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Playlists: songs about fingers and thumbs

May 14, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Everything Everywhere All At Once … but in which direction do this week’s song choices point?

With a digital delivery stretching many fascinating directions and contexts, this week’s guest playlister ajostu finds his touch with all sorts of musical and lyrical fingersmithing and thumb skills, inspired by last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, gospel, krautrock, lounge, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, fingers, thumbs, hands, The Creatures, Silver Apples, Jackie Leven, Editors, Black Francis, Ruby, Phyllis DIllon, Danny Kaye, Abba, Thomas Lang, Cult With No Name, Cocteau Twins, Crowded House, Lucy Dacus, Pearl Jam, Dorothy Ashby, Hiatus Kaiyote, The Eleventh House, Larry Coryell, The Choice Four, Donna Summer, Airto, Frank Zappa, John Lee Hooker, Wes Montgomery, Clarion Fracture Zone, Maurice Ravel, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jean Martinon, Claude Debussy, Elephant Gym, Radwimps, ajostu
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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 featuring finger-clicking, toe-tapping and foot-stomping

June 26, 2024 Peter Kimpton

The fabulous Nicholas Brothers

Foot stomping and clogging to the click of fingers, flamenco and castanets, these playlists, picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic, take a tour of the world from Canada to Mexico, Spain to Japan, with music that’s right on tap

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, rock, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, dance, Billy Joel, Bonnie Milsap, Sudan Archives, The Dead South, Home Free, Embrujo Mestizo, Carmina Quartet, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Hello, The STRiPES, La Bottine Souriante, TEKEYÉ, Sofia Rei, Geri Allen, Timeline, Glenn Miller, Dorothy Dandridge, The Nicholas Brothers, Farru, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Flares, Dave Clark Five, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Bonnie St Clair, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, The Honeycombs, Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard, Diana Ross, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kak Channthy, Cambodian Space Project, Joe Henderson, John Lee Hooker, Rocio Molina, La Tremendita, Ibeyi, Clyde McPhatter, Lalela Cape Town Choir, Body Avlaia Group, Frederick Ashton, The Royal Ballet, Rosalia, Lancashire Wallopers, James Blunt, Duke Ellington, Don Dixon, Babukisi Arts Group, The Dovells, Wanda Richert, Herb Albert, The Tijuana Brass, Logreybeam, The Tymes, Doug and the Slugs, Selena Ryder, Riverdance, Marco den Ouden
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Playlists: songs with tautonyms and other repeat-word phrases

May 1, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Record bags: That Damned’s 7-inch sleeve from 1977

Echoing syllables and words across history, the animal kingdom, cultures and genres, this poetic linguistic effect brought a bountiful and vibrant supply of nominations. Guest playlister Maki picks a poetic selection to capture their glory

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, indie, jazz, krautrock, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags language, playlists, tautonyms, The Archies, Abba, Gillian Hills, The Milkees, Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads, Dub Syndicate, Burning Spear, A Taste of Honey, Talk Talk, Teenage Fanclub, The Damned, Los Bárbaros, Rihanna, Django Reinhardt, Erik Truffaz, Philou Louzolo, Coole Joe, Elivira, Tinariwen, Touki, Soraya, Erykah Badu, Scooter, The Grateful Dead, A Certain Ratio, The Jamaicans, Miriam Makeba, The Delfonics, Fox, Goldfrapp, Otis Redding, Jacques Brel, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Joe Strummer, King Crimson, Iggy Pop, John Lee Hooker, Rockin' Sydney, Middle of The Road, The Mamas and Papas, Dicky Doo and The Don'ts, Baby Ford, Cab Calloway, Fela Kuti, The Undertones, The Stranglers, Fruko y Sus Tesos, Bebe, Maki, Celia & The Mutations
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Playlists: songs with music as nutrition

August 3, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens: undeniably beneficial

Some music feels so good you can just eat it. With a whole shopping spree of tasty ingredients and treats about the nutritious benefits of song, guest of the week ParaMhor prepares a three-course meal that’s bound to boost your health

