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Playlists: songs with musical or thematic surprises

February 18, 2026 Peter Kimpton

… you’re in for a big surprise …

Aliens to unexpected identity, unusual sounds to strange artistic combinations as well as the lyrical subject itself, guest Marco den Ouden brings a box of brilliant surprises in response to our Big 10th Birthday Topic

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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, indie, gospel, 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 surprises, songs, playlists, Orson Welles, Jeff Wayne, Hurrah, The Ames Brothers, Duke Errol and the Lords, Tone-Loc, Childish Gambino, Britney Spears, Nine Inch Nails, The Stranglers, Les Paul, Mary Ford, Paul Hampton, Fred Lane & his Hittite Hot Shots, Simeon Bright, The Singing Surfriders, "Squeeze" Kamana, Rosalía, Rosalia, Bjork, Yves Tumor, Chicago, Vicki Lawrence, The Grateful Dead, Chuck Berry, Lori McKenna, Alice Cooper, The Dickies, Jun Togawa, Ramsey Kearney, Maestro Subgum, Omega Tribe, Ringo Sheena, Rupert Holmes, Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Haack, Miss Nelson, The Beatles, Barbara Manning, The Monkees, Kiss, Chaba Fedela, Ray Charles, Ho'opi'i Brothers, Jim Shandy, 50 Cent, Peter Pringle, Public Enemy, Herb Albert, Evolution Control Committee, Manfred Mann, Angelina Jordan, Marco den Ouden
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Playlists: songs about transformation

January 6, 2026 Peter Kimpton

Dave began to wonder if it might be more than just forgetting to shave today …

New Year? It’s time for some big changes around here - that is with some profound physical shapeshifting or behavioural transformation, and even reincarnation itself, all in song from, provided with great expertise and taste by guest Uncleben from last week’s topic

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In avant-garde, blues, dance, country, classical, dub, drone, disco, experimental, folk, indie, jazz, instrumentals, lounge, music, pop, playlists, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, rock, reggae, soundtracks, traditional, soul, songs, punk, RnB Tags songs, playlists, transformation, metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, Ovid, Homer, Shakespeare, Eric Carle, Lewis Carroll, Philip Glass, Jacques Dutronc, Steeleye Span, Viagra Boys, Cat Power, Material Issue, The Hold Steady, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss, Susanne Sundfør, Nona Hendryx, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, The Triffids, Screaming Trees, Big Black, Bill Frisell, The Grateful Dead, Yes, Horace Silver, Richard Strauss, Helen Reddy, Uncleben
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Playlist: songs about deadlines and ultimatums

November 11, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Buzzer time …

Deadlines are pressure points of human timing — social, romantic, political, existential. They define us, scare us, push us to move. With a clever crafted playlist picked from last week’s topic, guest Maki clocks what it all means

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In blues, comedy, disco, electronica, dub, dance, hip hop, indie, jazz, musicals, musical hall, playlists, music, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags time, deadlines, ultimatums, RIchie Havens, The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, Everly Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Echo and the Bunnymen, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Gregory Isaacs, The Stranglers, Deadline, Splodgenessabounds, Buzzcocks, Blossom Dearie, Ruth Etting, Mull Historical Society, Maki
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Playlists: songs about thunder and lightning

August 19, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Where will choices strike for this week’s lists?

One strike ncan remind us that nature is really boss, and for a songwriter, thunder and lightning can signify and express many meanings and emotions. Picked from last week’s topic nominations, guest ajostu’s playlists will go down a storm

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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, ska, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, Thunder, lightning, storms, weather, meteorology, Feist, David Byrne, St Vincent, Maruja, Witch, Bim Sherman, Eddie Floyd, Big Maybelle, Mahlathini, The Mahotella Queens, Los Relampagos, Cedric Congo meet Mad Professor, Chi Coltrane, Toyah, The 6ths, Claire Grogan, Shawn Phillips, Johann Strauss II, John Philip Sousa, Duke Ellington, Chaka Kahn, The Weather Girls, Leona Lewis, LUMP, Jake Bugg, Bob Lind, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, The Grateful Dead, Micah Thomas, Kit Downes, Oddgeir Berg Trio, ajostu
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Playlists: songs about unexpected and unusual friendships

July 22, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Cultured vultures: The Jungle Book brings about surprise levels of support via the medium of song

