric Chopin, Kendrick Lamar, John Lee Hooker, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Mozart, Falco, Don Bradman, Len Maurice, Diego Maradona, Manu Chao, Tony Wilson, Mike Garry, Joe Duddell, Courtney-Marie Andrews, Amateur Rappers, The Burning Hell, Bo Diddley, Nina Simone, Tom Tom Club, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Joni Mitchell, Sister Sledge, Salah Ragab, Jorge Ben Jor, João Gilberto, Johnny Cash, Pixies, General Humbert, Mary Black, The Sweet, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, The Decemberists, Alexander Graham Bell, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Benjamin Franklin (scientist), The Replacements, Deborah S. Craig, Gnarls Barkley, Ceelo Green, Danger Mouse, John Clark, The Simpsons, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs and pieces featuring the clarinet

February 10, 2026 Peter Kimpton

Liquorice stick? It’s a whole feast of music as we tootle into this week’s lists …

Liquorice stick? This is more like a full musical feast as we tootle across multiple nations, eras and genres courtesy of the nimble fingers and ears of guest Nicko, who picks many great notes from last week’s theme

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In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, easy listening, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, lounge, music, musical hall, musicals, pop, playlists, psychedelia, reggae, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, clarinet, Allison Russell, Clarinet Choir (Abbi T), Enji, Four Play Clarinet, Hector Morlet, Orquestra Mirasol, Leandro Torres, Bill Frisell, King Creole's Jazz Band, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers, Billie Holiday, Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra, Evan Ziporyn, Mustafa Kandıralı, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Pachora, Eddie Henderson, Quinteto Villa-Lobos, Luizinho Eça, David Shifrin, Emerson String Quartet, Don Burrows, George Golla, Art Tatum, Buddy DeFranco, Red Callender, The Jimmy Giuffre 3, Mal Waldron, Pete Fountain, Barney Bigard and His Jazzopaters, Benny Goodman, The Flamin' Groovies, Tuba Skinny, Supertramp, Father John Misty, The Unthanks, The The, Primal Scream, Bruno Qual, Joana Queiroz, Cabaret Voltaire, Tony Gorman, Dave Brubeck, Don Byron, Existential Dred, The Tasman Connection, Omer Simeon, The Harlem Hamfats, Esma Redžepova, Mara!, Martenitsa Choir, Sandy Evans
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Playlists: songs from musicals that transcend their genre

November 5, 2025 Peter Kimpton

A revolutionary show: Les Misérables (with revolving stage)

The curtain rises and and it’s time fabulous show! Picking from the many nominations from last week’s topic, Marco den Ouden directs a set of playlists of transcedant numbers from over a century of song and dance landmarks

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In music, musicals, musical hall, songs, pop, rock Tags musicals, playlists, songs, Paul Robeson, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein, Billie Holiday, George Gershwin, Nina Simone, Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley, Patrick Page, Anais Mitchell, Tommy Korberg, Benny Anersson, Bjorn Ulvaus, Tim Rice, Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner, Hugh Masekela, Mbongeni Ngema, Lena Horne, Doris Day, Julie London, Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster, Bobby Troup, Rumi, Andrew Choi, Gordon McRae, Richard Rodgers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Julie Covington, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Fats Waller, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern, Keenan Wynn, Betty Hutton, Irving Berlin, The Flesh Failures, Gerome Ragni, James Rado, Galt MacDermot, Harve Presnell, Alan J Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Carmen Twillie, Lebo M, Elton John, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel, Ejae, KPop Demon Hunters, Marco den Ouden, Treat Williams, Grand Bush, John DeRobertas, Elaine Page, Barbara Dickson, The Doors, Christopher Lee, Muse, Shirley Bassey, Asha Bhosle, Udit Narayan, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Connee Boswell, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Noelle Cordier, Cecile McClorin Salvant, Marisha Wallace, Marni Nixon, Ramona Davies, Paul Whiteman, Yvonne Elliman, Fred Astaire, Leo Reisman, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Mary Kay Bergman, Robert Lindsay, Maryann Plunkett, Sarah Vaughan, Newkid, Angela Lansbury, Cliff Edwards, Lady Gaga, Eydie Gorme, Wini Shaw, Colm Wilkinson
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Playlists: songs about decluttering, reducing, purging and tidying

