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Playlists: songs for fictional commercials

December 28, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Fresh frozen? Give peas a chance …

Awash with ads for travel, clothing, leisure, painkillers, marijuana, vegetables, and even items to boost sex life? Well, it’s time to be entertained by a string of non-existent ones, framed in snappy marketing musical form, with playlists picked by guest magicman from last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, calypso, blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags advertising, playlists, songs, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Say She She, James Brown, The Beach Boys, Les Paul, Mary Ford, Ned Doheny, Annette Hanshaw, Curtis Mayfield, Billy Ocean, Pete and the Pirates, Take That, Bing Crosby, U2, Elvis Presley, Ska-P, Gen Hoshino, Halmens, The Clash, Imagine Dragons, Katrina and the Waves, Frank Black, The Sleepy Jackson, Young Fathers, The Flying Lizards, Eurythmics, The Eurythmics, magicman
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Playlists: songs in Spanish

September 6, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Johnny Pacheco & Celia Cruz

¡Hola! Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Chile, USA, of course Spain itself and beyond, it’s a language of passion and storytelling. After last week’s big topic nominations, guest playlister magicman presents a wealth of wonderful numbers

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Tags songs, Spanish, Elvira Rios, Ela Minus, Invisible, Rosalía, Chalino Sanchez, Consuelo Velasquez, Los Saicos, Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Los Chunguitos, Mercedes Sosa, Ibeyi, Mala Rodriguez, Aventura, Judy Santos, Las Ketchup, Fania All Stars, Hector Lavoe, Xavier Cugat, Carmen Castil, November Ultra, La Sonora Del Caribe, Shakira, Gipsy Kings, Lila Downs, The Plugz, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Chabuca Grande, Azucar Moreno, Jessie Reyez, David Byrne, Agapito Pascual, La Sonora Santanera, Victor Jara, La Luz Mandarina, Lecuona Cuban Boys, Buena Vista Social Club, Arsenio Rodriguez, Desi Arnaz, Sylvia Rexach, Chavela Vargas, Eddie Palmieri, Joe Cuba Sextet, Los Tigres del Norte, Benny Moré, Los Zafiros, Ibrahim Ferrer, magicman
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Playlists: songs about resilience

May 2, 2023 Peter Kimpton

There’s something inside … Labi Siffre

Love and marriage, fighting alcoholism, fearless drag queens, 400 years of black resilience, to being able to bend rather than be brittle and break – there’s something very strong going on here, thanks for playlists picked by guest magicman inspired by last week’s topic

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags resilience, songs, playlists, Maya Angelou, Mêlée, Kate Bush, Mel & Tim, Fiona Apple, Chk Chk Chk, Grace Petrie, Gerry Rafferty, Dub Syndicate, Aretha Franklin, Joe Walsh, B.J. Thomas, Labi Siffre, Todd Rundgren, Len Chandler, Manic Street Preachers, The Impressions, Mark Stewart & the Maffia, Christina Aguilera, Culture, The Whatnauts, Nat King Cole, Sault, Judy Garland, Little Richard, Long Promised Road, Prince Buster, Andrew Duhon, Jessie Ware, magicman
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Playlists: songs about everlasting love

February 15, 2023 Peter Kimpton

A whole lotta love: the great Barry White

Feel the huge embrace: following last week’s Song Bar seventh Birthday celebration that brought a huge heap of thematic nominations, guest of the week magicman plucks out an excellent, all-loving array of songs that capture those everlasting feelings

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In African, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, love songs, eternity, Barry White, Jockstrap, Johnny Ace, Joy Crookes, Barbara Lewis, Eddi Reader, Randy Newman, Stromae, Cabilla Cabello, Earth Wind & Fire, Suede, The Love Affair, Adele, Heatwave, Choir of Trinity College, The Bangles, Jon Lucien, Whitney Houston, Sault, Elbow, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Randy Travis, Shirley Bassey, Captain & Tenille, Hozier, Los Chunguitos, Al Green, Nina Simone, Barbra Streisand, Wynonna Judd, Ray Charles, Van Morrison, John Legend, Aaron Neville, paul simon, magicman
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Playlists: songs about orgasms

