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Playlists: songs that reference David Bowie

April 1, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Bowie in reference …

Comedy songs to Major Tom, Ziggy to Thin White Duke, all the way to Blackstar, his sheer inventive influence extends across musical time and space. Inspired by last week’s topic, big Bowie fan Vikingchild takes us on a wonderfully entertaining journey of range and reference

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In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, disco, easy listening, dance, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, krautrock, metal, music, lounge, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags David Bowie, Isabelle Adjani, Built To Spill, Lloyd Cole, Bongwater, Ian Hunter, LCD Soundsystem, Manic Street Preachers, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Elton Motello, Momus, Peter Schilling, Lana Del Rey, Def Leppard, Plastic Bertrand, William Shatner, Barclay James Harvest, Five Star, A Perfect Circle, Flight of the Conchords, Chris Hadfield, Marizane, Pet Shop Boys, Bauhaus, David J, VikingChild
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Olympic winners or losers? Songs about or featuring national anthems

July 25, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Allons enfants! It’s time for those anthems, but with a deeper look, as the Paris Olympics opens and celebrates its centenary

As the 2024 Paris Olympics opens, we examine the strange nature of the national anthem, for better or worse, not merely in versions thereof, but also songs and works which feature clips or renditions, or lyrically reference or talk about the concept itself even in more general terms

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, 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 national anthems, songs, playlists, Paris, Ocean Vuong, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Connolly, Lana Del Rey, Lyle Lovett, Dave Barry, John Bull, BBC, La Marseillaise, Casablanca, Film, Jeremy Bentham, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, William Blake, Hubert Parry, The White Stripes, Jack White, New Zealand, Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror, John William Fenton, Japan, Yoshiisa Oku, Akimori Hayashi, South Africa, Nelson Mandela, Johnny Carson, Roseanne Barr, Hugh Jackman, Tommie Smith, Chris Hoy, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Giuseppi Verdi, Mozart
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Playlists: songs about football

May 29, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Poetry in motion: Edson Arantes do Nascimento, aka the great Pelé, 1968

Goals, glories, disasters, fanfare and failure, from the great players to local heroes, and all the ups and downs of the sport, after a superb game of nominations, guest manager Loud Atlas picks and pitches perfect formations with playlists inspired by last week’s topic, but who is on the teamsheet? Check it out …

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Tags songs, playlists, football, soccer, sport, Match of the Day, Barry Stoller, New Order, Wilson Simonal, Billy Bragg, Half Man Half Biscuit, I, I Ludicrous, C Tangana, Amy MacDonald, Matt McGinn, Grupo Fundo De Quintal, Alfredo Zitarrosa, Edric Connor, Vaudeville Smash, Les Murray, Manchester United, Zinedine Zidane, Giacomo Puccini, Luciano Pavarotti, Mike Vickers, The London Stadium Orchestra, The Bouncing Souls, Rodrigo, Richard Dawson, Don Fardon, Cockney Rejects, The Hitchers, Megson, UB40, Scientist, Neba Solo, On the Huh, The Fall, Ed Banger, The Lightning Seeds, David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, Collapsed Lung, Dario G, Los Ramblers, Lana Del Rey, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs featuring superlatives

April 23, 2024 Peter Kimpton

A top shot at songcraft … LDR

Sweetest, biggest, baddest, punniest, funniest, spinniest, dreamiest, wooziest? Many more most ‘ests’ feature this week in the very best of superlative selections by guest playlister Uncleben, taking the very best shot from last week’s many nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, superlatives, language, George Olsen, Dilated Peoples, The House of Love, Nickel Creek, Jesus & Mary Chain, David Childers, The Modern Don Juans, Utah Phillips, Ani di Franco, Garbage, Christophe Maé, REM, Charlie Rich, Lana Del Rey, Sarah Vaughan, Aswad, The Wild Swans, David Bowie, Clifford Jordan, No-No Boy, Rare Bird, Barry Brown, McCarthy, Gene Clark, The Kane Gang, Weyes Blood, Jockstrap, Uncleben
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Playlists: songs about taking recreational and illicit drugs