March 18, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Neat neat neat …

Spring cleaning season is in full swing - tidying, cleaning or paring back, from belongings to unwanted relationships, guest of the week Severin clears the bar with some very neat work inspired by last week’s topic

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In blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags decluttering, tidying, reducing, purging, Biteback, Mitski, Joss Stone, Sparks, Youssou N'Dour, Carmen McRae, Tapper Zukie, The Average White Band, The Beatles, The Wombles, Furry Lewis, Eminem, Joanna Newsom, The Spaniels, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Billie Holiday, Teenage Fanclub, Peggy Lee, Maxine Nightingale, Half Man Half Biscuit, Sammy Kershaw, Gala, Nina Simone, The Go-Betweens, Deco*27, Hatsune Miku, Jane Jarvis, Tindersticks, Neil Young, Femi Kuti, Abbey Lincoln, Vivian Stanshall, severin, Severin
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Playlists: songs featuring crooners

April 10, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Mic King: Nat King Cole

How do you demonstrate the craft of crooning? It brings a broader range than you imagine. After the many nominations springing from last week’s topic, defining as all about style and using the microphone, guest playlister ParaMhor brings some perfect performance picks …

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In blues, classical, country, folk, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags crooning, singing, Richard Hawley, Patsy Cline, K.D. Lang, Chris Isaak, Chris Connor, Jimmy Little, Johnny Harman, John Coltrane, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Al Bowlly, Óðinn Valdimarsson, Fred Astaire, Nat King Cole, The Righteous Brothers, Depeche Mode, Billie Holiday, Maggie Gyllenhall, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Mills Brothers, Neil Young, Yves Montand, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Patty Page, Elvis Presley, George Michael, Robert Palmer, Caetano Veloso, Chappell Roan, Crowded House, Nina Simone, Mitski, The Passengers, The Beatles, ParaMhor
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Playlists: songs about rare events

February 7, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Rare, and always on the move: Halley and Billie

From celestial to historical, the fictional to the emotional, while rarities are exactly as described, there’s a huge variety, and many songs about them. Picking from last week’s huge range of nominations, guest Marco den Ouden makes heavenly choices

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rocksteady, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Space, comets, rare events, Processory, Billie Eilish, Jim Moray, Tasmin Archer, Seth Lakeman, The Polecats, Mance Lipscomb, Albert King, Pop Staples, Steve Cropper, Rod Macdonald, Donovan, Cleo Laine, Cigarettes After Sex, Cowboy Junkies, Barenaked Ladies, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Byrds, Nanci Griffith, The Velvelettes, Bonnie Dobson, Charly Bliss, Don McLean, String Cheese Incident, Billie Holiday, Bill & Boyd, The Abyssinians, Bob Dylan, Lightnin' Hopkins, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Van Morrison, Mitski, Paranoid Visions, Randy Newman, Kraftwerk, Pete Moore, Michael Lowenstern, Sven Libaek, The Comet Is Coming, Al Cohn Quintet, The Monks, Lenny White, Journey, Armin Van Burren, Cannonball Adderley, Snarky Puppy, Wayne Krantz, Michael Nyman, JP Saxe, Julia Michaels, Ray Stevens, Marco den Ouden
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Playlists: songs about fear of missing out (FOMO)

November 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

A brutally candid fight for confidence: Rebecca Taylor aka Self Esteem

So, where’s the party? Social pressure, time trickling away, fear of the unknown and the elsewhere? Don’t worry, one thing you won’t miss out on are some excellent playlists on this universal subject, picked by guest Loud Atlas from last week’s topic

