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Playlists: songs about thinking

January 7, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Descending deeper into the swirling vortex of our over-stimulated minds: Girls In Synthesis

Scratching your head? What makes the inner language and patterns of thought? Is there an art to thinking, of not thinking too much, or even dethinking? Guest writer Uncleben brings clarity and wonderfully crafted playlists inspired by last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, soul, songs, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, thinking, psychology, Lyn Collins, X, Seun Kuti, Fela Kuti, Fela's Egypt 80, John Moreland, Ralph Myerz, Jack Herren Band, Roky Erickson, Ron Moody, Lionel Bart, paul simon, Avett Brothers, Girls In Synthesis, Pere Ubu, Mclusky, Swans, The Beatles, The Charlatans, The Lemon Twigs, Londonbeat, UB40, The Smiths, Albert Collins, Parliament, Aretha Franklin, Robert Glasper, Talib Kweli, Beck, Kevin Ayers, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Boards of Canada, Uncleben
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Playlists: songs about competition and competing

August 29, 2023 Peter Kimpton

It’s time to give those records a spin, but who will get round first?

It’s a competitive world out there, whether that’s in sports, business or looking for love. A stellar set of songs and nominators from last week’s topic, chosen by excellent referee Uncleben who waves the chequered flag, and they’re off …!

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, krautrock, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, competition, sport, George Jones, Steeleye Span, The Intruders, The Drifters, Otis Taylor, Mark Knopfler, Roxanne Shanté, Ethel Merman, Ray Middleton, Alex Chilton, Prefab Sprout, Little Carl Carlton, Sir Mack Rice, The Spelding's Jazz Orchestra, The Beach Boys, The Smiths, Spin Doctors, Just Jack, Fountains of Wayne, Archie Roach, Womack & Womack, Prince Far I, Wire, Barmy Army, The Real Sounds of Africa, DJ Krush, Miss Piggy, The Muppets, Uncleben
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Playlists: songs about preachers, priests and other religious leaders

August 8, 2023 Peter Kimpton

New York manic street preacher, 1987. Photograph by DiscoMonster

Good, bad, mad and sometimes downright nasty, they come in many forms, but preachers are almost always charismatic. Inspired by last week’s congregation of nominations, guest playlister DiscoMonster delivers an inspiring bible-sized musical sermon on the subject

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In African, blues, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, priests, preachers, Paul Kelly, Roberta Flack, Larry Heard, HiFi Sean, Orchestra Boabab, Judy Collins, Prefab Sprout, Mercury Rev, Ska-P, Black Grape, Mischief Brew, Moodymann, Son House, Papa Wemba, Santigold, The Smiths, Bullet, Damaged Bug, Tackhead, The Impressions, Hozier, Zeke Manyika, DiscoMonster, Orchestra Baobab
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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 'everything'

June 27, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Promising everything: Them featuring the young Van Morrison

Is everything awesome or is it awful, or the full works in between? There’s a whole spectrum of ideas and feelings about ‘everything’ expressed in song, and from last week’s topic guest playlister Noodsy very neatly picks great numbers to capture the big picture

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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, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Tegan and Sara, The Lonely Island, The Decemberists, The Police, The Real Thing, Them, Van Morrison, Wham!, Samara Joy, Gillian Welch, Billie Eilish, Lole y Manuel, Teenage Fanclub, Underworld, Bebel Gilberto, Manic Street Preachers, Captain Beefheart, Ken Boothe, The Smiths, Bauhaus, Barry White, Panda Bear, Sonic Boom, The Auteurs, The Kinks, Grant Lee Buffalo, Angèle, Roméo Elvis, Quincy Jones, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Noodsy
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Playlists: songs about immaturity

May 31, 2023 Peter Kimpton

“Recognise your age, it’s a teenage rampage.” Sweet!