November 16, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Horn of plenty: Rosalía

Yes! Yes! Yes! After days of non-stop, multiple orgasmic musical nominations, it’s time to have a cigarette, sit back and relax as guest of the week magicman presents more than pleasurable playlists that reach even more climaxes …

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In African, avant-garde, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, orgasms, sex, Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention, Fairport Convention, Sugababes, The Rolling Stones, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Major Harris, The Beths, Lil Louis, Starlight Vocal Band, Teddy Prendergrass, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Prince, Machine Gun Fellatio, Rosalía, Turbonegro, Blonde Redhead, Marvin Gaye, Bebe, Alex Puddu, Janet Jackson, Max Romeo, Magic Dirt, Destiny's Child, Apollonia 6, The Dukes of Stratosphear, Liz Phair, Millie Jackson, The Beatles, magicman
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Playlists: songs from New Orleans and south Louisiana

August 31, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Mahalia Jackson at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, 1970

Where might you find some of the best music from NOLA and beyond? The streets are alive with it at every corner. After last week’s big blast of nominations, guest magicman takes us on a fantastic tour of some of the area’s finest artists. Oh what a night!

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In blues, country, dance, disco, folk, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, showtime, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Louisiana, New Orleans, Kid Sheik, John Handy, Aaron Neville, James Booker, Professor Longhair, King Oliver, Slim Harpo, Cleoma Breaux, Jackson Square Allstars, Sugar Boy Crawford, Iry LeJeune, Buckwheat Zydeco, Smiley Dorsey, Smiley Lewis, Lee Dorsey, Benny Spellman, Ernie K. Doe, Mahalia Jackson, Rebirth Brass Band, Irma Thomas, Robert Parker, Better Than Ezra, Galactic, Sidney Bechet, Lillian Boutte, Andrew Duhon, Zachary Richard, Jessie Hill, Fats Domino, Big Freedia, Kermit Ruffins, magicman
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Playlists: music and songs featuring the trombone

August 10, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Bill Watrous

Bill Watrous

Slide right in here for a blow-by-blow account of the beautiful, broad-ranging, classy, brassy repertoire of the ‘bone – from early jazz to reggae, ska, pop, soul, salsa, funk and film soundtrack and more, perfectly picked by guest magicman from a massive range of nominations

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In blues, calypso, dance, dub, funk, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, showtime, postpunk, gospel Tags trombones, playlists, Jackie Wilson, Kid Ory, Benny Spellman, Mon Rivera, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Don Drummond, Bill Watrous, Fred Wesley Jr, John Barry, Charles Mingus, Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey, Groove Armada, Andy Cato, The Avalanches, Honey Cone, Oscar D'Leon & Dimension Latina, Louis Armstrong, Melba Liston, Rico Rodriguez, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Sound Dimension, Freak Power, David Rose & His Orchestra, Art Blakey, Sergio Mendes, Brasil '66, Quincy Jones, Chris Barber, JJ Johnson, Dexys Midnight Runners, Maurice Ravel, Aswad, Mighty Sparrow, The Mighty Sparrow, Hoyt Curtin, Beny Moré, Blue Mink, Richard Wagner, magicman
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Playlists: songs about adultery and infidelity

March 23, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Blue tales? The magnificent Millie Jackson will always find out …

Blue tales? The magnificent Millie Jackson will always find out …

Saucy musical hall to broken-hearted blues to soaring heart-wrenching soul, guest magicman reveals all the ins and outs of secret liaisons, setting all affairs in order with three supreme playlists to capture the huge response by readers