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In African, blues, country, comedy, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, fear of missing out, fomo, psychology, time, social media, Pink Floyd, Courtney Barnett, David Bowie, Shakin' Stevens, Shed Seven, Smokey Robinson, Philip Jeays, Gary Clark Jr, Liz Lawrence, Wolf Alice, Self Esteem, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, Willie Colón, Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, The Lovely Eggs, Dr Hook, Them, Van Morrison, Imani Coppola, UK Subs, Don Gibson, Billie Holiday, Bad Finger, Lee Hazelwood, Kim Churchill, Half Man Half Biscuit, TISM, Olivia Rodrigo, Henry Britton, Angelivro, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs about perfection

February 22, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Chet Baker: in search of the ideal

Days, nights or settings, love, relationships, words, compliments or phrasing, sounds, singing and so much more, guest of the week Loud Atlas comes up with all the aces with series of immaculate playlist choices reflecting last week’s perfect topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, 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 Amen Corner, Julian Cope, Ella Fitzgerald, Fairground Attraction, The Saints, The Beautiful South, Toots and the Maytals, Ismael Rivera and Cortijo Y Su Combo, Bronski Beat, Run DMC, Chet Baker, The Hillside Singers, Paul Robeson, The The, Lou Reed, The Flour Blazes, Billie Holiday, Clark Terry, Paul Gonsalves, Eddie Palmieri, Chip Taylor, The New Ukrainians, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Badfinger, Indigo Girls, Dorothy Love Coates, The Undertones, Harry Nilsson, Paolo Nutini, Elizabeth & The Catapult, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs about coins

July 7, 2021 Peter Kimpton
The-Royal-Mint-David-Bowie-coins-uk-1369143.jpeg

Heavenly pennies to begged 10p, stolen florins to counterfeit double-dealing, this week we coin in the songs courtesy of a shower of suggestions from last week’s topic, out of which guest George Boyland picks a shiny set of collectibles

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In blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, coins, The Ejected, Smashing Pumpkins, The Smashing Pumpkins, XTC, Billie Holiday, Iron And Wine, The Pogues, Estrella Morente, Big Mama Thornton, Colin Lucas, Sir Vincent Lone, Esperanza Spalding, Misty in Roots, Ernest Ranglin, Georgia Satellites, Ray Charles, Gaunt, Prince Buster, Pink Floyd, The Rotations, Joe Walsh, Albert Hammond, The Grateful Dead, Husker Du, Chumbawamba, Steve Earle, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Boogertown Gap, George Boyland
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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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Sound waves and signals: songs about body language and gestures

February 25, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Elvis. Introduced a whole new language of hip …

Elvis. Introduced a whole new language of hip …

Involuntary or practised, revealing or hidden, this week from waving to winking, leaning the lying, aggression and domination to love and tenderness, let’s look out for songs that express these gestures in titles or lyrics

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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, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, gestures, body language, psychology, Elvis Presley, Stevie Smith, poetry, William Shakespeare, Aldous Huxley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hilary Mantel, The Smiths, Madonna, animals, animal behaviour, primates, Francois Rabelais, Robert Macfarlane, Henry David Thoreau, Neil Strauss, Theodor Adorno, Gretchen McCulloch, Kanye West, George Crumb, Rachel Simmons, Michael Bassey Johnson, Anais Nin, Toots Thielemans, James Levine, Richard Griffiths, Billie Holiday, Erykah Badu, Deborah Bull, Isadora Duncan, Roland Barthes, Marcel Marceau, Christine and the Queens, Joshua Reynolds, Derek Walcott, Milan Kundera, Ronaldo, football, Rebecca West, Donald Trump, Nelson Mandela
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Playlists: songs about regressing, reversing and relapsing

February 9, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Robert Wyatt is back

Robert Wyatt is back

Going back for good reasons or bad, heartbreak or sheer habit, by nature or nature, emotional or physical places. Guest guru nosuchzone also returns with perfectly playful and poetic selections that go through all the levels