June 7, 2023 Peter Kimpton

The Stooges: possibly under the influence …

Coke, speed, heroin, acid? It’s all in circulation, from trippy and frenzied highs to comedown chillouts and lows, here in colourful, mesmeric playlists picked by guest MussoliniHeadkick from last week’s many nominations, you’ll find it all extremely stimulating .…

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In African, avant-garde, blues, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady Tags songs, playlists, drugs, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, acid, LSD, Godfrey, The Other Half, The Seeds, The Shamen, Primal Scream, African Head Charge, Gil Scott-Heron, Lana Del Rey, Wet Leg, The Stooges, Nine Inch Nails, Dead Can Dance, Mary Lou Lord, Wayne Smith, Black Uhuru, Welton Irie, Ofefonken, Suede, Sisters of Mercy, Canned Heat, Hawkwind, Placebo, Fun Lovin' Criminals, The Warlocks, MussoliniHeadkick
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Playlists: songs with notable outros and codas

April 4, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Seamlessly beautiful ending: boygenius aka Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers

From the seamlessly beautiful to the outrageously expansive, the gently whispered to the incendiary solo freakout, where do you start with great outros? From the beginning to the end (of the end), AmyLee picks a blistering selection from last week’s topic nominations

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In avant-garde, blues, country, experimental, electronica, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, rock, soul, songs Tags songs, playlists, codas, outros, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Rolling Stones, Jacksoul, The Beatles, boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Olivia Chaney, Lana Del Rey, Richard Hawley, New Order, Velvet Underground, The Beach Boys, Ride, Yes, The Stranglers, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Hallquist, The Move, Strawberry Children, Abba, Cowboy Junkies, Roxy Music, Television (band), Microdisney, Garolou, Echo and the Bunnymen, Fad Gadget, The Guess Who, The Decemberists, Jackie Leven, King Creosote, Oasis, David Bowie, The Race Marbles, Stevie Wonder, Ice-T, System Of A Down, GBH, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Smiths, The Bevis Frond, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs about butterflies and moths

March 15, 2023 Peter Kimpton

This week’s topic attracted a rainbow range of music and lyrics

Multi-coloured and international, from caterpillars to these winged insects in their full glory and the beauty, tragedy and majesty that they represent, all are captured in beautiful playlists gathered by guest Severin from last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, rock, reggae, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, butterflies, moths, insects, Leyanis Lopez, Screaming Trees, Sarah Vaughan, Hal Mooney, Cocteau Twins, Fiona Burnett, Deniece Williams, The Verve, Dolly Parton, Tio, Free Design, The Cure, Terry Callier, Talvin Singh, Wagakki Band, Sandrine Piau, George Brassens, Charlie Gracie, Za Pinattsu / The Peanuts, The Cinnamon Ship, Pink Martini, Hitsujibungaku, Lole y Manuel, Mercury Rev, Aimee Mann, Gal Costa, Chaka Kahn, Mallrat, Procol Harum, Giacomo Puccini, Ying Huang, Lana Del Rey, Caroline Polachek, Audioslave, Blonde Redhead, The Incredible String Band, Lucinda Williams, Great Lake Swimmers, Kevin Ayers, Richard Thompson, severin, Severin
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Playlists: songs that give you goosebumps

January 10, 2023 Peter Kimpton

The inner beast: Sinéad O’Connor

Was it the music, the voice, the lyrics, or all three? In a truly hair-raising (in the all the right ways) opener to 2023, guest playlister Maki creates two superbly shivery and inspiring lists from a wide choice of possibilities from last week’s topic

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In African, classical, drone, dub, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, jazz, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, psychedelia, reggae, rock, songs, ska, soul, soundtracks, traditional, blues Tags songs, playlists, goosebumps, Lana Del Rey, Nick Cave, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Sevdaliza, Mozart, Marian Anderson, JS Bach, Jacques Brel, Ana Moura, David Essex, Sinead O'Connor, Hem, The Pretenders, The Clash, FKA Twigs, The Congos, Lucy Dacus, The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Collage, Propaganda, Kathleen Battle, Wynton Marsalis, The Stranglers, Macy Gray, Maki
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Playlists: songs about the invisible and unseen

May 31, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Part hidden: one of this week’s artists revealed …