Life’s SO unfair! NOBODY understands! After a huge outpouring of song suggestions on this angst-ridden subject, guest of the week Olive Butler picks out two wonderfully entertaining playlists that really reach for the inner child

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In avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, folk, funk, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, songs, ska, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, immaturity, adolescence, childhood, The Beatles, The Smiths, Half Man Half Biscuit, Was (Not Was), Cock Sparrer, The Sweet, The Fugs, Van Der Graaf Generator, Black Box Recorder, Suede, Joni Mitchell, Looper, Johnnie Taylor, Nat King Cole, Mott The Hoople, André Williams, Neil Diamond, Pulp, The Jam, Toyah, Lily Allen, The Afghan Wings, The Afghan Whigs, Philip Jeays, Jim Stafford, Chuck Berry, Cat Stevens, The Tams, Paul Anka, Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, Patience And Prudence, Sparks, Olive Butler
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Playlists: songs with notable outros and codas

April 4, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Seamlessly beautiful ending: boygenius aka Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers

From the seamlessly beautiful to the outrageously expansive, the gently whispered to the incendiary solo freakout, where do you start with great outros? From the beginning to the end (of the end), AmyLee picks a blistering selection from last week’s topic nominations

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In avant-garde, blues, country, experimental, electronica, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, rock, soul, songs Tags songs, playlists, codas, outros, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Rolling Stones, Jacksoul, The Beatles, boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Olivia Chaney, Lana Del Rey, Richard Hawley, New Order, Velvet Underground, The Beach Boys, Ride, Yes, The Stranglers, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Hallquist, The Move, Strawberry Children, Abba, Cowboy Junkies, Roxy Music, Television (band), Microdisney, Garolou, Echo and the Bunnymen, Fad Gadget, The Guess Who, The Decemberists, Jackie Leven, King Creosote, Oasis, David Bowie, The Race Marbles, Stevie Wonder, Ice-T, System Of A Down, GBH, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Smiths, The Bevis Frond, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs about awkwardness

June 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Tribe 8 have got themselves into an awkward position. Explore the playlist to find out where …

Inspired by last week’s history of royal awkwardness and a host of songs nominated, guest of the week Loud Atlas presents a superb Musical Self-Help Guide on How To Be Awkward. Follow its 14 steps and beyond for further entertaining embarrassment

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, awkwardness, embarrassment, Frank Zappa, Kippington Lodge, The Ink Spots, Tribe 8, The Police, The Shangri–Las, Panic! At The Disco, Warren Zevon, Wet Leg, Art Brut, Rio Romeo, Danny John-Jules, Glass Animals, Creative Source, Buzzcocks, Jake Thackray, Joe Jackson, Ralph McTell, Janis Ian, Lord Melody, Bernard Cribbins, Courtney Barnett, The Business, Sunny Sweeney, Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons, Rodney Carrington, Humphrey Ocean, The Hardy Annuals, The Smiths, Scala and Kolacny Brothers, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Jonathan Coulton, Flo & Joan, Loud Atlas
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Playlists: gothic, creepy, scary, horror-inspired songs

October 26, 2021 Peter Kimpton

Goblin: legendary Italian creators of the 1977 Suspiria soundtrack

After a marvellously monstrous nomination response to this topic, guest playlister Amylee picks out a huge house of horror to be enjoyed, from scary soundtracks to freaky folk traditional, zombie rock apocalypses to gruesome gore. The devil has all the best tunes …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, drone, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, horror, gothic, Film, film soundtrack, Goblin, Steeleye Span, Billie Eilish, Mirel Wagner, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sonic Youth, The Cure, Slint, Las Limiñanas, The Smiths, Alice Donut, Utsu-P, The Pogues, Bruce Springsteen, The Doobie Brothers, Comus, The Herd, The Human League, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Scott Walker, Artie Shaw, Nina Simone, Alice Cooper, Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, Fields of the Nephalim, Sopor Aeternus, Carolanne Pegg, trees, Yoko Ono, Mogwai, The May Company, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Sleepy Jackson, Royal Trux, The Go-Betweens, The Naxalites, Ultimate Spinach, La Carniceros del Norte, Maria Theresa Vega, General Echo, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Frank Zappa, Royal Bangs, Tropical Trash, Kings of Leon, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Talking Heads, The White Stripes, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs about acceptance