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, regressing, reversing, relapsing, Soul II Soul, Everything But The Girl, Robert Wyatt, Max Romeo, The Pretenders, T Rex, Aswad, The Beach Boys, Missy Elliott, Propellerheads, Shirley Bassey, Tom Waits, Memphis Jug Band, Billie Holiday, Ben Watt, Captain Beefheart, Alton Ellis, Talk Talk, Radiohead, Ken Boothe, Astor Piazzolla, Roberto Goyeneche, PJ Harvey, The Copper Family, Elvis Presley, Steely Dan, Tyrone Davis, Amy Winehouse, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Devo, The Carpenters, Odyssey, Fine Young Cannibals, Elephant9, Fried, Swing Out Sister, nosuchzone, Concha Buika
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You let me down: songs about fallen ‘heroes’

June 25, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Joseph Stalin: hero turned villain. Statue torn down in 1956 in Budapest during Hungary's October Revolution

Joseph Stalin: hero turned villain. Statue torn down in 1956 in Budapest during Hungary's October Revolution

Whether it’s figures of public renown in music, film, politics or history, or private – mentors, relatives and even lovers, this week we look into songs about how the once admired and revered can seriously disappoint and fall from grace

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, rocksteady, soul, songs, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, heroism, disgrace, scandal, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Diane Sawyer, Jean Cocteau, Nicanor Parra, Georg Büchner, Aesop, television, childhood, childrens' TV, Gary Glitter, Jimmy Savile, Black Lives Matter, racism, slavery, Edward Colston, Robert Milligan, Thomas Guy, Sir Francis Drake, Winston Churchill, Saddam Hussein, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, WH Auden, Yoko Ono, Walter Scott, Samuel Goldwyn, Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, #MeToo movement, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey, Jerry Lee Lewis, Whitney Houston, Morrissey, Kanye West, Richard Nixon, Charles I, Marie Antonette, Billie Holiday, Buzzcocks
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Strident in song: music that expresses the movement and feeling of walking

November 1, 2018 Peter Kimpton
No two walks are the same …

No two walks are the same …

We all walk slightly differently, so this week it’s all about music that expresses various strolls, swings, swaggers, ambles or strides, and whether in politics or personal, marching bands or military, let’s capture the movement of the people

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Songs, playlists, walking, biology, animals, The Beatles, Monty Python, John Cleese, Friedrich Nietzsche, John Locke, Mason Cooley, Billie Holiday, John Travolta, Lee Marvin, Julie Christie, Film, Ian Brown, Liam Gallagher, Mick Jagger, John Inman, Pink Panther, cats, fashion, Richard Dawkins, Jarrow March, Selma, Detroit, civil rights, Nelson Mandela, marching bands, New Orleans, Russia, military bands, James Vincent McMorrow, Matthew Henry, Hippocrates, Kamasi Washington, Bjork
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Playlists: songs about stairs, ladders, steps, elevators or escalators

August 8, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Where do these musical steps lead?

Where do these musical steps lead?

Watch your step! This week’s playlists lead in all directions – into the mysterious, fearful dark, and the upbeat light. Inspired by last week’s topic, playlist guest writer attwilightlarks gets our feet and feelings moving

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In blues, comedy, country, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists Tags Songs, playlists, stairs, steps, elevators, Crystal Stilts, Glenn Miller, Kevin Ayers, The Rolling Stones, Billie Holiday, Radiohead, Miles Davis, The Grateful Dead, Tom Waits, Photomartyr, Shankar Mahadevan, Bruce Springsteen, Incognito, Bill Fay, The Flamingos, WC Fields Memorial Electric String Band, The Fratellis, Bill Johnson, Van Morrison, The Crystalairs, The Intruders, Lee Diamond And The Cherokees, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, Wolfgang Press, David Shire, attwilightlarks
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Playlists: songs featuring honorific titles

February 14, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Sir Jake Thackray (honorary knight of the Song Bar, posthumously given)

Sir Jake Thackray (honorary knight of the Song Bar, posthumously given)

King, Queen or Lord, Big Chief to Brigadier, Corporal and more, from a list of titles nominated as long as history itself, this week's playlist writer, Sir Severin, serves up superb lists that would honour any ears