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In African, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, health, food, psychology, Elvis Presley, Junior Senior, Buddy Holly, Mahlathini, The Mahotella Queens, The Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Heptones, Kate Bush, Cornershop, Toots and the Maytals, Billy Bragg, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Samantha Crain, Billy Joel, Cannonball Adderley, The Controllers, Sly & The Family Stone, The Chameleons, Mr Scruff, Steel Pulse, John Lee Hooker, Stanley Brinks and the Wave Pictures, Alasdair Roberts, The Doobie Brothers, Sault, Gillian Welch, Louis Armstrong, ParaMhor, Igor Stravinsky, Maya Angelou, Stanley Brinks, The Wave Pictures
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Playlists: songs about the rhythm, beat or boogie

August 26, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Grace Jones swings it …

Grace Jones swings it …

Three keywords that have inspired legions of songs from disco to reggae, pop to hip hop, blues to rock and more. Guest AmyLee compiles a sequence of brilliant beating heart playlists that refer to them all from huge wave of nominations

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In African, blues, dance, country, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, rock, reggae, punk, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, rhythm, beat, boogie, The Go-Go's, Blur, Van Der Graaf Generator, Mott The Hoople, Serge Gainsbourg, Madonna, DeBarge, Us3, Peter Broggs, Grace Jones, A Tribe Called Quest, Bomb The Bass, The Rolling Stones, Kool & The Gang, John Lee Hooker, Sonny and Cher, Stone Poneys, The Happenings, The Cascades, Mark Kozelek, Slapp Happy, Electronic, The Cro-Magnons, A.D.O.R., Salt-N-Pepa, Public Enemy, Mantronix, The Slits, Betty Davis, Willie Mitchell, Major Lance, Thin Lizzy, Little Feat, Happy Mondays, Lou Reed, The Clash, Parliament, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, AmyLee
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Hear, hit or blame? Songs that lyrically refer to rhythm, beat or boogie

August 20, 2020 Peter Kimpton
They get down and do it. Earth, Wind and Fire your inspiration …

They get down and do it. Earth, Wind and Fire your inspiration …

You got it, get down on it, it goes on, maybe it’s a wonderland or perhaps there’s blame pinned on it. This week we’re seeking songs where in whatever genre, in lyrics, one or more of these words are spoken, shouted or sung

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, musical hall, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Maya Angelou, Henry David Thoreau, John Lee Hooker, Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine, Peter Gabriel, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Earth Wind & Fire, Albert Ammons, Clarence PInetop Smith, Rosie Perez, Peter J Silvester, Jerry Lee Lewis, Louis Jordan, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Mose Allison, Jimmy Yancey, Meade Lux Lewis, Igor Stravinsky, Yehudi Menuhin, Gabrielle Roth, Edith Wharton, Dame Edith Sitwell, Nelly Mazioum, George Crumb, Charles Dickens, Bjork, Jimi Hendrix, Dr John, Ken Burns, Casey Kasem, Van Morrison, Ike Turner, Johnny Otis, Eric B & Rakim
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Playlist: songs about maps

May 20, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Look closely and you’ll see why this is a special  guide to the first song …

Look closely and you’ll see why this is a special guide to the first song …

From a suggestive Welsh mount all the way to Texas, from India to getting lost on a London A to Z, guest playlister George Boyland takes us on a personal route, inspired by many more nominations on last week’s topic

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In blues, comedy, country, disco, folk, funk, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, maps, cartography, Half Man Half Biscuit, Deke Leonard, Frightened Rabbit, family, John Lee Hooker, The Jam, Polyphemus, Shonen Knife, Freya Ridings, Michael Chapman, George Boyland
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Playlists: songs about trust

December 18, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Lotte Lenya

Lotte Lenya

Sometimes you can believe, yet it doesn’t work out. But sometimes it does. This week it has, at least through hundreds of brilliant song nominations, and playlists equal that by guest Severin, spanning genres, mood and eras

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In blues, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, trust, William Shakespeare, George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Pullman, Mildred Bailey, Fine Young Cannibals, Lotte Lenya, Nine Inch Nails, Karine Polwart, Inspiral Carpets, John Cooper Clarke, Rocco Deluca, Susheela Raman, Jimmy Cliff, Blues Traveler, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Chemical Brothers, Etta James, John Lee Hooker, Billy Bragg, Barbara West, Murray Head, The Wedding Present, Little Feat, The Versatiles, Suzi Quatro, The Tymes, Steve Forbert, Culture, Susanne Sundfør, Neil Young, RIchie Havens, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Anti Establishment, Postmodern Jukebox, Caroline Baran, Ann Peebles, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, JS Bach, Sam Cooke
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Thumbs up: catch songs about hitchhiking

June 27, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Where to?