June 15, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Oumou Sangaré

Oumou Sangaré

People, circumstances, oneself or even death, there’s a huge sense of calm, relief and relaxation around this week’s beautifully benign and wisely accepted playlists, chosen by guest tincanman from a massive influx of nominations

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags playlists, songs, acceptance, Suzanne Vega, The Grateful Dead, Oumou Sangare, Blind Alfred and Orville Reed, The Neville Brothers, The Smiths, Rick Nelson, Gil Scott-Heron, The Verve, Dead Moon, The Go-Betweens, The Fall, Ani di Franco, Nina Nastasia, Kacey Musgraves, Rumer, Joni Mitchell, Electric Six, The Herbiliser, The Dears, Jane Siberry, Tony Allen, The Afro Messengers, Leonard Cohen, Sebadoh, Pink Martini, The Humblebums, Dory Previn, Mac Davis, The Carter Family, Velvet Underground, Otis Gibbs, tincanman
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Playlists: songs about indifference

April 6, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Honey badger: ‘Yeah? And? So what?’

Honey badger: ‘Yeah? And? So what?’

As independent and tough as the honey badger, these playlists rise above any concerns. They don’t care what anyone else thinks. How come? They are brilliantly compiled by guest AmyLee, picked from hundreds of nominations

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In blues, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, indifference, Irma Thomas, Frank Zappa, The Lyrics, The Byrds, Kirsty MacColl, Smokey Robinson, bread, Alison Krauss, Union Station, John Prine, Morrissey, Green Day, Nirvana, Sick On The Bus, The Stooges, Graham Parker, The Leisure Society, The Flaming Lips, Spiritualized, The Grateful Dead, Hank Mobley, Steely Dan, Candi Staton, George Jones, America, Elliott Smith, Velvet Underground, Belle & Sebastian, Snog, Fiona Apple, Dead Can Dance, Everything But The Girl, The Go-Betweens, Primitive Radio Gods, The Folk Implosion, Transvision Vamp, Liam Lynch's Lynchland, Chicago, Ten Years After, Courtney Barnett, The Cure, Sleaford Mods, Alternative TV, The Defects, The White Stripes, The Rolling Stones, Leonard Cohen, The Smiths, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Anti-Nowhere League, AmyLee
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Visit this: songs about surprise encounters

March 4, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Brief Encounter …

Brief Encounter …

Songs that capture that moment of a surprise encounter, wherever it is, doorstep or elsewhere, and wherever it might lead – to romance, tragedy, comedy, death, or more, perhaps profoundly life-changing, or brief, and fleeting

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, visits, meetings, encounters, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Guy de Maupassant, Edgar Allan Poe, Scott Anderson, JB Priestley, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, The Smiths, Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber, Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Beatles, Glenn Gould, Trevor Howard, Celia Johnson, Janet Leigh, Frank Sinatra, Alfred Hitchcock, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Haruki Murakami, Simon Pegg, Arthur Koestler, David Bowie, District 9, aliens, William Burroughs, Heathcote Williams, Steven Spielberg
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Sound waves and signals: songs about body language and gestures

February 25, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Elvis. Introduced a whole new language of hip …

Elvis. Introduced a whole new language of hip …

Involuntary or practised, revealing or hidden, this week from waving to winking, leaning the lying, aggression and domination to love and tenderness, let’s look out for songs that express these gestures in titles or lyrics

