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It might start with the fingers, but your ears will tell you what makes a great riff
A term coined in the early the 20th century, often played on guitar but also on piano and other instruments, this core, repetitive musical phrase could be even more memorable and catchy than the sung melody. But what riffs have you humming from the last 25 years?
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Stack of 7-inches
Brutally, or mercifully truncated, radio-edited in musical mix or lyrical content, decorously tarted up with orchestra or other instruments, added or deleted solos, made dancier or more ethereal, it’s time to dig up some the contrasting versions that have surprised, delighted or frustrated you
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Slowdive back in the day … but now reaching a new audience
Jazz, classical, acoustic rock to neo-folk, gentle pop and soul to ambient electronica, there’s a whole texture of sounds audible when the bang of drums and other struck percussion are absent. Inspired by last week’s topic, guest Nilpferd brilliantly guides us through a more delicate, nuanced musical experience
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Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Classical to classic pop, rock, folk, African, jazz and beyond, the instrument provides an unmistakably rich, powerful, emotional voice. Inspired by a beautiful, broad scope of nominations from last week’s topic, guest Loud Atlas presents out some equally wonderful playlists
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Sweatiest video? Alewya
It’s more than warm in here. Sexual arousal to hard labour, cold sweats to night sweats, picked from all the nominations from last week’s hot topic guest of the week pejepeine’s playlists will leave you perspiring with excitement
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Hold on to your headdresses – it’s Heilung
The Halloween runes and the rituals rise up with plenty of antlers and feminine power as guest guru DJ Bear aka PopOff! throws many potent ingredients into the musical cauldron and comes out with playlists that are really cooking
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Twilight delight with The Platters
It begins gently, through twilight’s transition, but then, slipping into darkness, anything can happen. From serene solitary scenes to excitement, dancing and sex, the evening is brought in brilliantly with playlists by this week’s guest philipphilip99
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There’s more than one way of having in ball in New York. The 1930s …
It’s the city of the world that never sleeps, but this week let’s explore what kind of music, particularly instrumentals, but also lyrics, capture the particular spirit, culture, feel and rhythms of its extraordinary five boroughs
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John, Yoko and Paul. Compromise is a divisive but potent issue …
It’s all about the C-word in song, but does it strengthen or weaken us? Does it hold society together or kill artistic integrity? You can’t always get what you want, but can you give a little, take it a little? Can we work it out, or just do it my way?
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Faces in rock: Samples from Japan’s famous Rock Museum
Rock face? This week we explore lyrics that attribute human characteristics to objects, concepts, natural forces and many other non-human things. Enjoy a few famous, inspiring examples in songs, poetry, literature and photography
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The art of incongruity: This is Spinal Tap
This week we look at titles that appear to have nothing to do with the songs they signpost, using words that don’t appear in the lyrics, and seem to create an interesting and entertaining dissonance
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Let’s dust off, or blow away the ‘oose’ of our vocabulary air some great words
This week let’s delve deep into the musical lexicon for instances where unusual, oddball, inappropriate, funny, pretentious, antiquated or obscure words jump out, sometimes working well, or otherwise
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Sly and the Family Stone … more than happy to stay on this playlist
Bowie to Dylan, Sly Stone to Suede, this week’s playlists, picked perfectly by this week’s guest Amylee, from a mountain of timeless nominations, is hanging around here for good, a monument to staying
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The sublime Stevie Wonder
It plays out like the voice, beautifully expresses emotion, can wail like a train and is popular across blues, rock, pop, jazz, classical and other genres. This week it's time to inhale deeply and get harmonious with the harmonica
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Foucault? Swing low, sweet pendulum
North, south, east, west, left to right, Ayers to Zeppelin, this week's guest writer nosuchzone took charge of the musical swingometer, and inspired by nominations, created marvellous playlists that really move
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Chill out and listen to this week's playlists …
Clearlake to Cocteau Twins, Tchaikovsky to Jethro Tull, last week's topic included an avalanche of nominations, from which this week's guest takeitawayGuru has sculptured two of fine flakes and frozen shapes
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If you go down to the woods tonight …
If you go down to the woods today … then listen carefully. You will hear intriguing tales by guest playlister Suzi, and marvellous songs inspired last week's topic. Find out where the path might lead …
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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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What songs have made the cut?
Baked bread to perfect pies and pastry, Bessie Smith's Sweet Jelly Roll to Jake Thackray's Roly Poly, this week's guest chef Maki pulls it all out of the oven into two tasty playlists, inspired a big dollop of song nominations
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You give me femur … Jack and Sally - The Nightmare Before Christmas
After a week of readers digging deep in their collections, this week's osteology expert takeitawayGuru pieces together a superb skeleton of songlists, threaded together by a story of the musically macabre
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