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Playlists: songs about very specific or obscure numbers

October 15, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Doctor Steel and his robot band

How does it all add up? Is there any logic to it. There are thousands of songs that include numbers, but what about the very specific ones? Inspired by last week’s topic, see how it all took shape in this alternative Fibonacci sequence

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In avant-garde, African, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, numbers, mathematics, Paul Erdős, Doctor Steel, Wire, John Berberian & The Rock East Ensemble, Five Thirty, Tom Waits, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Cure, Ansell Collins, The Rolling Stones, Chicago, paul simon, The Beatles, Toots and the Maytals, Geese, Brian Eno, The O'Jays, The Marvelettes, Wilson Pickett, Aphex Twin, Richard D James, Tropical Fuck Storm
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Playlists: songs about lakes, canals, and smaller watercourses

April 15, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Songs will pour out …

Inspired by the hypnotic, relaxing and therapeutical flow of nominations for last week’s topic, guest playlister TatankaYotanka channels this joy into instrumental and sung streams. Water great idea!

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags lakes, water, streams, canals, Hermeto Pascoal, Cosmo Sheldrake, Brian Eno, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Lanterna, Dave Brubeck, Life On Mars, Neu!, Oregon, The Kathryn Tickell Band, Kathryn Tickell, Henry Texier, Wadada Leo Smith, The Cougars, Harry Choates, Leo Kottke, Jamaal Meeks, Peter Erskine, I Am Kloot, Fergus McCreadie, M83, Vashti Bunyan, Gilberto Gil, Taylor Swift, Felt, Gabby Young and Other Animals, Dengue Fever, Tower Of Power, war, The Meters, Tom Zé, The Cats, Guillermo Portabales, José Brito, The Joy Formidable, Altai Kai, Nancy Kerr, Yank Rachell, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Nickel Creek, Arctic Monkeys, The Band, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Makoto Kawamoto, Gary Shearston, Akiko Yano, Anita Carter, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Groanbox Boys, David Childers, Jackie Leven, Ralph Vaughan Williams, TatankaYotanka, Robert Louis Stevenson
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Playlists: puzzling and mysterious songs

November 13, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Captain Beefheart … of course

Prepare for a journey into the unknown and deeply strange. Whether in lyrics or musical sound or structure, guest playlister severin leads us through canticular caverns of wonder, inspired by last week’s topic

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, Future of the Left, Gong, Nora Dean, Slapp Happy, Syd Barrett, Sarah Vaughan, Captain Beefheart, Miles Davis, Adam Green, Futureheads, Ane Brun, John Jacob Niles, Amelia Coburn, Brian Eno, Tim Buckley, Tangerine Dream, Elvis Costello, The Grateful Dead, Sinead O'Connor, Maurice Ravel, The Lovin' Spoonful, The New York Dolls, Peter Hammill, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Siouxsie Sioux, Agnes Obel, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, The Fall, Edward Elgar, Shonen Knife, 17 Hippies, Toyah, Roy Orbison, Radiohead, Nina Simone, Massive Attack, Anais Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer, VNV Nation, John Zorn, Nik Bärtsch's Ronin, Joan Armatrading, Kevin Coyne, Anita Baker, severin, Severin
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Christmas sale special: give out songs to fit fictional commercials

December 21, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Selling out? Who’s up for it?

‘Tis the season to be funny or serious, satirical, cerebral or sensual, simple or complex, abstract or expressive, imaginative and ingenious in suggesting songs for existing or fictional products that could appear in ads that don’t exist

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Mind-bending: songs with psychedelic sounds

December 14, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Psych is always on the move …

Delay, fuzz, distortion, flanger, echo, sitars, and mind-altering drugs? It’s a style chiefly associated with the late-60s but what are it’s key characteristics and where else do they come up in the world of music? Let’s go on a journey through time and space …

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In avant-garde, blues, dance, electronica, drone, experimental, folk, funk, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, rock, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, psychedelia, Aldous Huxley, Harry Nilsson, Hunter S. Thompson, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Film, film soundtrack, psychology, hallucingens, drugs, Humphry Osmond, books, Michael Hicks, Timothy Leary, William Blake, Hector Berlioz, Claude Debussy, art, Jean Moréas, Musique Concréte, Edgard Varèse, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Silver Apples, Yma Sumac, Les Baxter, Juan García Esquivel, Beatnik, poetry, William Burroughs, Alan Watts, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Arthur Koestler, Tom Wolfe, Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The 13th Floor Elevators, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Sly & The Family Stone, The Delfonics, Jake Holmes, Syd Barrett, Marc Bolan, Tim Buckley, Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno, Vangelis, The Stone Roses, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, John Hopkins, Animal Collective
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Playlists: songs that raise or lower your heart rate

October 25, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Elvis Costello. But which side?