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, gestures, body language, psychology, Elvis Presley, Stevie Smith, poetry, William Shakespeare, Aldous Huxley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hilary Mantel, The Smiths, Madonna, animals, animal behaviour, primates, Francois Rabelais, Robert Macfarlane, Henry David Thoreau, Neil Strauss, Theodor Adorno, Gretchen McCulloch, Kanye West, George Crumb, Rachel Simmons, Michael Bassey Johnson, Anais Nin, Toots Thielemans, James Levine, Richard Griffiths, Billie Holiday, Erykah Badu, Deborah Bull, Isadora Duncan, Roland Barthes, Marcel Marceau, Christine and the Queens, Joshua Reynolds, Derek Walcott, Milan Kundera, Ronaldo, football, Rebecca West, Donald Trump, Nelson Mandela
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Playlists: songs about denial

November 11, 2020 Peter Kimpton
The Go-Betweens

The Go-Betweens

There’s no denying it - this is a subject that is attached to every part of our lives, private and public, and from many nominations, guest playlister AmyLee picks amazing all-encompassing selections to uncover the musical truth

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In avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, denial, John Cooper Clarke, Little Ann, Barrington Levy, Michael Jackson, Todd Rundgren, The Mamas and Papas, The Who, Rod Stewart, John Waite, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, I Break Horses, The Go-Betweens, The Smiths, Suede, The Bevis Frond, Mindy Smith, Buffalo Tom, Stereolab, The Stranglers, Dropkick Murphys, Jane's Addiction, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Shaggy, Robert Pete Williams, Ruby Turner, Sandy Denny, Bob Dylan, Paul Kelly, Steve Forbert, Jackie Leven, The Earlies, Juice WRLD, Split Enz, Shoes, Beautiful South, Ballboy, The Offspring, The Burning Hell, Teenage Fanclub, Sugar, Monster Magnet, My Bloody Valentine, Bob Marley, Jeff Beck, Divinyls, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Beck, AmyLee
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Playlists: songs about being or feeling fat

August 5, 2020 Peter Kimpton
The Banjo Players by Beryl Cook

The Banjo Players by Beryl Cook

Roll up, roll it up! Tired of Tinder? Bored with Bumble? Had it up to here with Grindr? Listen up, Blubbbr is where it’s at! Check out this week’s top ten profiles and a whole bevvy of musical beauties as chosen by guest philipphilip99

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In blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, fat, Larry Williams, Jimmy Rushing, Carl Malcolm, The Commodores, Lee Pickett and The Screamers, Howlin' Wolf, Billy Stewart, Post Modern Jukebox, AC/DC, Katzenjammer, The Beautiful South, Sheppard, The Smiths, K.D. Lang, Bull Moose Jackson, Joe Tex, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Myren Lee and The Caddies, Ernest Tubb, Big Dee Irwin, Thin Lizzy, philipphilip99
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Playlists: adult lullabies and other songs about inducing sleep

June 3, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Berceuse ballad: the Pogues can do a beautiful lullaby

Berceuse ballad: the Pogues can do a beautiful lullaby

Restless? Don’t worry, this is worth staying up for. Enjoy a countdown in the first of several lists perfect picked by guest amylee from hundreds of suggestions over the week, which in all contexts help a perfect night’s sleep

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, colours, country, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, songs, showtime, soundtracks, traditional Tags lullaby, songs, playlists, My Bloody Valentine, Aqualung, Ella Fitzgerald, Eliza Carthy, The Pogues, James Taylor, Magnolia Electric Company, Songs: Ohia, The Pretenders, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Low, Leonard Cohen, Alternative TV, The Teardrop Explodes, Los Lobos, The Harmonians, Lou Reed, Cornershop, Samingad, Mischief Brew, James Yorkston, Kate Rusby, U2, Janis Ian, James, Queens of the Stone Age, Dua Lipa, The Taxpayers, The Smiths, Airiel, Lamb, Alt-J, The Waterboys, The Doors, Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars, Counting Crows, Husker Du, The Verve
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Playlists: songs with self-deprecation

March 18, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Bashful kids: Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice back in the day …

Bashful kids: Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice back in the day …

Don’t listen to these playlists. They’re not really that good at all. Then again they might be. What do you reckon? Actually they could actually be brilliant, chosen by guest playlister megadom from a whole set of funny and moving suggestions …

