• Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact
Menu

Song Bar

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Music, words, playlists

Your Custom Text Here

Song Bar

  • Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact

Playlists: songs about absurdity and absurdism

March 11, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Players enter. But where’s the Wurlitzer …?

Strange goings on and off occur this week as the curtain opens for a theatrical absurdity featuring cast of random characters including this week’s guest guru, Loud Atlas, inspired by last week’s topic and Samuel Beckett. Fish. Wurlitzer. Balloon.

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, disco, dance, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, theatre, Samuel Beckett, Albert Camus, Frank Zappa, Dicky Doo and The Don'ts, Norm Burns, The Burning Hell, Ivor Cutler, Bob Dylan, Sparks, Family Fodder, Erutan, Bodo Wartke, Marti Fischer, The Kinks, Serge Gainsbourg, The Deep Freeze Mice, Mono No Aware, Laibach, Bing Crosby, William Bendix, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Momus, Mr Scruff, Barnes & Barnes, Roger Miller, The Beatles, Chad Morgan, John Hiatt, Yello, Les Fleur De Lys, They Might Be Giants, Luan Luis Guerra 4.40, Manfred Mann, Scooter, Blind Blake, Comedian Harmonists, The Cure, Andrew Bird, Klaatu, Motion City Soundtrack, Loud Atlas
Comment

Let's face: songs with lyrical symmetry

January 9, 2025 Peter Kimpton

‘Fearful symmetry’? More to reflect on …

It’s pleasing to ear and eye, verbally, musically and rhythmically, so let’s seek songs with forms of lyrical antimetabole, the repetition of one or more words in successive clauses, but a transposed order

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, symmetry, Edith Wharton, Dave Van Ronk, Aristotle, Iannis Xenakis, Jack Vance, Paul Valéry, Lord Byron, William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, William Blake, Patti Smith, Jorge Luis Borges, John Updike, poetry, lyrics, David Bowie, antimetabole, John F Kennedy, Edouard Manet, Impressionism, Snoop Dogg, chiasmus, language, grammar, They Might Be Giants, Steven Weinberg, Chen-Ning Yang, Tony Buzan, Blaise Pascal, Helen Reddy, Derek Walcott
Comment

Playlists: songs about detectives and private investigators

December 11, 2024 Peter Kimpton

They call him Mr Tibbs: Sidney Poitier shows Rod Steiger how real detective work is done - In The Heat of The Night (1967)

There’s a body, but what’s the motive, and whodunnit? Gathering a cast of famous detectives and a pile of tracks about them to spin in the Bar, Chief Inspector Marco den Ouden solves the case with musical cues and keys, inspired by last week’s topic

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, easy listening, electronica, exotica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, lounge, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, detectives, private investigators, Sidney Poitier, Film, film soundtrack, drama, television themes, Robb Johnson, Laurie Johnson, Sailor, The Regals, Yello, Joaquin Sabina, Steely Dan, They Might Be Giants, Stanley Brinks, Freschard, Jackie Leven, Bill Lloyd, DIre Straits, Thompson Twins, The Nipple Erectors, The New York Dolls, JJ Burnel, Dave Greenfield, Hall & Oates, Jon & Vangelis, Jon and Vangelis, Jon Anderson, Vangelis, Reverend & The Makers, Sparks, Tavares, Phish, Detective, Church, Weddings Parties Anything, Sammy Davis Jr, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, Art of Noise, The Art of Noise, Chosen Few, The Four Tops, Travelling Wilburys, UK Subs, Jamo Thomas, Tommy Flanders, Poster Children, The Rolling Stones, Leon Nightingale, Nicoll Brothers Band, Gordon Giltrap, Rupert Holmes, James Taylor, James Taylor Quartet, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Tew, Max Harris & His Novelty Trio, Trevor Jones, Juji Ohno, Norrie Paramor, Enoch Light & The Light Brigade, Tom Beckham, Sean Callery, Alison Brown, Mark Snow, Madonna, Warren Beatty, Marco den Ouden
Comment