What music pumps up, or becalms your pulse? From fast pace, to a fierce vocal, searing lyrics, to minimalism, silence and space? Inspired by nominations from last week’s topic, guest playlister MussoliniHeadkick picks two highly effective and contrasting A-lists …

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In African, avant-garde, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, heartbeat, health, The Saints, The Undertones, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Elvis Costello, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Brian Eno, 23 Skidoo, Deep Sensation, Afronaught, Double Exposure, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Lotti Golden, Erik Satie, Philip Glass, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Luca, Sister Drum, Miles Davis, Don Rendell, Ian Carr Quintet, Jan Hammer, Max Richter, Andrew Duhon, The Fire Engines, CYB, Death In Vegas, Chris and Cosey, Robert Haigh, Sema, MussoliniHeadkick, Leftfield
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Think different: songs about using your imagination

February 23, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Vladmir Kush’s African Sonata

From practical life problems, work, relationships, craft or crisis, to all sorts of creative problems, or even channelling dreams, it’s time to access the right hemisphere and see how the imagination can be used, as expressed in song lyrics. Read on for more stimulation …

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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, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, psychology, the brain, William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Albert Einstein, Michelangelo, Pablo Picasso, John Keats, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Norman Vincent Peale, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Waits, Taylor Swift, Dr Seuss, Dolly Parton, Brian Eno, Ada Lovelace, Hedy Lamarr, Doris Day, Suzi Quatro, Hilary Mantel, Neil Gaiman, Vladimir Nabokov, Simone Weil, Frank Lloyd Wright, GK Chesterton, Bryan Cranston, Christian Bale, Malcolm Gladwell, evolution, animals
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Crack on: songs about nuts and edible seeds

November 25, 2021 Peter Kimpton

Time to get nutty

What’s the crack? This week we’re taking on a tasty topic of these edible forms of shelled fruit, from peanuts to coconuts, pecans, pistachios to walnuts, pumpkin seeds and more, as the primary subject or prominently mentioned in lyrics

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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, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, rocksteady, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, nuts, seeds, fruit, food, Matshona Dhliwayo, William Shakespeare, Brian Eno, Monty Python, Ai Weiwei, Thomas Heatherwick, art, architecture
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What's the deal? Songs about playing cards

August 12, 2021 Peter Kimpton
But … who’s the ace?

But … who’s the ace?

Queens, kings, aces and jacks, jokers and dealers, tricks and games, winners and loses, gambling, risk, and making the best of the hand you’re dealt, this week it’s time to shuffle the musical pack and see what’s in hand on this theme

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, 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, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playing cards, Robert Louis Stevenson, Laura Swenson, Amit Kalantri, Ambrose Bierce, Angel Moreira, Steven Wright, games, Tarot, Theodoor Rombouts, Paul Cezanne, Brian Eno, gambling, Paul Newman
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Make extensive notes: drone songs and music

May 27, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Velvet Underground, including John Cale and Lou Reed

Velvet Underground, including John Cale and Lou Reed

It can be minimal, relaxing, and meditative, or disturbing, loud and challenging, but in its purest form or within any genre, drone music, played or sung, centres on a single sustained note or long chord that dominates the entire song or piece

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In drone, blues, African, electronica, experimental, avant-garde, classical, indie, jazz, playlists, rock, songs, traditional Tags songs, instrumentals, drone music, Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, John Cale, Pythagoras, William Congreve, Beethoven, WH Auden, Max Richter, Brian Eno, Peter van der Merwe, La Monte Young, The Theatre of Eternal Music, Marian Zazeela, Tony Conrad, Angus MacLise, Terry Jennings, Billy Name, Jon Hassel, Alex Dea, Phill Niblock, Guinness Book of Records, Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Felix Mendelssohn, Mahler, Berlioz, Bartok, Arvo Pärt, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Taverner, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Cocteau Twins, Jesus & Mary Chain, Sun O))), Klaus Weise, time, philosophy, meditation
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Playlists: songs about roses

