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Baubles and bubbles: share your thoughts and musical discoveries from 2025

December 23, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Things go a little Gaga over Xmas …

Share your music and thoughts about the year. It’s a time of Christmas baubles but also bigger social patterns. While we can see our own reflection in them, are they so controlled by AI that we don't know what other bubbles exist?

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In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, 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, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, bubbles, internet, Jonathan Coe, Eli Pariser, Adam Curtis, Peter Gabriel, music industry, television, Film, books, artificial intelligence, algorithms
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Last orders, please! Songs about deadlines and ultimatums

November 6, 2025 Peter Kimpton

But this one really can’t be put off, can it?

They are forced upon from an early age, and a key driver of human behaviour, a trick we play upon ourselves or others to get things done, but in song they have range of contexts and inspire all kinds of emotions

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In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, gospel, instrumentals, indie, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, deadlines, ultimatums, time, Duke Ellington, Douglas Adams, Ambrose Bierce, Angela Carter, Peter Gabriel, Harry Shearer, Christopher Buckley, WH Auden, Leonard Cohen, Xeno, Aristotle, philosophy, Paul Valéry, George RR Martin, My Bloody Valentine, Kevin Shields, Orson Welles, Francis Ford Coppola, Film, books, Kiefer Sutherland, 24, Jack White, Ben Folds, Walt Disney, Jeff MacNelly, Matt Groening, The Simpsons, Hunter S. Thompson, William Monahan, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Anton Chekhov, Carrie Fisher, Brian Tracy, Asif Kapadia, Dave Barry, David Benioff, Tony Kushner, Karl Kraus, Tom Robbins, Dean Stockwell
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Playlists: songs about darkness

July 29, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Facing the dark: Find out who below …

Death, fear, the unknown, but most of all affecting beauty - darkness brings a breadth of scenarios and emotions, all brought to light by guest of the week ParaMhor with powerful picked lists inspired by last week’s theme

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, gospel, indie, jazz, instrumentals, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, Terry Pratchett, William Shakespeare, Loreena McKennitt, Peter Gabriel, The Police, The Herbiliser, The Human League, Sharon Van Etten, Joni Mitchell, Lael Neale, Emmit Rhodes, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, KT Tunstall, Bruce Springsteen, Songs: Ohia, Blind Willie McTell, Dinah Washington, The Alan Bown Set, Mike Oldfield, Tricot, Black Uhuru, Tito and Tarantula, McCarthy, The Shop Assistants, Mr Flood's Party, The Cure, Boyharsher, Pere Ubu, Boy Harsher, David Sylvian, Mo-Dettes, Conor Oberst, Gillian Welch, ParaMhor, Emitt Rhodes
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Playlists: songs about bears

September 18, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Hello, what's that I hear? Songs about ...?

Teddys to Winnie The Pooh, Paddington to Rupert, grizzlies to polar bears, we've got the full range of soft, full and fierce for you as guest of the week Carpgate takes us from caves to woods and beyond, inspired by last week's topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, dub, drone, easy listening, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, krautrock, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, psychedelia, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Anne Murray, Jackie Lee, Loggins and Messian, The Cure, Shel Silverstein, The Tragically Hip, David Allan Coe, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Corb Lund, Mudslide, A Camp, Christophe Maé, Youssou N'Dour, Paul Westerberg, Zebra, The Damned, Arctic Monkeys, Grauzone, The Stranglers, Future of the Left, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sugaray Rayford, CW McCall, Tim Minchin, Blancmange, Nervous Nellie, Niños Mutantes, Tall Like Tyrion, The Mrs Ackroyd Band, Peter Gabriel, Yoko Ono, The Cosmic Dead, Dismal Abysmals, Bus Station Loonies, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Carpgate
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Kiss and makeup: songs about cosmetics

September 5, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Just a little heavy on the foundation, fellas?

Lipstick to mascara, eyeshadow to foundation, music stars have always been putting on a performance persona mask. Cosmetics do strange things to us. In a narrative, they could leave traces of romantic encounters, make for a great vivid detail in lyrics, as well as an extended metaphor. So a rather different way this week, it's time to face the music …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, country, comedy, dance, drone, disco, 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 cosmetics, makeup, music, songs, playlists, Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Manson, Coco Chanel, Helena Rubinstein, Nina Dobrev, Little Richard, Lady Gaga, Calvin Klein, Robert Smith, The Cure, theatre, fashion, Film, relationships, Lillie Langtry, Joan Crawford, Suzi Quatro, Kiss, The New York Dolls, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Ghost, Mimi Choi
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Just count on this: songs with unusual time signatures

February 1, 2024 Peter Kimpton

After a short paws …what happens next?

