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Playlists: songs from musicals that transcend their genre

November 5, 2025 Peter Kimpton

A revolutionary show: Les Misérables (with revolving stage)

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

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

October 22, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Paul Kelly: a perennial Song Bar favourite storyteller

Time waits for no one, but many songs are ageless. With perspectives looking back and forward, and many great stories, guest of the week Barbryn picks a fabulous selection inspired by last week’s topic

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Tags songs, playlists, ageing, David Bowie, Sage Francis, Chuck Berry, The Long Blondes, Game Theory, Skyhooks, Hank Williams, Jill Sobule, Amy Rigby, Pulp, Paul Kelly, John Mayer, Lori McKenna, Lee Hazelwood, Matraca Berg, paul simon, The Ramones, Kenickie, Françoise Hardy, Bonny Light Horseman, Dar Williams, Avett Brothers, The Modern Lovers, Eels, Idlewild, Edwin Morgan, The Kinks, George Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Emily Breeze, Frida Hyvönen, Wolf Alice, Barbryn
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Playlists: songs about obscure or unusual colours

September 9, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Into the mix …

Midnight sun to marmalade skies, octarine to racing green, it’s a who’s who of hues - with guest playlister Loud Atlas mixes up inspiration from last week’s topic into something a shade different

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In avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, easy listening, dub, exotica, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, colours, Ken Nordine, Ella Fitzgerald, Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Claude Debussy, The Mercury Tree, ZZ Top, Black Box Recorder, Blossom Dearie, Tim Minchin, Pérez Prado, Tomoo, Misty, Donovan, Jorge Ben, Altered Images, Cocteau Twins, Adam Bosange, Charles Aznavour, Enya, Manic Street Preachers, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, The Tinkerbells, Vaughn Monroe, Paramore, Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch, Daniel Blumberg, Corinne Bailey Rae, Loud Atlas
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A special shared space: songs about unusual or unexpected friendships

July 17, 2025 Peter Kimpton

A commemorative model of Apollo-Soyuz on 17th July 1975

To commemorate the Apollo-Soyuz space link up, exactly 50 years ago today, on 17th July 1975, let’s celebrate strange, unusual bonds of friendship in song lyrics and shake hands with the unexpected …

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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, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, metal, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags Apollo-Soyuz, space travel, Space, science, history, William Blake, WB Yeats, Henry David Thoreau, Socrates, Somerset Maugham, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Huxley, Abraham Lincoln, A.A. Milne, Russia, America, Alexei Leonov, Thomas Stafford, TS Eliot, Groucho Marx, Ella Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe, Helen Keller, Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, Samuel Beckett, André the Giant, animal behaviour, animals
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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 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: music with ensembles, big bands and orchestras

December 20, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Shadows and light: Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra have all the angles …

Jazz, funk, classical, African, Cuban, Balkan and beyond, this week it all came together beautifully in these fabulously powerful and erudite selections by guest of the week Nilpferd, from a many more nominations from last week’s ensembles theme

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, country, drone, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, psychedelia, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks, showtime Tags songs, playlists, big bands, ensembles, orchestras, Count Basie, Count Basie Orchestra, Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Beny Moré, Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini, Tower Of Power, The Pogues, Goran Bregovic, Tzigane Brass Orchestra, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Moses Sumney, Simon Rattle, Symphony of Birmingham Orchestra, John Adams, Ella Fitzgerald, Nelson Riddle, Tony Allen, The Afro Messengers, The Unthanks, Dizzy Gillespie, 17 Hippies, Marc Ribot, Jakob Ilja, Andwella's Dream, The Polyphonic Spree, Arctic Monkeys, The Ukelele Orchestra, The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain, The Skatalites, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Glenn Miller, Charlie Parker, Max Richter, Herbert Von Karajan, Richard Wagner, Nilpferd
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Playlists: songs about bees

May 17, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Bumblebee: music collected from many sources

So what’s buzz? Literal or metaphor, and collecting nectar from a wide range of sources from last week’s topic, guest musical beekeeper Alaric gives takes on a world of the bluesy, folky and much more as his playlists fully bloom