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In classical, country, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, reggae, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags Ty Segall, Slapp Happy, The Shadows, Jake Thackray, Professor Longhair, Katzenjammer, Pink Floyd, Pentangle, The Techniques, Bill Evans Trio, The Clash, Colleen Hewitt, Rich Kids, Jacques Brel, John Lee Hooker, Billie Holiday, The Wankys, Veda Hille, Paul McCartney, Gene Chandler, Gillian Welch, Edith Piaf, The Fall, The Unthanks, Kass Kass, Olivia Chaney, Offa Rex, Severin
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Playlists: songs with provocative, strange or humorous titles

February 7, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Mac users: Amon Düül II

Mac users: Amon Düül II

Psychological perspectives to sexual proclivities, social commentary to downright silliness, our guest playlist writer attwilightlarks covers a large articulate range of the human psyche in the wordy titles from last week's topic

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In blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, titles, sex, philosophy, Carl Jung, Martin Heidegger, Amon Düül II, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, The Deep Freeze Mice, Garfunkel And Oates, They Might Be Giants, Los Campesinos, Joan Armatrading, The Soft Machine, The Turtles, Jackie Leven, Felt, Indians In Moscow, The Movement, Billie Holiday, The Gourds, The Ramones, The Faces, Tony Joe White, Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs, Mental As Anything, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Ricky Warwick, Desmond Dekker, attwilightlarks
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Playlists: songs about hanging - swung in all directions

January 24, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Foucault? Swing low, sweet pendulum

Foucault? Swing low, sweet pendulum

North, south, east, west, left to right, Ayers to Zeppelin, this week's guest writer nosuchzone took charge of the musical swingometer, and inspired by nominations, created marvellous playlists that really move

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In blues, country, folk, hip hop, indie, metal, music, playlists, pop, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags Al Bowlly, Songs, playlists, Thaikkudam Bridge, Kevin Ayers, The Stranglers, Nick Drake, Jesus & Mary Chain, Ella Fitzgerald, Led Zeppelin, Nina Simone, Peter Blegvad, Solomon Burke, The McCoys, The Supremes, Chairmen of the Board, Salt, Joe Simon, Al Green, Chic, Sade, Loose Ends, Johnny Bristol, Richard Ace, Simple Simon, Gregory Isaacs, MF Doom, Tortoise, Robbie Robertson, nosuchzone, Billie Holiday, Blondie, The Smiths, Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello, Creedence Clearwater Revival, James & Bobby Purify
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Playlists: songs about love songs

July 26, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Cat Power

Cat Power

Candi Staton to Cat Power, Camera Obscura to Cherry Smash, guest playlister Barbryn creates two beautifully reflective playlists inspired by many marvellous nominations on last week's meta-topic

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In music, playlists, songs Tags songs, love songs, The Glories, Candi Staton, The Stylistics, A House, Of Montreal, Margo Guryan, Dexys Midnight Runners, Camera Obscura, Cat Power, Johnny Cash, Wings, Ben Folds, The Cherry Smash, Art & Dottie Todd, Billie Holiday, Toni Braxton, The Carpenters, Tullycraft, The Statler Brothers, Tim Minchin, Jillian Edwards, Paul Simon, The Stone Roses, The Beautiful South, Hello Saferide, Motown, soul, indie, The Divine Comedy, Barbryn, Aretha Franklin
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Unforgettable? Songs about the first time … or last time

January 26, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Once in a lifetime? Felix Baumgartner takes one giant leap in 2012

Once in a lifetime? Felix Baumgartner takes one giant leap in 2012

There's nothing quite like the emotions or physical impact of first, formative experiences. From first sex to seeing New York to new sounds, revisit your innocence in song, and also any that try to say 'never again'