Hard to beat? Not necessarily. While most songs are in 4/4 time, and others in 3/4 waltz, there are many fascinating variants that push the boundaries, often in a catchy way. It’s not necessary here to name the numbers, just how it feels when you count …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, calypso, comedy, country, dance, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, trip hop Tags time signatures, songs, playlists, instrumentals, William Gibson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Albert Einstein, Emily Dickinson, Mark Helprin, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Nick Drake, Islet, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Walken, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Chemical Brothers, Q-Tip, Captain Beefheart, Bjork, Fiona Apple, Sufjan Stevens, PJ Harvey, Frank Zappe, King Crimson, Yes, Robert Fripp
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Playlists: songs inventively using acronyms

October 11, 2023 Peter Kimpton

What letters might form into songs?

From catchy hooks to deeper meanings revealed, a combination of letters can be a clever way to compose lyrics or a song title. Guest playlister ajostu unscrambles hundreds of suggestions from last week’s topic to superbly spell it all out

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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, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, acronyms, Ian Brown, The Streets, Wunmi, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Public Service Broadcasting, Kendrick Lamar, Rina Sawayama, Nat King Cole, Father John Misty, Jesca Hoop, Big Thief, Prefab Sprout, Emmy The Great, Bis, Daryl Hall, Robert Fripp, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Brakes, Wire, Peter Gabriel, Zeca Pagodinho, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Train, Steely Dan, Serge Gainsbourg, Everyone Was In The French Resistance ... Now!, Young Marble Giants, Scotch Rolex, M.I.A., Hitsujibungaku, SABA, Cornelius
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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

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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
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Playlists: songs about the boring, dull, ordinary and mundane

July 12, 2023 Peter Kimpton

…

Can boredom and banality become such an art form that they become exciting, or snorefest into the stimulating? Picking from last week’s topic, guest playlister Olive Butler presents a magnificent selection of mundanity

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In blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags boredom, mundanity, ordinary, The Jam, The Smiths, The Mountain Goats, Joni Mitchell, Bobby Charles, Tyler The Creator, Dry Cleaning, Doves, Serge Gainsbourg, Maxine Sullivan, Tom Waits, Blondie, Morrissey, George Formby, Paul McCartney, Ivor Cutler, Moldy Peaches, The Lottery Winners, Arab Strap, The Frank and Walters, Hatfield and the North, The Lovin' Spoonful, Alan Price, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, The Stranglers, New Model Army, Peter Gabriel, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, George Thorogood, The Strawbs, John Shuttleworth, Olive Butler
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Playlists: songs about space travel

November 23, 2022 Peter Kimpton

After the many posts … vintage posters

When last week’s topic launched, it went off like a rocket - with hundreds of nominations. Now, out of this musical astral shower, guest playlister Shiv Sidecar has mapped out a song constellation that’s out of this world …

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In avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Space, space travel, playlists, The Byrds, Ray Anderson & The Home Folks, Public Service Broadcasting, Labrinth, Pharoah Sanders, Judee Sill, Elton John, Brett Smiley, The Imagined Village, Hen Ogledd, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The Mekons, The Honeymoon Killers, The Blue Men, Chris Kenner, Spiritualized, Broadcast, Lothar and the Hand People, Weather Report, Janelle Monae, Peter Gabriel, Shudder To Think, Automatic Man, Fu Manchu, Blink-182, Teenage Fanclub, Chungking, Pearls Before Swine, Curt Boettcher, Wonky Alice, Children Collide, Soundhog, T.P. Orchestre Poly Rhythmo De Colonou, Rezillos, PJ Harvey, XTC, Amon Düül II, Kendra Smith, Game Theory, The Kaleidoscope, ShivSidecar
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Spinal tap? Get back: songs about the vertebral column and neck

September 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Man Ray’s Le Violon d'Ingres (1924)

Human or animal, literal or metaphorical, spines slender, broad, sexy, defined, fat, muscular, hairy, strong, weak, in pain, broken, bent, tough, rough, rippling or tingling, in any context, it’s time to put our backs into this song subject

