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Playlists: songs about empty but fillable spaces

October 1, 2025 Peter Kimpton

A pearler of a song with a space filled by Mitski …

Empty vessels of all kinds a waiting for contents - heads, hearts, bottles, places and many more besides, with a truly fulfilling, insightful and entertaining result in playlists supplied by guest Nicko from last week’s topic theme

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In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, comedy, country, dance, disco, 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, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, gaps, holes, blanks, The Beatles, The Three Johns, Sprints, Dionne Warwick, Arcade Fire, Mitski, Culture, YĪN YĪN, The Supremes, Nada Surf, Cake (band), The Cramps, Barbra Streisand, Smashing Pumpkins, Jake Thackray, Bernard Cribbins, Pink Floyd, Magazine, Meat Puppets, Ka, The Specials, Sheila Hylton, Traffic, Karine Polwart, Rosana, Steven Wilson, Ninet Tayeb, Bessie Smith, Lonnie Johnson, Victoria Spivey, The Ethiopians, Connie Converse, New Life Trio, Clarion Fracture Zone, Nicko
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Playlists: songs about déjà vu

July 9, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Bird’s eye view? Ever seen … Immortel Ad Vitam

Tricks of mind and memory to recurring lifestyle loops, our senses are sometimes working overtime, and guest Sidecar Shiv makes superb sense of it all with playlists picked from last week’s topic nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags deja vu, psychology, songs, playlists, Massive Attack, Molly Nilsson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, John Fogerty, JJ Jackson, The Yardbirds, Pearls Before Swine, The Waterboys, Mike Scott, John Lennon, The Beatles, The Searchers, Sparklehorse, Chocolate Genius, Angelo Badalamenti, Twin Peaks, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, Bill Ryder-Jones, Styx, Redd Kross, Sublime, Dionne Warwick, Prince Royce, Shakira, Wet Leg, Margaret Glaspy, Toro y Moi, Roky Erickson, Husker Du, Blind Alfred Reed, Hitsujibungaku, The Stylistics, Max Webster, Michael Chapman, Gilmore & Roberts, Vashti Bunyan, Fever Ray, Buzzcocks, The Who, Taylor Swift, ShivSidecar, Sidecar Shiv
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Playlists: songs about chairs and other sitting furniture

October 15, 2024 Peter Kimpton

On your deck …

Comfort, solitude, danger, voyeurism, power, inspiration, work or versatility? They can mean many things, and inspired by last week's topic, guest DiscoMonster plays marvellous musical chairs that sit across all tastes and styles

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In avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, comedy, disco, drone, easy listening, dub, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, krautrock, jazz, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, chairs, furniture, Ella Fitzgerald, Dolly Parton, Patti Jerome, Regina Spektor, Wet Leg, Gwen McCrae, Bessie Smith, The Natural-Ites, Silvio Rodriguez, Dionne Warwick, The House of Love, Cold Gawd, The Bevis Frond, Dean Friedman, Georgia White, Harry Beckett, Bobby Bland, Underworld, Jenny Wilson, MUTSUMI, Micragirls, DiscoMonster, The Nits, Hoagy Carmichael, Bevis Frond, Jill Sobule, Natural Ites
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Playlists: songs featuring humming

August 27, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Prime humming: Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes

It’s a sound that draws you into the melody and can sometimes say more than words. Inspired by last week’s topic, guest ParaMhor picks a hum-dinger of a collection spanning many genres and eras. Hum along if you don’t know the words

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, lounge, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, humming, Johnny Cash, Rod Stewart, John Lee Hooker, ZZ Top, De La Soul, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Giacomo Puccini, Margo Guryan, Thurston Harris, Teenage Fanclub, Richard Hawley, Billie Eilish, Van Morrison, Simon & Garfunkel, paul simon, Skott, Roy Ayers, The Four Tops, Cream, Modern English, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Joe Strummer, The Folk Implosion, Wendy Waldman, Moby, James Last, Connie Boswell, Carla Bley, Dionne Warwick, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, ParaMhor
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Playlists: songs about prayers and praying