May 25, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Roses of many colours decorate this week’s lists …

Roses of many colours decorate this week’s lists …

Whether wild or cultivated, on western plains to eastern mountains, country gardens or inner city, guest flower picker AmyLee creates a bloomin’ marvellous bouquet of music to display a fabulous selection of aural and lyrical colours

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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, roses, flowers, The Smithereens, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Otis Taylor, The Temptations, Chris & Cosey, The Association, Elliott Smith, Oysterband, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Hope Sandoval, The Warm Invention, Waxahatchee, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Airto Moreira, The Maytals, Shawn Phillips, Peter Hammill, Gary Lucas, Van Morrison, Praetorius, Ben Webster, OutKast, Betty Harris, Dub Syndicate, Bobby Hebb, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, PJ Harvey, The West Coast Pop Art Experiment, Squeeze, Clear Light, Marianne Faithfull, television, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Jerry Garcia, Ray LaMontagne, Rosanne Cash, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Ben Harper, Tom Waits, Thin Lizzy, The Magnetic Fields, Pete Docherty, Them, Fairport Convention, Kaia Kater, Captain Beefheart, Nazareth, Bijan Chemirani, James P. Johnson, St. German, St Germain, Oscar Peterson, Johann Strauss II, Benjamin Britten, Handel, George Friederic Handel, Henry Purcell, Mouse on Mars, Virgil Fox, Tony Gould, Vangelis, Brian Eno, Roger Eno, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs about tigers

April 20, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Now they all come together …

Now they all come together …

They’re big, and fierce, and beautiful; unpredictable, wild and exhilarating. And that’s not just those big, stripy cats. We’re also talking about this amazing ambush of playlists, picked from a wild jungle of brilliant suggestions by guest Severin

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, hip hop, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, tigers, animals, animal behaviour, Mud, Villagers, Ricochets, The Beatles, Hollie Cook, The Chameleons, Louis Armstrong, Gordon Haskell, Hazelnut Chocolate, Aniceto Molina, NoName, Rufus Thomas Jr, Gal Costa, Jah Wobble, William Blake, Husky Rescue, Lulu, Linval Thompson, Ohia, Her Space Holiday, Jackie Mittoo, Survivor, Y&T, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, Beck, Carlos Santana, Vainica Doble, Phyllis Hyman, The Boo Radleys, Peaking Lights, Fox, The Aggrovators, Jelly Roll Morton, Brian Eno, severin, Songs: Ohia, Severin
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Playlists: songs about wheels

February 2, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Long exposure: who is spinning this ferris and other records for the playlists?

Long exposure: who is spinning this ferris and other records for the playlists?

Rolling in with a big, beautiful range of rotating artists and contexts, sounds and genres, guest playlister ParaMhor spins a lovely selection of discs picked from a multiple revolutions nominated from last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, dub, disco, electronica, experimental, funk, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, reggae, rock, punk, ska, soul, songs, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, wheels, Milan Kundera, The Doors, Steely Dan, Michael Kiwanuka, Bunny Wailer, Ike and Tina Turner, SOHN, Andrew Beaujon, The Limiñanas, I Am Kloot, Crowded House, Mia Shard, Billy Strayhorn, Kay Davis, Mark Lanegan, Tori Amos, Sugar Minott, Charlie Chaplin, Jane Siberry, Gabor Szabo, Brian Eno, Lord Flea and the Jamaican Calypsonians, ELO, The Parking Lot, Nick Garrie, The Electric String Band, BØRNS, Lana Del Rey, John Martyn, Erik Truffaz, Pet Shop Boys, Bobbie Gentry, ParaMhor
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The sum of its parts: songs featuring choirs

August 27, 2020 Peter Kimpton
The Red Army Choir gives it some welly

The Red Army Choir gives it some welly

Time to sing out! This week, in any genre, music and songs featuring choirs, whether they are the main performers, or come alongside other musicians or singers and then play a prominent or pivotal role