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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, metal, musical hall, musicals, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, backs, spines, vertebrae, necks, biology, Man Ray, Socrates, Paramahansa Yogananda, Joseph Pilates, Agnetha Fältskog, Abba, Reba McEntire, St Vincent, Johnny Mercer, Eminem, evolution, apes, mammals, animals, slavery, American Civil War, Hippocrates, Denise Austin, Don Davis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Gabriel, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst, Don Henley, The Eagles, Kurt Cobain, Elizabeth Taylor, John Mellencamp, Flannery O'Connor, Angela Bassett
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Playlists: songs about tradition

December 21, 2021 Peter Kimpton

British and German troops buck tradition, but also honour it, during the Christmas Day truce of 1914, to play football instead of war

Ancient religions to strange festivals, drinking rituals to counting sheep to chasing cheeses, small slices of history to long formed social behaviour, enjoy wonderful stories and playlists picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic

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In blues, comedy, country, experimental, folk, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, tradition, Topol, Fiddler On The Roof, musicals, Steeleye Span, Jake Thackray, Giorgio Moroder, The Maccabees, Die 3 Besoffskis, Takashi Hirayaus, Bob Brozman, Les Innocents, Shikata Akiko, Lila Downs, Mike Harding, Tim Minchin, Nat King Cole, Hen Ogledd, Samingad, Dadawa, The Saw Doctors, Show Of Hands, Sea Power, B Movie, Billy Idol, The Fantastics, Richard Thompson, Linda Thompson, Joni Mitchell, NIck Lowe, Careg Lafar, Heilung, Peter Gabriel, Waylon Napadogan, John McCutcheon, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Chloe Adams, The Kickstands, Stan Getz, Stanley Clarke, Jon Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Sufjan Stevens, John Coltrane, Alex Khaskin, Swing Out Sister, Peter Green, Simani, Big Crosby, The Irish Rovers, National Lampoon, Marco den Ouden
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Playlists: songs about eureka moments, realisation, discovery and enlightenment

November 25, 2020 Peter Kimpton
To the cosmos and beyond …

To the cosmos and beyond …

Has it ever occurred to you that …. life, the universe and everything could be captured in playlists? This question is answered perfectly by guest ajostu, who picks some profound revelations inspired by last week’s nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, reggae, rock, soul, soundtracks, traditional, songs Tags songs, discovery, eureka moments, Studio Killers, 10000 Maniacs, Carly Simon, Ella Fitzgerald, Suzanne Vega, Peter Gabriel, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Boswell, Beastie Boys, Miho Hatori, REM, The Sundays, Moby, Julia Holter, Angel Olsen, The Police, The Moody Blues, The Grateful Dead, Clem Snide, The Headhunters, Sun Ra, Earth Wind & Fire, Norman Connors, Ultramarine, Lonnie Liston Smith, John Legend, The Roots, Alice Coltrane, Carlos Santana, Bat For Lashes, Laurie Anderson, Bruford, Annette Peacock, ajostu
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Playlists: songs about social mobility

October 21, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Class reflections: Mighty Mo Rodgers

Class reflections: Mighty Mo Rodgers

It’s a life of ups and downs, hopes and dreams. From financial ambition to border immigration, breaking the rules to criticising status quo fools, this week’s playlists, picked from a big crowd of nominations by guest Suzi, are truly classy

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In African, avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, social class, social mobility, Peter Gabriel, Action Pact, !Action Pact!, Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Ja'Net Dubois, Gentle Giant, Marvin Gaye, The Kinks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ry Cooder, Mighty Mo Rodgers, Mischief Brew, Rage Against The Machine, Zoot Money and the Big Roll Band, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, June Christie, The The, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, Sly & The Family Stone, Future of the Left, The O'Jays, Yazz, Madeleine Peyroux, Jake Thackray, Suzi, The I.D, Jeff St John
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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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Playlists: songs about eyes

July 22, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Angèle has got an eyeful

Angèle has got an eyeful

From last week’s eye-popping number of nominations following the eye introduction, guest playlister Maki has put his choices into sharp focus, from the 60s to the present day with selections optimally optical and aurally excellent