October 3, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

From Africa to Jamaica, punk, to soul to jazz and church choirs, the act of prayer in song covers many styles and gods, and sometimes isn’t even about religion. Guest playlister Severin picks a heavenly selection from last week’s 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, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, psychedelia, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, punk, postpunk Tags songs, playlists, prayer, praying, religion, The Soul Stirrers, Hedningarna, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Otis Redding, Moddi, The Mighty Diamonds, Sandra Carrasco, The Staple Singers, The Weather Prophets, Jay Tees, John Taverner, The O'Jays, Madonna, Souad Massi, John Coltrane, Leonard Cohen, JS Bach, Maria Callas, Mahalia Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Velvet Underground, Ray Charles, Tess Parks, Michael Rose, Kokia, Sweet Honey In the Rock, Charles Mingus, David Bowie, Teardrops, Mammut, Joni Mitchell, severin, Severin, John Tavener
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Playlists: songs about indecision

March 8, 2023 Peter Kimpton

So, do you want this, or not? Well, let’s see …

Ever felt in two minds? Caught between two stools? Stuck between a rock, pop, and hardcore place? All the wobbles and vacillations about everything in life are expertly and entertainingly captured by guest Olive Butler, chosen from nominations for last week’s topic. But which list will it be?

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags indecision, playlists, songs, Talking Heads, The Who, Janis Joplin, Elvis Costello, French Kicks, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Marcel Zanini, Tame Impala, The Heptones, La Sonora Matancera, Dionne Warwick, Peter Hammill, Al Bowlly, Tony Bennett, Heatwave, Wet Leg, The Zombies, The Rolling Stones, The Lovin' Spoonful, Los Bravos, The Three Degrees, The Young Rascals, Simon & Garfunkel, paul simon, The Harptones, Sonny and Cher, The Clovers, Olive Butler
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Playlists: songs about the meaning of life

October 11, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Some of this week’s house band …

Aristotelianism to absurdism, cynicism to nihilism to stoicism and more, this week’s musings on our existence come no shortage of great musicians as well as philosophers, thoughtfully chosen and superbly described by guest playlister Uncleben from last week’s theme

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, postpunk, pop, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, philosophy, nihilism, stoicism, Aristotle, Diogenes, William James, Douglas Adams, existentialism, Epicurus, René Descartes, Socrates, The Weirdos, Clinton Fearon, Soul II Soul, Odyssey, Indigo Girls, Black Uhuru, The Shins, Rudy Vallee, Joy Ellis, Dr Alimantado, Propaganda, Liza Minnelli, Dionne Warwick, Buzzcocks, Villagers, Fontaines D.C., The Heptones, Penetration, Bruce Springsteen, Hitsujibungaku, Charlie Rich, Joe Higgs, Hex, Cabbage Boy, Band of Holy Joy, Blackalicious, The Wailers, Kurt Vonnegut, Plato, Abraham Lincoln, Uncleben, CLR James
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Playlists: songs about nightingales and the song thrush family

March 29, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Beautiful hybrid: the speckled nightingale thrush (Catharus maculatus)

They must sing on, and will not stop. From the national bird of Ukraine to a whole variety of vocally dextrous thrushes, this enduring topic, coming from a huge flock of nominations last week, is given full and beautiful playlist flight by guest Severin

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, birdsong, birds, nightingale, thrush, Camille Saint-Saëns, Go_A, Maude Maggart, Irving Berlin, Lady Blackbird, Laura Veirs, Nat King Cole, Bellowhead, Johnny Osbourne, Rocco Deluca, Gilberto Gil, Laurie Lewis, Roxy Music, Julee Cruise, Sam Lee, The Beatles, Everly Brothers, Michael Jackson, Cab Calloway, Rachel Unthank, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, Brinsley Schwarz, Dionne Warwick, Peggy Lee, In Gowan Ring, Xavier Cugat, David Rotheray, Los Mirlos, Djivan Gasparyan, Paul McCartney, Wings, Trisha Yearwood, Nina Simone, The Eagles, Norah Jones, Yona, Sinead O'Connor, Buffalo Springfield, Lambchop, Marcos Valle, Stacey Kent, Jim Tomlinson, Jackie Oates, The Whiskey Rebellion, Larissa Kovalchuk, Prefab Sprout, Juan Perro, Igor Stravinsky, Sarah Vaughan, Pauline Vallance, severin, Severin
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Playlists: songs about adultery and infidelity

March 23, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Blue tales? The magnificent Millie Jackson will always find out …

Blue tales? The magnificent Millie Jackson will always find out …

Saucy musical hall to broken-hearted blues to soaring heart-wrenching soul, guest magicman reveals all the ins and outs of secret liaisons, setting all affairs in order with three supreme playlists to capture the huge response by readers