Playlists: songs about museums, galleries and exhibitions

July 13, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Airing the sound: MOMA’s Music Gallery

Airing the sound: MOMA’s Music Gallery

It’s a private view where all are invited. Led by our expert guest curator EnglishOutlaw, chosen from a range of musical hanging fruit, welcome to the grand tour reopening of an entirely unique grand expo - a canticular spectacular

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, comedy, dance, country, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rocksteady, rock, reggae, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, exhibitions, art galleries, museums, 10000 Maniacs, The Strawbs, P-Model, Regina Spektor, Mick Thomas' Roving Commission, Phillip Jeays, Andre Williams, David Dondero, Tiny Ruins, They Might Be Giants, Gecko, Grant Hart, Steve Taylor, Kraftwerk, 4Hero, Gretchen Peters, Rufus Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Sparks, Croydon Tourist Office, Perfume, Lorde, King Missile, X-Ray Spex, Weird Al Jankovic, EnglishOutlaw, Bongwater
Comment

Playlists: songs about bodily motion, exercise and physiotherapy

December 16, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci

Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci

‘The heart’s a muscle. I pull it constantly’. Stretching not only the body, but also the mind and musical boundaries, these week’s playlists, expertly exercised by guest TatankaYotanka, help find parts we didn’t even know we had

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, metal, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, ska, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, biology, medicine, exercise, Fred Smalls, Gazelle Twin, Christine and the Queens, They Might Be Giants, Jae Tyler, Moby, Beyonce, Chelmico, Ofenbach & Quarterhead, Superchunk, The Nightingales, Smog, British Sea Power, Kamasi Washington, The Beastie Boys, Howard Devoto, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy McCrackin, Madness, LNR, Shriekback, Diana Ross, The Untouchables, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Spinners, Tortoise, Varano, Wunmi, Franck Biyong, Peter Hammill, TatankaYotanka
Comment

Playlists: songs with insults and sentiments that may offend

October 7, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Frank Zappa and the body beautiful

Frank Zappa and the body beautiful

Men, women, babies, society, people of statue, stardom or otherwise, this week no one escapes this week’s scattergun of superbly insulting songs inspired by last week’s topic, chosen with expert evil hilarity by guest Olive Butler

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks, showtime Tags songs, playlists, insults, offensive material, Betty Davis, Fela Kuti, The Rolling Stones, Ceelo Green, Lana Del Rey, Ben Folds, Frank Zappa, Robyn Hitchcock, Morrissey, The Fall, Terminal Heads, Half Man Half Biscuit, John Cooper Clarke, Braindance, Chumbawamba, Ian Dury, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Mojo Nixon, NIck Lowe, The Jam, Richard Thompson, Steeleye Span, Randy Newman, They Might Be Giants, Adam Green, Machine Gun Fellatio, The Tiger Lillies, Olive Butler
Comment

Playlists: songs about masks

September 23, 2020 Peter Kimpton
A signature cover version

A signature cover version

Whether current or the historic, for survival or entertainment, metaphorical, literal, medical, protective, theatrical, comical or disguise, inspired a sea of masks in last week’s topic, guest playlister severin has got it totally covered

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, masks, Billy Bragg, The Ramones, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Jussi Björling, Iggy Pop, Nancy Wilson, Robyn Hitchcock, Loreena McKennitt, Captain Beefheart, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Kurangan, Peter Hammill, Clinton Fearon, Dave Matthews Band, They Might Be Giants, Grace Jones, The Skids, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Ditty Bops, Carolyn Crawford, Max Romeo, Graham Parker, Idles, Johann Strauss II, The Mountain Goats, Fugees, Lou Reed, Thaikkudam Bridge, George Benson, Susanne Sundfør, Rob Brydon, Severin, severin
Comment

Playlists: songs about being stubborn and ignoring advice

February 5, 2020 Peter Kimpton
There’s no dictating to Pauline Murray from Penetration …

There’s no dictating to Pauline Murray from Penetration …

An impressive collection of tough cookies feature in this week’s lineup of artists ready to take no nonsense from anybody, covering the full spectrum obstinacy, from soul to punk and beyond, picked by discerning ear of guest Maki