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, eyes, biology, Spirit, Angelique Kidjo, Billie Eilish, Rosalía, Angèle, Magazine, Thirty Pounds of Bone, Comsat Angels, Lykke Li, Erykah Badu, Mike Brooks, The Lovin' Spoonful, Velvet Underground, Kate Bush, Jackson Browne, Talking Heads, The Eagles, Half Man Half Biscuit, Dusty Springfield, Soft Cell, Mavis Staples, Altered Images, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Peter Gabriel, The Naxalites, Maki
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Playlists: songs about or inspiring motivation

January 8, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers

Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers

A funktastic, upside perspective set of playlists chosen by guest DJ Bear from hundreds of nominations by readers sets the new year of 2020 where it needs to be on the energetic, positive good foot

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In blues, country, dance, disco, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, rock, songs, traditional, soul Tags songs, playlists, motivation, Carole King, Peter Gabriel, Frankie Miller, The Soul Searchers, Chuck Brown, McFadden & Whitehead, Irene Cara, Matthew Wilder, The B52's, Vienna Teng, Sonic Boom 6, Nils Lofgren, Oysterband, Karine Polwart, Hot Lips Page, Sammy Davis Jr, Koko Taylor, Mitsura, Lloyd Michaels, The Pointer Sisters, The Staple Singers, Julia and Company, Johnny Kemp, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Soul II Soul, Gabby Young and Other Animals, Boo Radleys, The Proclaimers, Twisted Sister, Survivor, Katy Perry, Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon, The Exciters, Beverly, The Isley Brothers, The Zombies, T Rex, Journey, Swing Out Sister, Abigail, Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa
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Take parts: songs with great arrangements

December 5, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Two of the greats. Ray Charles, also a great arranger as well as performer, with composer and arranger Quincy Jones

Two of the greats. Ray Charles, also a great arranger as well as performer, with composer and arranger Quincy Jones

From full orchestration to carefully stripped back, this week let's consider work where in originals or later versions, added instrumentals, vocal parts, melodic fills, changing tempo or keys, have made a great song even better

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In avant-garde, blues, African, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rocksteady, showtime, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, musical arrangements, orchestration, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Sibelius, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Mozart, Nancy Storace, Beethoven, George Gershwin, Ferde Grofé, Mussorgsky, Maurice Ravel, JS Bach, Joshua Bell, Ivor Novello, Cole Porter, Burt Bacharach, David Bowie, Paul Buckmaster, Tony Visconti, Clifford Slapper, David McAlmont, Elvis Costello, NIck Lowe, Jelly Roll Morton, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, Roy Haynes, Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys, Robin Pecknold, Fleet Foxes, Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Tony Hatch, Sarah Vaughan, Joan Armatrading, Jeff Buckley, Paul Weller, Walter Becker, Steely Dan, Feist, David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel, AC/DC, Luka Sulic, Carla Bley, Ronald Reagan, The Star Spangled Banner, John Denver, The Tokens
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Playlists: songs about electricity

May 8, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Where will lightning strike in this week’s playlists?

Where will lightning strike in this week’s playlists?

Ancient lightning gods and rods to pioneers of current, this week’s bright spark EnglishOutlaw connects nature, history and scientific experiment into musical form with playlists inspired by last week’s electrifying topic

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In avant-garde, comedy, country, dance, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, reggae, soul Tags songs, playlists, electricity, science, Screeching Wheel, White Noise, The Grateful Dead, MGMT, Buzzcocks, The Decemberists, The Bee Gees, Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Frank Sidebottom, Photomartyr, Band of Holy Joy, The Cure, They Might Be Giants, The Waterproof Candle, Man or Astro-Man?, The Ramones, Jenny Hval, Joni Mitchell, Barenaked Ladies, Albert Hammond, Captain Beefheart, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, The Cravats, Mischief Brew, EnglishOutlaw
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The gift of sound and vision: songs enhanced by impressive videos

April 25, 2019 Peter Kimpton
What will be your weapon of choice this week?

What will be your weapon of choice this week?