What is revealed? From cloaks of invisibility to unseen superpowers, mysterious animals or scents to the people who are never spotted, guest playlister Noodsy picks some outstanding songs that are truly out of sight but well in earshot

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, invisibility, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Mik Artistik's Ego Trip, Frost*, Leon Rosselson, Robb Johnson, Curtis Mayfield, The Twilight Sad, Seckou Keita, Sonic Youth, Céu, Electrelane, Rosanne Cash, Radiohead, Ornette Coleman, The Apples, The Misunderstood, Keen, Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke, 1000 Homo DJs, Michael Penn, Stromae, Lana Del Rey, Hannah Peel, The Mountain Goats, Steel Pulse, Underworld, Noodsy
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Playlists: songs that reference fairytales

April 26, 2022 Peter Kimpton

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

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

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

February 15, 2022 Peter Kimpton

What goes around …

Record players and vinyl, cassettes and stereo systems, 8-tracks, radios and cassettes, this week we’ve got it taped on every format as guest MussoliniHeadkick spins superb playlists inspired by nominations from last week’s topic

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In avant-garde, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, metal, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags music technology, turntables, stereo systems, cassettes, vinyl, Flanders and Swann, Todd Snider, Ben Lee, The dB's, Stereolab, Corinne Bailey Rae, Criminal Element Orchestra, Supergrass, Reggae Roast, Brian Setzer, LL Cool J, Big Audio Dynamite, Billy Childish, Bow Wow Wow, Darren Hayman, Slade, Hall & Oates, The Ramones, Aerosmith, Cliff Richard, Dub Syndicate, Lana Del Rey, Misty's Big Adventure, This Poison!, Nurse With Wound, MussoliniHeadkick
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Not just 45s: songs about being single

August 26, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Greta Garbo - a singular inspiration for many a song

Greta Garbo - a singular inspiration for many a song

Welcome to the special Song Bar Singles Night, where, with the help of many special guests who chat freely on the subject, we seek songs on the ups and downs of the single state, from loneliness to blissful solitude, dating and even giving yourself a helping hand …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, hip hop, gospel, funk, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, metal, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, being single, solitude, Charles Bukowski, Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand, Mae West, Jean-Paul Sartre, Oscar Wilde, Woody Allen, animals, Greta Garbo, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Thomas Hardy, Louisa May Alcott, Orson Welles, Henry David Thoreau, Lana Del Rey, Maya Angelou, William Blake, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas De Quincey, Martin Buber, Alex Karate, Christina Aguilera, Sue Grafton, Voltaire, Gloria Steinem, Chuck Palahniuk, Julie Delpy, Zsa Zsa Gabor, William Carlos Williams, Billy Idol, Katy Perry, Audrey Hepburn, Cyndi Lauper, Lily Tomlin, Christopher Hampton, George Carlin, Milos Forman, Sigmund Freud
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Playlists: songs about wheels

February 2, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Long exposure: who is spinning this ferris and other records for the playlists?

Long exposure: who is spinning this ferris and other records for the playlists?

Rolling in with a big, beautiful range of rotating artists and contexts, sounds and genres, guest playlister ParaMhor spins a lovely selection of discs picked from a multiple revolutions nominated from last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, dub, disco, electronica, experimental, funk, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, reggae, rock, punk, ska, soul, songs, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, wheels, Milan Kundera, The Doors, Steely Dan, Michael Kiwanuka, Bunny Wailer, Ike and Tina Turner, SOHN, Andrew Beaujon, The Limiñanas, I Am Kloot, Crowded House, Mia Shard, Billy Strayhorn, Kay Davis, Mark Lanegan, Tori Amos, Sugar Minott, Charlie Chaplin, Jane Siberry, Gabor Szabo, Brian Eno, Lord Flea and the Jamaican Calypsonians, ELO, The Parking Lot, Nick Garrie, The Electric String Band, BØRNS, Lana Del Rey, John Martyn, Erik Truffaz, Pet Shop Boys, Bobbie Gentry, ParaMhor
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Playlists: songs with insults and sentiments that may offend

October 7, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Frank Zappa and the body beautiful

