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Playlists: songs about the Vietnam War

May 21, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Prickly points: the absurdity of the war shown in this striking image of Vietnamese women and children prisoners

Songs of protest, despair, grief and more, from western and Vietnamese artists, set during and in the aftermath of this lengthy, catastrophic war, poignantly brought to you by guest Loud Atlas from last week’s topic nominations

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In blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, psychedelia, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, Vietnam War, Vietnam, The Monitors, Redgum, Country Joe and the Fish, 23 Skidoo, The Clash, The Last Poets, The New York Dolls, Freda Payne, Joni Mitchell, Pham Duy, Trịnh Công Sơn, Vân Quỳnh, The Impressions, Jimmy Cliff, Alice In Chains, Curtis Mayfield, Lou Reed, Stanley Myers, John Williams, Edwin Starr, Moddi, Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell, Paul Hardcastle, New Order, Country Joe McDonald, Merry Clayton, Iain Matthews, The Beach Boys, Television Personalities, The Isley Brothers, Bill Withers, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, The Doors, Jedi Mind Tricks, RA The Rugged Man, Bruce Springsteen, The Dead Milkmen, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: cross-cultural cover versions

April 23, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Heard it through … The Slits

A genre-jumping, globe-spanning musical adventure brings glorious reinterpretative entertainment as guest of the week Nilpferd presents playlists inspired by last week’s topic

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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, RnB, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags The Wailers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Milton Nascimento, Esperanza Spalding, Amy Winehouse, Shirley Bassey, Malik Adouane, Sachal Studios, Oddjob, No. 1 de No. 1, The Gourds, The Slits, Melt Banana, Patti Smith, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Ukrainians, Mexrrissey, Prince Fatty, Soothsayers Horns, Burning Spear, Hikashu, Susanna & The Magical Orchestra, Hayseed Dixie, Abigail Washburn, The Sparrow Quartet, Kristin Hersch, Scott Walker, Joe Cocker, GhostMutts, Organ Eternal, The Clash, Grant Green, Hildegard von Bingen, My Chemical Romance, Nilpferd
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Playlists: songs about underdogs

October 23, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Underdog under dog

From the financially underprivileged to the militarily outnumbered, sporting longshots to those barred by the race, from last week’s topic suggestions, guest Loud Atlas’ powerful picks show how the apparent minnows can become mighty

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, instrumentals, indie, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, psychedelia, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags Sly & The Family Stone, Archie Roach, Blind Alfred, Jim Croce, Spoon, Johnny Horton, Bob Marley, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Allison Russell, Peter Sarstedt, Todd Duncan, Nat King Cole, Paul Robeson, Bill Conti, Keith Hampshire, Chumbawamba, Alicia Keys, Joe Walsh, Public Enemy, The Nashville Teens, Boomtown Rats, The Boomtown Rats, Pulp, The Clash, Guignol, Mischief Brew, Danny Kaye, Stornaway, Cast of Hamilton, Ren, Nick Drake, Liza Minnelli, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: songs about freedom of expression

July 10, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Live and Letta Mbulu

From politics to personal life, sexuality and personal liberation to broader social issues, on the back of recent elections and a topic covering freedom of speech, guest playlister Maki spans geography, genre and time to give the subject a full hearing

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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, krautrock, metal, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, freedom, free speech, Ultra Naté, Soup Dragons, Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, Billy Bragg, Letta Mbulu, Joseph Kabassele et L'African Jazz, The Bee Gees, Killing Joke, Stiff Little Fingers, Amy MacDonald, Pablo Hasél, Pussy Riot, Mischief Brew, Charles Wright, Cocoa Teas, Shabba Ranks, Home Tea, Metallica, The Who, The Clash, Chicory Tip, John Farnham, Roger Waters, Kicker, The Stranglers, Maki
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Playlists: songs for fictional commercials

December 28, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Fresh frozen? Give peas a chance …

Awash with ads for travel, clothing, leisure, painkillers, marijuana, vegetables, and even items to boost sex life? Well, it’s time to be entertained by a string of non-existent ones, framed in snappy marketing musical form, with playlists picked by guest magicman from last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, calypso, blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, 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, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags advertising, playlists, songs, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Say She She, James Brown, The Beach Boys, Les Paul, Mary Ford, Ned Doheny, Annette Hanshaw, Curtis Mayfield, Billy Ocean, Pete and the Pirates, Take That, Bing Crosby, U2, Elvis Presley, Ska-P, Gen Hoshino, Halmens, The Clash, Imagine Dragons, Katrina and the Waves, Frank Black, The Sleepy Jackson, Young Fathers, The Flying Lizards, Eurythmics, The Eurythmics, magicman
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Playlists: songs with androgynous vocals