Music and film are often intertwined commercially, but where does a video become an artform to the level that the visual elements enhance, complement and become symbiotic with the song? Let the action commence …

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, showtime Tags songs, playlists, videos, Film, YouTube, MTV, David Lynch, Bessie Smith, Louis Jordan, Tony Bennett, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Jacques Brel, The Moody Blues, Kenneth Anger, The Beatles, Queen, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Chris Cunningham, Spike Jones, Spike Jonze, Michael Gondry, Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Aphex Twin, Bjork, Norman Cook / Fatboy Slim, Bootsy Collins, Christopher Walken, Electric Six, Peter Gabriel, Aardman Animations, Radiohead, Childish Gambino, Cate Le Bon, Fat White Family, Ibeyi, Arctic Monkeys, Philip Glass, Godfrey Reggio
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

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New Albums …

Featured
Book of Churches.jpeg
Mar 19, 2026
Book of Churches: Book of Churches
Mar 19, 2026

New album: Beautiful, tender, melancholic and poetic, a walking-pace acoustic folk and Americana debut solo release by the singer-songwriter Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, co-lead singer with the Nottingham alternative indie band Divorce

Mar 19, 2026
A Pound of Feathers by The Black Crowes.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
The Black Crowes: A Pound of Feathers
Mar 18, 2026

New album: Following 2024’s resurgent release Happiness Bastards, Atlanta, Georgia brothers Chris and Rich Robinson return with their 10th album in four up-and-down decades, with a belting release packed with Stones/ Keith Richards-style riffs, and a full-blooded, full-throttle classic and catchy rock

Mar 18, 2026
 Paris In The Spring by Alexis Taylor.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
Alexis Taylor: Paris In The Spring
Mar 18, 2026

New album: The clarity and high range of the distinctive Hot Chip lead singer returns with his seventh solo LP, packed with personal, candid, philosphofical and sometimes melancholy lyrics allided with bright, melodic leftfield electro-pop, a dash of country, elegant disco-house, and Vangelis-inspired soundscapes, and a title echoing a psychological test where things are not as they seem

Mar 18, 2026
Madeleine by Diagonale des Yeux.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
Diagonale Des Yeux: Madeleine
Mar 18, 2026

New album: Wonderfully weird, wonky, woozy, avant-garde, absurdist oddness by the French duo of Laurène Exposito and Théo Delaunay, with their lo-fi, ramshackle, DIY postpunk and retro-electronica, sharing sung and spoken vocals across French, German, English and Spanish

Mar 18, 2026
Yebba - Jean.jpeg
Mar 18, 2026
Yebba: Jean
Mar 18, 2026

New album: Following 2021’s Dawn, a second LP by the American singer and songwriter from West Memphis, Arkansas, aka Abigail Smith, moves towards an eclectic mix of gentler, more understated pop, folk, gospel, R&B, and soul, is named after her late grandmother, and has candid, personal themes of mourning and spiritual healing

Mar 18, 2026
The Sophs - Goldstar.jpeg
Mar 17, 2026
The Sophs: Goldstar
Mar 17, 2026

New album: A fairytale story of a debut for the Los Angeles six-piece fronted by Ethan Ramon, who cold-emailed demos to Rough Trade Records before even playing a live gig and were signed – that instinctive leap of faith rewarded by this stylish, bold, mercurial, confident, darkly humorous, eclectic debut leaping between rock, indie, pop, hoedown country, delta blues and beyond

Mar 17, 2026
Kim Gordon - Play Me album.jpeg
Mar 13, 2026
Kim Gordon: Play Me
Mar 13, 2026

New album: Following 2024’s The Collective, the former Sonic Youth frontwoman’s fourth solo LP continues her extraordinary experimental, innovative journey, moving to more melodic beats and shorter tracks with a motorik krautrock-style driven coloured by strange sounds, intense emotions and sharply angled, dark, droll social commentary

Mar 13, 2026
ELIZA - The Darkening Green.jpeg
Mar 11, 2026
ELIZA: The Darkening Green
Mar 11, 2026

New album: The London artist Eliza Caird (formerly under the mainstream pop moniker Eliza Doolittle) returns with more of the cool, slow, sensual, gentle, sophisticated experimental soul-funk style evolving from her 2022 album A Sky Without Stars, here with particularly polished, silky, stripped back grooves and vocals

Mar 11, 2026
Irreparable Parables by Andrew Wasylyk.jpeg
Mar 11, 2026
Andrew Wasylyk: Irreparable Parables
Mar 11, 2026

New album: The Scottish multi-instrumentalist and composer returns with a new selection of soothing, meditative mix of experimental classical and jazz, but this time joined with six different singers represented by the birds on the album artwork

Mar 11, 2026
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Mar 10, 2026
waterbaby: Memory Be A Blade
Mar 10, 2026