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, folk, funk, gospel, indie, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, soul, songs, soundtracks, traditional, showtime Tags songs, playlists, choirs, choirboys, Paul McCartney, Vladimir Mayakovsky, John Keats, Brian Eno, Fred Allen, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Mavis Staples, Florence Welch, Tom Jones, Treorchy, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Mississippi Mass Choir, Red Army Choir, Russia, Mieskuoro Huutajat, Finland, The Number Nine Chorus, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, Mouths of the Tyne Community Choir, whales, Bill Drummond, Vokal Ansambl Gordela, Georgia, Werner Herzog, György Fehér, Kate Bush, Le Mystere des voix Bulgares, Reverend James Cleveland
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Playlists: songs featuring steel guitar

August 12, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Smooth liquid sound: a 1947 Rickenbacker

Smooth liquid sound: a 1947 Rickenbacker

Smoothly glidin’, slidin’, pickin’, these playlists with players from the US to India, Hawaii to Sweden picked by guest Marco den Ouden, are a treasure chest of beautiful sounds and genres spanning blues, rock, country and way more across the big neck

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, folk, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, rock, songs Tags songs, playlists, steel guitars, Sheryl Crow, The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Judy Collins, Steely Dan, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Barbara Mandrell, Cindy Cashdollar, First Aid Kit, Jerry Garcia, Ricky King, Bob Brozman, Ledward Kaapana, Luke Vibert, B.J. Cole, Harry Manx, Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz, Lucky Oceans, Paul Kelly, Larkin Poe, Gaby Jogeix, Kimberly Murray, Junior Brown, George Harrison, Son Lux, Christopher Wray, Elmore James, Tammy Wynette, Pete Drake, John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, The Byrds, Lloyd Green, Susanne Sundfør, Taj Mahal, Sandy Denny, Sneaky Pete Kleimow, Juicy Lucy, Glen Ross Vampbell, Neil Young, Ben Keith, Jonathan Richman, Tom Brumley, Matthews Southern Comfort, Gordon Huntley, Alvino Rey & His Orchestra, Chris Rea, Bill Bottrell, Dave Stewart, Orianthi, Kacey Musgraves, Bucky Baxter, K.D. Lang, The Siss Boom Bang, Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers, Mudcrutch, Josh Jove, Julius Rucker, Dan Dugmore, Dr. Nico, L’African Fiesta Sukisa, The Notting Hillbillies, Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Gary Morse, Emily Burridge, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jerry Douglas, Doug Beaumier, Santo & Johnny, David Hartley, John Russell, Zane King, Brian Eno, David Rothon, The Waikikis, Convergence, Bob Dylan, Marty Rifkin
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Playlists: songs where old and new eras combine

July 8, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Spread of styles? Swan Lake Madness …

Spread of styles? Swan Lake Madness …

Intercutting genres with anything from musical saws to theremins, from electric to acoustic, jazz to hip hop, this week’s playlists, picked by guest Nilpferd, inspired by last week’s topic, truly traverse the ages

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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, metal, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Orkestra Obsolete, Slowhawk Duo, Angelique Kidjo, Jimi Hendrix, GoGo Penguin, Richard Cheese, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Madness, Swan Lake, Anais Mitchell, Richard Thompson, St Germain, Ernest Ranglin, Portishead, Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portumondo, Nico, The Allman Brothers Band, Dick Dale, Miles Davis, The Ukelele Orchestra, Herb Albert, Vintage Postmodern Jukebox, Haley Reinhart, Mulatu Astatke, The Auteurs, Run DMC, Brian Eno, Jake Blount, Esperanza Spalding, Wayne Shorter, Sun Ra, Nilpferd
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Playlists: songs with non sequiturs

June 24, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Sparks are eating apparently nothing to do with what their song is about …

Sparks are eating apparently nothing to do with what their song is about …

From the witty to the weird, the irreverent to the irrelevant, the poetic to the potty, after a huge outpouring of nominations, guest playlister severin serves up a superb menu of cutting-edge and classic musical conundrums