September 13, 2023 Peter Kimpton

The fabulous Ezra Furman and a famous fan …

Who is singing? It’s a magical moment of uncertainty. In a highly subjective topic, not only with non-binary artists but with those whose gender is better known, guest of the week ParaMhor picks perfectly balanced playlists of excellent and ambiguous gender vocals from last week’s topic nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, androgyny, gender, Massive Attack, Horace Andy, The Pointer Sisters, Suede, Brett Anderson, Secos & Molhados, The Clash, Salif Keïta, Cesária Évora, Prince, Ezra Furman, Moses Sumney, Colin Blunstone, Beach House, Nico, JS Bach, Michael Chance, Shamir, Bear In Heaven, Sweeny Todd, Lankum, Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa, Active Child, Gale Garnett, Cher, The Four Seasons, Eddie Holman, Peter Ivers, Thirty Pounds of Bone, Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, REM, This Mortal Coil, The Delays, Jeff Buckley, Mozart, Emma Kirkby, ParaMhor
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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 taxation and wealth distribution

October 4, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Who gets the crown? Hint: the bird is the word …

Feeling taxed? Get some relief here. Blues, reggae, funk, punk, post-punk and more, we’ve got a full revenue of great music in store with no duty to pay, courtesy of an excellent distribution by guest playlister Severin picked from last week’s topic

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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, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, tax, poll tax, wealth, equality, economics, Prince Buster, J.B. Lenoir, The Members, Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Massive Attack, Saul Williams, Professor Gabriel Zucman, The Exploited, Daniel Caesar, The Fall, Los Tigres del Norte, Village Man's Store, Mighty Sparrow, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Sharon Jones, The Dap Kings, Rip Rig And Panic, Fred Wesley and the JBs, The JBs, Fred Wesley Jr, Gene Autry, Crap, Loose Ends, Stick In The Wheel, Duke of Iron, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Toots and the Maytals, The Heptones, Junior Parker, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Clash, A Tribe Called Quest, Rubella Ballet, Champion Jack Dupree, Busi Mhlongo, Pink Floyd, Lonnie Donegan, Keith Moon, BJ and The Bear, severin, Severin
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Playlists: songs about formal agreements

September 6, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Gang of Four peer closely at the small print ….

Reggae to punk contracts and beyond, it’s time to sign on the dotted line, but only when you’ve read all the small print. With no obligation to express your reaction until you’ve heard it all, come and check out these fabulous playlists picked by guest Tatanka Yotanka from last week’s theme and nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, jazz, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, contracts, agreements, treaties, The Congos, Gang of Four, Kofi, The Clash, Max Romeo, Stiff Little Fingers, Peter Tosh, Sex Pistols, Gregory Isaacs, US Bombs, The Gladiators, Bad Religion, The Abyssinians, Love, Gene Latter, First Choice, The Trammps, Blossom Dearie, The Rugby's, The O'Jays, Primus, The Stooges, The Streets, 10cc, Aretha Franklin, Lindisfarne, Brides of Funkenstein, TatankaYotanka
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Playlists: songs about omens and prophecies

March 15, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Visions of the future: The Flaming Lips

Visions, prophets, psychics, spanning history and the future, with good news and bad – inspired by many nominations from last week’s topic, these superb playlists, picked by guest amylee, journey through time and space

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, colours, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, omens, prophecies, The Clash, The Fall, Mark E Smith, Teenage Fanclub, Howlin' Wolf, Phish, The Grateful Dead, Black Francis, Crash Test Dummies, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Sparklehorse, The Flaming Lips, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Wardruna, Aquarius, Spirit, The Cowsills, William Penn V, Captain Beefheart, Jethro Tull, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Burning Spear, Wayne Jarett, Cibo Matto, Pet Shop Boys, The Stranglers, The Go-Betweens, Mount Eerie, Jerry Goldsmith, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Kronos Quartet, Nitin Sawhney, Don Shinn, Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Vindsvept, The Comet Is Coming, David Toop, Bjork, Nick Drake, The Fixx, Killing Joke, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs about the rhythm, beat or boogie

August 26, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Grace Jones swings it …

Grace Jones swings it …

Three keywords that have inspired legions of songs from disco to reggae, pop to hip hop, blues to rock and more. Guest AmyLee compiles a sequence of brilliant beating heart playlists that refer to them all from huge wave of nominations