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, pop, playlists, musicals, postpunk, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Vesta Victoria, Frankie Lee Sims, The Chicks, Franco & TPOK Jazz, Beyonce, Jimmy Rushing, Gene Pitney, Lefty Frizzell, Denise LaSalle, Robert Johnson, Millie Jackson, Sanford Townsend Band, Waterson & McCarthy, Ida Cox, The Ink Spots, Dream Wife, Gene Autry, Ann Peebles, Lloyd Brown, Brandy Clark, 100º Proof Aged In Soul, Crystal Gayle, Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting, Nancy Kerr, Taylor Swift, Haim, Muddy Waters, Dionne Warwick, Patsy Cline, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Squeeze, Dr John, The O'Jays, Howlin' Wolf, Johnnie Taylor, The Temptations, Jimi Hendrix, The Dubliners, Toni Braxton, George Harrison, adultery, infidelity, relationships, sex, magicman
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Playlists: no words, just dance instrumentals

December 29, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Get down, Soul Train style, to the likes of TSOP and a whole lot more, and dance the 2020 blues away …

Get down, Soul Train style, to the likes of TSOP and a whole lot more, and dance the 2020 blues away …

Let the music do the talking! This lyric-free set of lists, inspired by nominations from last week and picked by our dance maestro magicman, steps niftily across genres, leaves no muscle untouched, and will help dance those 2020 blues away

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In African, avant-garde, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, funk, folk, gospel, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, instrumentals, Lee Scratch Perry, Wamdue Project, La Bottine Souriante, MFSB, The Three Degrees, Glen Miller, Giorgio Moroder, Winifred Atwell, Mitchie M, Ray Charles, Perez Prado, 808 State, Treacherous Orchestra, David Bowie, The Detroit Experiment, Duke Ellington, Young-Holt Unlimited, Alfredo Linares, King Sunny Ade, Bob Holroyd, Four Tet, Rhythm Makers, Love Unlimited Orchestra, Herbie Hancock, Percy Faith Orchestra, Conjunto Sarau, Fatman Riddim Section, King Oliver, Charlie Byrd, Stan Getz, Aswad, Benga & Coki, West Nkosi, Makgona Tsohie Band, Willard McDaniel, Scientist, Maceo & The Macks, Todd Terje, David Shire, East of Eden, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, magicman
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Playlists: songs featuring choirs

September 2, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Soweto Gospel Choir

Soweto Gospel Choir

If ever a music genre brought people together, this is it. Sublime selections in a heartfelt tribute by guest playlister magicman from mass nominations spanning South Africa to Russia, America to India, France, Wales and well beyond

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In African, classical, folk, gospel, indie, jazz, musicals, pop, showtime, songs, traditional, soul, rock, playlists, music, dance, disco Tags songs, playlists, choirs, Harry Nilsson, Pierluigi Palestrina, L. Subramaniam, Pavel Chesnokov, Michael Jackson, Caetano Veloso, Cerys Matthews, Fron Male Voice Choir, Gabriel Fauré, Soweto Gospel Choir, Aretha Franklin, The Southern California Community Choir, Reverend James Cleveland, Sweet Honey In the Rock, Bulgarian State Radio & TV Female Vocal Choir, Oysterband, Melanie, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ray Davies, Crouch End Festival Chorus, Samuel Barber, Chanteurs a la Croix de Cuivre, Zimna Wojna, The Carpenters, Rachmaninov, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, John Taverner, Andi Thakambau, Nicolas Jaar, The Jumping Jacques, Ray Stevens, Sam Smith, Kanye West, Abba, Rod Stewart, The Beatles, Swingle Singers, Vivaldi, Kuban Cossack Choir, magicman
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Playlists: songs applied to Covid-19 lockdown

May 27, 2020 Peter Kimpton
The look of 2020

The look of 2020

Writing from a viral hotbed of Covid-19 lockdown - New York - guest playlister magicman recounts isolation, social chaos, cohesion, anger and laughter with his infectious collection of superb songs nominated by a global Song Bar audience