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In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, self-deprecation, Orange Juice, Edwyn Collins, Fujiya & Miyagi, Camera Obscura, Ezra Furman, Loudon Wainwright III, Gregory Isaacs, Courtney Barnett, Sun Kil Moon, The Monochrome Set, John Grant, Neil Innes, Ballboy, The Soft Machine, Skee-Lo, X-Ray Spex, Dan Auerbach, Sebadoh, Edwin Starr, Split Enz, The 6ths, Seasick Steve, The Smiths, The Guv'nors, King Creosote, Dana Bryant, Elvis Costello, Peter Blegvad, megadom
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Gently does it: songs about gentleness

February 13, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Koko and friend

Koko and friend

Soothing words, a light touch; holding baby, stroking an animal; lifting a fragile glass a measured, restrained response to tense moments, rage or violence; the soft caress of a light breeze across the eyelids, let’s gently let it out in song

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, metal, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, rocksteady, showtime, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, human behaviour, animals, animal behaviour, psychology, politics, Koko the gorilla, David Bowie, Dylan Thomas, James Dean, Saint Francis de Sales, William Shakespeare, Mahatma Gandhi, Hermann Hesse, Ian Brown, The Stone Roses, Joe Cocker, John Keats, Morrissey, The Smiths, Graeme Souness, Nick Cave, Aristotle, Coco Chanel, Honore de Balzac, George Herbert, Robert Browning, William Hazlitt, Friedrich Nietzsche, Mark Twain, Martin Farquhar Tupper, Charles Lamb, Charles Dickens, Haruki Murakami, Anne 'Ninon' de L'Enclos, Queen Elizabeth I, Judy Garland, Rene Zellweger, Abraham Lincoln, Charlie Chaplin
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Playlists: songs about suicide

March 13, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, 1981-2018

Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, 1981-2018

Following hundreds of superb songs suggested by readers from last week’s topic, from the tragic and departed to those who survived, guest playlister George Boyland distils them into two lists of beauty, pain and perspective

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In blues, country, dance, electronica, folk, indie, jazz, music, playlists, postpunk, pop, punk, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Suicide, mental health, depression, relationships, The Ruts, Groanbox, Bjork, Oumou Sangare, The Raconteurs, Leadbelly, Kate Rusby, The Rubberbandits, Frightened Rabbit, The Smiths, The Flamin' Groovies, David Bowie, Gary Jules, Joy Division, The Fray, Pixies, Logic, Teddy Thompson, Dolly Parton, Buzzcocks, The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa, Eliza Carthy, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jackie Leven, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Rainer Ptacek, George Boyland, Karen Matheson
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Hello Wembley! Songs pertaining to live music venues and spaces

January 24, 2019 Peter Kimpton
It’s just a stage I’m going through: Bregenz Music Festival in Austria

It’s just a stage I’m going through: Bregenz Music Festival in Austria

Bars, basements, intimate, sweaty or large or legendary, forests, festivals, stratospheric stadia, snug pubs to prisons, caves to operatic amphitheatres, let's musically celebrate venues and spaces mentioned by, or associated with songs

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, gospel, hip hop, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, music, music venues, live music, Independent Venue Week, Wembley, festivals, pubs, Bregenz Music Festival, Sex Pistols, Manchester, Buzzcocks, Morrissey, The Smiths, Joy Division, Mark E Smith, The Wedding Present, The Hardrock, David Bowie, David Nolan, CBGB, New York, The Fall, Madonna, Hacienda, Tony Wilson, Pulp, Bjork, Verona, Al Green, Glasgow, Deaf Institute, Gorilla Manchester, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Rough Trade, The Lexington, Hope & Anchor, Paper Dress Vintage, Moth Club, Television Personalities, Camden Roundhouse, Marquee Club
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

Galaxy Lemonade

SNACK OF THE WEEK

Orange twiglets from Jupiter

New Albums …

Featured
OUTTANATIONAL by Pigeon.jpeg
May 5, 2026
Pigeon: OUTTANATIONAL
May 5, 2026

