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Time to grab a different instrument …
Revamped and newly performed by the original artists or as covers by others, the unplugged, undistorted and stripped back acoustic version can bring new feeling, meaning, audible lyrics and sometimes a sense of a whole new song
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Trust your senses: Björk
intuition to the unexplained, new realms of perception to deja vu, telepathy and the astral plane, all this and more in a pair of perceptive playlists picked by guest of the week Suzi from the most recent topic
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The open road … all the way the vanishing point …
It’s the inspiration for so many album covers, not to mention songs, and also an idea of infinity we never quite reach. From literal or metaphorical and lyrical, this week we reach for that imagined line where land, or sea, meets sky
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Flesh out the music? Things are getting extra mouthy …
Downright scary, but also popular, are they society’s ills eating itself, or its ills eating society? Spanning the globe, with tasty flavours and takes from the UK to the US, Latin countries, Japan and the Caribbean, guest playlister Marco den Ouden takes a brilliantly big bite
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Super continent group: Les Amazones d’Afrique
When have giants of African music, jazz, indie, rock and pop and more left their egos at the door and formed a great, new integrated unit? This week’s guest Nilpferd gathers together groups of examples into superlative playlists
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Cream, with a heavy dose of Ginger
Collaborations, surprising or predictable, are of what music is made. But this week’s topic focuses on artists from different, already successful acts who collaborate not only on one song or performance, but a whole LP or more
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Neneh Cherry's taking a confident Buffalo Stance
From the plucky and cocky to the bold and brave, Beyonce to Blondie, Sparks to Stevie Wonder, this week’s guest Severin has picked two superb playlists from the nominations that will have your striding down the street
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That's not us.
Who are you? Who are they? Hackers to the hidden, secret societies to strangers in crowds, masked meetings to sexual liaisons, this week's playlists are superbly assembled by a famous but Anonymous figure
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Make your entrance here at the Bar. Strict door policy, obviously …
There's a big 2nd anniversary gig going on at the bar, but who will perform after all the songs and bands put forward last week? The Landlord invites you to witness the whole variety show, and also stay for a second stage afterparty
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Blast off: many bright openings illuminate this week's playlists …
Is it best to set light slowly or start with a big bang? In what turned out to be topic of epic proportions and suggestions, this week's guest ParaMhor creates a superb selection of illuminating playlist openings
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Frank Zappa: Shut Up'n Play Your Guitar
The instrument as a friend, lover, a symbol of society, or something that sings? Beatles to BB King, Stillwater to Frank Zappa, this week's guest Marco den Ouden finds that they all hold narrative, inspired by last week's topic
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Beyoncé ... imagining herself as a boy, if that's not a stretch …
If only, maybe or perhaps it happened differently? From Beyoncé to Beach Boys and Belle & Sebastian, this week's guest playlister EnglishOutlaw skilfully treads alternative paths inspired by last week's song nominations
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Lamb. Obviously.
Innocence lost or regained, from childhood to animals, in fact or fantasy, lyrics or style, this week we enter less cynical world, one of wide-eyed wonderment and promise, all in the form of songs and more
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James Boswell. The biographer and man of letters helps draft this week's list of canticles … Portrait: Sir Joshua Reynolds
It began with a letter. Schoolboys to murderers, fist-fighting ruffians to race horses, from last week's voluminous nominations, peruse these superbly compiled playlists by guest biographer Uncleben through the muse of James Boswell
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Room for imagination. House shown in picture may differ from that which is advertised …
Leaving plenty of room for the imagination from a palace of nominations from last week's topic, guest agent EnglishOutlaw presents a musical property currently on the market that's a must-see and listen
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Can anyone soar higher than Yma Sumac?
Inspired by hundreds of songs nominated in last week's topic, guest curator Hoshino Sakura creates two beautifully elevated playlists, taking it up to even higher art with a wonderful, painterly gallery display
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Silky smooth: Count Basie
Van Morrison's spiritual journey to rough seas with Gordon Lightfoot, Aretha Franklin's lover to smooth silk via Count Basie, this week's guest writer TakeitawayGuru creates two tantalisingly touching playlists
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The first, the last, or has Grace Jones simply done it again?
A classroom kiss to a strange encounter, leaving town to a final continental farewell, guest writer takeitawayGuru creates playlists from last week's topic that move and entertain from first to last
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Some universal songs have tears and fears, and Tears for Fears ...
They just keep coming back. What are they? Guest writer takeitawayGuru authentically defines 'asafarae' songs, great works that missed previous lists and cover many topics, all from last week's suggestions
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HI! I'm Andy Kaufman. Where am I? Who sang about me?
Andy to Billy, Carey to Terry, this week's guest writer treefrogdemon does a roll call through hundreds of your song suggestions from last week's topic to show how lyrics define far more than just a name
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