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Tags songs, playlists, coronavirus, Covid-19, flu pandemic, history, New York, Taiwan, Brazil, Andrew Cuomo, Donald Trump, Sparks, Charley Patton, Bertha Lee, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Master KG, Cosmos People, The Jarmels, Tame Impala, Reg Meuross, Courtney Barnett, Emanel Lasky, Tricot, Tool, Fat Larry's Band, Jon Hopkins, King Creosote, Randy Newman, Hunters & Collectors, Brothers Johnson, Talking Heads, The Unthanks, Abba, The Ethiopians, The Statler Brothers, Jeffrey Lewis, Kate Bush, Norman Cook / Fatboy Slim, Jackie Lee, Kraftwerk, Kate Tempest, Vicetone, Tony Igy, Swans, Soapkills, The Specials, Luke Vibert, Ele, Matt Lucas, Sinead Harnett, Al Green, The Temptations, Massive Attack, Tracey Thorn, Cardi B, iMarkkeyz, Todrick Hall, magicman
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Playlists: songs that quote Shakespeare

March 11, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Pop art? The playlist is the thing … and Shakespeare comes in many colours

Pop art? The playlist is the thing … and Shakespeare comes in many colours

Prithee, come along, the bell doth ring! Hear thy song, the playlist is the thing! Rock, classical, funk, soul, hip hop, the Bard is present in all genres, here played out in three splendid acts by guest magicman from a cast of nominations

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, theatre, Iron Maiden, Franz Schubert, Lucia Pop, Laurie Anderson, Jeff Buckley, Kevin Johansen, GLM, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Gentle Giant, Shelagh McDonald, Stormzy, Rufus, Chaka Kahn, Alec Costandinos, Motorhead, Henry Purcell, Half Man Half Biscuit, The Zombies, Bryan Ferry, Inkubus Sukkubus, Kilburn and the High Roads, Ian Dury, Queen, Meic Stevens, Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson, Prince, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Noel Coward, The Four Tops, Kate Tempest, Taylor Swift, Frank Ocean, magicman, Al Bowlly, Siouxsie and the Banshees
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Playlists: songs with great arrangements

December 11, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Sketching out … Miles Davis and Gil Evans

Sketching out … Miles Davis and Gil Evans

It’s an artful arrangement in itself: classical to jazz, pop to prog, the parts unfold and come together beautifully in these playlists picked by this week’s guest magicman, drawn from hundreds of suggestions from last week’s topic

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, rock, showtime, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, musical arrangements, Beethoven, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Cilla Black, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Van Dyke Parks, Chico Buarque, Focus, Earth Wind & Fire, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Dan Hartman, Rufus Wainwright, Maurice Ravel, George Gershwin, A.R. Rahman, FKA Twigs, The Band, Glen Miller, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Spirit, Tower Of Power, Quincy Jones, Propaganda, Murcof, Nick Drake, John Hartford, June Tabor and the Oyster Band, Voice Squad, Dionne Warwick, Andy Williams, Joe Gibbs & The Professionals, Glenn Miller, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Lana Del Rey, magicman
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Playlists: songs about stalking, following and chasing

November 6, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Follow the eyes … Annette Hanshaw

Follow the eyes … Annette Hanshaw

Innocent following to sinister stalking, this week’s guest magicman has got all the exits covered across two excellent playlists chasing down last week’s topic to cover all musical streets from romantic threats to thrilling car chases

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In avant-garde, blues, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, following, stalking, chasing, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carole King, Al Campbell, Mindy Gledhill, Lorraine Ellison, Annette Hanshaw, Candi Staton, The Police, Sting, Albert King, AC/DC, Los Jaivos, Sam Sham & The Pharoahs, Film, film soundtrack, Aqualung, Dalbello, UNKLE, Eminem, Dido, Walter TV, The Bangles, Bob Marley, Blossom Dearie, Snow Patrol, Fairport Convention, Chuck Berry, Frances Nero, Cody ChestnuTT, Kacey Musgraves, magicman, Lalo Schifrin, Sam Sham & The Pharaohs, Los Jaivas
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Playlists: songs from New York City