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, pop, playlists, musicals, postpunk, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Vesta Victoria, Frankie Lee Sims, The Chicks, Franco & TPOK Jazz, Beyonce, Jimmy Rushing, Gene Pitney, Lefty Frizzell, Denise LaSalle, Robert Johnson, Millie Jackson, Sanford Townsend Band, Waterson & McCarthy, Ida Cox, The Ink Spots, Dream Wife, Gene Autry, Ann Peebles, Lloyd Brown, Brandy Clark, 100º Proof Aged In Soul, Crystal Gayle, Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting, Nancy Kerr, Taylor Swift, Haim, Muddy Waters, Dionne Warwick, Patsy Cline, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Squeeze, Dr John, The O'Jays, Howlin' Wolf, Johnnie Taylor, The Temptations, Jimi Hendrix, The Dubliners, Toni Braxton, George Harrison, adultery, infidelity, relationships, sex, magicman
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Playlists: songs about body language and gestures

March 2, 2021 Peter Kimpton
It’s no illusion: Imagination becomes reality at this week’s Song Bar body politic

It’s no illusion: Imagination becomes reality at this week’s Song Bar body politic

Affectionate punches to bootylicious body talk, blank expressions and other bodily connections, after waves of physical communication from Song Bar nominations, guest pejepeine’s big gesture is to pick perfect playlists

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In avant-garde, blues, disco, dub, experimental, funk, indie, jazz, music, pop, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, soul, songs, dance, playlists Tags songs, playlists, gestures, body language, psychology, Dionne Warwick, Hal David, Imagination, Destiny's Child, Françoise Hardy, The Associates, The Cure, The Temptations, Jens Lekman, Tim Buckley, Elastica, The Specials, John Holt, Gregory Isaacs, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Charles Mingus, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Brenton Wood, Solange Knowles, Barbara Lewis, Paramore, The Staple Singers, Patti Austin, Sault, Michael Kiwanuka, Andy Williams, Change, pejepeine
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Playlists: songs with great arrangements

December 11, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Sketching out … Miles Davis and Gil Evans

Sketching out … Miles Davis and Gil Evans

It’s an artful arrangement in itself: classical to jazz, pop to prog, the parts unfold and come together beautifully in these playlists picked by this week’s guest magicman, drawn from hundreds of suggestions from last week’s topic

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, rock, showtime, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, musical arrangements, Beethoven, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Cilla Black, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Van Dyke Parks, Chico Buarque, Focus, Earth Wind & Fire, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Dan Hartman, Rufus Wainwright, Maurice Ravel, George Gershwin, A.R. Rahman, FKA Twigs, The Band, Glen Miller, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Spirit, Tower Of Power, Quincy Jones, Propaganda, Murcof, Nick Drake, John Hartford, June Tabor and the Oyster Band, Voice Squad, Dionne Warwick, Andy Williams, Joe Gibbs & The Professionals, Glenn Miller, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Lana Del Rey, magicman
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Playlists: songs from New York City

July 24, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus

It’s time to take the A Train and continue across the five boroughs on a musical journey. Inspired by last week’s topic, NY resident magicman takes us on fabulous tour of work recorded in, and capturing the spirit of the Big Apple

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, dance, disco, dub, experimental, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, funk Tags songs, instrumentals, New York, Duke Ellington, Princess Nokia, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Willie Colon, Joe Bataan, Dionne Warwick, Dion, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Eric B & Rakim, Bernard Herrmann, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Lou Reed, Miles Davis, Afrika Bambaataa, The Soul Sonic Force, Raymond Scott, Bruce Springsteen, Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans, Harry Nilsson, Benny Goodman, Nas, Nuyorican Soul, Jocelyn Brown, Larry Corvell, St Vincent, Vampire Weekend, The Notorious B.I.G., Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, A Tribe Called Quest, Crown Heights Affair, Sister Sledge, Art Blakey, magicman
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Playlists: songs with great backing vocals

January 3, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Ray Charles and The Raelettes

Ray Charles and The Raelettes

Aretha and her sisters to Ray and the Raelettes, Louis and Keely to Gladys and the Pips, this week's brilliant backing vocals came from a chorus of nominations topic, led by a masterful guest playlister magicman

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Tags songs, playlists, backing vocals, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, The Jordanaires, Sam Cooke, The Sweet Inspirations, Emily 'Cissy' Houston, Sylvia Shemwell, Dee Dee Warwick, Carolyn Franklin, Erma Franklin, Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, The Raelettes, Mary Ann Fisher, Margie Hendrix, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, 10cc, Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick, Michael Jackson, Brenda Russell, Christopher Cross, Dyan Cannon, James Ingram, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, The Hollies, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, The Marcels, Louis Prima, Keely Smith, The Turtles, Flo & Eddie, Dawn Penn, Rose Stone & The Venice Four, Bob Marley, The Wailers, Mory Kanté, Betty Everett, The Tams, Lou Christie, The Delfonics, Todd Rundgren, Diana Ross, Ry Cooder, Gladys Knight, The Pips, Bill Monroe, The Gatlin Brothers, magicman
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Sing out for unsung heroes: songs with great backing vocals

December 28, 2017 Peter Kimpton
The Andantes: backing vocal mainstays of Motown – Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps. Who didn't they sing for?

