• Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact
Menu

Song Bar

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Music, words, playlists

Your Custom Text Here

Song Bar

  • Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact

Looking both ways: songs about the month of January

January 15, 2026 Peter Kimpton

The two-faced Roman god Janus, the inspiration for this month’s name

It’s a month of mixed feelings and perspectives, and can bring optimism as well as anguish. Songs about January, or set during it, so let’s see what settings, stories and emotions it inspires and produces …

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, January, months, Patricia Highsmith, Anne Truitt, Roald Dahl, Stewart Stafford, Jean Hersey, Jean-Paul Sartre, Leo Robin, Captain Beefheart, Ivor Cutler, Ivor Novello, Martin Luther King, Charlotte Bronte, Henry Ward Beecher, Ancient Rome, Edgar Fawcett, poetry, books, John Ruskin, Sylvia Plath, Edwin Morgan, Amy Gerstler, Ellen Goodman
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs about D-Day

June 12, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Reflection on Omaha beach in the aftermath of D-Day battles on 6 June 1944

Following the 80th anniversary of one of the most significant events of the 20th century, guest playlister Maki picks poignant and powerful selections abuot that event as well as other do-or-die metaphors inspired by last week’s D-Day topic

Read more
In blues, classical, country, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, traditional, soundtracks, soul, songs Tags D-Day, history, war, second world war, Second World War, Maurice Jarre, Sabaton, Chumbawamba, Seth Lakeman, Chris De Burgh, Iron Maiden, Soulsavers, Dave Gahan, B-Squadron, Mavis Staples, The Charlesys, Sod's Opera, Tom Jones, Robert Wyatt, Nat King Cole, Dave Wright & The Midnight Ramblers, Woody Guthrie, Avett Brothers, Captain Beefheart, James Keelaghan, Bill Frisell, Spear of Destiny, Jim Bradford, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Benjamin Britten, Maki
Comment

Playlists: songs about legs, trousers, pants and other coverings

May 22, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Trousers, pants, hotpants and other leggings, not to mention even a couple of legless numbers, from the beautiful to the bawdy, this week’s music definitely doing the talking and walking is picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic

Read more
In blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, music, Captain Beefheart, ZZ Top, Freddie King, Willie King, Jeff Healey, Dr Hook, Bull Moose Jackson & His Buffalo Bearcats, Beyonce, Post Malone, Jeffrey Foucault, Luiz Marenco, Sophie Les Bas Bleus, Katzenjammer, Kenny, Omar and the Howlers, The Cheers, David Dundas, The Magic Numbers, AOA, Gene Vincent, Johnny Clegg, Joe Tex, Hot Tuna, Blue Lu Barker, Danny Barker, Suzanne Vega, Clarence Williams, Icky Renrut, Eddie Cochran, Bloodhound Gang, Les Azteks, B-52s, The Four Blazes, Shirley Brown, Chris McDermott, Conway Twitty, Peaches, Boiled In Lead, Skyhooks, First Choice, Chocolate Milk, Will Franklin, John Mayall, Mel McDaniel, Fishbone, Jodi Benson, The Little Mermaid, Marco den Ouden
Comment

Just count on this: songs with unusual time signatures

February 1, 2024 Peter Kimpton

After a short paws …what happens next?

Hard to beat? Not necessarily. While most songs are in 4/4 time, and others in 3/4 waltz, there are many fascinating variants that push the boundaries, often in a catchy way. It’s not necessary here to name the numbers, just how it feels when you count …

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, calypso, comedy, country, dance, 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, songs, soul, soundtracks, trip hop Tags time signatures, songs, playlists, instrumentals, William Gibson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Albert Einstein, Emily Dickinson, Mark Helprin, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Nick Drake, Islet, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Walken, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Chemical Brothers, Q-Tip, Captain Beefheart, Bjork, Fiona Apple, Sufjan Stevens, PJ Harvey, Frank Zappe, King Crimson, Yes, Robert Fripp
Comment