July 24, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus

It’s time to take the A Train and continue across the five boroughs on a musical journey. Inspired by last week’s topic, NY resident magicman takes us on fabulous tour of work recorded in, and capturing the spirit of the Big Apple

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, dance, disco, dub, experimental, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, funk Tags songs, instrumentals, New York, Duke Ellington, Princess Nokia, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Willie Colon, Joe Bataan, Dionne Warwick, Dion, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Eric B & Rakim, Bernard Herrmann, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Lou Reed, Miles Davis, Afrika Bambaataa, The Soul Sonic Force, Raymond Scott, Bruce Springsteen, Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans, Harry Nilsson, Benny Goodman, Nas, Nuyorican Soul, Jocelyn Brown, Larry Corvell, St Vincent, Vampire Weekend, The Notorious B.I.G., Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, A Tribe Called Quest, Crown Heights Affair, Sister Sledge, Art Blakey, magicman
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Playlists: songs with and about ambiguity

July 17, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Stock image? Gazelle Twin – definitely, possibly otherwise

Stock image? Gazelle Twin – definitely, possibly otherwise

What indeed does it all mean? Weaving in and out of lyrics and songs like an outer-body radio station, inspired by last week’s nominations, guest magicman creates two mesmerising playlists that ask as many questions as they answer

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, experimental, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, reggae, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, ambiguity, Tedesci Trucks Band, Townes Van Zandt, Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup, Electric Light Orchestra, Nona Hendryx, The Kinks, Rosa Leon, paul simon, Gazelle Twin, Dana & Karen Kletter, Harry Nilsson, Todd Rundgren, Chris Bell, Yola, Adrian Belew, Steely Dan, Wire, The Beatles, Peter Hammill, Aldous Harding, Sam Sham & The Pharoahs, REM, Fairport Convention, Dead Can Dance, Frank Zappa, Vampire Weekend, Laurie Anderson, magicman
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Playlists: songs influenced by gospel

December 12, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Al Green … holy and sexual in the same line

Al Green … holy and sexual in the same line

Hallelujah! This week’s divine lists, picked by guest magicman from countless nominations, not only shines light on gospel’s music in soul to jazz, disco and more, but will lift hearts and minds though dark times

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In country, dance, gospel, music, playlists, pop, songs, soul, blues Tags songs, playlists, gospel, Billy Ward & The Dominoes, Bed of Roses, The Statler Brothers, Ray Charles, Sam & Dave, Wynton Marsalis, Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Kahn, Al Green, The Moody Blues, Bobby 'Blue' Bland, Jennifer Holliday, Kanye West, Kirk Franklin, Chance The Rapper, Donny Hathaway, The Impressions, The Staple Singers, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Against All Logic, Nicolas Jaar, Charles Mingus, Labelle, Patti Labelle, Ike and Tina Turner, Ike Turner, Tina Turner, Jackie Wilson, Ry Cooder, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters, The Source, Candi Staton, Frankie Knuckles, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Billy Joel, Bobby Womack, Cannonball Adderley, Emmylou Harris, The Hollies, Jamie Lidell, John Legend, Michael Jackson, Midfield General, Randy Travis, Toots and the Maytals, Change, Nuyorican Soul, Jocelyn Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, Ben Folds Five, Toni Braxton, magicman
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Playlists: songs and music with harps, lyres or zithers

October 17, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Alice Coltrane

Alice Coltrane

Harp on? This week’s guest guru magicman argues it’s really best to just let the music speak for itself, especially when it comes to two playlists of exquisite sounds plucked and stroked those many strings