Where to?

It’s time to give us all a lift, not only emotionally, but as Song Bar bus sets off on a road trip, picking up all sorts of musicians and other artists, in a quest to find for stories about hitching experiences – good, bad, scary or heartwarming

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In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, hitchhiking, road songs, Janis Joplin, Vincent Gallo, John Waters, WH Auden, Kenneth Grahame, Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, books, Film, art, John Steinbeck, Charles Dickens, Stephen King, Tony Hawks, Serge Oldenburg, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Brownie McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knopfler, Phil Brown, Hunter S. Thompson, Jackie Lomax, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Marvin Gaye, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson, Eminem, Lou Reed, Ruth Weiss, Bjork, Ursula K. Le Guin, Warren Zevon, Mama Cass Elliot, The Mamas and Papas, Kris Kristofferson, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Les Paul, John Cage, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Beatles, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, John Sayles, Terry Gilliam, Claudette Colbert, Clark Cable, Rutger Hauer, Tom Robbins, Tom Waits
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Playlists: songs about the lost and found

June 26, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Finding Julian? More than one saint is involved this week …

Finding Julian? More than one saint is involved this week …

On a mission for the missing to a feast of the found, from the divine inspiration of last week’s nominations, guest guru Maki turns to to more than one source of saintly wisdom to help ‘cope’ with choosing two supreme playlists

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In avant-garde, dance, country, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, lost, found, saints, martyrs, Tom Waits, Regina Spektor, Steel Pulse, Julian Cope, Richard Hawley, Christine and the Queens, Pepé Kallé, Nyboma, The Cramps, White Lies, Ballboy, Fugazi, Barrington Levy, The Waterboys, The Fiery Furnaces, John Lee Hooker, Babyshambles, Lorraine Silver, Ketama, Toumani Diabate, Jose Soto, Sade, Lisa Stanfield, Argentina (music artist)
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Just keep on dancing: songs about staying and remaining

July 19, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Last four couples in a 1930s dance marathon

Last four couples in a 1930s dance marathon

We’re not leaving, but showing endurance, fortitude and steadfastness. There’s a whole lot of staying power going on in this week’s topic, from physical to mental strength …

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags Songs, playlists, staying, remaining, staying power, stamina, Christopher Marlowe, Neil Tennant, Pet Shop Boys, Dolly Parton, Sly & The Family Stone, Oliver Reed, Brexit, Mick Jones, The Clash, evolution, Sir David Attenborough, biology, history, Film, Stephen Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Neil Peart, John Lee Hooker, Martin Freeman, Sherlock Holmes, The Hobbit, Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac, The New York Dolls, Terry Pratchett, Patrick Swayze, Al Green, The Bee Gees
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Playlists: songs featuring honorific titles

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

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

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

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In classical, country, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, reggae, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags Ty Segall, Slapp Happy, The Shadows, Jake Thackray, Professor Longhair, Katzenjammer, Pink Floyd, Pentangle, The Techniques, Bill Evans Trio, The Clash, Colleen Hewitt, Rich Kids, Jacques Brel, John Lee Hooker, Billie Holiday, The Wankys, Veda Hille, Paul McCartney, Gene Chandler, Gillian Welch, Edith Piaf, The Fall, The Unthanks, Kass Kass, Olivia Chaney, Offa Rex, Severin
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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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Don't fret about the riff: it's songs about guitars

November 2, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Prince. His guitar was a symbol of so many things …

Prince. His guitar was a symbol of so many things …

Thrum! This week let's pluck out out songs that mention guitars in lyrics or title, whether electric, acoustic or bass, and what role or meaning they have – companion, inspiration, religion, weapon, language or more

