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Unchained vocals: Big Mama Thornton
Shackled or bound by love’s emotions, our DNA or the constraints of body or mind in and out of slavery or imprisonment, guest of the week MussoliniHeadkick finds all the right links to pull listeners in
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Grow the chain …
Everything’s linked, but this week we get more specific, literally or in metaphor on these metal or other material sets of serial bindings, all they pulling, confining, binding or joining, on any scale …
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Counting down…
It’s in the eyes, but also now in the ears. From the spellbinding to the entrancing, the auto suggestive to the regressive, it’s time to subliminally enter the super spiral – this week’s countdown is by VikingChild, who will mesmerise you with playlists inspired by last week’s topic
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Playing along? A hypnosis entertainment poster from 1900
From medical, curative, psychological and mystical to magical, illusionary entertainment hypnotists and subliminal suggestibility, this week it’s time to go under and come back with song on the mesmerisers, mesmeric and mesmerised
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Hit it …
It’s the heartbeat of so much music, but what about songs that lyrically pay tribute to the striking of these instruments? Inspired by last week’s topic, Uncleben’s resulting playlists and writeup are nothing short of top whack!
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Doubly great: John "Jabo" Starks and Clyde Stubblefield
Hit it! It’s a lyrical topic, where perhaps the singer might address, direct, encourage, or praise the band's drummer, any real or fictional player, or the beat, rhythm or instruments themselves
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Ibeyi: French-Cuban twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz
They cover a wide variety from identical, fraternal, or conjoined, but also doppelgangers, lookalikes, and twin objects. Marco den Ouden gets at the double with covering many aspects inspired by last week’s topic
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Double trouble: The Grady twins from The Shining (1980)
Especially when identical they almost always mesmerising, but even if not, and different genders, twins say a lot about human nature. They, as well as doppelgängers, and other sorts of pairing mirror a fascinating subject …
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Prickly points: the absurdity of the war shown in this striking image of Vietnamese women and children prisoners
Songs of protest, despair, grief and more, from western and Vietnamese artists, set during and in the aftermath of this lengthy, catastrophic war, poignantly brought to you by guest Loud Atlas from last week’s topic nominations
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Vietnam in ‘65
It’s 50 years since this devastating conflict ended, yet its consequences and lessons remain largely unlearned. But it also coincided with, and help inspire, a wealth of music. Here is some background …
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Everything Everywhere All At Once … but in which direction do this week’s song choices point?
With a digital delivery stretching many fascinating directions and contexts, this week’s guest playlister ajostu finds his touch with all sorts of musical and lyrical fingersmithing and thumb skills, inspired by last week’s topic
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Pygmy marmosets, like us, have all the digits
They’re one of evolution’s dextrous miracles, constantly in conscious or subconscious use, are a vital musical tool, but how do they come up in song lyrics, whether in literal, metaphorical or idiomatic senses? Here’s a few pointers …
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The great Dinah Washington enjoyed slipping one in
Various professions, food and all seemingly innocent activities get the full suggestive double meaning dose this week in a splendidly entertaining set of lists picked by Marco den Ouden from last week’s hot topic
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Doubly horny
It’s a figure of speech in which two meanings, one obvious, the other less so, sometimes suggestive or sexual, though not always, hover simultaneously. But how do they come up in song lyrics?
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Heard it through … The Slits
A genre-jumping, globe-spanning musical adventure brings glorious reinterpretative entertainment as guest of the week Nilpferd presents playlists inspired by last week’s topic
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Cuba’s classical and dance band maestro José Julián Jiménez (violin), with sons Manuel (piano), and Measio (cello) in Leipzig, Germany, c. late 19th century
It’s an activity popular as a breakthrough or learning tool, but can also be done with originality and style. Which songs are so good that they’ve crossed continents, languages or genres into something new because their melody holds a timeless appeal?
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Loch Lomond, in the west of Scotland
It’s time for inspiration to spring up, not about past topics rivers or seas, instead brooks, streams, lagoons, billabongs, burns, bayous, rills, canals, reservoirs, opening out into vast lochs and lakes, some even bigger than countries. How are they expressed in song lyrics?
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The magnificent Sister Rosetta Tharpe
It may be a term that sets up a situation in which one person or entity has power over another, but somehow it has inspired oodles of great music. Guest playlister MussoliniHeadkick picks favourites from last week’s topic
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A surprising final act of mercy: Bladerunner (1982) with Rutger Hauer and Harrison Ford
From wars to trade tariffs, it’s arguably never been more absent and more required in the modern world. But here, with some cinematic inspiration, how is it expressed in song? With idioms or stories, calling for, or dispensing it, and much more …
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