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In blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, music, jazz, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, non sequiturs, Wanda Jackson, Barenaked Ladies, Sparks, Homeboy Sandman, The Beatles, Beth Orton, Aldous Harding, Bob Dylan, The Go-Betweens, Shriekback, Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Nick Cave, Chambers Brothers, Velvet Underground, Half Man Half Biscuit, Glenn Yarborough, Hombres, The Wind In The Willows, The Marvelettes, The Soft Machine, Cream, Guided By Voices, REM, Luke Westaway, Nirvana, David Bowie, Robyn Hitchcock, Memphis Jug Band, Skids, Sex Pistols, Santosh Narayanan, ABC, Wire, Suburban Lawns, The Sleepy Jackson, Talking Heads, Massive Attack, T Rex, The Flaming Lips, Stevie Wonder, Echo and the Bunnymen, Simple Minds, Brian Eno, Willie Colon, Jah Wobble, The Flys, Severin, severin
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Not following? Spin this fish, biscuit: songs with non sequiturs

June 18, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Herd this? Non sequiturs are instrumental in this week’s musical zoo

Herd this? Non sequiturs are instrumental in this week’s musical zoo

Often poetic, strange, vivid, but definitely illogical, this week we explore lyrics that don’t really follow what preceded it, but somehow their meaninglessness masquerading as meaning, can also end up being something highly musical

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Playlists: songs about wide, open spaces

June 10, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Fancy a stretch on The Stranglers’ longship? All part of this week’s musical journey

Fancy a stretch on The Stranglers’ longship? All part of this week’s musical journey

Yorkshire moors to oceans wide, endless deserts to mountains high, through genres and geography, mapping from a massive musical landscape of songs from last week’s topic, guest playlister Maki takes us on a splendid journey

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, geography, landscapes, The Peddlers, The Decoration, Be Bop Deluxe, The Stranglers, Iggy Pop, Warumpi Band, Harry Belafonte, Brian Eno, Capercaillie, Jane's Addiction, Cairokee, Aida El Ayouby, The Platters, Bill Callahan, Biffy Clyro, Eri Sasaki, African Tribal Orchestra, Stanely Clarke, Blind Willie McTell, Peaches and Herb, Joan Armatrading
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I know why the caged bird sings: songs about or expressing empathy

August 15, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Maya Angelou: “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”

Maya Angelou: “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”

I feel for you. Reach out and I’ll be there. This week we’re seeking song-related understanding and connection the form of songs about empathy, and though it’s different perhaps also little secondary sympathy, in form or content

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Sing out, act on CLIMATE CHANGE

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CONDEMN RACISM, EMBRACE EQUALITY


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DRINK OF THE WEEK

Constant comment tea


SNACK OF THE WEEK

black-eyed peas


New Albums …

Featured
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Jan 28, 2026
Lucinda Williams: World's Gone Wrong
Jan 28, 2026

New album: The acclaimed veteran country, rock and Americana singer-songwriter and multi-Grammy winner’s latest LP has a title that speaks for itself, but is powerful, angry, defiant and uplifting, and, recorded in Nashville, features guest vocals from Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer

Jan 28, 2026
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Jan 27, 2026
Clothesline From Hell: Slather On The Honey
Jan 27, 2026

New album: His moniker mischievously named after a wrestling move, a highly impressive, independently-created experimental, psychedelic rock debut the the Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Adam LaFramboise

Jan 27, 2026
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Jan 27, 2026
Dead Dads Club: Dead Dads Club
Jan 27, 2026

New album: Dynamic, passionate, heart-stirring indie rock in this project fronted by Chilli Jesson (formerly bassist of Palma Violets) with songs spurred by the trauma of losing his father 20 years ago, retelling a defiant and difficult aftermath, with sound boosted by producer Carlos O’Connell of Fontaines D.C.

Jan 27, 2026
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Jan 25, 2026
The Paper Kites: If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
Jan 25, 2026

New album: Warm, tender, gently-paced, calmly reflective, beautifully soothing, poetic, melancholic alternative folk and Americana by the band from Melbourne in their seventh LP in 15 years

Jan 25, 2026
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Jan 24, 2026
PVA: No More Like This
Jan 24, 2026

New album: Inventive, alluring, sensual, mysterious, minimalistic electronica, trip-hop and experimental pop by the London trio of Ella Harris, Joshua Baxter and Louis Satchell, in this second album following 2022’s Blush, boosted by the creativity of producer and instrumentalist Kwake Bass