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In African, blues, dance, country, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, rock, reggae, punk, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, rhythm, beat, boogie, The Go-Go's, Blur, Van Der Graaf Generator, Mott The Hoople, Serge Gainsbourg, Madonna, DeBarge, Us3, Peter Broggs, Grace Jones, A Tribe Called Quest, Bomb The Bass, The Rolling Stones, Kool & The Gang, John Lee Hooker, Sonny and Cher, Stone Poneys, The Happenings, The Cascades, Mark Kozelek, Slapp Happy, Electronic, The Cro-Magnons, A.D.O.R., Salt-N-Pepa, Public Enemy, Mantronix, The Slits, Betty Davis, Willie Mitchell, Major Lance, Thin Lizzy, Little Feat, Happy Mondays, Lou Reed, The Clash, Parliament, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, AmyLee
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In full swing: songs and instrumentals from New York City

July 18, 2019 Peter Kimpton
There’s more than one way of having in ball in New York. The 1930s …

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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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, experimental, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, New York, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Beastie Boys, LCD Soundsystem, Henry Ford, Duke Ellington, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island, David Byrne, Talking Heads, George Gershwin, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond, Sonny Bono, paul simon, Broadway, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Blondie, The Ramones, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, B-52s, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Dee-Lite, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Led Zeppelin, Joe Strummer, The Clash, Television (band), Prince, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Harlem, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Milos Forman, John Updike, Bette Midler, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Film, film soundtrack, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, gangs, Statue of Liberty
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Playlists: songs pertaining to music venues and spaces

January 30, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Barrrowland Ballroom, Glasgow

Barrrowland Ballroom, Glasgow

Glasgow to Chicago, London and Liverpool to Lisdoonvarna and all the way to Mali, inspired by many reader nominations around the globe, this week’s playlister pejepeine takes us on a tantalising tour of magical musical locations

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, music venues, Bix Beiderbecke, DIre Straits, Christy Moore, Amy MacDonald, The Big Three, X-Ray Spex, The Photos, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, The Roots, Eryka Badu, Super Rail Band of the Buffet Hotel de Gar, David Bowie, Hermeto Pascoal, Guy Clark, Love, The Animals, The Sweet, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Peter Hammill, The Clash, Super Beagle, Orchestra Boabab, The Whitlams, Clube da Esquina
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Spread the groove: 12-inch singles and remixes up to 1979

August 9, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Disco, funk, punk, soul, postpunk, pop, and more were all being spun on 12-inch in the 70s …

Disco, funk, punk, soul, postpunk, pop, and more were all being spun on 12-inch in the 70s …

Dub and reggae, funk and disco, hip hop, punk postpunk, pop, electronica and more, this week let's span the 60s-70s period that gave birth to this format and spin favourite records it highlighted

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Tags Songs, playlists, 12-inch vinyl, singles, music production, Tom Moulton, New Order, Peter Hook, Factory Records, dub, King Tubby, Kool Herc, Jamaica, hip hop, James Brown, The Incredible Bongo Band, Babe Ruth, Swamp Dogg, Buddy Fite, The Trammps, Al Downing, South Shore, Donna Summer, Atlantic Records, Double Exposure, Bob Marley, The Clash, The Spinners, Hamilton Bohannon, Eddy Grant, Gorgio Moroder, Marvin Gaye, Sister Sledge, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Chic, Ja-kki, The Droids, Mathematiques Modernes, Erotic Drum Band, Cloud One, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Tumblack, Manu Dibango, Prince, Sylvester, Space
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Just keep on dancing: songs about staying and remaining

July 19, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Last four couples in a 1930s dance marathon

Last four couples in a 1930s dance marathon

We’re not leaving, but showing endurance, fortitude and steadfastness. There’s a whole lot of staying power going on in this week’s topic, from physical to mental strength …

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags Songs, playlists, staying, remaining, staying power, stamina, Christopher Marlowe, Neil Tennant, Pet Shop Boys, Dolly Parton, Sly & The Family Stone, Oliver Reed, Brexit, Mick Jones, The Clash, evolution, Sir David Attenborough, biology, history, Film, Stephen Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Neil Peart, John Lee Hooker, Martin Freeman, Sherlock Holmes, The Hobbit, Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac, The New York Dolls, Terry Pratchett, Patrick Swayze, Al Green, The Bee Gees
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Playlists: bright songs about dark subjects

May 16, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Bouncy inappropriateness: The Smiths

Bouncy inappropriateness: The Smiths

Death, depression and other dark matter is given the jaunty, upbeat treatment by guest playlister DJ PP99, spinning superb and starkly contrasting styles and subjects from last week’s nominations