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In blues, classical, folk, indie, metal, music, punk, rock Tags songs, lyrics, guitars, bass guitars, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Niccolò Paganini, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, Angus Young, Johnny Marr, The Smiths, Brian May, Queen, Dick Dale, Jeff Beck, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Chuck Berry, The Kinks, Chet Atkins, Fender, Gretsch, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Martin Guitars, Danelectro, Les Paul, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Joan Jett, St Vincent, Siouxsie Sioux, Courtney Love, Quincy Jones, Suzi Quatro, Kite Base, Kendra Frost, Savages, Ayse Hassan, Talking Heads, Tina Weymouth, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Dave Gilmour, Pink Floyd, Andrés Segovia, Slash, Jeff Buckley, Lou Reed, Richie Sambora, Pete Seeger, David Bowie, Metallica, James Hetfield, Hugh Laurie, BB King, blues, metal, rock, folk, John Lee Hooker, Kurt Cobain, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, Richard Thompson, Paul Weller, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Sonic Youth, George Benson, Paco de Lucia, The Stone Roses, Chris Squire, Wilko Johnson
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Playlists: songs about lust

July 13, 2016 Peter Kimpton
Patti Smith. Why? Because …

Patti Smith. Why? Because …

Heavy breath to throbbing riff, finger exercise to femme fatale, this week's selection by guest writer AmyLee from last week's big bulge of nominations will leave you hot under more than the collar

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In music, playlists, songs Tags Songs, lust, sex, relationships, The Cramps, Jesus & Mary Chain, James, Divinyls, Queens of the Stone Age, Derek and the Dominoes, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, Nick Cave, Femme en Fourrure, Akua Naru, Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg, Alice Cooper, Plasmatics, Rammstein, The Stranglers, Wade Flemons, Sam and Dave, Andre Williams, Morphine, Happy Mondays, New Model Army, The Stems, Bruce Springsteen, The Temperance Movement, Millie Jackson, Steeleye Span, The Rolling Stones, AmyLee, Led Zeppelin
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

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New Albums …

Featured
Spíra by Ólöf Arnalds.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Ólöf Arnalds: Spíra
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A gorgeous, delicate, ethereal first release in a decade by the Icelandic singer-songwriter, acoustic instruments and her gentle, high, pure voice, all in her native language, caressing this listening experience like pure waters of some slowly trickling glacial stream

Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber - Unclouded.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber: Unclouded
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A fourth album, here full of delicious uplifting, dreamily chic, psychedelic soul pop by the French musician Melody Prochet, with bright, upbeat, optimistic numbers and a title lifted from a quote by the acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, about achieving equilibrium

Dec 5, 2025
Devotion & The Black Divine by anaiis.jpeg
Dec 2, 2025
anaiis: Devotion & The Black Divine
Dec 2, 2025

New album: Following a summer Song of the Day - Deus Deus, a review of the autumn release and third LP by the London-based French-Senegalese singer-songwriter of resonantly beautiful, dynamic, sensual soul, gospel, R&B and experimental and chamber pop, with themes of new motherhood, uncertainty, religion, self-love and acceptance

Dec 2, 2025
De La Soul - Cabin In The Sky.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
De La Soul: Cabin In The Sky
Nov 26, 2025

New album: The hip-hop veterans return with their first without, yet including the voice of, and a tribute to, founding member Trugoy the Dove, AKA Dave Jolicoeur who passed away in 2023, alongside many hip-hop luminary guests, with trademark playful skits, and all themed around the afterlife

Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats- Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats: Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan
Nov 26, 2025

New album: An evocative musical journey of a concept album by the indie-folk band from Claremont, California, fronted by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, based on a dream of his in 2023 about a voyage to a fictional island by the titular captain, charting adventure, wonder and tragedy

Nov 26, 2025
Allie X - Happiness Is Going To Get You.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
Allie X: Happiness Is Going To Get You
Nov 26, 2025

New album: A hugely entertaining, witty, droll, inventive, chamber and synth-pop fourth LP with a goth twist by the charismatic and theatrical Canadian artist Alexandra Hughes, who brings paradox and dark themes through sounds that include string quartet, harpsichord, classical and pure pop piano with killer lyrics

Nov 26, 2025
Tortoise - Touch.jpeg
Nov 25, 2025
Tortoise: Touch
Nov 25, 2025

New album: A welcome return with a cinematic and mesmeric groove-filled first studio LP in nine years, and the eighth over all by the eclectic Chicago post-rock/jazz/krautrock multi-instrumentalists Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire and Jeff Parker