This Bar creates them too, but what about songs in playlists? From assorted human and animal encounters, generational pals to cultural social crossovers, guest Loud Atlas brings them all together in wonderful entertainment inspired by last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, bossa nova, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, RnB, rock, rocksteady, samba, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags friendship, songs, playlists, The Jungle Book, Film, film soundtrack, J. Pat O'Malley, Lord Tim Hudson, Digby Wolfe, Chad Stuart, Bruce Reitherman, Bill Lee, A Tribe Called Quest, José Feliciano, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Loudon Wainwright III, The Grateful Dead, Nina Simone, Syd Dale, Bambara, Belle & Sebastian, Fats Waller, Peter Paul and Mary, Steven Wilson, The Police, Cat Stevens, Yusuf, Crosby Stills & Nash, Tenor Saw, John Martyn, Beverley Martyn, Martin Simpson, The Alan Price Set, Alan Price, David Bowie, Turin Brakes, Joao Gilberto, Buddy Guy, Family, Randy Newman, John Powell, Colton Ryan, Ben Platt, Loud Atlas, Disney, Broadway, theatre, musicals, animals
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Playlists: striking acoustic song versions

June 24, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Simmering power? That’s Cat Power

Renewed, re-imagined, whether by the same artist or covered by another, with a stripped back, unplugged sound, a song can be opened up anew in emotions and lyrics. Guest Loud Atlas artfully explores the magic of the acoustic, inspired by last week’s topic

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In African, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, drone, dub, easy listening, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, lounge, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks, showtime, rock, punk, reggae Tags acoustic, covers, songs, playlists, Richard Thompson, The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Scala and Kolacny Brothers, The Bad Shepherds, Béla Fleck, Cat Power, Kuricorder Quartet, Seu Jorge, Sekar Melati, Bruce Springsteen, Alzheimer, José González, Charan Po Rantan, Frente!, Joe Collier, Björk, Bjork, Depeche Mode, Big Special, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Sinead O'Connor, Leo Kottke, Luvcat, Crosby Stills & Nash, Williams-Fairey Engineering Band, Manic Street Preachers, Gary Jules, Joan Armatrading, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Bernard Sumner, The Beatles, Foo Fighters, Damon Albarn, Loud Atlas, Britney Spears, Nirvana (UK), Radiohead, Buzzcocks, The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, John Williams, David Bowie, Gang of Four, Kylie Minogue, Simon & Garfunkel, New Order, Jacob Collier
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Playlists: songs about paths, tracks, trails and roads

January 29, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Follow this musical trail ….

From tiny woodland byways to endless stretching highways, across history and continents, Devon to Scotland, America to Australia, guest playlister Shiv Sidecar takes us on a fabulous musical journey inspired by last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, drone, dub, exotica, easy listening, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, roads, paths, trails, Nick Drake, Archie Roach, Linkin Park, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Alasdair Roberts, The Aislers Set, Buddy Miles, Mazzy Star, Pavlov's Dog, Show Of Hands, The Move, The Triffids, Dengue Fever, Metric, Ivor Cutler, The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Midnight Oil, Japanese Breakfast, Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kevin Morby, Jackie Leven, Karine Polwart, Lal Waterson, Robb Johnson, JJ Cale, Bo Diddley, U-Roy, Billy Butler, Shocking Blue, The Factory, David Byrne, Nina Nastasia, Dan Fogelberg, Lightnin' Hopkins, PJ Harvey, Cult Maniax, Lhasa, Ralph MacDonald, Super Furry Animals, trees, The Battered Ornaments, The Gun Club, Plainsong, XTC, ShivSidecar, Sidecar Shiv, Gillian Welch
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Playlists: puzzling and mysterious songs

November 13, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Captain Beefheart … of course

Prepare for a journey into the unknown and deeply strange. Whether in lyrics or musical sound or structure, guest playlister severin leads us through canticular caverns of wonder, inspired by last week’s topic

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, Future of the Left, Gong, Nora Dean, Slapp Happy, Syd Barrett, Sarah Vaughan, Captain Beefheart, Miles Davis, Adam Green, Futureheads, Ane Brun, John Jacob Niles, Amelia Coburn, Brian Eno, Tim Buckley, Tangerine Dream, Elvis Costello, The Grateful Dead, Sinead O'Connor, Maurice Ravel, The Lovin' Spoonful, The New York Dolls, Peter Hammill, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Siouxsie Sioux, Agnes Obel, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, The Fall, Edward Elgar, Shonen Knife, 17 Hippies, Toyah, Roy Orbison, Radiohead, Nina Simone, Massive Attack, Anais Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer, VNV Nation, John Zorn, Nik Bärtsch's Ronin, Joan Armatrading, Kevin Coyne, Anita Baker, severin, Severin
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Playlists: songs about or featuring national anthems