New album: Hugely enjoyable, stylish, playfully eclectic debut LP of indie, electronica and Afro-disco and krautrock grooves by the Margate band fronted by the multi-lingual artist Falle Nioke from Guinea Conakry, West Africa, with songs about identity and ancestry, and a sound somewhere between New Order and William Onyeabor

May 5, 2026
KNEECAP - FENIAN.jpeg
May 3, 2026
KNEECAP: FENIAN
May 3, 2026

New album: Still the scourge of the establishment after 2024’s debut LP Fine Art, a hugely entertaining second LP of punchy, slick, defiant Irish Gaelic rap by Belfast’s Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap, and beatmaker DJ Próvaí, with an expanded sound aided by innovative producer Dan Carey and an appearance by Kae Tempest

May 3, 2026
Long Wave Home by Jesca Hoop.jpeg
May 2, 2026
Jesca Hoop: Long Wave Home
May 2, 2026

New album: Brilliantly inventive, eclectic, poetic, experimental folk and art-pop by the acclaimed Manchester-based Californian singer-songwriter and guitarist in her first self-produced album, variously about the end of relationships, life changes, technology’s social effects, Gaza victims and other contemporary issues with perhaps her finest yet

May 2, 2026
Sam Grassie - Where Two Hawks Fly.jpeg
Apr 29, 2026
Sam Grassie: Where Two Hawks Fly
Apr 29, 2026

New album: Beautiful debut LP by the London-based Glaswegian fingerstyle folk guitarist and singer-songwriter, with added saxophone, double bass, flute, clairsach and clarinet in a release of mostly the traditional, covers, sung or instrumental, and supported by the Bert Jansch Foundation

Apr 29, 2026
Irmin Schmidt - Requiem.jpeg
Apr 29, 2026
Irmin Schmidt: Requiem
Apr 29, 2026

New album: A strangely mesmeric, avant-garde and analogue-ambient, field recording-based experimental release by the last surviving founding member of experimental ‘krautrock’ band CAN, who, approaching the age of 89, has also written over 40 TV and film scores

Apr 29, 2026
Gia Margaret - Singing.jpeg
Apr 28, 2026
Gia Margaret: Singing
Apr 28, 2026

New album: Gently profound, and full of wondrous, mesmeric, slow, delicate experimental songs, this simple title has a powerful resonance – it is the Chicago artist’s first vocal album since 2018’s There’s Always Glimmer (there have been two instrumental LPs since), having suffered and recovered from a severe vocal injury, she returns with a delicate, candid, whispery but hauntingly beautiful delivery

Apr 28, 2026
Angel In Plainclothes by Angelo De Augustine.jpeg
Apr 28, 2026
Angelo De Augustine: Angel in Plainclothes
Apr 28, 2026

New album: A beautiful, delicate fifth LP from the Los Angeles singer-songwriter, friend and collaborator with Sufjan Stevens with whom he shares a stylistic resemblance, here with themes on life's fragility, second chances, and picking up the pieces after an undiagnosed illness forced him to re-learn basic abilities

Apr 28, 2026
Carla dal Forno - Confession.jpeg
Apr 28, 2026
Carla dal Forno: Confession
Apr 28, 2026

New album: This lo-fi, darkly minimalist but also oddly candid fourth LP by the Australian, Castlemaine-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist centres on the conflicted, obsessive feelings about “a friendship that became emotionally charged in an unexpected way”, and “an album about closeness that arrives late and unexpectedly. About stability rubbing up against desire.”

