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

Song Bar

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

Your Custom Text Here

Song Bar

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

Playlists: songs about talent and genius

March 24, 2026 Peter Kimpton

The incomparable Fela Kuti

Famous classical composers to a certain theoretic physicist, as well as a wealth of unusual skilled people, this week guest Loud Atlas takes a sparklingly talented turn picking playlists from from the latest topic and song nominations

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, classical, comedy, country, disco, dance, 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, rhythm and blues, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, talent, talents, Sparks, Sprints, Tony Allen, Hugh Masekela, Fela Kuti, Niña Pastori, Niccolò Paganini, Frédéric Chopin, Kendrick Lamar, John Lee Hooker, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Mozart, Falco, Don Bradman, Len Maurice, Diego Maradona, Manu Chao, Tony Wilson, Mike Garry, Joe Duddell, Courtney-Marie Andrews, Amateur Rappers, The Burning Hell, Bo Diddley, Nina Simone, Tom Tom Club, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Joni Mitchell, Sister Sledge, Salah Ragab, Jorge Ben Jor, João Gilberto, Johnny Cash, Pixies, General Humbert, Mary Black, The Sweet, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, The Decemberists, Alexander Graham Bell, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Benjamin Franklin (scientist), The Replacements, Deborah S. Craig, Gnarls Barkley, Ceelo Green, Danger Mouse, John Clark, The Simpsons, Loud Atlas
Comment

Playlists: comedic songs

January 28, 2026 Peter Kimpton

Heated exchanges: Rita Moreno and Animal of the The Muppets

Silly ballads to battles of the sexes, parodies to social commentary, odd duets and witty wordplay and musical japery, guest jester Marco den Ouden picks a bundle of lyrical and other laughs inspired by last week’s comedic songs theme

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, easy listening, dub, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, krautrock, jazz, lounge, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, comedic songs, comedy, Victoria Wood, Tony Ferrino, Steve Coogan, Bjork, Loudon Wainwright III, Garfunkel And Oates, Riki Lindhome, Kate Micucci, Frankie Howerd, June Whitfield, Rita Moreno, The Muppets, Jacques Dutronc, Val Doonican, Weird Al Jankovic, Groucho Marx, Lonzo & Oscar, The Dubliners, Steve Martin, Billy Idol, Stan Freberg, Bongwater, Tom Lehrer, Kenneth Williams, Bodo Watke, Marti Fisher, Rachmaninov, Igudesman, Joo, Marty Feldman, Father Ted, The Jolly Boys, Tom Waits, Flight of the Conchords, Flanders and Swann, Jimmy Durante, Spike Jones, Bernard Cribbins, Afroman, Lonnie Donegan, Les Dawson, Jane Bond & The Undercover Men, Johnny Cash, Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards, Ross & Sargent, Butthole Surfers, Ray Stevens, Dr Hook, Vivian Stanshall, Cheech & Chong, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Philip Jeays, Cream, Mighty Sparrow, The Mighty Sparrow, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Arrogant Worms, Nicolay Ramm, National Lampoon, Marco den Ouden
Comment

Playlists voting results: songs about popularity

October 8, 2025 Peter Kimpton

The following songs will teach us a few things about popularity, but this film has nothing to do with any of them …

Nominations came, and votes were cast. It’s something dreamed about in school, but can also bite back at you. Love, being in a band, to local or global fame, and its paradoxes, here are the results in playlist form …

Read more
In blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, easy listening, electronica, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, rock, showtime, songs, soundtracks, soul, traditional Tags popularity, playlists, songs, fame, relationships, love songs, The Boswell Sisters, Carl Perkins, Brenda Lee, Lloyd Price, William Bell, John Lennon, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings, The Carpenters, Karen Carpenter, Kirsty MacColl, fiona apple, Sparks, Franz Ferdinand, The Kinks, The Byrds, The Stone Roses, Dobie Gray, Nina Simone, Doris Day, Ariana Grande, Johnny Cash, Jake Thackray, The Move, The Beatles, Colin Blunstone, The Undertones, Living Colour, Skee-Lo, Wham!, George Michael, Bros
Comment