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Tags songs, music, space, Felix Baumgartner, Maya Angelou, Shakespeare, Groucho Marx, Joan Rivers, swimming, first love, Stevie Wonder, Tom Waits, Diana Ross, Billie Holiday, Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones, Jackie Kennedy, Natalie Portman, Film, Margaret Mead, skydiving, Philip Selway, Radiohead, Janis Joplin, Robert Fripp, Dennis Miller, Walt Whitman, poetry, David Bowie, Emily Dickinson, Margot Fonteyn, ballet, Dance, Ernest Hemingway, Christopher Hitchens, New York, Simon Armitage, Sir David Attenborough, Roger Daltrey, The Who, Eminem, Timothy Leary, Margaret Thatcher
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

1990s alcopops


SNACK OF THE WEEK

doritos, skittles snack mashup


New Albums …

Featured
So Help Me God by Kelsey Lu.jpeg
June 13, 2026
Kelsey Lu: So Help Me God
June 13, 2026

New album: Luxuriant, ethereal, dramatic and passionate experimental and chamber dream pop by the American singer-songwriter and cellist, with their second LP, seven years since 2019 debut Blood, with guests including Sampha, Kamasi Washington, Kim Gordon, and co-producer Jack Antonoff

June 13, 2026
Cry Baby by Vince Staples.jpeg
June 10, 2026
Vince Staples: Cry Baby
June 10, 2026

New album: The Compton/ Long Beach, Californian rapper returns with a potent, punchy, overtly political rock-hip hop seventh LP that heavily critiques American society and power, racism, police violence, gun culture, media and the music industry, largely accompanied by a tight, riff-heavy electric guitars, bass and drums

June 10, 2026
Liz Lawrence - Vespers.jpeg
June 9, 2026
Liz Lawrence: Vespers
June 9, 2026

New album: More acoustic, stripped back and lo-fi than her previous four albums, yet with deeply powerful and moving songwriting and performance, the British artist’s latest is suffused with grief, reflection and devotion for the premature loss of her sister Jessie, capturing life and death, poetically expressing devotion and reflection

June 9, 2026
Neon Summer Skin by Bedouine.jpeg
June 9, 2026
Bedouine: Neon Summer Skin
June 9, 2026

New album: A serenely beautiful, but also nostalgically sorrowful fourth LP by American singer-songwriter Azniv Korkejian who has Armenian-Syrian heritage, with songs about displacement and identity, very mindful of Middle Eastern conflicts, atrocities and her family history, while broadening her sound into the lush mould of 1970s Carole King and Laurel Canyon

June 9, 2026
Spatial, No Problem. by Lee %22Scratch%22 Perry & Mouse on Mars.jpeg
June 8, 2026
Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mouse on Mars: Spatial, No Problem
June 8, 2026

New album: This wondrously eclectic and entertaining final official album project by the legendary Jamaican producer and artist, made before his passing in 2021, is a collaboration with the German electronic duo Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma, mixing reggae, krautrock, ambient, dub, jazz, New Orleans brass and more, alongside Perry’s distinctive voice

June 8, 2026
Doctrine of Love by Jalen Ngonda.jpeg
June 7, 2026
Jalen Ngonda: Doctrine of Love
June 7, 2026

New album: Following his acclaimed 2023 debut Come Around And Love Me, the American UK-based impressive soul singer’s second LP is another classy collection of beautifully uplifting, sublime Northern soul and Motown-era love songs

June 7, 2026
Death Cab For Cutie - I Built You A Tower.jpeg
June 7, 2026
Death Cab For Cutie: I Built You A Tower
June 7, 2026

New album: Elegantly expressed emotional turmoil unfolds across 11 cleverly crafted songs in this 11th album by the Seattle indie rock band fronted by Ben Gibbard and produced by the brilliant John Congleton around a metaphor for post-marriage grief

June 7, 2026
Zoh Amba - Eyes Full 2.jpeg
June 6, 2026
Zoh Amba: Eyes Full
June 6, 2026

New album: The NY-scene free jazz saxophonist forms an indie-folk-country-rock-muddy-blues trio with fabulously strong results in this passionate, raw, free-flowing debut as guitarist-singer-songwriter, lyrics themed around their original hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, and coloured by Appalachian roots