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, prog, rock, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, stubbornness, obstinacy, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, The Lumineers, The Quireboys, The Kinks, Adrian Borland, Tool, Penetration, H.E.R., Robyn, The Grateful Dead, Richard Thompson, They Might Be Giants, Kirsty MacColl, Sex Pistols, Rod Stewart, Paco Ibáñez, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Crosby Stills & Nash, Neil Young, Mia Sheard, Mayte Martin, Maki
Comment

Inverted world: songs about the upside down to the inside out

August 29, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Shadow play. Where? On the square

Shadow play. Where? On the square

This week we enter the world of the topsy-turvy and the back-to-front, all reflected in song lyrics, literally or metaphorically, here with a perspective on other work, from reversed or mirror images to the distorted or refracted

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, metal, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, art, photography, optics, psychology, Jean Baudrillard, Frank Gehry, architecture, William Shakespeare, Christopher Priest, Iain Banks, NIck Lowe, Tom Waits, Robbie Williams, Dick Dale, Jimi Hendrix, Donatella Versace, Bertolt Brecht, Jean Cocteau, Hamlet, James Elkins, Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Adelbert Ames, They Might Be Giants, The Simpsons
Comment

Playlists: songs about electricity

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

Where will lightning strike in this week’s playlists?

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

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

Grandiloquent to gavotte: song lyrics with strange, rare or unlikely words 

September 13, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Let’s dust off, or blow away the ‘oose’ of our vocabulary air some great words

Let’s dust off, or blow away the ‘oose’ of our vocabulary air some great words

This week let’s delve deep into the musical lexicon for instances where unusual, oddball, inappropriate, funny, pretentious, antiquated or obscure words jump out, sometimes working well, or otherwise

Read more
In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, words, dictionary, language, playlists, lyrics, The Police, Sting, Public Enemy, Chuck D, NWA, Tim Rice, musicals, Blondie, Radiohead, Cole Porter, Tom Lehrer, Vivian Stanshall, They Might Be Giants, Led Zeppelin, Carly Simon
Comment

Playlists: bright songs about dark subjects

May 16, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Bouncy inappropriateness: The Smiths

Bouncy inappropriateness: The Smiths

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

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

Playlists: songs with unusual narrators

February 28, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Song post from space: a 1959 Romanian stamp depicts Laika the Soviet canine cosmonaut 

Song post from space: a 1959 Romanian stamp depicts Laika the Soviet canine cosmonaut 

Dogs, cats, foxes, trucks, museum relics, or lighthouses, this week's playlist writer barbryn hasn't just collected songs, but a supremely illuminating story of alternative voices and perspectives

Read more
In blues, comedy, country, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, rock, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, narrators, animals, They Might Be Giants, Nickel Creek, Guster, Jonathan Coulton, Nancy Kerr, James Fagan, Robert Wyatt, The Cure, Philip Jeays, The Dark, The Triffids, Red Simpson, Gecko, Joanna Newsom, Jackson C Frank, Scott Walker, Lucero, James Keelaghan, Grandaddy, Tom Waits, Johnny Marr, Maxine Peake, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, The Weakerthans, Gram Parsons, Harry Nilsson, Hurricane Harry, The Rolling Stones, Alias, Barbryn
Comment

Playlists: songs with provocative, strange or humorous titles

February 7, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Mac users: Amon Düül II

Mac users: Amon Düül II

Psychological perspectives to sexual proclivities, social commentary to downright silliness, our guest playlist writer attwilightlarks covers a large articulate range of the human psyche in the wordy titles from last week's topic

Read more
In blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, titles, sex, philosophy, Carl Jung, Martin Heidegger, Amon Düül II, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, The Deep Freeze Mice, Garfunkel And Oates, They Might Be Giants, Los Campesinos, Joan Armatrading, The Soft Machine, The Turtles, Jackie Leven, Felt, Indians In Moscow, The Movement, Billie Holiday, The Gourds, The Ramones, The Faces, Tony Joe White, Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs, Mental As Anything, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Ricky Warwick, Desmond Dekker, attwilightlarks
Comment