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In classical, dance, electronica, folk, instrumentals, jazz, indie, hip hop, music, playlists, pop, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags Songs, playlists, harp, zither, lyre, Sarah Deere-Jones, Alice Coltrane, Lila Downs, Zeena Parkins, Joanna Newsom, Brandy & Monica, Dorothy Ashby, Agnes Obel, Sona Jobarteh, Cat Power, Claude Debussy, Joni Mitchell, Inez & Charles Foxx, Stevie Wonder, Edmar Castaneda, Harpo Marx, DnA: Delyth and Angharad Jenkins, Andreas Vollenweider, Ketama, Toumani Diabate, Jose Soto, Catatonia, Philip Glass, Lucinda Belle Orchestra, The Carter Family, Kasumi Watanabe, John Zorn, The Gnostic Trio, Dizzee Rascal, Florence and the Machine, magicman
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Playlists: electronic music and songs up to 1983

June 6, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Machines unmasked: Hideki Matsutake from the Yellow Magic Orchestra

Machines unmasked: Hideki Matsutake from the Yellow Magic Orchestra

Hums, beats, squelches and clicks, banks of sound and theremins, Delia Derbyshire to Bowie, Eno to the Yellow Magic Orchestra, this week’s guest magicman turns it all on with two brilliant playlists from a host of superb nominations

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In electronica, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, songs, soundtracks Tags Songs, music, electronics, electronic music, electronica, Clara Rockmore, Camille Saint-Saëns, Rose Royce, Tonto's Expanding Horizon, Harmonia, Emerson, Keith Emerson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Raymond Scott, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Abba, Todd Rundgren, Curved Air, Conrad Schnitzler, Brian Eno, David Bowie, Delia Derbyshire, Vangelis, Suzanne Ciani, Afrika Bambaataa, Al Massrieen, Annette Peacock, Ashra, Tangerine Dream, Pierre Boulez, This Heat, The Tornados, Louis & Bebe Barron, Lenny White, Beaver & Krause, Kraftwerk, Jean-Jaques Perrey, Nirvana (UK), Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Lipps Inc., Laurie Anderson, magicman
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Playlists: songs featuring the harmonica

March 21, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Toots Thielemans

Toots Thielemans

Take a deep breath – you are about to experience a selection of sublime and moving music from film soundtracks, blues and soul greats. Guest playlist writer magicman blows two beautiful lists from last week's nominations

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In blues, classical, country, folk, indie, music, playlists, pop, rock, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, harmonica, film soundtrack, Sergio Leone, Ennio Morricone, Franco de Gemini, Charlie McCoy, Little Walter, Chess Records, Paul Butterfield, Stevie Wonder, Burt Bacharach, Sonny Boy Williamson, Sony Boy Williamson II, Brownie McGhee, James Cotton, J. Geils Band, Magic Dick, Larry Adler, Vaughan Williams, Big Walter Horton, John Mayall, Toots Thielemans, Quincy Jones, magicman, The Rolling Stones, Doctor Ross, Herbie Hancock, Blues Traveler, Ry Cooder, Sonny Terry, Sly & The Family Stone, Charlie Musselwhite, Dr Feelgood, Nico Wayne Toussaint, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Chris Wilson, Canned Heat, The Beatles, Muddy Waters
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anaiis: Devotion & The Black Divine
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Tortoise: Touch
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New album: A welcome return with a cinematic and mesmeric groove-filled first studio LP in nine years, and the eighth over all by the eclectic Chicago post-rock/jazz/krautrock multi-instrumentalists Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire and Jeff Parker

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New album: Beautiful, precise, poignant and poetic new folk numbers inspired by the life and music style of Woody Guthrie as the Portland, Oregon and New Yorker, now Portland, Maine-based singer-songwriters bring a delicious duet album, alternating and sharing songs covering a variety of forever topical social issues

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Oneohtrix Point Never: Tranquilizer
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Ambient, otherworldly, cinematic, mesmeric, and at times very odd, the Brooklyn-based electronic artist and producer Daniel Lopatin returns with a new nostalgia-based concept – constructing tracks from lost-then-refound Y2K CDs of 1990s and early 2000s royalty-free sample electronic sounds

Nov 24, 2025
Iona Zajac - Bang.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Iona Zajac: Bang
Nov 24, 2025