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In blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, psychedelia, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, bees, Christy Moore, The Temptations, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, The Beatles, Scritti Politti, Jean-Jaques Perrey, Bird And The Bee, Simpson Cutting Kerr, Regina Spektor, The Unthanks, Alison Moyet, Monty Python, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Manhattan Brothers, Memphis Jug Band, Bline Blake, Leola Wilson, Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, Eric Andersen, Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabaté, Fats Waller, B Bumble and The Stingers, Of Montreal, Abigail Washburn, Tintern Abbey, Acabou Chorare, Agnes Obel, Caribou, Cab Calloway, Billie Piper, Cyril Tawney, Roky Erickson, Davina and the Vagabonds, The Grateful Dead, Adult Net, Jeannes, Loudon Wainwright III, James Yorkston, Neko Case, John Rencourn, John Renbourn, Alaricmc
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Playlists: songs about perfection

February 22, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Chet Baker: in search of the ideal

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

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In African, avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Amen Corner, Julian Cope, Ella Fitzgerald, Fairground Attraction, The Saints, The Beautiful South, Toots and the Maytals, Ismael Rivera and Cortijo Y Su Combo, Bronski Beat, Run DMC, Chet Baker, The Hillside Singers, Paul Robeson, The The, Lou Reed, The Flour Blazes, Billie Holiday, Clark Terry, Paul Gonsalves, Eddie Palmieri, Chip Taylor, The New Ukrainians, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Badfinger, Indigo Girls, Dorothy Love Coates, The Undertones, Harry Nilsson, Paolo Nutini, Elizabeth & The Catapult, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs about the sixth sense

February 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Trust your senses: Björk

intuition to the unexplained, new realms of perception to deja vu, telepathy and the astral plane, all this and more in a pair of perceptive playlists picked by guest of the week Suzi from the most recent topic

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In blues, country, disco, folk, funk, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, sixth sense, psychology, Kate Bush, Linx, Ruby Turner, Imelda May, Bjork, Dave Brubeck, Emiliana Torrini, Jackie Leven, The Grateful Dead, Willie Mabon, Cadaver Club, Peter Blegvad, Arthur Lee, Love, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Blondie, Rod Stewart, The Waterboys, Tom Petty, Enrique Morente, The Modern Lovers, Tim Buckley, Ann Peebles, Benny Spellman, Carole King, Leonard Cohen, Show Of Hands, Ella Fitzgerald, Suzi
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Playlists: songs about nothing

September 29, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Nothing is a hard to a-void

Nothing is a hard to a-void

Empty hearts and vacuums to voids, sweet nothings to total zeroes, last week we presented the Song Bar visitors a whole load of nothing, and led by guest playlister ParaMhor, who made perfect picks, it really turned into something …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, nothing, nihilism, Aristotle, Albert Einstein, Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, The Flirtations, The Small Faces, The Go! Team, Ezra Furman, Townes Van Zandt, The Beatles, The Cure, Velvet Underground, Lil Nas X, Sinead O'Connor, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, John Cooper Clarke, The Ugly Ducklings, Joyside, Stiff Little Fingers, Orchestre Poly Rhythmo, Hirth Martinez, The Pop Group, Boy Harsher, Piers Faccini, Swans, Amorphous Androgynous, Aimee Mann, Tintern Abbey, ParaMhor, Ebony Alleyne
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Playlists: songs about surprise encounters

March 9, 2021 Peter Kimpton
You never know who will turn up … Paul Robeson meets a fan or two in Moscow in 1958

You never know who will turn up … Paul Robeson meets a fan or two in Moscow in 1958

You never know who you might encounter on these playlists - lovers, angels, snake oil salesmen, spaceships, ghosts, brigands, the supernatural, the suicidal and the ecstatic - all artfully picked by guest Suzi from a week of nominations

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In blues, calypso, country, comedy, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, funk, indie, jazz, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, encounters, meetings, Paul Robeson, The Pretenders, Paulinho da Viola, Nancy Wilson, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Parliament, Sparks, Bert Jansch, The Sugarcubes, The Louvin Brothers, Victor Wooten, The Book of Mormon, Andrew Rannells, Sonic Youth, Marshall Chapman, Half Man Half Biscuit, Rush, The Jolly Boys, Billy Bragg, Wilco, The Burning Hell, Mulatu Astatke, paul simon, The Boyoyo Boys, Ella Fitzgerald, The Dogs D'Amour, The Pogues, Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting, Nancy Kerr
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Song Bar Fifth Birthday Special: Playlists – songs about jukeboxes

February 17, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Give it a Wurl

Give it a Wurl

Early blues juke joints to big band jazz, 1950s rock’n’ roll to disco, punk, pop and later experimental music, with the Landlord’s playlists picked from reader nominations, we celebrate five years of Song Bar with numbers about this mechanical mind palace