June 6, 2026
Rumspringa by ear.jpeg
June 5, 2026
ear: Rumspringa
June 5, 2026

New album: Minimalistic, introverted, nuanced quirky laptop experimental electronica by the New York duo Jonah Paz and Yaelle Avtan, following last year’s debut The Most Dear and the Future, this one named after a a rite of passage for Amish adolescents translated as "running around" in Pennsylvania German

June 5, 2026
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June 3, 2026
Greg Mendez: Beauty Land
June 3, 2026

New album: A gently ironic title, but no doubting beauty of the sound, reminiscent of the late, great Elliott Smith, this new gem of a lo-fi LP is full of mildly tragic, sensitive, thoughtful 14 short numbers by the Philadelphia high falsetto singer-songwriter

June 3, 2026
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June 3, 2026
Iceage: For Love of Grace & The Hereafter
June 3, 2026

New album: A stylishly ramshackle, brilliantly brash’n’breezy punk-shoegaze feral sixth studio LP, streamlining sounds from 50s rock’n’roll through to early 00s indie by the Copenhagen band fronted by Elias Rønnenfelt, successfully fulfilling their aim on this to be “immediate, urgent, raw and fast” across themes of romantic devotion with violent chaos and nihilism

June 3, 2026
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June 2, 2026
Boards of Canada: Inferno
June 2, 2026

New album: Scotland’s hugely influential electronic experimental sibling duo Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin return 13 years after their last LP, Tomorrow’s Harvest, with an epic 18-track collection that dissects the psychology of religion with distorted vocal samples and cut-ups across landscapes of dystopian synth textures and beats

June 2, 2026
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June 2, 2026
Kurt Vile: Philadelphia's Been Good To Me
June 2, 2026

New album: A selection of fond love-letter songs to the city where he was raised and has remained by the 46-year-ld American singer-songwriter, in this deliciously laid back 10th LP of songs of interweaving guitars, folk, rock, country and psychedelia, all with his inimitably relaxed vocal delivery

June 2, 2026
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June 1, 2026
Paul McCartney: The Boys of Dungeon Lane
June 1, 2026

New album: His voice now may be thinner and weaker, yet his genius for melody remains in this warm, tender LP, inspired by vivid childhood reminiscences in the Speke area of Liverpool and beyond, with references to friends, parents, girlfriends, his bandmates, and includes a duet with Ringo Starr

June 1, 2026

new songs …

Featured
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June 13, 2026
Song of the Day: Interpol - See Out Loud
June 13, 2026

Song of the Day: Pulsating indie rock by the seasoned New York band fronted by singer Paul Banks and guitarist Daniel Kessler, heralding their upcoming eighth album This Mirror Weighs a Ton, out on 28 August, and newly signed to Partisan Records

June 13, 2026
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June 12, 2026
Song of the Day: Jack White - Dollar Bill
June 12, 2026

Song of the Day: The White Stripes man returns with a blistering, bluesy rock guitar, Led Zeppelin-ish single, heralding his upcoming seventh solo album, Frozen Charlotte, out on 10 July via Third Man Records

June 12, 2026
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June 11, 2026
Song of the Day: Sylvan Esso - Hot Slob
June 11, 2026

Song of the Day: A proudly messy, rowdy, pointed and punchy new indie rock single embracing the spirit and chaos of living in the glitch by the North Carolina duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, here featuring Jenn Wasner and TJ Maiani and out on Psychic Hotline

June 11, 2026
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June 10, 2026
Song of the Day: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Monster
June 10, 2026

Song of the Day: The hugely popular and Grammy-winning Mexico City-raised guitar duo return with a dextrously brilliant new single mixing acoustic and rock styles, heralding their new upcoming new album OurHome out 18 September via ATO Records

June 10, 2026
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June 9, 2026
Song of the Day: JJerome87 - Mr. Alligator
June 9, 2026

Song of the Day: A bluesy, smooth, luxuriantly produced Americana number about a dubious authority figure by the British songwriter and musician Joe Newman, frontman of the Mercury winning band alt-J, in this latest single from his debut solo album, The Canyon, out on 26 June via Mushroom Music/ Virgin