Playlists: songs about pirates and piracy

July 5, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Lotte Lenya as Pirate Jenny in Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera (1928) 

Lotte Lenya as Pirate Jenny in Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera (1928) 

German cabaret opera to New York hip-hop, French chansons to Caribbean reggae, sailing in the full breeze of last week's topic, guest pirate commander ParaMhor steers us to open many a musical treasure chest

Read more
In playlists, songs, music Tags songs, playlists, pirates, financial industry, financial crisis, banking industry, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lawrence Lessig, Kurt Weill, piracy, Lotte Lenya, Beastie Boys, Ry Cooder, Richard Thompson, Flogging Molly, Joaquin Sabina, Nina Simone, Home T. Cocoa Tea, Shabba Ranks, The Viceroys, John Cale, Jacques Loussier, Neil Innes, Horrible Histories, Adam and the Ants, Lee Scratch Perry, Mad Professor, Louie Culture, Anthony Selassie, Chrome, Cadaver Club, Procol Harum, Joan Baez, They Might Be Giants, The Pogues, Tom Waits, New Model Army, Abney Park, Gilbert & Sullivan, books, ParaMhor, Monty Python
Comment

Playlists: songs about channelling mental and physical pain

March 29, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Antony Hegarty, now known as ANOHNI 

Antony Hegarty, now known as ANOHNI 

Through the haunting voices of Antony Hegarty and Karen Dalton to memories of Syd Barrett and racing with the Boss, this week's guest writer ParaMhor plays through the pain barrier with perfects lists inspired by last week's topics 

Read more
Tags Pink Floyd, songs, playlists, pain, PP Arnold, Orange Juice, The Brilliant Green, They Might Be Giants, Susan Cadogan, Noah And The Whale, Dexys Midnight Runners, Anthony and the Johnsons, Karen Dalton, The Folk Implosion, Bruce Springsteen, Curved Air, Nazareth, Fairport Convention, REM, M.A.S.H., Richard Thompson, Mary Coughlan, Dusty Springfield, Propaganda, Culture Club, Judas Priest, Alter Bridge, Eric Clapton, Florence and the Machine, The Sonics
Comment

Playlists: whimsical, strange and silly songs

December 21, 2016 Peter Kimpton
Flying fish to dance to this week's lists. It was never going a sensible picture, was it?

Flying fish to dance to this week's lists. It was never going a sensible picture, was it?

The joint is jumping, and with Christmas silly season in full swing at the bar, our guest writer Flatfrog causes more than tapping feet and belly laughs with fabulous choices from last week's topic

Read more
Tags songs, Music, Flatfrog, Leroy Anderson, Velvet Underground, Katzenjammer, Ohio Players, AC/DC, Chaos UK, Green Jelly, Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup, Fred Penner, Petula Clark, Napoleon XIV, Leon Rosselson, Mr Scruff, They Might Be Giants, Alia Bhatt & Shahid Kapoor, Kevin Hearn, Barenaked Ladies, Rick Dees, Pink Floyd, Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, Sheb Wooly, Groucho Marx, Max Splodge, The Incredible String Band, Lorraine Bowen, 7 Seconds of Love, Alondra Bentley
Comment
music_declares_emergency_logo.png

Sing out, act on CLIMATE CHANGE

Black Lives Matter.jpg

CONDEMN RACISM, EMBRACE EQUALITY

No results found
Donate
Song Bar spinning.gif

DRINK OF THE WEEK

Prune juice

SNACK OF THE WEEK

celery sticks in guacamole dip

New Albums …

Featured
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
Friko - Something Worth Waiting For album.jpeg
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
White Denim - 13.jpeg
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
Asili ya Mama by Hukwe Zawose Foundation.jpeg
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
They Might Be Giants - The World Is To Dig.jpeg
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
Eaves Wilder - Little Miss Sunshine.jpeg
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
Honey Dijon - The Nightlife.jpeg
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
Tiga - HOTLIFE.jpeg
Apr 21, 2026
Tiga: HOTLIFE
Apr 21, 2026