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In dance, country, disco, electronica, funk, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, rock, songs, soul, traditional, blues Tags songs, playlists, jukeboxes, Wurlitzer, Seeburg, John Barry, Boy Green, Teresa Brewer, Dixieland All Stars, Tammy Wynette, June Carter, Olivia Newton-John, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Silver Jews, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Stray Cats, Jackson 5, B-52s, David Lee Roth, J Jordenson Bluegrass Band, Van Halen, The Jam, The Fall, The Pogues, Ani di Franco, Shannon McNally, Joan Jett, Suzi Quatro, Tina Turner, Barry Blue, Dave Edmunds, The Rubettes, Adam and the Ants, Alan Vega, Jackie Leven, Saint Etienne, Pete & The Pirates, Rickie Lee Jones, Fred Buscaglione, Serge Gainsbourg, Dorothy Dandridge, Glenn Miller, Gene Pitney, Emmylou Harris, Buck Owens, James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald, Jason Molina, Ellis Paul, Penguin Cafe Orchestra
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Playlists: songs about eureka moments, realisation, discovery and enlightenment

November 25, 2020 Peter Kimpton
To the cosmos and beyond …

To the cosmos and beyond …

Has it ever occurred to you that …. life, the universe and everything could be captured in playlists? This question is answered perfectly by guest ajostu, who picks some profound revelations inspired by last week’s nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, reggae, rock, soul, soundtracks, traditional, songs Tags songs, discovery, eureka moments, Studio Killers, 10000 Maniacs, Carly Simon, Ella Fitzgerald, Suzanne Vega, Peter Gabriel, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Boswell, Beastie Boys, Miho Hatori, REM, The Sundays, Moby, Julia Holter, Angel Olsen, The Police, The Moody Blues, The Grateful Dead, Clem Snide, The Headhunters, Sun Ra, Earth Wind & Fire, Norman Connors, Ultramarine, Lonnie Liston Smith, John Legend, The Roots, Alice Coltrane, Carlos Santana, Bat For Lashes, Laurie Anderson, Bruford, Annette Peacock, ajostu
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Playlists – two's company: songs by duos

November 18, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Special siblings: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

Special siblings: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

Jazz to hip hop, classical, pop, folk and a whole spectrum of other music from around the world, this week guest playlister Nilpferd picks out some of the finest pairings in music where two individuals are greater together than apart

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, duos, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Smith, Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, Joni Mitchell, Jaco Pastorius, Charley Patton, Toumani Diabaté, The Creatures, Siouxsie Sioux, Budgie, Black Sheep, Eric B & Rakim, The Kills, Suicide, Daft Punk, Coldcut, Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Segal, Touki, Estas Tonne, Michael Schulman, Diego El Cigala, Niño Josele, RL Burnside, The Black Keys, The KVB, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Attila, The Spinanes, Sleaford Mods, Kiiiiiii, Jan Johansson, Georg Riedel, Richard Galliano, Michel Portal, Syreeta, Nilpferd
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Playlists: songs about eggs

August 19, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Humpty lends in hand this week’s lists

Humpty lends in hand this week’s lists

Eggs aren’t just eggs. This week, as handpicked by guest Hoshino Sakura are two dozen perfectly shaped oval-shaped gems presented in two boxes of joyful entertainment out of huge tasty scramble of suggestions by readers

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In avant-garde, comedy, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, rock, songs, soul, ska, rocksteady, reggae, traditional Tags songs, playlists, eggs, Little Jackie, Mr Bungle, Hot Lips Page, Aimee Mann, Dean Martin, Helen O'Connell, Madness, Lunachicks, Macka B, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, The Ground Floor People, Jill Sobule, Dead Can Dance, A Tribe Called Quest, The Nightcrawlers, The Spiders, Humbert Humbert, Cab Calloway, The Nicholas Brothers, Ethel Merman, Ray Bolger, Betty Clooney, Brian D'Arcy James, Tenor Saw, Dafydd Iwan, Cosmo Sheldrake, Jonathan Coulton, Pan
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Playlists: adult lullabies and other songs about inducing sleep

June 3, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Berceuse ballad: the Pogues can do a beautiful lullaby

Berceuse ballad: the Pogues can do a beautiful lullaby

Restless? Don’t worry, this is worth staying up for. Enjoy a countdown in the first of several lists perfect picked by guest amylee from hundreds of suggestions over the week, which in all contexts help a perfect night’s sleep