Playlists: songs about social generations

August 13, 2025 Peter Kimpton

A classic from Cole Porter looking at the new generation of his day. See if the pattern repeats below …

From the old Lost to the new lost, Baby Boomers to X, Z, Millennials to Alphas, patterns repeat as one generation looks at the past and future, all captured here superbly spanning selection by guest Severin, picked from last week’s topic

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, ska, showtime, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, generations, society, Desmond Dekker, Portugal. The Man, Raye, Tokyo Jihen, The Who, CMAT, Roots Manuva, Sandi Thom, Arlo Parks, The Indelicates, Cole Porter, Bloodhound Gang, Weyes Blood, Augustus Pablo, Junior Byles, Johnny Cash, Ichiro & Yuka, The Cowsills, The Beach Boys, Rare Earth, Glenn Miller, Bellamy Brothers, Limp Bizkit, Beastie Boys, The Beastie Boys, Sweet Honey In the Rock, Billy Joel, All About Eve, Manic Street Preachers, ANNISOKAY, Expo's Jazz and Joy, Suede, The 5th Dimension, Archie Roach, Caspian, Neneh Cherry, Fatal Microbes, severin, Severin, Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks
Comment

Playlists: songs about trucks and trucking

March 26, 2025 Peter Kimpton

The art of trucking …

It’s a subject dominated by the country & western style, but this nomadic road freight culture is also soundtracked by other styles. Inspired by last week’s topic, Big Wheeled Marco den Ouden takes us on an international truck trip

Read more
In blues, comedy, country, dance, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, trucks, trucking, motor vehciles, film soundtrack, CW McCall, Dave Dudley, The Dandy Warhols, Hoodoo Gurus, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, George Thorogood, Henry Allen, Linda Ronstadt, Junior Brown, Ned & Chris LeDoux, Taj Mahal, Black Uhuru, Not The Nine O'Clock News, Rowan Atkinson, The Wurzels, Denim, Mark Knopfler, Kohei Otomo, Lucky Star, Slim Dusty, Cold Chisel, The Black Sorrows, Slim Newton, Henk Wijngaard, Fred Eaglesmith, Pharis, Jason Romero, Corb Lund, Jonathan Byrd, Commander Cody, The Byrds, Johnny Cash, Mary Gauthier, bread, Blind Boy Fuller, Tom Waits, Jerry Reed, Lil Johnson, Alabama, Red Simpson, Sammy Johns, Merle Haggard, Kathy Mattea, Kip Moore, Hank Snow, The Little Willies, Stompin' Tom Connors, Blondie, Red Sorvine, Marco den Ouden
Comment

Playlists: songs about tickets, passes and invitations

January 22, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Get your AAA passes here to a full musical experience ….

Tickets to travel, alluring invitations to important passes come in all forms, and inspired by last week’s topic nominators, guest inspector Loud Atlas brings you access to all areas of musical enjoyment

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, comedy, 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, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, tickets, playlists, invitations, passes, Quincy Jones, The Marvelettes, The Beatles, Fanny, TootArd, Olivia Rodrigo, Gene Wilder, Film, film soundtrack, Della Reese, Half Man Half Biscuit, The Chats, paul simon, Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Tyrone Davis, Silver Cooks & The Gondoliers, Wendy Waldman, The Magicians, Beck, The Kills, Passport, passports, Tracy Chapman, Big Star, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Cosmo Sheldrake, The Osmonds, Harry Nilsson, Gladys Knight, English Teacher, Loud Atlas
Comment

Playlists: songs about the colour brown

September 4, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Howlin’ Wolf in his prime …

Tinted with the wrong associations and overshadowed by other colours, brown is heavily underrated. But it has a natural beauty and vast range, as shown by these perfect shade of playlists picked by guest Loud Atlas from last week's topic

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, 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, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags brown, colours, playlists, songs, Ken Nordine, Don Cherry, Howlin' Wolf, Jake Thackray, The Po' Ramblin' Boys, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Nick Cave, Glenn Miller, The Corries, Sonny Rollins, Milton Nascimento, D'Angelo, Billy Bragg, Van Morrison, Oscar Brown Jr, Stevie Wonder, Leon Bridges, Kaleidoscope (US), Guy Clark, Los Mocosos, The Purple Gang, Sam & Dave, Lil Hardin Armstrong, India Arie, Brad Paisley, Serge Gainsbourg, Slash, Shonen Knife, Heino, Loudon Wainwright III, Johnny Cash, Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch, Slim Gaillard, Mad Agnes, Loud Atlas
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs about the id, ego and superego