New album: A delicate, experimental, understated soulful chamber pop debut by the pure-voiced Stockholm-born singer-songwriter (aka Kendra Egerbladh) in 25-minute, eight-track release of lo-fi, lyrically semi-improvised numbers about heartbreak and self-renewal in a world of gorgeous musical sensations

Mar 10, 2026
Joshua Idehen - I Know You're Hurting ....jpeg
Mar 10, 2026
Joshua Idehen: I know you're hurting, everyone is hurting, everyone is trying, you have got to try
Mar 10, 2026

New album: With a strikingly long title, a euphoric and honest full debut LP by the British-born Nigerian poet, spoken word artist and musician based in Sweden, working with his musical partner Ludvig Parment’s sonic layers, packed pacy dance and hip-hop grooves, clever sampling, slower reflections, and articulate expressions of positivity through the ups and downs of grief and hope

Mar 10, 2026
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Mar 10, 2026
Gnarls Barkley: Atlanta
Mar 10, 2026

New album: Finally, after an 18-year gap since their last collaboration in the heady days of the hit Crazy, with the St Elsewhere and The Odd Couple LPs a third and supposedly final album from fabulous singer CeeLo Green and producer and musician aka Brian Burton with a mix of soaring soul, hip-hop, pop and RnB with songs filled with vivid lyrical memories and strong, emotive melodies

Mar 10, 2026
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Mar 9, 2026
Various: HELP(2) - War Child Records
Mar 9, 2026

New album: Not only a timely and topical milestone charity record following the first in 1995 to help bring aid and wide variety of support to children in war zones around he world, but an impressive double-LP array of stellar British and international talent and powerful, poignant 23 songs from Arctic Monkeys to Young Fathers

Mar 9, 2026
Bonnie Prince Billy - We Are Together Again.jpeg
Mar 9, 2026
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: We Are Together Again
Mar 9, 2026

New album: Just over a year after 2025’s The Purple Bird, but from parallel recording sessions and familiar co-musicians, the veteran Louisville-Kentucky singer-songwriter Will Oldham returns with another collection of exquisite, intimate, gently defiant lo-fi folk to troubled times, an ode to community with a beautiful array of acoustic instruments and his poignant, insightful lyrics and delivery

Mar 9, 2026

new songs …

Featured
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Mar 20, 2026
Song of the Day: Jorja Smith - Price Of It All
Mar 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Sumptuous, soaring, classic soul/R&B/pop by the British smooth-voiced singer-songwriter from Walsall, West Midlands, in this number from the soundtrack for new TV series, Bait, starring Riz Ahmed, and released on FAMM

Mar 20, 2026
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Mar 19, 2026
Song of the Day: Liza Lo - Birdsong
Mar 19, 2026

Song of the Day: Following her acclaimed debut album Familiar, a beautiful, warm, intimate, tender folk number featuring guitar, fiddle and double bass by the Amsterdam-born, London-based producer and singer-songwriter, Liza Lo Hoek, out on Gearbox Records

Mar 19, 2026
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Mar 18, 2026
Song of the Day: Rostam - Like A Spark
Mar 18, 2026

Song of the Day: A beautiful new acoustic folk-pop single with echoes of early 70s Van Morrison by the US musician, producer and former member of Vampire Weekend, heralding his upcoming third solo album American Stories out on 15 May via Matsor Projects

Mar 18, 2026
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Mar 17, 2026
Song of the Day: Kacey Musgraves - Dry Spell
Mar 17, 2026

Song of the Day: A catchy, witty, innuendo-filled new number about being and single and lonely, with some stylistic echoes of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, heralding the acclaimed Grammy-winning Texas country singer-songwriter’s upcoming seventh album, Middle of Nowhere, out 1 May on Lost Highway

Mar 17, 2026
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Mar 16, 2026
Song of the Day: Jaakko Eino Kalevi - Black Diamond
Mar 16, 2026

Song of the Day: A splendidly rousing eight-minute retro-style electro-pop baroque melodrama by the Finnish artist with the deep, rich voice, one that stylistically and in his own fashion, draws a pentagram between Goblin, Rondo Veneziano, Cerrone, Doris Norton and Lindstrom, out on Domino Records

Mar 16, 2026
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Mar 15, 2026
Song of the Day: Hannah Lew - Sunday
Mar 15, 2026

Song of the Day: An appropriate day to highlight this classy latest single of shimmering 80s-style synth-pop with echoes of OMD, with themes about pain, love and grief from the upcoming debut album by the Richmond, California artist, out on 10 April via Night School Records