Apr 28, 2026
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Apr 26, 2026
Friko: Something Worth Waiting For
Apr 26, 2026

New album: Passionate, powerful, dynamic indie rock in this sophomore LP by the Chicago-based quartet that gallops forwards with a driving momentum, some elements of early PJ Harvey and Radiohead, and is produced by John Congleton

Apr 26, 2026
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Apr 26, 2026
White Denim: 13
Apr 26, 2026

New album: This 13th LP in two decades by the Austin, Texas rock band fronted by James Petralli has a particularly mischievous experimentalism, spreading styles far beyond breathlessly paced prog rock, with wrily humorous, surreal, personal and passionate numbers across heavy funk, dub, soul, psyche, country, dirty blues and more, joined by host of outstanding extra musicians

Apr 26, 2026
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Apr 24, 2026
Hukwe Zawose Foundation: Asili ya Mama
Apr 24, 2026

New album: Wonderfully evocative field recordings release of Wagogo, Waluguru and Wasambaa Tanzanian women singing traditional songs in their villages, rarely heard outside of their own circles, the title is translated as The Origin of Mother, rich in stories and capturing the place where song is first learned, first felt, first shared

Apr 24, 2026
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Apr 23, 2026
They Might Be Giants - The World Is To Dig
Apr 23, 2026

New album: Four decades since their self-titled debut, Brooklyn alternative rockers John Flansburgh and John Linnell return with their 24th LP, packed with of punchy, pacy, wistful, whimsical, clever wordplay and indie rock-pop, buoyantly satirical and also a little world weary at times, they remain oddball, lively commentators on the ongoing absurdity of life

Apr 23, 2026
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Apr 22, 2026
Eaves Wilder: Little Miss Sunshine
Apr 22, 2026

New album: After 2023’s Hookey EP, a strong, passionate indie-dream-pop-shoegaze full debut by the London singer-songwriter, whose breathy voice intertwines with strong, stirring riffs and textured sounds, themed around cycles of nature aiming to explain and celebrate the mercurial nature of human emotional weather

Apr 22, 2026
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Apr 22, 2026
Honey Dijon: The Nightlife
Apr 22, 2026

New album: The irrepressible, prolific and charismatic London-based Chicago DJ, musician, producer and vinyl lover returns with a flamboyantly fun celebration of club and queer culture through the prism of dance music from disco to house, with a wide variety of guest vocalists

Apr 22, 2026

new songs …

Featured
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May 5, 2026
Song of the Day: Sofie Royer - Cowboy Mouth
May 5, 2026

Song of the Day: A catchy, cool, stylish fusion of indie and electro-pop by the classically trained, California-born, Vienna-based Iranian-Austrian artist, inspired by reading Patti Smith and Sam Shepard’s play of the same title, reimagining the play’s characters as Angel and Cowboy, and out now on Stones Throw Records

May 5, 2026
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May 4, 2026
Song of the Day: Hodge - Wiggler
May 4, 2026

Song of the Day: A hugely fun, energising, infectious, effervescent, repetitive electronic dance track by the Bristol-based DJ/producer (aka Jake Martin) featuring a 3D pipe bassline by Memotone, and released alongside another track,Trust, out on Local Action

May 4, 2026
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May 3, 2026
Song of the Day: Ibibio Sound Machine - Return To Sender
May 3, 2026

Song of the Day: Fizzing with vibrant energy and intricate rhythms, a fabulous new single with a personal accidental backstory by the London electronic afro-funk band out of London fronted by vocalist Eno Williams, out Merge Record

May 3, 2026
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May 2, 2026
Song of the Day: The Puppini Sisters - Total Eclipse of the Heart
May 2, 2026

Song of the Day: A fabulous new version of the Jim Steinman-penned 1983 Bonnie Tyler power pop hit, arranged by Marcello Puppini in an entirely different style for her swing-jazz trio and band, part of their 20th anniversary celebrations and album, The Birthday Party, out now on Millionaire Records

May 2, 2026
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May 1, 2026
Song of the Day: Bleachers - I'm Not Joking
May 1, 2026

Song of the Day: Featuring harpsichord, Hammond organ, Dobro and more, producer Jack Antonoff and his New Jersey rock band return with a heartfelt love song single heralding the upcoming album, Everyone For Ten Minutes, out on 22 May via Dirty Hit