September 27, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Hyde and seek: it wasn’t me, it was him …

Will with the conscious and subconscious play out? Inspired by the theories of Freud, but mostly by all the nominations from last week’s topic, guest picker Loud Atlas presents an engaging inner dialogue explaining his excellent choices

Read more
In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, krautrock, instrumentals, music, musicals, musical hall, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis, psychology, Devo, The Beatles, De La Soul, Landscape, The Chills, Mitski, The Rakes, Moloko, Randy Newman, Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys, Self Esteem, David Bowie, The Damned, Ren, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Skyhooks, Peter Gabriel, Joan Armatrading, The Vaselines, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cramps, Gabby Young and Other Animals, The United States of America (band), The Cranberries, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Tom Lehrer, Daysormay, Ron Moody, Lionel Bart, musicals, Loud Atlas
Comment

Playlists: songs about using your imagination

March 1, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Aldous Harding: intense imagination … about her man

Childhood dreams to grownup fantasy, emotional flowering to practical, creative necessity, this week’s playlists, picked from last week’s topic by guest Shiv Sidecar, perfectly stimulating our brains and ears, cerebrally and musically

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, imagination, Superorganism, Sweet Baboo, Simon & Garfunkel, paul simon, Milton Nascimento, Lupe Fiasco, Jill Scott, Everly Brothers, The Everly Brothers, Aldous Harding, Talking Heads, Wednesday Campanella, Lou Reed, John Cale, Bob Dylan, Peter Blegvad, Everclear, Johnny Cash, Kaleidoscope (US), bread, Crosby Stills & Nash, Okkervil River, Lucinda Williams, Ty Segall, Will Powers, David Bowie, David Werner, Prince, Robert Glasper, H.E.R., Me'Shell NdegéOcello, The Cranberries, Foster The People, Leon Rosselson, The Salvation Army, The Green Pajamas, The Long Ryders, Argosy, The Teardrop Explodes, Swell Maps, Ian Dury, ShivSidecar
Comment

Playlists: songs about memorabilia and souvenirs

January 24, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Visited any of these? Take it to the fridge …

Memories fond to tragic, travel to mementos of lost lovers, all kinds of objects and emotions are on display this week as guest Loud Atlas picks out a colourful and poignant range of objects and songs to spark stories and feelings

Read more
In African, blues, country, comedy, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, souvenirs, memorabilia, travel, merchandise, DIre Straits, Connie Francis, Los Jaivas, Freda Payne, Looking Glass, Charles Mingus, Bryan Ferry, Marianne Faithfull, Procol Harum, Maggie Bell, Jellyfish, Tom Waits, Tommy Collins, George Formby, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Jean-Michel Jarre, Richard Thompson, Django Reinhardt, Donald Fagen, Bob Dylan, The Stylistics, Matt Nathanson, Sam Mangwana, Joyce Grenfell, Johnny Cash, Mischief Brew, Ben Sollee, MC Solaar, Penthouse, Omega One, Barbara Evans, Billy Joel, Loud Atlas
Comment

Playlists: songs about eyewear

July 19, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Musical vision: double-bass player Charlie Haden and friends gets eyes and ears firmly on the topic

Protective sunglasses to corrected vision, what songs are in the frame? They are often about what is hidden, but also what is revealed, especially in love, and guest Marco den Ouden brings everything into focus with fabulous playlists inspired by last week’s topic.