Playlists: songs with conditional phrases

January 10, 2024 Peter Kimpton

The Big If …

Where will it all lead? What are the conditions? Are they zero, first or second? All the ifs and thens are revealed in these wittily entertaining lists compiled by guest Severin, inspired by songs nominated in last week’s opening topic of 2024

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, 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 The Darling Buds, Barrington Levy, Janis Joplin, Fairport Convention, Lucinda Williams, Massive Attack, Roxy Music, Samara Joy, Ray LaMontagne, Kurtis Blow, ODESZA, The Staple Singers, David Holmes, Raven Violet, Spiritualized, Noel Gallagher, Badfinger, The Beatles, Captain Beefheart, Phoebe Bridgers, Tracy Chapman, Stephen Stills, Charlie Poole, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators, George Harrison, Beverley Knight, Mica Paris, Leonard Cohen, AC/DC, Elvis Presley, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Ian Dury, Basement Jaxx, Yola, severin, Severin
Comment

Playlists: songs with shaggy dog stories and tall tales

August 2, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Late nights with a transcendent genius: Mark E Smith with Brix

Leading you down the garden path and beyond? Taking liberties with the facts? After a flurry of fabulous stories from last week’s topic, guest playlister ParaMhor narratives a host of colourful tale tales that can’t help but pull you in …

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, krautrock, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags shaggy dog tales, narrative, stories, songs, playlists, Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, Yard Act, Herbaliser, What What, Pluto Shervington, Singers Players, Prince Far I, Looper, Damien Jurado, The Fall, The Human League, The Streets, Bob Dylan, Hatfield and the North, The Nightriders, City Boy, Sparks, The Only Ones, Lightnin' Hopkins, Tony Joe White, Brenda Wootton, Ivor Cutler, Cathal Coughlan, King Missile, The Burning Hell, Bonny Light Horseman, Rooney, Genesis, Father John Misty, ParaMhor
Comment

Playlists: songs about sunsets and twilight

July 5, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Orange beauty …

It’s a magical and at times surreal period at the end of day. Inspired by all the nominations from last week’s topic, guest playlister Shiv Sidecar picks a set of beautiful lists capturing a full spectrum of light, sounds, moods and genres. What a beauty.

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, 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, rocksteady, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags sunsets, twilight, playlists, Michael Chapman, Stevie Wonder, Nitin Sawhney, Gordon Lightfoot, Roy Harper, Sun Dial, Captain Beefheart, Jim Carroll Band, Arcade Fire, Turin Brakes, The Chemical Brothers, Sanford Ponder, Bright Eyes, Great Lake Swimmers, Steven James Adams, Ry Cooder, Mali Music, Damon Albarn, Afel Bocoum, Yothu Yindi, Johnny Shines, Johnnie Taylor, Them, Van Morrison, The Accent, Screaming Trees, Shawn Phillips, Wendy Waldman, Jackie Lomax, Jane, Duke Ellington, Kate Bush, The Eyes, Paul Weller, Jack Bruce, Seth Lakeman, Lisa Gerrard, ShivSidecar, Sidecar Shiv, Eska
Comment

Playlists: songs about 'everything'

June 27, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Promising everything: Them featuring the young Van Morrison

Is everything awesome or is it awful, or the full works in between? There’s a whole spectrum of ideas and feelings about ‘everything’ expressed in song, and from last week’s topic guest playlister Noodsy very neatly picks great numbers to capture the big picture

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Tegan and Sara, The Lonely Island, The Decemberists, The Police, The Real Thing, Them, Van Morrison, Wham!, Samara Joy, Gillian Welch, Billie Eilish, Lole y Manuel, Teenage Fanclub, Underworld, Bebel Gilberto, Manic Street Preachers, Captain Beefheart, Ken Boothe, The Smiths, Bauhaus, Barry White, Panda Bear, Sonic Boom, The Auteurs, The Kinks, Grant Lee Buffalo, Angèle, Roméo Elvis, Quincy Jones, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Noodsy
Comment

