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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

pint of guinness

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Bacon and egg ice cream (Heston Blumenthal style)

New Albums …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mar 11, 2026
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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 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
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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

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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