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, colours, country, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, songs, showtime, soundtracks, traditional Tags lullaby, songs, playlists, My Bloody Valentine, Aqualung, Ella Fitzgerald, Eliza Carthy, The Pogues, James Taylor, Magnolia Electric Company, Songs: Ohia, The Pretenders, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Low, Leonard Cohen, Alternative TV, The Teardrop Explodes, Los Lobos, The Harmonians, Lou Reed, Cornershop, Samingad, Mischief Brew, James Yorkston, Kate Rusby, U2, Janis Ian, James, Queens of the Stone Age, Dua Lipa, The Taxpayers, The Smiths, Airiel, Lamb, Alt-J, The Waterboys, The Doors, Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars, Counting Crows, Husker Du, The Verve
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Take a chanson me: songs about singing

February 27, 2020 Peter Kimpton
SInging. Part of our evolution …

SInging. Part of our evolution …

It’s time to sing out suggestions on this lyrical, meta-topic – from the perspective of singer or listener, by humans, animals or birds, whether for love, warning, fear, joy or despair, or singing simply to exist, make others aware

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, 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, Ella Fitzgerald, Janis Joplin, Bjork, Leonard Cohen, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas, Christina Aguilera, Kevin Ayers, Cervantes, Marty Rubin, JRR Tolkien, John Milton, Alexander Pope, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Andrea Bocelli, David Byrne, Thom Yorke, Neil Young, Michael Stipe, REM, Rebecca Pederson, Usama Rasheed, Donovan, Irish Murdoch, Harper Lee, Percy Shelley
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Playlists: songs about charisma

October 23, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann

What is charisma? Allow yourself to be pulled into the magnetic force of this week’s playlists, designed to fit on the C90 cassette. Variously profound and beautiful, they are chosen by guest ajostu from last week’s many nominations

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In country, electronica, folk, jazz, indie, music, musicals, playlists, pop, songs, soul, funk Tags songs, playlists, charisma, Japanese Breakfast, Aimee Mann, Suede, Carly Simon, Ella Fitzgerald, Flobots, Richard Thompson, The Jigsaw Seen, Missy Higgins, The Who, The Mountain Goats, John Kongos, Curtis Mayfield, Dana Bryant, Ronny Jordan, Marvin Gaye, Sugarhill All-Stars, Chew Lips, The Unthanks, The Shins, The Grateful Dead, Somi, ajostu
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Playlists: songs with notable key changes

October 9, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Enter the key of … The Fifth Dimension

Enter the key of … The Fifth Dimension

Through twists and turns of love, from cleverly hidden changes to sudden stepped surprises, drawing from last week’s topic, guest philipphilip99 moves us through the emotional keys with two perfect playlists that illustrate this songwriting skill

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In avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, instrumentals, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, key changes, songwriting, REM, Elton John, Mina, Beyonce, The Beatles, paul simon, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Linda Lewis, The Fifth Dimension, Jimmy Webb, Tommy Roe, The Ventures, Talking Heads, Petula Clark, Berlin (band), Coldplay, Super Furry Animals, Portishead, Booker T and the MGs, Boston, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Belinda Carlisle, Bros, philipphilip99
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

pint of guinness

SNACK OF THE WEEK

Bacon and egg ice cream (Heston Blumenthal style)

New Albums …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mar 13, 2026
ELIZA - The Darkening Green.jpeg
Mar 11, 2026
ELIZA: The Darkening Green
Mar 11, 2026

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

Mar 11, 2026
Irreparable Parables by Andrew Wasylyk.jpeg
Mar 11, 2026
Andrew Wasylyk: Irreparable Parables
Mar 11, 2026

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

Mar 11, 2026
waterbaby - Memory Be A Blade.jpeg
Mar 10, 2026
waterbaby: Memory Be A Blade
Mar 10, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mar 9, 2026

new songs …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mar 9, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
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Mar 12, 2026
Word of the week: wallfish
Mar 12, 2026

Word of the week: It sounds like the singing finned picture ornament Big Mouth Billy Bass that became popular in the late 1990s, but this is a much older noun, derived in Somerset, England, pertains to the climbing gastropod that can slowly climb up any surface

Mar 12, 2026
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Feb 25, 2026
Word of the week: xiphias
Feb 25, 2026

Word of the week: Get the point? This is the scientific name for the swordfish, in full Xiphias gladius (from the Greek and Latin for sword), that extraordinary sea creature with the long, pointy bill. But what of it in song?

Feb 25, 2026
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Feb 12, 2026
Word of the week: yanggeum
Feb 12, 2026

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

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

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

Jan 22, 2026
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Jan 8, 2026
Word of the week: aspectabund
Jan 8, 2026

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

Jan 8, 2026
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