New album: Montreal’s acclaimed electronica/techno/dance artist Tiga Sontag returns with his fourth album - inventively packed with head-nodding, toe-tapping, oddly itchy, infectious grooves, cleverly crafted retro sounds recalling Kraftwerk to acid house and electroclash, insistent bold beats and synth riffs, with lyrics of the existential, droll and surreal

Apr 21, 2026
Tomora - Come Closer.jpg
Apr 20, 2026
TOMORA: Come Closer
Apr 20, 2026

New album: A striking, dynamic collaboration between Norwegian experimental pop sensation Aurora and Tom Rowlands, one of half of Chemical Brothers, with a sensual, otherworldly energetic fusion of mystical, sensual ambience, and block-rocking dance beats

Apr 20, 2026
Jessie Ware - Superbloom.jpeg
Apr 20, 2026
Jessie Ware: Superbloom
Apr 20, 2026

New album: Following 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure? and 2023’s That! Feels Good!, as well as the successful food podcast Table Manners she hosts alongside her mother, the British pop singer continues to ride the 70s disco ball train, catering to the clever, kitsch and catchy with an ironic wink, adding also a luxuriant garden metaphor

Apr 20, 2026

new songs …

Featured
Alewya - Saleh.jpeg
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
metric romanticize-the-dive.jpeg
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
Jim Ghedi - The Hungry Child single.jpeg
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
holybones with Baxter Dury - SLUGBOY.jpg
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
Hand Habits - Good Person.jpeg
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
Pigeon - Miami.jpeg
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
Beck - Ride Lonsome.jpeg
Apr 23, 2026
Song of the Day: Beck - Ride Lonesome
Apr 23, 2026

Song of the Day: Beautiful, simmering, slow, melancholy and reflective, a surprise single and welcome return by the acclaimed US artist, evoking the haunting, sun-bleached landscapes and musical textures of his 2015 Grammy winning album Morning Phase, out now on Iliad Records/Capitol Records

Apr 23, 2026
Gelli Haha - Klouds.jpeg
Apr 22, 2026
Song of the Day: Gelli Haha - Klouds Will Carry Me To Sleep
Apr 22, 2026

Song of the Day: Described appropriately as somewhere between Studio 42 and Area 51, eccentric, effervescent, spacey, catchy and eclectic disco pop by the Los Angeles artist (aka Angel Abaya, co-written with Sean Guerin) out on Innovative Leisure

Apr 22, 2026
Leenalchi band 2.jpeg
Apr 21, 2026
Song of the Day: LEENALCHI 이날치 - Here Comes That Crow 떴다 저 가마귀
Apr 21, 2026

Song of the Day: Wonderfully catchy, funky, psychedelic and quirky new work by the seven-piece Seoul-based Korean pansori band led by bassist Jang Young Gyu with the title track of their new EP, out on 12 June via Luaka Bop, and heralding a European and North American tour

Apr 21, 2026
Jesca Hoop - Big Storm.jpeg
Apr 20, 2026
Song of the Day: Jesca Hoop - Big Storm
Apr 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, quirky experimental indie folk-pop by the innovative Manchester-based California artist, featuring a clever video that old footage and Hoop in various vintage guises, heralding her upcoming album Long Wave Home, out on 1 May via Last Laugh / Republic of Music

Apr 20, 2026
Gia Margaret - Singing.jpeg
Apr 19, 2026
Song of the Day: Gia Margaret - Alive Inside
Apr 19, 2026

Song of the Day: Delicate, dream-like, reflective experimental folk-pop by the American singer-songwriter and producer from Chicago, heralding her upcoming fourth album, Singing, out on Jagjaguwar

Apr 19, 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
Undine - Novella.jpeg
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
Veena player.jpg
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
Snail on a wall.jpeg
Mar 12, 2026
Word of the week: wallfish
Mar 12, 2026

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

Mar 12, 2026
Swordfish.jpg
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
Song Bar spinning.gif
No results found