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, reggae, rock, rocksteady, songs, ska, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Film, film soundtrack, She Na Na, 40meter-P, GUMI, Charlie Haden, The Human Hearts, Millie Jackson, Johnny Cash, James McMurtry, Nik Kershaw, BOB, Lupe Fiasco, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, My Morning Jacket, Pedro Guerra, Iggy Pop, The Divine Comedy, Dwight 'Whitey' Pullen, Tracey Ullman, Corey Hart, Run DMC, Estopa, Keen, Neal McCoy, The Vamps, Nick Lucas, Arrogant Worms, Kate Nash, Betty Wright, Mark Lindsay, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Courtney Barnett, Laurie Anderson, Animal Logic, Split Level, Will Smith, The Shadows, Tom Waits, Khruangbin, I Marc 4, Michel Mage, Dave Brubeck, Terry Robb, Richard Thompson, John Carpenter, Alan Howarth, Marco den Ouden
Comment

Playlists: songs about breaking things

April 12, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Breaking news: who will smash through into this week’s playlists and have a ball?

Breaking: it happens suddenly, slowly, in many forms, and places – hearts, minds, bodies, objects, houses, relationships. Guest guru Uncleben picks up the pieces from last week’s many suggestions and puts them together with cracking results

Read more
In African, blues, calypso, country, disco, dance, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, breaking, Fugazi, A Place To Bury Strangers, Fiona Apple, The Radiators From Space, Andrew Bird, Gillian Welch, Dropkick Murphys, Ann Peebles, Mikey Dread, Erasure, The Beach Boys, Kurtis Blow, Dexys Midnight Runners, Johnny Cash, Luke Haines, Prince Alla, The Pretenders, Julia and Company, The Special AKA, Leo Kottke, Old Blind Dogs, Klammer, Mitski, Echo and the Bunnymen, Singers and Players, Alpha Blondy, Uncleben
Comment

Playlists: songs about crowds

December 7, 2021 Peter Kimpton

La Foule: Edith Piaf sings to an enraptured gathering in 1951

Forming an orderly queue or going mob-handed in an unruly bunch, it’s time to join the throng in enjoying these fabulous selections by guest Loud Atlas, picked from an even bigger crowd of numbers from last week’s topic

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, country, classical, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, crowds, society, psychology, Blue Oyster Cult, Joni Mitchell, The Human League, James Taylor, XTC, Edith Piaf, The Jam, The Ink Spots, Little River Band, Betty Everett, bread, Mbongeni Ngema, REM, Regurgitator, Bryan Ferry, The Grateful Dead, Kaiser Chiefs, Alice Donut, The Cramps, The Saw Doctors, Lesley Gore, The Kinks, Johnny Cash, Burning Spear, Ben Folds Five, Kimya Dawson, The Ruts, Mickey Gilley, The Har-You Percussion Group, Ramsey Lewis, Ramsey Trio, Joe Satriani, Tom Odell, Allison Pontier, Ashleigh Frieze, Loud Atlas
Comment

Playlists: songs about nuts and edible seeds

November 30, 2021 Peter Kimpton

Put your hands together for these tasty playlist treats ….

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

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

Wanted, dead or alive: songs about outlaws and rebels

October 28, 2021 Peter Kimpton

The Wild Bunch Gang, with Butch Cassidy, front right, and Harry Longabaugh, aka Sundance Kid, seated left

Catch this if you can. It’s time to stand, or sit, and deliver. Figures real or fictional, outlaws or those against the establishment, or the spirit of rebellion in all forms, let’s explore this primal instinct in myth, romance and fact via story and song

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, outlaws, rebels, Ruth Messinger, Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid, Thomas Jefferson, Emmeline Pankhurst, Uta Hagen, Albert Camus, Indira Gandhi, Frank Herbert, Elvis Presley, Nina Simone, Marlon Brando, Film, film soundtrack, László Benedek, James Dean, Henry Rollins, Quentin Crisp, Ancient Rome, Middle Ages, Jesus Christ, Robin Hood, Piers Plowman, Juraj Jánošík, Jakub Surovec, Oleksa Dovbush, Rózsa Sándor, Schinderhannes, Hans Kohlhase, Dick Turpin, William Plunkett, James MacLaine, Richard Bayes, Katherine Ferrers, Ned Kelly, Peter Carey, Dwight Eisenhower, Jesse James, John Wesley Hardin, Billy The Kid, George Parrott, Bill Doolin, Robert LeRoy Parker, Belle Starr, Peart Hart, Laura Bullion, Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow, Bonnie and Clyde, Thomas Browne, John Waters, Philippe Petit, Joan Jett, Johnny Cash, Michael Franti, El-P, Arthur Miller, Clint Eastwood
Comment