New album: A powerful, stirring, passionate and mature debut LP by the 29-year-old Glasgow-based Scottish singer with Polish and Ukrainian heritage who has toured as the new Pogues singer, and whose alternative folk songs capture raw emotions and the experience of modern womanhood, with echoes of PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Aldous Harding and Lankum

Nov 24, 2025
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Nov 19, 2025
Austra: Chin Up Buttercup
Nov 19, 2025

New album: This fifth studio LP as Austra by the Canadian classically trained vocalist and composer Katie Stelmanis brings beautiful electronica-pop and dance music, and has a bittersweet ironic title – a caustically witty reference to societal pressure to keep smiling despite a devastating breakup

Nov 19, 2025
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Nov 18, 2025
Mavis Staples: Sad and Beautiful World
Nov 18, 2025

New album: A timelessly classy release by the veteran soul, blues and gospel singer and social activist from the Staples Singers, in a release of wonderfully moving and poignant cover versions, beautifully interpreting works by artists including Tom Waits, Curtis Mayfield, Leonard Cohen, and Gillian Welch

Nov 18, 2025
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Nov 18, 2025
Stella Donnelly: Love and Fortune
Nov 18, 2025

New album: Finely crafted, stripped back musical simplicity combined with complex melancholic emotions mark out this beautiful, poetic, and deeply personal third folk-pop LP by the Australian singer-songwriter reflecting on the past and present

Nov 18, 2025

new songs …

Featured
Peter Perrett - Proud To Be Self-Hating.jpeg
Dec 12, 2025
Song of the Day: Peter Perrett - PROUD TO BE SELF-HATING (irony and provocation)
Dec 12, 2025

Song of the Day: The veteran British artist, originally frontman of The Only Ones, and now with three solo albums, who actually has Jewish heritage, releases a gently powerful, nuanced, pro-Palestine acoustic number as a response to ongoing genocide by the Israeli government, out on Domino Records

Dec 12, 2025
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Dec 11, 2025
Song of the Day: Maddie Ashman - Jaded
Dec 11, 2025

Song of the Day: Magical, delicate, eclectic, intricate, experimental microtonal music by the London musician and singer, released alongside a longer track, In Autumn My Heart Breaks

Dec 11, 2025
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Dec 10, 2025
Song of the Day: Ye Vagabonds - The Flood
Dec 10, 2025

Song of the Day: Wonderfully warm, rich, lively fiddle-driven Irish folk by the award-winning band fronted by Carlow brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn with a heartbreaking number about the housing crisis, heralding their upcoming new album, All Tied Together, out on Rough Trade’s River Lea Recordings on 30 January

Dec 10, 2025
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Dec 9, 2025
Song of the Day: DBA! A Poet And A Clown
Dec 9, 2025

Song of the Day: Catchy fuzz-guitar indie rock with a swagger by the Liverpool-formed trio of Sam Warren, James Lindberg and Joshua Grant in a song described as “a confessional story of desire tangled with religious guilt”

Dec 9, 2025
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Dec 8, 2025
Song of the Day: Puma Blue - Croak Dream
Dec 8, 2025

Song of the Day: A dark, esoteric, mysterious and stylish title track with a hint of Radiohead and playing with the idea of knowing your future death, from the experimental indie/goth/ambient London artist Jacob Allen’s forthcoming album out on 6 February via Play It Again Sam

Dec 8, 2025
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Dec 7, 2025
Song of the Day: ELIZA - Anyone Else
Dec 7, 2025

Song of the Day: Stripped-back, bluesy, fuzzy funk with slight echoes of Prince and alt-R&B are conjured up in this love song by the London-based singer-songwriter Eliza Caird, her first single for two years, now off the mainstream and out on Log Off Records

Dec 7, 2025
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Dec 6, 2025
Song of the Day: Tiga (featuring Fcukers) - Silk Scarf
Dec 6, 2025