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In blues, comedy, country, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, death, depression, Young Fresh Fellows, Reverend Gary Davis, The Smiths, Heavenly, Jun Togawa, Ben Lee, The Hold Steady, The Clash, Gin Blossoms, The Primitives, Richard Thompson, Hoodoo Gurus, Pink, Childish Gambino, They Might Be Giants, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, The Mighty Diamonds, dBs, Katrina and the Waves, Mental As Anything, philipphilip99
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Serene syncopation: songs influenced by reggae, ska and rocksteady

March 8, 2018 Peter Kimpton
The Wailers that global star, Bob Marley

The Wailers that global star, Bob Marley

This week we're searching out the effect of these core styles of 1960s Jamaican music on other genres across the globe, from punk to pop and rock, African to dance, and how they evolved. It's a very sound system …

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In blues, dance, electronica, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, reggae, rock, punk, songs, soul, soundtracks, ska, rocksteady Tags Songs, reggae, ska, rocksteady, Jamaica, Bob Marley, The Wailers, The Clash, Burning Spear, Michael Franti, Johnny Greenwood, Radiohead, Youssou N'Dour, syncopation, menta, calypso, Prince Buster, Clement Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, The Skatalites, Alton Ellis, The Techniques, The Paragons, The Gaylads, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, The Congos, The Abyssians, Wailing Souls, U-Roy, BIg Youth, I-Roy, Dr Alimantado, Dennis Alcapone, Sly and Robbie, The Mighty Diamonds, 2 Tone, Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul, Sister Nancy, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Ziggy Marley, Nas, Tory Lanez, Boy George, Ike Turner, Bruno Mars, Peter Hook, Lupe Fiasco, The Bug
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Playlists: songs featuring honorific titles

February 14, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Sir Jake Thackray (honorary knight of the Song Bar, posthumously given)

Sir Jake Thackray (honorary knight of the Song Bar, posthumously given)

King, Queen or Lord, Big Chief to Brigadier, Corporal and more, from a list of titles nominated as long as history itself, this week's playlist writer, Sir Severin, serves up superb lists that would honour any ears

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In classical, country, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, reggae, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags Ty Segall, Slapp Happy, The Shadows, Jake Thackray, Professor Longhair, Katzenjammer, Pink Floyd, Pentangle, The Techniques, Bill Evans Trio, The Clash, Colleen Hewitt, Rich Kids, Jacques Brel, John Lee Hooker, Billie Holiday, The Wankys, Veda Hille, Paul McCartney, Gene Chandler, Gillian Welch, Edith Piaf, The Fall, The Unthanks, Kass Kass, Olivia Chaney, Offa Rex, Severin
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Playlists: incidental music and songs

July 19, 2017 Peter Kimpton
A Granstand finish? Des Lynam back in the day, with almost everything except the medallion

A Granstand finish? Des Lynam back in the day, with almost everything except the medallion

From unforgettable film and TV soundtracks to readers' associated memories, this week's guest director EnglishOutlaw calls the action on a wide variety of genres inspired by last week's topic

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In music, playlists, songs Tags incidental music, songs, Grinderswitch, blues, Dick Barton, film, film soundtrack, classical, Richard Wagner, Indian Ocean, Tom Waits, Down By Law, The Clash, Bad Brains, Stephen Tin Tin Duffy, video games, Labyrinth of Time, All Saints, U2, Keith Mansfield, theme music, television, Richard Strauss, Booker T and the MGs, The Lightning Seeds, Chuck Berry, Urge Overkill, Frank Sinatra, Serge Gainsbourg, The Move, The National, Alabama 3, Richard Thompson, Peter Moore, Vera Lynn, Howard Shore, Lord of the Rings, Grosse Point Blank, EnglishOutlaw, Apocalypse Now, Geoff Love & His Orchestra, Charles Willliams
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Picture this: songs about painters, painting and drawing

June 22, 2017 Peter Kimpton
1) Keith Richards by Ronnie Wood

1) Keith Richards by Ronnie Wood

This week the Bar becomes a special gallery  filled with music stars' work! Peruse the paintings and name their famous creators, and suggest songs inspired by art and artists from any period or genre

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Tags songs, art, painting, John Constable, Dick Dale, Vincent Van Gogh, Brian Eno, Joni Mitchell, Nat Tate, forgery, David Byrne, The Clash, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Jarvis Cocker, Pulp, Chuck D, Freddie Mercury, Pete Townshend, The Who, Queen, Mobb Deep, Michael Stipe, REM, Keith Richards, Ice Cube, Florence Welch, Florence and the Machine, Kanye West, Captain Beefheart, Jeffrey Lewis, Patti Smith, Robert Hughes, Conor Oberst, Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac, Cher, Grimes, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, The Kills, Alison Mosshart, Tony Bennett, Buffy Sainte-Marie, John Williams, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead, Pharrell Williams, Frida Kahlo, Nick Cave, Wolfgang Puck, Marilyn Manson, Yoko Ono, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Jefferson Airplane, Impressionism, pop art, Frederic Chopin, Wassily Kandinsky, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood
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New Albums …