Playlists: songs about the vertebral column and neck

September 13, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Back in the bar: Erykah Badu

Lumbar numbers to vertebral verses, it’s time to run all the way up the spine to the nape of the neck in playlists that place all those discs without a single slip, musically massaged and written about by guest Loud Atlas from last week’s topic

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, psychedelia, prog, postpunk, pop, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, backs, vertebrae, necks, anatomy, biology, The Guess Who, REM, Faye Webster, Elvis Presley, Erykah Badu, The Vandals, The Delta Rhythm Boys, Shriekback, Rufus & Chaka Khan, Parliament, Sam Cooke, Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Jimi Tenor, The Riga Symphony Orchestra, Ashton Gardner & Dyke, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Dickies, Captain Beefheart, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Paragons, The O'Jays, Willie Bobo, The Fiestas, Alpha Blondy, Van Morrison, AC/DC, Lena Wilson, Joe Duffy and Whatever's Clever, Thee Deadtime Philharmonic, Chris Lujan, Electric Butter, Rathergood, Loud Atlas
Comment

Playlists: songs that reference fairytales

April 26, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Handy: which band was inspired by the rather cutting-edge Struwwelpeter story?

Enchanting, mysterious, beautiful, crazy, or the downright cruel, the imagination doesn’t come any more vivid in fairytales. Woven from last week’s nominations, guest Loud Atlas spins a set of sharp tales into superbly absorbing playlists

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, fairytales, fairy tales, Morgen, Captain Beefheart, The Wizard of Oz, The Sham-Ettes, Little Red Riding Hood, Milton Nascimento, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Gecko, Rapunzel, XTC, Struwwelpeter, Anita Baker, Lana Del Rey, Ba Cissoko, Al 'Jazzbo' Collins, Dotterine, Emily Portman, Jellyfish, Renaissance, Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs, The Blue Hearts, John Holt, James Taylor, Ruth B, Miles Davis, Shorty Rogers, Stan Freeburg, Danny Kaye, Cursive, Jill Freeman, John Otway, Sinead O'Connor, Ariana Grande, John Legend, The Bee Gees, Salem Ilese, Javier Navarette, Loud Atlas
Comment

A sense of porpoise: songs about cetaceans

April 14, 2022 Peter Kimpton

A bigger splash: humpback whale breach

Cetaceans are dolphins, whales and porpoises – familiar yet mysterious, those large, intelligent water mammals that have inspired oceans of songwriters, but in what way? On freedom, tragedy, slaughter, or wondrous, otherworldly sounds?

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, jazz, indie, instrumentals, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, dolphins, whales, porpoises, cetaceans, marine biology, animal behaviour, animals, Captain Beefheart, Jay Griffiths, Herman Melville, William Blake, Anthony Douglas Williams, Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, Heathcote Williams, Douglas Adams, Philip Hoare, David George Haskell
Comment

Playlists: songs about omens and prophecies

March 15, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Visions of the future: The Flaming Lips

Visions, prophets, psychics, spanning history and the future, with good news and bad – inspired by many nominations from last week’s topic, these superb playlists, picked by guest amylee, journey through time and space

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, colours, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, omens, prophecies, The Clash, The Fall, Mark E Smith, Teenage Fanclub, Howlin' Wolf, Phish, The Grateful Dead, Black Francis, Crash Test Dummies, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Sparklehorse, The Flaming Lips, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Wardruna, Aquarius, Spirit, The Cowsills, William Penn V, Captain Beefheart, Jethro Tull, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Burning Spear, Wayne Jarett, Cibo Matto, Pet Shop Boys, The Stranglers, The Go-Betweens, Mount Eerie, Jerry Goldsmith, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Kronos Quartet, Nitin Sawhney, Don Shinn, Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Vindsvept, The Comet Is Coming, David Toop, Bjork, Nick Drake, The Fixx, Killing Joke, AmyLee
Comment

Playlists: songs about nuts and edible seeds

November 30, 2021 Peter Kimpton

Put your hands together for these tasty playlist treats ….