Frank Zappa and the body beautiful

Men, women, babies, society, people of statue, stardom or otherwise, this week no one escapes this week’s scattergun of superbly insulting songs inspired by last week’s topic, chosen with expert evil hilarity by guest Olive Butler

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In African, avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks, showtime Tags songs, playlists, insults, offensive material, Betty Davis, Fela Kuti, The Rolling Stones, Ceelo Green, Lana Del Rey, Ben Folds, Frank Zappa, Robyn Hitchcock, Morrissey, The Fall, Terminal Heads, Half Man Half Biscuit, John Cooper Clarke, Braindance, Chumbawamba, Ian Dury, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Mojo Nixon, NIck Lowe, The Jam, Richard Thompson, Steeleye Span, Randy Newman, They Might Be Giants, Adam Green, Machine Gun Fellatio, The Tiger Lillies, Olive Butler
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Playlists: songs about Hollywood

April 22, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Who will the musical spotlight hover over tonight?

Who will the musical spotlight hover over tonight?

It’s time to break out the popcorn, sit back and soak up the soundtrack of multiple movies and stories, hopes and dreams below those famous hills, perfectly projected from many nominations by guest director, philipphilip99

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In classical, blues, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks, postpunk, ska Tags songs, playlists, Hollywood, Film, film soundtrack, Eryka Badu, Guy Clark, Loudon Wainwright III, The Everly Brothers, Lana Del Rey, Brigitte Fontaine, Bob Seger, Screen 3, Terry Callier, Jenny Lewis, Codeine Velvet Club, Billy Joel, Frank Zappa, Father's Children, Don Henley, Puppini Sisters, The Puppini Sisters, Jon English, Thin Lizzy, Dory Previn, Jackie De Shannon, The Miracles, Ariel Pink, Father John Misty, Sleater-Kinney, Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra, philipphilip99
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Try putting this down: songs with self-deprecation

March 12, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Can’t put down. The self-deprecating Keanu Reeves walks the street absorbed in The Government Inspector

Can’t put down. The self-deprecating Keanu Reeves walks the street absorbed in The Government Inspector

Humorous or serious? Self-defence mechanism, attention-seeking, of self-aggrandisement? This week’s lyric topic is richly nuanced, ironic, and covers a range of emotions, often fuelled by love and ambition, tempered by self-belittling

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, irony, self-deprecation, lyrics, psychology, depression, Woody Allen, Oscar Wilde, Joan Rivers, Carrie Fisher, Leonard Cohen, Keanu Reeves, Vincent Van Gogh, Bob Monkhouse, Jarvis Cocker, Jeffrey Lewis, Neil Hannon, The Divine Comedy, Marika Hackman, Lana Del Rey, Alan Bennett, Philip Larkin, Franz Kafka, Richard Pryor, Groucho Marx, Mordecai Richler, Mark Twain, Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, Vladimir Nabokov, Charles Schulz, Peanuts, Mark Hamill, Star Wars, The Muppets, Kermit The Frog, Rudolph Nureyev, Paul Whitehouse, The Fast Show, XTC, Sam Cooke, Paul McCartney, Wings, The Beatles, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Neil Innes
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Playlists: songs with great arrangements

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

Sketching out … Miles Davis and Gil Evans

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

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, rock, showtime, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, musical arrangements, Beethoven, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Cilla Black, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Van Dyke Parks, Chico Buarque, Focus, Earth Wind & Fire, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Dan Hartman, Rufus Wainwright, Maurice Ravel, George Gershwin, A.R. Rahman, FKA Twigs, The Band, Glen Miller, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Spirit, Tower Of Power, Quincy Jones, Propaganda, Murcof, Nick Drake, John Hartford, June Tabor and the Oyster Band, Voice Squad, Dionne Warwick, Andy Williams, Joe Gibbs & The Professionals, Glenn Miller, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Lana Del Rey, magicman
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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
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
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Nov 23, 2025
Song of the Day: These New Puritans - The Other Side
Nov 23, 2025

Song of the Day: A delicate, tender, and unusually minimalist single, their first since this year’s acclaimed album Crooked Wing, by the Southend-on-Sea-born Barnett twins, here with Jack on improvised piano and George on drums and a soprano register wordless vocal, out on Domino Records

Nov 23, 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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