Jan 24, 2026
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Jan 20, 2026
Imarhan: Essam
Jan 20, 2026

New album: A mesmeric fourth LP in a decade by the band from Tamanrasset, Algeria, whose name means ‘the ones I care about’, their Tuareg music mixing guitar riffs, pop melodies and African rhythms, but this time also evolves slightly away from the desert blues rocky, bluesy influence of contemporaries Tinariwen with electronic elements

Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews: Valentine
Jan 20, 2026

New album: Emotional, beautiful, stirring, Americana, folk and indie-pop by singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, in this latest studio LP in of soaring voice, strong melodies, love, vulnerability and heartbreak, longing and bravery

Jan 20, 2026
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore - Tragic Magic.jpeg
Jan 18, 2026
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore: Tragic Magic
Jan 18, 2026

New album: Delicate, beautiful, ethereal, meditative new work by the two American experimental composers in their first collaborative LP, with gentle understated vocals, classic synth sounds, and rare harps chosen from from the Paris Musée de la Musique Collection

Jan 18, 2026
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Jan 16, 2026
Sleaford Mods: The Demise of Planet X
Jan 16, 2026

New album: The caustic wit of Nottingham’s Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn return with a 13th LP of brilliantly abrasive, dark humoured hip-hop and catchy beats, addressing the rubbish state of the world, as well as local, personal and social irritations through slick nostalgic cultural reference, some expanded sounds, and an eclectic set of guests

Jan 16, 2026
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Jan 14, 2026
SAULT: Chapter 1
Jan 14, 2026

New album: As ever, released suddenly without fanfare or any publicity, the prolific experimental soul, jazz, gospel, funk, psychedelia and disco collective of Cleo Sol, Info (aka Dean Josiah Cover) and co return with a stylish, mysterious LP

Jan 14, 2026
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Jan 14, 2026
The Cribs: Selling A Vibe
Jan 14, 2026

New album: A first LP in five years by the likeable and solid guitar indie-rock Jarman brothers trio from Wakefield, now with their ninth - a catchy, but at times with rueful, bittersweet perspectives on their times in the music business

Jan 14, 2026
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Jan 9, 2026
Dry Cleaning: Secret Love
Jan 9, 2026

New album: This third LP by the London experimental post-punk quartet with the distinctive, spoken, droll delivery of Florence Shaw, is packed with striking, vivid, often non seqitur lyrics capturing life’s surreal mundanities and neuroses with a sound coloured and polished by Cate Le Bon as producer

Jan 9, 2026
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Dec 31, 2025
Various Artists: ICELOCK CONTINUUM
Dec 31, 2025

New album: An inspiring, evocative, sensual and sonically tactile experimental compilation from the fabulously named underground French label Camembert Électrique, with range of international electronic artists capturing cold winter weather’s many textures - cracking, delicate crunchy ice, snow, electric fog, and frost in many fierce and fragile forms across 98 adventurous tracks

Dec 31, 2025
Favourite Albums of 2025 - Part 3.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Three
Dec 18, 2025

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

Dec 18, 2025

new songs …

Featured
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Jan 28, 2026
Song of the Day: Nathan Fake - Slow Yamaha
Jan 28, 2026

Song of the Day: Hypnotic electronica with woozy layers of smooth resonance and a lattice of shifting analogue patterns by the British artist from Norfolk, taken from his forthcoming album, Evaporator, out on InFiné Music

Jan 28, 2026
Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Song of the Day: Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean (featuring Saya Gray)
Jan 27, 2026

Song of the Day: Stylish, striking, sensual experimental electro-pop and R&B in this fabulous collaboration between the two Canadian singer/ multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, out on Stone Woman Music/ XL Recordings

Jan 27, 2026
Lime Garden - 23.jpeg
Jan 26, 2026
Song of the Day: Lime Garden - 23
Jan 26, 2026

Song of the Day: Wonderfully catchy, witty, quirky indie pop about age and adjustment by the Brighton-formed quartet fronted by Chloe Howard, heralding their upcoming album Maybe Not Tonight, out on So Young Records on 10 April

Jan 26, 2026
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Jan 25, 2026
Song of the Day: Madra Salach - The Man Who Seeks Pleasure
Jan 25, 2026