Nov 25, 2025
What of Our Nature by Haley Heynderickx, Max García Conover.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover: What of Our Nature
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Beautiful, precise, poignant and poetic new folk numbers inspired by the life and music style of Woody Guthrie as the Portland, Oregon and New Yorker, now Portland, Maine-based singer-songwriters bring a delicious duet album, alternating and sharing songs covering a variety of forever topical social issues

Nov 24, 2025
Tranquilizer by Oneohtrix Point Never.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Oneohtrix Point Never: Tranquilizer
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Ambient, otherworldly, cinematic, mesmeric, and at times very odd, the Brooklyn-based electronic artist and producer Daniel Lopatin returns with a new nostalgia-based concept – constructing tracks from lost-then-refound Y2K CDs of 1990s and early 2000s royalty-free sample electronic sounds

Nov 24, 2025
Iona Zajac - Bang.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Iona Zajac: Bang
Nov 24, 2025

New album: A powerful, stirring, passionate and mature debut LP by the 29-year-old Glasgow-based Scottish singer with Polish and Ukrainian heritage who has toured as the new Pogues singer, and whose alternative folk songs capture raw emotions and the experience of modern womanhood, with echoes of PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Aldous Harding and Lankum

Nov 24, 2025
Austra - Chin Up Buttercup.jpeg
Nov 19, 2025
Austra: Chin Up Buttercup
Nov 19, 2025

New album: This fifth studio LP as Austra by the Canadian classically trained vocalist and composer Katie Stelmanis brings beautiful electronica-pop and dance music, and has a bittersweet ironic title – a caustically witty reference to societal pressure to keep smiling despite a devastating breakup

Nov 19, 2025
Mavis Staples - Sad and Beautiful World.jpeg
Nov 18, 2025
Mavis Staples: Sad and Beautiful World
Nov 18, 2025

New album: A timelessly classy release by the veteran soul, blues and gospel singer and social activist from the Staples Singers, in a release of wonderfully moving and poignant cover versions, beautifully interpreting works by artists including Tom Waits, Curtis Mayfield, Leonard Cohen, and Gillian Welch

Nov 18, 2025
Stella Donnelly - Love and Fortune 2.jpeg
Nov 18, 2025
Stella Donnelly: Love and Fortune
Nov 18, 2025

New album: Finely crafted, stripped back musical simplicity combined with complex melancholic emotions mark out this beautiful, poetic, and deeply personal third folk-pop LP by the Australian singer-songwriter reflecting on the past and present

Nov 18, 2025
picture-parlour-the-parlour-album.jpeg
Nov 17, 2025
Picture Parlour: The Parlour
Nov 17, 2025

New album: Following last year’s EP Face in the Picture, a fabulously stylish, smart, swaggering glam-rock-pop debut LP by the Manchester-formed, London-based band fronted by the impressively raspy, gritty, vibratro delivery of Liverpudlian vocalist and guitarist Katherine Parlour and distinctive riffs from North Yorkshire-born guitar Ella Risi

Nov 17, 2025

new songs …

Featured
Flea - A Plea.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Song of the Day: Flea - A Plea
Dec 5, 2025

Song of the Day: A striking, powerful new single by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist (aka Michael Balzary), who brings a fusion of jazz and spoken word with a fabulous band on an impassioned number about the state of the US in a culture of hatred, social and political tensions, out now on Nonesuch Records

Dec 5, 2025
The Lemon Twigs - I've Got A Broken Heart.jpeg
Dec 4, 2025
Song of the Day: The Lemon Twigs - I've Got A Broken Heart
Dec 4, 2025

Song of the Day: Despite the title, this new double-A single (with Friday I’m Gonna Love You) has a wonderfully uplifting guitar-jangling beauty, with echoes of The Byrds and Stone Roses, but is of course the brilliant 60s and 70s retro sound of the Long Island brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario, out on Captured Tracks

Dec 4, 2025
Alewya - Night Drive.jpeg
Dec 3, 2025
Song of the Day: Alewya - Night Drive (featuring Dagmawit Ameha)
Dec 3, 2025

Song of the Day: A sensual, stylish, dreamy electro-pop single by the striking British singer-songwriter, producer, multidisciplinary artist and model Alewya Demmisse, musically influenced by her rich Ethiopian-Egyptian heritage and early childhood upbringings in Saudi Arabia and Sudan

Dec 3, 2025
Rule 31 Single Artwork.jpg
Dec 2, 2025
Song of the Day: Radio Free Alice - Rule 31
Dec 2, 2025