Mar 15, 2026
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Mar 14, 2026
Song of the Day: Mei Semones - Tooth Fairy (featuring John Roseboro)
Mar 14, 2026

Song of the Day: A charming cross-genre fusion of bossa nova, jazz, folk and chamber pop sung in English and Japanese by the Brooklyn-based American musician with a tale of losing a tooth on the subway and friendship, from the upcoming album Kurage, out 10 April on Bayonet Records

Mar 14, 2026
Robyn - Blow My Mind.jpeg
Mar 13, 2026
Song of the Day: Robyn - Blow My Mind
Mar 13, 2026

Song of the Day: Quirky, sensual electro-pop with a dash of Kraftwerk by the acclaimed Swedish singer, songwriter and producer Robin Miriam Carlsson, in this latest from the upcoming album Sexistential out on 27 March via Konichiwa / Young Records

Mar 13, 2026
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Mar 12, 2026
Song of the Day: Lava La Rue - Scratches
Mar 12, 2026

Song of the Day: The latest single by the London singer-songwriter is punchy, powerful psychedelic rock number with tearing riffs and lyrics about damage from troubled relationship, abuse and self-harm, from the forthcoming EP Do You Know Everything?, out on BMG

Mar 12, 2026
Alewya - City of Symbols.jpeg
Mar 11, 2026
Song of the Day: Alewya - City of Symbols (featuring eejebee)
Mar 11, 2026

Song of the Day: A stylish fusion of electronica, soul, hip hop and Ethiopian rhythmic influences centring on themes of heritage, family by London singer, songwriter, producer and multidisciplinary artist, with drums from eejebee and guitar from Vraell, heralding from the forthcoming new debut Zero out 22 June via LDN Records / Because Music

Mar 11, 2026
Huarinami - Carried Away.jpeg
Mar 10, 2026
Song of the Day: Huarinami - Carried Away
Mar 10, 2026

Song of the Day: Explosive, stylish, gritty, restless indie-psychedelic punk with angular, angry guitars, driving bass and wonderfully arresting vocals by Pauline Janier (aka Cody Pepper) fronting the French London-based four-piece in this single fuelled by the frustration of big-city life, and heralding their sophomore EP Nothing Happens, due for release on 6 June

Mar 10, 2026
Avalon Emerson - Written Into Changes album.jpeg
Mar 9, 2026
Song of the Day: Avalon Emerson & The Charm - Written into Changes
Mar 9, 2026

Song of the Day: Following the singles Eden and Jupiter and Mars, another stylish, experimental indie synth-pop release by the New York artist with the title track of upcoming second Charm moniker album, out on 20 March via Dead Oceans

Mar 9, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Snail on a wall.jpeg
Mar 12, 2026
Word of the week: wallfish
Mar 12, 2026

Word of the week: It sounds like the singing finned picture ornament Big Mouth Billy Bass that became popular in the late 1990s, but this is a much older noun, derived in Somerset, England, pertains to the climbing gastropod that can slowly climb up any surface

Mar 12, 2026
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Feb 25, 2026
Word of the week: xiphias
Feb 25, 2026

Word of the week: Get the point? This is the scientific name for the swordfish, in full Xiphias gladius (from the Greek and Latin for sword), that extraordinary sea creature with the long, pointy bill. But what of it in song?

Feb 25, 2026
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Feb 12, 2026
Word of the week: yanggeum
Feb 12, 2026

Word of the week: A form or hammered dulcimer, this traditional Korean instrument, with a flat and trapezoidal shape, has seven sets of four metal strings hit by thin bamboo stick

Feb 12, 2026
Zumbador dorado - mango bumblebee Puerto Rico.jpeg
Jan 22, 2026
Word of the week: zumbador
Jan 22, 2026

Word of the week: A wonderfully evocative noun from the Spanish for word buzz, and meaning both a South American hummingbird, a door buzzer, and symbolic of resurrection of the soul in ancient Mexican culture, while also serving as the logo for a tequila brand

Jan 22, 2026
Hamlet ad - Gregor Fisher.jpg
Jan 8, 2026
Word of the week: aspectabund
Jan 8, 2026

Word of the week: This rare adjective describes a highly expressive face or countenance, where emotions and reactions are readily shown through the eyes or mouth

Jan 8, 2026

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