Coconuts to nutmeg and kandy corn, peanuts to pistachio to pecans, the seed store has been filled up to the brim with tasty musical treats from last week’s topic, picked and served up in a delicious set of lists by clever top nut Tatanka Yotanka

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags playlists, nuts, seeds, fruit, food, songs, Macka B, Thelonius Monk, Macy Gray, The Soft Boys, Devandra Banhart, Charles Trenet, Ivor Cutler, Mischief Brew, Trilok Gurtu, Captain Beefheart, Heino, Warmduscher, Golden Smog, Juliette Greco, Cai Bin Lang, The Melodians, Pee Wee Ellis, The Turtles, Sunny Sharrock, Time Hart, Maddy Prior, The Ink Spots, Spearhead, Michael Franti, Mother Goose, Louis Jordan, Johnny Cash, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Chaotic Dischord, Splodge, The Lovely Eggs, The Young 'Uns, Billy Cotton and His Band, Damien Rice, The Sweet, Jimmy Buffett, Abba, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Tony Allen, Hugh Masekela, The Tragically Hip, Ty Segall, Manu Dibango, Augustus Pablo, Johnny Gentle, Laurel Aitken, Pigbag, George Brassens, TatankaYotanka
Comment

Playlists: Boastful songs

November 17, 2021 Peter Kimpton

Flash, brash and bulging with talent: Grandmaster Melle Mel with the Furious Five

Bombastic braggadocio to self-applauding swagger, sexual prowess and stamina to super-clever slick, non-stop self-description, guest playlister ShivSidecar picks supremely sharp and entertaining sets of songs from early rock’n’roll to soul, hip hop and beyond

Read more
In blues, disco, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, soul, songs, comedy Tags boasting, arrogance, playlists, music, songs, Billy Ward & The Dominoes, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Rasputin's Stash, Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five, Roxanne Shanté, Joe Walsh, Brakes, Cat Power, The Temptations, Thee More Shallows, REM, Death In Vegas, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, EPMD, Young MC, The Third Bardo, The Warlocks, Utopia, Candye Kane, Manic Street Preachers, Virgin Prunes, Tom Waits, Juicy Bananas, Eminem, Chance The Rapper, Chelmico, Munchausen, Captain Beefheart, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Cerys Matthews, David Bowie, The Lower Third, Bette Bright & The Illuminations, The Pipettes, The Beat, Klark Kent, Steve Burns, The Flaming Lips, Sidecar Shiv
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs about babies

October 14, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Kate and Anna McGarrigle sing about baby Rufus …

Kate and Anna McGarrigle sing about baby Rufus …

Planned, unplanned, loved or otherwise, they bring intense emotions and also in songs and stories about them. From conception parenting, guest playlister George Boyland delivers the full package from a vast number of nominations

Read more
In blues, comedy, country, dance, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, jazz, music, funk, traditional, soul, songs, rock, reggae, punk, prog, postpunk, pop, playlists Tags songs, playlists, babies, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Sly & The Family Stone, Charlie Feathers, Swamp Dogg, Judy Henske, Lauryn Hill, The White Stripes, Lead Belly, Leadbelly, The Pretenders, Spirit, The Grateful Dead, Jonathan Richman, Natalie Merchant, Cream, Brandi Carlile, Peter Blegvad, Cocteau Twins, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss, Paul Weller, Captain Beefheart, Free, Ivor Cutler, Slapp Happy, Nick Cope, George Boyland
Comment

Playlists: songs about masks

September 23, 2020 Peter Kimpton
A signature cover version

A signature cover version

Whether current or the historic, for survival or entertainment, metaphorical, literal, medical, protective, theatrical, comical or disguise, inspired a sea of masks in last week’s topic, guest playlister severin has got it totally covered