Celestial phenomena: songs about rainbows and the northern lights

September 2, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Aurora borealis in Iceland

Aurora borealis in Iceland

Intangible, evasive, fleeting, precious, in constant flux, a source of awe, excitement, sometimes primal fear, of mythical beauty and infinite moods, hues and colours, its time to capture these celestial miracles in song

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, northern lights, aurora borealis, rainbows, meteorology, Philip Pullman, Jack London, Maya Angelou, Paul Cezanne, Dolly Parton, Mama G, Robert Motherwell, Kyle Hill, Karen Black, Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, Nigel Tisdall, mythology, eskimo culture, Homer, John Milton, John Dryden, Wallace Stevens, Herman Melville, Charles Kingsley, David Vedder, Andy Long, Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony, Matthew Burtner
Comment

Playlists: songs about stereotypes

July 20, 2021 Peter Kimpton
The Specials. A most atypical and brilliant band …

The Specials. A most atypical and brilliant band …

Band member types to black racial stereotyping, standard gender attributes to cultural cliches, this week our guest writer Loud Atlas explores all the standard norms and from a huge choices picks playlists are outstandingly atypical

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags stereotyping, stereotypes, songs, playlists, Thin Lizzy, Peggy Lee, The Specials, Stromae, En Vogue, Maddie & Tae, Matt Andersen, Sylvia Vrethammar, Big Bill Broonzy, Joni Mitchell, Ben Folds, Bobbie Gentry, The Beatles, Kool & The Gang, Flanders and Swann, The Whatnauts, Blur, Johnny Cash, Monty Python, Consolidated, Lord Kitchener, Septic Psychos, The Jam, The Gourds, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Tom Lehrer, Dario G, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Bad Religion, The Book of Mormon, Loud Atlas
Comment

Highs and lows: songs about the tide

March 25, 2021 Peter Kimpton
The tide has brought in John Cooper Clarke …

The tide has brought in John Cooper Clarke …

Highs and lows to ebbs and flows, literal, littoral and metaphorical, specific locations, mudflats and estuaries, wildlife, mudlarking, shorelines and coasts, this week it’s all about the movement of water in and out, and what that is all about

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, tides, coasts, sea, oceans, marine biology, John Cooper Clarke, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Otis Redding, Jim Morrison, Bob Marley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Tommy Cooper, Chaucer, Nova Scotia, Australia, Sir David Attenborough, Thames, mudlarking, beachcombing, King Canute, Henry David Thoreau, Nikola Tesla, Victoria Carless, Sanober Khan, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Dylan Thomas, Shirley Manson, Johnny Cash, Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville
Comment

Letters of note: songs about written correspondence

October 22, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Correspondence captures time, place, culture and emotions …

Correspondence captures time, place, culture and emotions …

Love letters to rejection replies, friendship, work or leisure, written correspondence are the preserved leaves of history, revealing human nature in all its states and culture, but how does it come up in songwriting? Reply here …

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, letters, postcards, correspondence, Lord Byron, John Donne, Emily Dickinson, Blaise Pascal, Thomas Wolfe, David Herbert Donald, Ernest Hemingway, WH Auden, poetry, Tennis (band), William Donaldson, Henry Root, Robert Popper, Robin Cooper, TImewaster Letters, Aphra Behn, John Cleland, Samuel Richardson, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Letters of Note, Shaun Usher, Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, Mozart, Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Jimi Hendrix, Iggy Pop, Mad magazine, Muriel Spark, Virginia Woolf, Lewis Carroll, Spike Milligan, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Charlie Chaplin, Phyllis Theroux, David Nicholls, Sarah Vaughan, Eminem, Linton Kwesi Johnson
Comment
Older Posts →
music_declares_emergency_logo.png

Sing out, act on CLIMATE CHANGE

Black Lives Matter.jpg

CONDEMN RACISM, EMBRACE EQUALITY

No results found

Donate
Song Bar spinning.gif

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
image001 (14).jpg
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

No results found