July 31, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Music in the air …

Take a world trip from standup straight to unusual traditionals, or distorted version radicals, alternative interpretations to parodies, as well as new lyrical angles, guest Severin creates a truly global selection from last week’s Olympic-inspired topic

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In African, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, easy listening, exotica, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags national anthems, playlists, songs, Jimi Hendrix, Kou Kakinohara, Richie Stephens, Jean Jacques Burnel, Beethoven, Tom Waits, Serge Gainsbourg, Laibach, The Rankin Family, George Fenton, Radiohead, Johnny Griffin Quartet, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Neil Young, Tanzania, Africa, Hawaii, Arrogant Worms, Marvin Gaye, Kiyoshiro Imawano, Gabry Ponte, Julia & Ayla Rodriguez, Juliette Greco, Мен, The Grateful Dead, Roy Ayers, Franz Liszt, Able Tasmans, Bro Gozh ma Zadou, Nitin Sawhney, The Voices of St Paul, Randy Newman, Richard Thompson, The Seekers, Nico, June Tabor, severin, Severin
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Playlists: songs about close shaves and near misses

July 24, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Gil Scott-Heron: Detroit disaster just averted …

From the almost did to only just happened, close encounters of all kinds – from romantic situations, haircuts, or averting nuclear meltdown, inspired by last week’s nominations, guest playlister Loud Atlas just makes it happen in the best possible lyrical way

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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, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady Tags songs, playlists, close shaves, near misses, accidents, Darrell Scott, Giorgio Tozzi, Gil Scott-Heron, Whitney Houston, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Radiohead, The Manhattan Love Suicides, Guster, Elton John, The Abyssinians, Tammy Wynette, The Cadets, John Murray, John Kirkby Sextet, The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, Count Lasher, Charlie Binger & His Calypsonians, Warren G, Nate Dogg, King Crimson, Tony Makem, Spiers and Boden, Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabaté, Cowboy Troy, Big & RIch, Ray LaMontagne, The Flaming Lips, Mother Mother, Ralph McTell, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: 7-inch singles that differ from album versions

June 5, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Singularly different: The Undisputed Truth

Sometimes they were an inspiration improvement, sometimes an editing and style aberration. Picking out the differences from last week’s singular topic, guest playlister ParaMhor cleverly chooses the contrasts for better or worse

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags The Primitives, The Blue Hearts, The Move, The Beach Boys, Buddy Rich, Cathy Rich, David Bowie, The The, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Undisputed Truth, The Rolling Stones, Belle & Sebastian, Herbie Hancock, The Grateful Dead, Wire, XTC, The Go-Betweens, The Beatles, Doll By Doll, Roxy Music, The Isley Brothers, Ringo Sheena, Van Der Graaf Generator, Velvet Underground, Miles Davis, Boston, The Who, Subway Sect, singles, vinyl, vinyl records, ParaMhor
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Playlists: songs with tautonyms and other repeat-word phrases

May 1, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Record bags: That Damned’s 7-inch sleeve from 1977

Echoing syllables and words across history, the animal kingdom, cultures and genres, this poetic linguistic effect brought a bountiful and vibrant supply of nominations. Guest playlister Maki picks a poetic selection to capture their glory

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, indie, jazz, krautrock, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags language, playlists, tautonyms, The Archies, Abba, Gillian Hills, The Milkees, Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads, Dub Syndicate, Burning Spear, A Taste of Honey, Talk Talk, Teenage Fanclub, The Damned, Los Bárbaros, Rihanna, Django Reinhardt, Erik Truffaz, Philou Louzolo, Coole Joe, Elivira, Tinariwen, Touki, Soraya, Erykah Badu, Scooter, The Grateful Dead, A Certain Ratio, The Jamaicans, Miriam Makeba, The Delfonics, Fox, Goldfrapp, Otis Redding, Jacques Brel, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Joe Strummer, King Crimson, Iggy Pop, John Lee Hooker, Rockin' Sydney, Middle of The Road, The Mamas and Papas, Dicky Doo and The Don'ts, Baby Ford, Cab Calloway, Fela Kuti, The Undertones, The Stranglers, Fruko y Sus Tesos, Bebe, Maki, Celia & The Mutations
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Playlists: music without percussion