The Andantes: backing vocal mainstays of Motown – Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps. Who didn't they sing for?

They're the brilliant singers who blend beautiful and really make the music. From Motown and soul to to church and gospel, barbershop to pop or even punk, suggest songs made backed brillliantly by the unknown or famous

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In classical, folk, indie, music, playlists, pop, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, backing vocals, singers, The Primettes, The Supremes, Diana Ross, Elvis Presley, Las Vegas, church music, choirs, gospel, Jordanaires, Foggy River Boys, The Sweet Sensations, Emily 'Cissy' Houston, Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne Warwick, The Drinkard Singers, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Wilson Pickett, Lisa Harrigan, Solomon Burke, The Andantes, The Andrews Sisters, Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, Louvain Demps, Martha Reeves, The Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers, Gino Washington, John Lee Hooker, James Velvet, Eddie Holland, Motown, Holland-Dozier-Holland, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Pips, George Harrison, Phil Collins, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, Ava Cherry, Robin Clark, Luther Vandross, The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Carly Simon, The Neville Brothers, The Mamas and Papas, Prince, New Power Generation, The Revolution, Fleet Foxes, Kings of Leon, The Unthanks, Everything Everythng, The Seekers, The Bachelors, The Drifters, Burt Bacharach, The Kingsmen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Everything Everything, Franz Ferdinand, Vampire Weekend, Take That, Sugababes, Le Mystere des voix Bulgares, The Ramones, The Mahotella Queens, Mahlathini, Simon & Garfunkel, Freddie Mercury, barbershop, Sly & The Family Stone, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Whitney Houston, Gwen Stefani, Pink
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

1990s alcopops


SNACK OF THE WEEK

doritos, skittles snack mashup


New Albums …

Featured
Bingo! by La Sécurité.jpeg
June 15, 2026
La Sécurité: Bingo!
June 15, 2026

New album: Fabulously fun, vibrant, feisty, catchy, wittily droll post-punk, new wave and art-punk in this pacy, vivacious sophomore LP by the Montréal collective with themes from mental health, dysfunctional relationships, food to enjoyable elderly activities, with styles reminiscent of The B-52s and Devo

June 15, 2026
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
Beauty Land by Greg Mendez.jpeg
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
For Love of Grace & the Hereafter by Iceage.jpeg
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
Boards of Canada - Inferno.jpeg
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
Philadelphia's been good to me by Kurt Vile.jpeg
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

new songs …

Featured
L'Rain 3.jpeg
June 15, 2026
Song of the Day: L'Rain - Soulless Cycle
June 15, 2026

Song of the Day: A whoosh of thunderous, mesmeric alternative rock marks this striking new single by the Brooklyn experimental composer, musician, artist and singer Taja Cheek, heralding her upcoming fourth album Fata Morgana, out on 14 August via Mexican Summer

June 15, 2026
Fenne Lily.jpeg
June 14, 2026
Song of the Day: Fenne Lily - Uh Huh
June 14, 2026

Song of the Day: Beautiful, banjo accompanied, reflective wistful indie folk-pop by the the Brooklyn-based British singer-songwriter with this first single heralding her upcoming fourth album, Win Win, out on 23 October via Nettwerk Music

June 14, 2026
Interpol.jpeg
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
Jack White - Frozen Charlotte.jpeg
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
Hot Slob by Sylvan Esso.jpeg
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
JJerome87 - The Canyon.jpeg
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
Balti and Lapgan.jpeg
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
Margaret Glaspy 2.jpg
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
LA Priest - Into The Sky video .png
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
Ibeyi .jpeg
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
Seasick Steve - The Last Season of America.jpeg
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

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
Cypress vine.jpg
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
Riqq 1.jpeg
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
Man-blowing-a-salpinx.jpg
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
Song thrush 2.jpeg
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

Song Bar spinning.gif

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