Song of the Day: A fun, sensual, quirkily oddball electronica dance single with a slick, fetish-flirtatious ode to a favourite smooth material by the Montreal musician (Tiga James Sontag) joined here with vocals by the New York band (Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis), and heralding Tiga’s upcoming album Hotlife, out in April on Secret City Records

Dec 6, 2025
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Dec 5, 2025
Song of the Day: Flea - A Plea
Dec 5, 2025

Song of the Day: A striking, powerful new single by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist (aka Michael Balzary), who brings a fusion of jazz and spoken word with a fabulous band on an impassioned number about the state of the US in a culture of hatred, social and political tensions, out now on Nonesuch Records

Dec 5, 2025
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Dec 4, 2025
Song of the Day: The Lemon Twigs - I've Got A Broken Heart
Dec 4, 2025

Song of the Day: Despite the title, this new double-A single (with Friday I’m Gonna Love You) has a wonderfully uplifting guitar-jangling beauty, with echoes of The Byrds and Stone Roses, but is of course the brilliant 60s and 70s retro sound of the Long Island brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario, out on Captured Tracks

Dec 4, 2025
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Dec 3, 2025
Song of the Day: Alewya - Night Drive (featuring Dagmawit Ameha)
Dec 3, 2025

Song of the Day: A sensual, stylish, dreamy electro-pop single by the striking British singer-songwriter, producer, multidisciplinary artist and model Alewya Demmisse, musically influenced by her rich Ethiopian-Egyptian heritage and early childhood upbringings in Saudi Arabia and Sudan

Dec 3, 2025
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Dec 2, 2025
Song of the Day: Radio Free Alice - Rule 31
Dec 2, 2025

Song of the Day: Stirring, passionate indie postpunk by the band based in Melbourne, Australia, with echoes of The Cure’s core sound, new wave, and 90s indie-rock influences, and out on Double Drummer

Dec 2, 2025
Sailor Honeymoon - Armchair.jpeg
Dec 1, 2025
Song of the Day: Sailor Honeymoon - Armchair
Dec 1, 2025

Song of the Day: Catchy, punchy, fuzz-guitar indie rock with a droll lyrical delivery and some echoes of Wet Leg come in this new single by the trio from Seoul, South Korea, out on Good Good Records

Dec 1, 2025

Word of the week

Featured
Hangover.jpeg
Dec 4, 2025
Word of the week: crapulence
Dec 4, 2025

Word of the week: A term that may apply regularly during Xmas party season, from the from the Latin crapula, in turn from the Greek kraipálē meaning "drunkenness" or "headache" pertains to sickness symptoms caused by excess in eating or drinking, or general intemperance and overindulgence

Dec 4, 2025
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Nov 20, 2025
Word of the week: discalceate
Nov 20, 2025

Word of the week: A rarely used, but often practised verb, especially when arriving home, it means to take off your shoes, but is also a slightly more common adjective meaning barefoot or unshod, particularly for certain religious orders that wear sandals instead of shoes. But in what context does this come up in song?

Nov 20, 2025
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Nov 6, 2025
Word of the week: erythrophyll
Nov 6, 2025

Word of the week: A seasonally topical word relating to the the red pigment of tree leaves, fruits and flowers, that appears particularly when changing in autumn, as opposed to the green effect of chlorophyll, from the Greek erythros for red, and phyll for leaves. But what of songs about this?

Nov 6, 2025
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Oct 22, 2025
Word of the week: fennec
Oct 22, 2025

Word of the week: It’s a small pale-fawn nocturnal fox with unusually large, highly sensitive ears, that inhabits from African and Arab deserts areas from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. But has it ever been seen in a song?

Oct 22, 2025
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Oct 9, 2025
Word of the week: gongoozler
Oct 9, 2025

Word of the week: A fabulous old English slang term for someone who tends to stand or sit for long periods staring at the passing of boats on canals, sometimes with a derogatory or at least ironic use for someone who is useless or lazy. But what of songs about this activity and culture?

Oct 9, 2025

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