May 1, 2026
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Apr 30, 2026
Song of the Day: Alewya - Selah
Apr 30, 2026

Song of the Day: Striking, stylishly agile electronica and dance with a rich African and Arabian influence by the London-based British singer-songwriter, producer, multidisciplinary artist and model Alewya Demmisse, heralding her upcoming album, Zero, out on 26 June via LDN Records

Apr 30, 2026
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Apr 29, 2026
Song of the Day: Metric - Crush Forever
Apr 29, 2026

Song of the Day: Uplifting, effervescent electro-disco-pop by the Toronto indie rock band, with a song vocalist/keyboardist Emily Haines describes as “my love letter to strong girls in this world”, taken from their recently released 10th album, Romanticize the Dive, out on Metric Music via Thirty Tigers

Apr 29, 2026
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Apr 28, 2026
Song of the Day: Jim Ghedi - The Hungry Child
Apr 28, 2026

Song of the Day: Dark, gripping, visceral folk by the Sheffield singer-songwriter, with a striking number based on an early 19th-century German poem about the fatal story of a child pleading for food, and, following last year’s acclaimed album, Wasteland, also out on Basin Rock, it heralds his upcoming soundtrack for the Hugh Jackman film, The Death of Robin Hood.

Apr 28, 2026
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Apr 27, 2026
Song of the Day: holybones (with Baxter Dury) - SLUGBOY
Apr 27, 2026

Song of the Day: Dark, unsettling, sleazy and strange, this is arrestingly vivid new collaborative single between the clandestine London electronic collective and the downbeat, deep-voiced poetic Londoner, out on Promised Land Recordings

Apr 27, 2026
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Apr 26, 2026
Song of the Day: Hand Habits - Good Person
Apr 26, 2026

Song of the Day: Gentle, droll, humorously self-deprecatingly, and also delicately beautiful, this new experimental folk single by the moniker of Los Angeles singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Meg Duffy addresses the love-hate relationship with making music, out on Fat Possum

Apr 26, 2026
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Apr 25, 2026
Song of the Day: Pigeon - Miami
Apr 25, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, sunny, upbeawt indie synth-pop with an African twist by the Margate band fronted by Falle Nioke, with flavours of William Onyeabor, Hot Chip and New York 70s disco, heralding their upcoming album OUTTANATIONAL, out on 1 May via Memphis Industries

Apr 25, 2026
Tricky - Out of Place.jpeg
Apr 24, 2026
Song of the Day: Tricky - Out of Place (featuring Marta Złakowska)
Apr 24, 2026

Song of the Day: A pulsating fusion of beats, orchestral strings and the Bristol trip-hop pioneer’s distinctive, deep, croaky voice, with an emotional reference to his daughter Mina Topley-Bird (1995–2019), and heralding his first solo album for six years, Different When It’s Silent, out on 17 June via False Idols

Apr 24, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Song thrush 2.jpeg
Apr 23, 2026
Word of the week: throstle
Apr 23, 2026

Word of the week: An archaic, evocative noun with two connected meanings, originally for the song thrush, then later a textiles industrial frame for spinning, twisting and winding machine for cotton, wool, and other fibres simultaneously

Apr 23, 2026
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Apr 9, 2026
Word of the week: undine
Apr 9, 2026

Word of the week: It might sound like the act of abstaining from food, but this noun from derived from undina (Latin unda) meaning wave, refers to mythical, elemental beings associated with water, such as mermaids, and stemming from the alchemical writings of the 16th-century Swiss physician, alchemist and philosopher Paracelsus

Apr 9, 2026
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Mar 27, 2026
Word of the week: veena
Mar 27, 2026

Word of the week: This ornate, curvaceous, south Indian classical instrument, the saraswati veena, is a special bowl lute with a rich, resonant tone, has 24 copper frets with four playing strings and three drone strings, and is used for Carnatic music

Mar 27, 2026
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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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