March 13, 2024 Peter Kimpton

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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In classical, African, avant-garde, blues, country, experimental, electronica, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, prog, psychedelia, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Jimmy Giuffre, Astor Piazzolla, Benjamin Britten, Led Zeppelin, The Full English, The Go-Betweens, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Wheeler, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Nat King Cole, Huey Lewis and the News, Flying Pickets, Patti Austin, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, Rachel Unthank, The Grateful Dead, Charles Brown, The Mountain Goats, Black Sabbath, King Crimson, Flying Lotus, Pink Floyd, Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Christian McBride, Mark Whitfield, Nicolas Payton, Flanders Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven, Nilpferd
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Playlist: songs about blessings and curses

February 21, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Blessed or cursed? How how will it play out…?

Mysterious places, songs and secrets. This week’s wonderfully vivid playlist, inspired by last week’s topic, sets an intriguing narrative in a mysterious establishment run by a shady figure. But will it take a dark or a light path? Guest writer Maki sets the scene …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, soul, songs, ska, traditional Tags The Mountain Goats, Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, The Grateful Dead, Lee Scratch Perry, Agnes Obel, Camarón de La Isla, The Pogues, Celina y Reutilio, Mischief Brew, The Only Ones, Tunng, Kevin Ayers, Charlotte Day Wilson, boygenius, Aira Yuuki, Ornette Coleman, The Stranglers, Maki, playlists, songs, blessings, curses
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Playlists: songs with unusual time signatures

February 7, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Tea time at the Bar? Alternative servings …

Pleased to meter? 5, 7, 11, 13, 15 or even 17? We’ve got all the strange signature numbers for you here in brilliantly arrhythmic playlists by guest of the week Barbryn, making it really count from last week’s topic nominations

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In African, avant-garde, calypso, classical, dance, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, time signatures, rhythm, The Smile, Radiohead, Deborah Conway, PJ Harvey, Elephant Gym, Georgie Fame, Juana Molina, Pachora, Cat Stevens, Yusuf, Planxty, The Grateful Dead, Sufjan Stevens, Aaron Parks, Uakti, Philip Glass, Bjork, JS Bach, Murray Perahia, Yes, Airto Moreira, Don Ellis, Jazzanova, Bill Bruford, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Dream Theater, Tricot, GoGo Penguin, Avishai Cohen, Shakti, Taylor Swift, The National, Aaron Dessner, Lamb, Barbryn
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Playlists: songs with psychedelic sounds

December 20, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Enjoy the trip …

LSD, mushrooms and more, after a truly epic session of song suggestions from last week’s topic, It’s time to take a trip in playlist form, carefully prepared by guest of the week MussoliniHeadkick. Hold on to your ears and let the audio hallucinations commence …

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In avant-garde, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, krautrock, playlists, pop, prog, psychedelia, rock Tags songs, playlists, psychedelia, acid, drugs, hallucingens, Esquivel, Flying Lotus, Dope Lemon, Crumb, Jean-Jacques Perrey, King Tubby, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Fantastic Zoo, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Leftfield, The Moon (band), My Bloody Valentine, The 13th Floor Elevators, Opal, Pink Floyd, Missing Links, Jon Hopkins, Kelly Lee Owens, Child Harolde, Ernest Ranglin, Tommy James & The Shondells, Wild Mountain Honey, Harry Nilsson, Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, Ultra Vivid Scene, Spooky, Mouse on Mars, The Haunted, MussoliniHeadkick
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Mind-bending: songs with psychedelic sounds

December 14, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Psych is always on the move …

Delay, fuzz, distortion, flanger, echo, sitars, and mind-altering drugs? It’s a style chiefly associated with the late-60s but what are it’s key characteristics and where else do they come up in the world of music? Let’s go on a journey through time and space …