Featured
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
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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
waterbaby - Memory Be A Blade.jpeg
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
Atlanta by Gnarls Barkley.jpeg
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
War Child - Help(2).jpeg
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
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Mar 5, 2026
DEADLETTER: Existence Is Bliss
Mar 5, 2026

New album: This second LP by the South Yorkshire/London six-piece expands their post-punk sound palette with a collection of arresting, thrumming songs, often dark and challenging, with richly exploratory lyrics across dystopian and existential questions, yet despite a climate of difficult, shows how gasping for life’s oxygen is essential

Mar 5, 2026
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Mar 5, 2026
Lala Lala: Heaven 2
Mar 5, 2026

New album: Moving from Chicago to New Mexico, Reykjavík, then London and now Los Angeles, the UK-born artist Lillie West’s experimental indie dream pop is a fascinating release about restless escapism while trying to stay where she is

Mar 5, 2026
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Mar 3, 2026
Iron & Wine: Hen's Teeth
Mar 3, 2026

New album: Timeless, poetic, gentle folk-rock in this eighth solo album by the North Carolina multi-instrumentalist and producer Sam Beam, in warm, tender album with a title that suggests the idea of the impossible yet real, and an earthier, darker, more more tactile companion to his Grammy-nominated 2024 album Light Verse

Mar 3, 2026
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Mar 3, 2026
Buck Meek: The Mirror
Mar 3, 2026

New album: The Brooklyn-based Texan guitarist of Big Thief returns with his fourth solo LP filled with tender, thoughtful, beautiful folk-country-rock, a tiny splash of analogue synths, joined by bandmate James Krivchenia as producer, Adrianne Lenker on backing vocals, plus guitarist Adam Brisbin and harp player Mary Lattimore

Mar 3, 2026
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Mar 1, 2026
Mitski: Nothing’s About To Happen To Me
Mar 1, 2026

New album: Following 2023’s acclaimed The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, now an eighth LP of sublime beauty, wit and melancholy and silken vocal tones from the American singer-songwriter, mixing pop, rock, echoes of Laurel Canyon era, and stories and metaphors of love and loss, insecurity, independence and solitude all set at home – and no shortage of cats

Mar 1, 2026
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Mar 1, 2026
Gorillaz: The Mountain
Mar 1, 2026

New album: Released with an art book, new games, and extended videos, a multicultural, multifarious and multilingual return for the collective cartoon pop-hip-hop project led by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, with many intercontinental guest appearances, and a particular Indian musical and visual flavour centred on fictional Himalayan peak as metaphor for life’s journey and illusionary truths

Mar 1, 2026

new songs …

Featured
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Mar 8, 2026
Song of the Day: Aldous Harding - One Stop
Mar 8, 2026

Song of the Day: An enigmatic, oddly stylish, stripped back, piano-based new experimental folk single by the New Zealand singer-songwriter, namechecking John Cale, and from her upcoming album Train on the Island out May 8 via 4AD

Mar 8, 2026
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Mar 7, 2026
Song of the Day: Max Winter, Asha Lorenz & Rael - Candlelight
Mar 7, 2026

Song of the Day: A dark, stylish, striking fusion of hip-hop, trip-hop, spoken word, and jazz by the London-based rapper and friends, and the the first single from the collaborative mixtape Like the season!, out on Secret Friend

Mar 7, 2026
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Mar 6, 2026
Song of the Day: SPRINTS - Trickle Down
Mar 6, 2026

Song of the Day: The feisty, ferociously fun Dublin post-punk band return with a punchy, on-point angry new number about the flawed economic term, watching systems fail in slow motion, housing crisis, rising costs, culture wars, climate collapse, and frustratingly being told to stay patient while everything burns

Mar 6, 2026
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Mar 5, 2026
Song of the Day: Jordan Rakei & Tom McFarland - Easy to Love
Mar 5, 2026

Song of the Day: Elevating, soaring soul with the high vocals of the New Zealand-Australian singer and songwriter joined by one half the British band Jungle, heralding the collaborative EP Between Us, out on 24 April on Fontana Records / Universal Music

Mar 5, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
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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
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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
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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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