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Vivian and the crew …
In words or notes, from dark parody to the plain old silly, it’s time to celebrate comedic songs, those written specifically to tickle, to amuse, to make you smile and laugh. If they do that, then they count
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Let’s dance through some 19th century history ….
It brought enduring global change, from the Industrial Revolution to the American Civil War and abolition of slavery. Inspired by last week’s song nominations, guest Shiv SideCar captures the century in a series of historic playlists
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Bashful kids: Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice back in the day …
Don’t listen to these playlists. They’re not really that good at all. Then again they might be. What do you reckon? Actually they could actually be brilliant, chosen by guest playlister megadom from a whole set of funny and moving suggestions …
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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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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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A famously eye-catching Small Faces album, but there are many tasty song titles are out there …
Tantalising, striking, quirky, perhaps violent or sexually strange, offbeat, bizarre combinations of words, numbers or symbols and more, awful, wonderful, suggest songs that cry out to be heard and live up to their title
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Lotte Lenya as Pirate Jenny in Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera (1928)
German cabaret opera to New York hip-hop, French chansons to Caribbean reggae, sailing in the full breeze of last week's topic, guest pirate commander ParaMhor steers us to open many a musical treasure chest
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Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Brushes and paints at the ready? From Magritte to Old Masters, our guest writer Severin, inspired by nominations from last week's topic, turns the bar into an art class distinctly in the hue of Joyce Grenfell
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