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In avant-garde, blues, dance, electronica, drone, experimental, folk, funk, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, rock, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, psychedelia, Aldous Huxley, Harry Nilsson, Hunter S. Thompson, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Film, film soundtrack, psychology, hallucingens, drugs, Humphry Osmond, books, Michael Hicks, Timothy Leary, William Blake, Hector Berlioz, Claude Debussy, art, Jean Moréas, Musique Concréte, Edgard Varèse, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Silver Apples, Yma Sumac, Les Baxter, Juan García Esquivel, Beatnik, poetry, William Burroughs, Alan Watts, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Arthur Koestler, Tom Wolfe, Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The 13th Floor Elevators, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Sly & The Family Stone, The Delfonics, Jake Holmes, Syd Barrett, Marc Bolan, Tim Buckley, Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno, Vangelis, The Stone Roses, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, John Hopkins, Animal Collective
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Rush hour: songs about taking recreational and illicit drugs

June 1, 2023 Peter Kimpton

From Salvador Dalí’s The Seven Lively Arts: The Art of the Concert

Trip up, or down? Hallucinogens, amphetamines, barbiturates and more, it’s time to feel stimulated and inspired by a big creative subject in the world of music, with songs about and expressing the ups and downs and experience of taking illicit, recreational drugs

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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, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, drugs, Salvador Dali, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, Aldous Huxley, Jean Cocteau, Irvine Welsh, Jim Morrison, Keith Richards, David Sedaris, Frank Zappa, William Gibson, David Lee Roth, Robin Williams, LSD, ecstasy, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, cannabis, animal behaviour, animals, Thomas De Quincey, Walter Scott, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, John Keats, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sigmund Freud, Edgar Allan Poe, Hunter S. Thompson, Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead, Alan Moore, Eddie Izzard, Timothy Leary, John Higgs, Carrie Fisher, David Foster Wallace, Lemmy, Nikki Sixx, Disney, Pendleton Ward, Duncan Trussell
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Playlists: songs featuring conversations

January 31, 2023 Peter Kimpton

The Shangri-Las in full conversational flow …

Duelling tablas to bar-room or bandmate banter, flirty duets to star-crossed lovers, chatty parody to skilful dissing, all the questions and answers are here in a creatively conversation playlist picked by guest Amylee from an enormous offering of nominations last week

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In avant-garde, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musicals, pop, playlists, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, conversation, Nitin Sawhney, The Incredible String Band, Sonny and Cher, Boo Radleys, The Boo Radleys, My Bloody Valentine, Martin Carthy, Anais Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer, Greg Champion, Jane Saunders, The Grateful Dead, Chicago, The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp, Yello, Betty Everett, The Shangri–Las, A Tribe Called Quest, Bo Diddley, Georges Bizet, Mozart, Dave Holland, Velvet Underground, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs featuring steelpan bands

October 19, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Trinidad Panorama

They make a beautiful sound, created in Trinidad & Tobago, one that has since spread around the world. Picking from the nominations from last week’s topic, guest Loud Atlas presents global, genre-spanning panoramic lists that are pan-tastic

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In avant-garde, African, calypso, blues, dance, disco, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, reggae, rock, ska, showtime, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, pan steel, Lord Kitchener, Madness, Super Furry Animals, Ahmad Jamal, The Grateful Dead, John Williams, Jane's Addiction, The Beach Boys, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, The Invaders Steel Orchestra, Trinidad & Tobago, Caribbean, Winston 'Spree' Simon, John Gibbs and US Steel Orchestra, Robert Palmer, Kikuo, Esso Trinidad Steel Band, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, The Sweet, Othello Molineaux, Steel Rhythm Band, David Rudder, Lennox "Boogsie" Sharpe, Frankie Dante & Orchestra Flamboyan, M.I.A., Phase II Pan Groove, Loud Atlas
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 22, 2026
Song of the Day: MRCY - Better Days (featuring Yazmin Lacey)
Mar 22, 2026

Song of the Day: Fabulous, uplifting, classic soul by the British duo of producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson, joined by the soaring voice of the London singer, out now on Dead Oceans

Mar 22, 2026
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Mar 21, 2026
Song of the Day: Eaves Wilder - Mountain Sized
Mar 21, 2026

Song of the Day: Stirring, dynamic indie-shoegaze by the breathy, sensual-voiced North London artist, expressing a fomenting anxiety morphing into a cathartic, explosive chorus to escape real-world restrictions, and after a series of singles and EPs, heralding her debut album Little Miss Sunshine, out on 17 April via Secretly Canadian

Mar 21, 2026
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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
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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

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
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
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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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