Song of the Day: Stirring, passionate indie postpunk by the band based in Melbourne, Australia, with echoes of The Cure’s core sound, new wave, and 90s indie-rock influences, and out on Double Drummer

Dec 2, 2025
Sailor Honeymoon - Armchair.jpeg
Dec 1, 2025
Song of the Day: Sailor Honeymoon - Armchair
Dec 1, 2025

Song of the Day: Catchy, punchy, fuzz-guitar indie rock with a droll lyrical delivery and some echoes of Wet Leg come in this new single by the trio from Seoul, South Korea, out on Good Good Records

Dec 1, 2025
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Nov 30, 2025
Song of the Day: Ellie O'Neill - Bohemia
Nov 30, 2025

Song of the Day: A beautiful, poetic finger-picking debut folk single with a mystical, distantly stormy twist by the Dublin-based Irish singer-songwriter from County Meath, out now on St Itch Records

Nov 30, 2025
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Nov 29, 2025
Song of the Day: Danalogue - Sonic Hypnosis
Nov 29, 2025

Song of the Day: A full flavour of future-past with mesmeric, euphoric retro acid house and electronica in this new single by Daniel Leavers, producer and the founding member of The Comet Is Coming and Soccer96, out now on Castles In Space

Nov 29, 2025
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Nov 28, 2025
Song of the Day: Cardinals - Barbed Wire
Nov 28, 2025

Song of the Day: Another striking, passionate, punchy, catchy single by the Irish postpunk/indie-folk-rock band from Cork, heralding their upcoming debut album, Masquerade, out on 13 February via So Young Records

Nov 28, 2025
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Nov 27, 2025
Song of the Day: Frank Popp Ensemble (with Paul Weller) - Right Before My Eyes
Nov 27, 2025

Song of the Day: A strong, soaring, emotive, soulful release by the German artist co-written by British singer and former Jam frontman who here sings and plays guitar, the lyrics about witnessing the increasing injustices and demise of the world, out on Unique Records / Schubert Music Europe

Nov 27, 2025
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Nov 26, 2025
Song of the Day: Tessa Rose Jackson - Fear Bangs The Drum
Nov 26, 2025

Song of the Day: Using a musical metaphor, beautiful, crisply rhythmical, soaring piano and atmospheric indie-pop-folk about facing your fears by the Dutch/British singer-songwriter, heralding her forthcoming new album The Lighthouse, out on 23 January 2026 on Tiny Tiger Records

Nov 26, 2025
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Nov 25, 2025
Song of the Day: Melanie Baker - Sad Clown
Nov 25, 2025

Song of the Day: Catchy, candid, cathartic indie-grunge-pop by the British singer-songwriter from Cumbria in a melancholy but oddly uplifting emotional work-through of depression, love and exhaustion, out now on TAMBOURHINOCEROS

Nov 25, 2025
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Nov 24, 2025
Song of the Day: Holly Humberstone - Die Happy
Nov 24, 2025

Song of the Day: Luxuriant, breathy, femme-fatale dream pop with a dark, southern gothic, Lana del Rey-inspired, live-fast-die-young theme, and stylish video by the 25-year-old British singer-songwriter from Grantham, out on Polydor/Universal

Nov 24, 2025

Word of the week

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

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

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

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

Nov 20, 2025
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Nov 6, 2025
Word of the week: erythrophyll
Nov 6, 2025

Word of the week: A seasonally topical word relating to the the red pigment of tree leaves, fruits and flowers, that appears particularly when changing in autumn, as opposed to the green effect of chlorophyll, from the Greek erythros for red, and phyll for leaves. But what of songs about this?

Nov 6, 2025
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Oct 22, 2025
Word of the week: fennec
Oct 22, 2025

Word of the week: It’s a small pale-fawn nocturnal fox with unusually large, highly sensitive ears, that inhabits from African and Arab deserts areas from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. But has it ever been seen in a song?

Oct 22, 2025
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Oct 9, 2025
Word of the week: gongoozler
Oct 9, 2025

Word of the week: A fabulous old English slang term for someone who tends to stand or sit for long periods staring at the passing of boats on canals, sometimes with a derogatory or at least ironic use for someone who is useless or lazy. But what of songs about this activity and culture?

Oct 9, 2025

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