June 9, 2026
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June 8, 2026
Song of the Day: Baalti & Lapgan - Romance / Ipa Ma
June 8, 2026

Song of the Day: Vibrant, rhythmic, experimental electronica and dance music sampling Bollywood, Bengali disco, Hindustani classical and Gujarati folk by the NY-based pair Jaiveer Singh, Mihir Chauhan, joined by producer Gaurav Nagpa, from their recent album, Threads, out on Azal/FADER

June 8, 2026
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June 7, 2026
Song of the Day: Margaret Glaspy - Michigan
June 7, 2026

Song of the Day: A beautiful finger-picked acoustic single by New York-based Californian singer-songwriter about escaping the big city post breakup, heralding her upcoming album I Am Both out on 7 August via ATO

June 7, 2026
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June 6, 2026
Song of the Day: LA Priest - Into The Sky
June 6, 2026

Song of the Day: High-octane electronica and euphoric, dance music by the eccentric, eclectic US artist Sam Eastgate with his first music for two years, and a highly entertaining video, out on Domino Records

June 6, 2026
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June 5, 2026
Song of the Day: Ibeyi - Aset / Offerings
June 5, 2026

Song of the Day: A pair of sensual, soulfully vivid new singles partly sung in Spanish, and the first new music for four years from the French-Cuban twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz, heralding their upcoming fourth album, Offering, out on 26 June via AWAL Recordings

June 5, 2026
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June 4, 2026
Song of the Day: Seasick Steve - The Last Season of America
June 4, 2026

Song of the Day: A poignant, powerfully gentle folk-blues-Americana protest number by the veteran Calfornian singer-songwriter with an extended metaphor about the state of his country in this title track heralding his upcoming album out on 18 September via Steve’s new label Eastcote Recordings

June 4, 2026
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June 3, 2026
Song of the Day: Kristin Hersh - Dark Eyed Junco
June 3, 2026

Song of the Day: Following 2023’s Clear Pond Road, the Rhode Island-raised former Throwing Muses artist returns with a powerful, dark, resonant number about her and her brother’s childhood, heralding a 12th solo LP, Sugar On Blackstone, out on 18 August via Fire Records

June 3, 2026
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June 2, 2026
Song of the Day: Dead Pioneers - The Worst Among Us​ (featuring Jason Williamson)
June 2, 2026

Song of the Day: Sharply identifying sources of much of the world’s problems with this catchy, punchy new track, the Pyramid Lake Paiute artist and activist Gregg Deal and his indie-punk Denver, Colorado band are joined here by the Sleaford Mods’ rapper, heralding the upcoming new album Wagon Burner, out on 26 June via Hassle Records

June 2, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Flying saucer.jpeg
June 11, 2026
Word of the week: phialiform
June 11, 2026

Word of the week: This rare but oddly beautiful rare adjective means "saucer-shaped" or having the form of a small, shallow cup or vessel, from the Latin root phiala (a shallow bowl or phial) and the suffix -iform, meaning shape

June 11, 2026
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June 4, 2026
Word of the week: quamoclit
June 4, 2026

Word of the week: Also known as cypress vine, cardinal creeper, cardinal vine, star glory, star of Bethlehem or hummingbird vine, this striking climbing flower, Ipomoea quamoclit, is native tropical regions of the Americas and has a distinctive trumpet with five-point star-shaped petals

June 4, 2026
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May 21, 2026
Word of the week: riqq
May 21, 2026

Word of the week: An appropriately onomatopoeic noun for name for Middle Eastern tambourine, able to produce a range of percussive sounds, and commonly heard in traditional Egyptian, Arab, Greek and Turkish music

May 21, 2026
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May 7, 2026
Word of the week: salpinx
May 7, 2026

Word of the week: This very imposing, loud, resonant noun is an ancient Greek, trumpet-like instrument used as a tactical signal on the battle field, as well as to signal the beginnings of gatherings, or of races in sport

May 7, 2026
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April 23, 2026
Word of the week: throstle
April 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

April 23, 2026

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