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, masks, Billy Bragg, The Ramones, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Jussi Björling, Iggy Pop, Nancy Wilson, Robyn Hitchcock, Loreena McKennitt, Captain Beefheart, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Kurangan, Peter Hammill, Clinton Fearon, Dave Matthews Band, They Might Be Giants, Grace Jones, The Skids, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Ditty Bops, Carolyn Crawford, Max Romeo, Graham Parker, Idles, Johann Strauss II, The Mountain Goats, Fugees, Lou Reed, Thaikkudam Bridge, George Benson, Susanne Sundfør, Rob Brydon, Severin, severin
Comment
Older Posts →
music_declares_emergency_logo.png

Sing out, act on CLIMATE CHANGE

Black Lives Matter.jpg

CONDEMN RACISM, EMBRACE EQUALITY
Donate
Song Bar spinning.gif

DRINK OF THE WEEK

Constant comment tea

SNACK OF THE WEEK

black-eyed peas

New Albums …

Featured
Tyler Ballgame - For The First Time Again.jpeg
Jan 30, 2026
Tyler Ballgame: For The First Time, Again
Jan 30, 2026

New album: With that sublime, soaring, soulful voice, and echoes of Roy Orbison, the Rhode Island-raised singer-songwriter’s truly gorgeous debut LP captures all the range of of the love – warmth, longing, tenderness and heartbreak through classy and crafted retro sound of 60s and 70s rock

Jan 30, 2026
Tessa Rose Jackson - The Lighthouse.jpeg
Jan 29, 2026
Tessa Rose Jackson: The Lighthouse
Jan 29, 2026

New album: Beautiful, intricate, understated, poetic and intelligent, this warm, inviting experimental folk by the Dutch-British singer-songwriter is the first LP under her own name, having previously released three as the artist Someone

Jan 29, 2026
Lucinda Williams - World's Gone Wrong.jpeg
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
Clotheline From Hell.jpeg
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
Dead Dads Club.jpeg
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
The Paper Kites - IF YOU GO THERE, I HOPE YOU FIND IT.png
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
PVA - No More Like This.jpeg
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
Imarhan - Essam.jpeg
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
Sleaford Mods- The Demise of Planet X.jpeg
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
Sault - Chapter 1.jpeg
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
The Cribs - Selling A Vibe.jpeg
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
Dry Cleaning - Secret Love.jpeg
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

new songs …

Featured
Robber Robber band.jpeg
Jan 30, 2026
Song of the Day: Robber Robber - The Sound It Made
Jan 30, 2026

Song of the Day: Striking, dynamic, noisy stop-and-start, stylish experimental post-rock and post-rock by the band from Burlington, Vermont, fronted by Nina Cates, heralding their new album, Two Wheels Move the Soul, out on 3 April via on Fire Talk

Jan 30, 2026
Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody.jpeg
Jan 29, 2026
Song of the Day: Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody
Jan 29, 2026

Song of the Day: Shimmeringly catchy and singalong, effervescent Abba-esque and Fleetwood Mac-ish piano and synth pop with an eye-catching, vampiric-themed video by the British singer-songwriter from Grantham, heralding her second album Cruel World out on 10 April via Polydor/Universal.

Jan 29, 2026
Nathan Fake.jpeg
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
Madra Salach - It's A Hell Of An Age - EP.jpeg
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
Adult DVD band.jpeg
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
Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night - War Child - HELP 2.jpeg
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
Holy Fuck band.jpeg
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
KAVARI.jpeg
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

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
Hangover.jpeg
Dec 4, 2025
Word of the week: crapulence
Dec 4, 2025

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

Dec 4, 2025
Running shoes and barefoot.jpeg
Nov 20, 2025
Word of the week: discalceate
Nov 20, 2025

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

Nov 20, 2025
Song Bar spinning.gif