Song of the Day: A powerful, slow-simmering and gradually intensifying, drone-based original folk number about the the flipsides of love and hedonism by the young Irish traditional and alternative folk band, with comparisons to Lankum, from the recently released EP It's a Hell of an Age, out on Canvas Music

Jan 25, 2026
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Jan 24, 2026
Song of the Day: Adult DVD - Real Tree Lee
Jan 24, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, witty, energised acid-dance-punk with echoes of Underworld and Snapped Ankles by the dynamic, innovative band from Leeds in a new number about a dodgy character of toxic masculinity and online ignorance, and their first release on signing to Fat Possum

Jan 24, 2026
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Jan 23, 2026
Song of the Day: Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night (for War Child HELP 2 charity album)
Jan 23, 2026

Song of the Day: A simmering, potent, contemplative new track by acclaimed Sheffield band, their first song since 2022’s album The Car, with proceeds benefiting the charity War Child, heralding the upcoming HELP (2) compilation out on 6 March with various contributors

Jan 23, 2026
White Denim - Lock and Key.jpg
Jan 22, 2026
Song of the Day: White Denim - (God Created) Lock and Key
Jan 22, 2026

Song of the Day: The Austin, Texas-formed LA-based rockers return with an infectiously catchy groove fusing rock, funk, dub, soul, and down-dirty blues with some playful self-mythologising and darker themes, heralding 13th album, 13, out on 24 April via Bella Union

Jan 22, 2026
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Jan 21, 2026
Song of the Day: Holy Fuck - Evie
Jan 21, 2026

Song of the Day: The Canadian experimental indie rock and electronica quartet from Toronto return with a pulsating new track of thrumming bass and shimmering keyboards, heralding their forthcoming new album Event Beat, out on 27 March via Satellite Services

Jan 21, 2026
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Jan 20, 2026
Song of the Day: KAVARI - IRON VEINS
Jan 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Exciting, cutting-edge electronica and hardcore dance music by innovative the Birkenhead-born, Glasgow-based artist Cameron Winters (she), with a stylish, striking video, heralding the forthcoming EP, PLAGUE MUSIC, out digitally and on 12-inch vinyl on 6 February via XL Recordings

Jan 20, 2026
Asap Rocky - Punk Rocky.png
Jan 19, 2026
Song of the Day: A$AP Rocky - Punk Rocky
Jan 19, 2026

Song of the Day: The standout catchy hip-pop/soul/pop track from the New York rapper aka Rakim Athelston Mayers’ (also the husband of Rihanna) recently released album, Don’t Be Dumb, featuring also the voice of Cristoforo Donadi, and out on A$AP Rocky Recordings

Jan 19, 2026
Buck Meek - The Mirror.jpeg
Jan 18, 2026
Song of the Day: Buck Meek - Gasoline
Jan 18, 2026

Song of the Day: The Texas-born Big Thief guitarist returns with an beautifully stirring, evocative, poetic love-enthralled indie-folk single of free association made-up words and quantum leap feelings, rolling drums and strums, heralding his upcoming fourth solo album, The Mirror, out on 27 February via 4AD

Jan 18, 2026
Alexis Taylor - Paris In The Spring.jpeg
Jan 17, 2026
Song of the Day: Alexis Taylor - Out Of Phase (featuring Lola Kirke)
Jan 17, 2026

Song of the Day: A crisp, catchy fusion of synth-pop, cosmic country and some NYC-garage odyssey with references to two films by David Lynch from the Hot Chip frontman, heralding his upcoming sixth solo album, Paris In The Spring, out on 13 March via Night Time Stories

Jan 17, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
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
Kaufmann Trumpeter 1950.jpeg
Dec 24, 2025
Word of the week: bellonion (or belloneon)
Dec 24, 2025

Word of the week: It sounds like a bulbous, multi-layered peeling vegetable, but this obscure mechanical musical instrument invented in 1812 in Dresden consisted of 24 trumpets and two kettle drums and, designed to mimic the sound of a marching band, might also make your eyes water

Dec 24, 2025
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Dec 4, 2025
Word of the week: crapulence
Dec 4, 2025

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

Dec 4, 2025
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Nov 20, 2025
Word of the week: discalceate
Nov 20, 2025

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

Nov 20, 2025

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