Your Custom Text Here
Playing it straight? It’s all about timing with Laurel and Hardy in Saps At Sea (1940)
What’s their chemistry? Creative or romantic, adventurous or anarchic, real or fictional, who gets a prominent lyrical or titular appearance in a song, ideally where they are the primary focus rather just a passing mention?
Read more
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
Read more
The watchful, high-soaring Aquila audax or wedge-tailed eagle
Eagle, kestrels, vultures and more, after last week’s topic took flight and inspired nominations, keen-eyed musical ornithologist Nicko spreads his wings, swoops in and makes a skilful and erudite grab with these evocative playlists
Read more
David Bradley in Kes (1969)
It’s time to swoop down and grasp for songs related to these birds of prey, and the emotional and physical impact their generate, from hawks, eagles, falcons, kestrels, kites, ospreys, buzzards, harriers and more, as well as the scavengers – vultures, sea eagles and condors
Read more
Seeking some special rhythm? How about with help from Omara Portuondo?
Jamaica to Japan, inner city London to the American south, Cuba to Scotland and Ireland, this week’s playlists cover all sorts of searches from love to spiritual and material quests, and turn into a treasure trove of finds put together by guest of the week ajostu
Read more
Search engines … Monty Python and The Holy Grail. The low-budget classic film was variously funded by among others, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Charisma Records, and possibly Elton John
Love, food, shelter, identity, meaning? Rare vinyl? Most of our existence is about searching for something, but in what ways is this expressed in song lyrics? Here’s some other forms of inspiration and, after all, what is the true holy grail?
Read more
Off we go …
Fasten your seatbelts. From steel-wheel rock to bounce-in-your-seat pop, classic krautrock or breezy Americana to beautiful Spanish sunbathed vistas, we take a fantastically varied road trip courtesy of lead driver pejepeine, picking lists from last week’s topic
Read more
It’s an open road for songs and music that capture the experience of driving and the journey …
This is not so much songs about roads and cars, instead those that best accompany the journey, shows not tells, enhances the sensations and capture that strangely magical movement of human and vehicle through a landscape. Enjoy here some road movies for inspiration …
Read more
What goes around …
The end has to come, but how, in an outro or coda, does a song or piece offer something different, original, unusual or memorable, musically or even lyrical form, a twist, a mood change, upbeat, downbeat or even a sense of unresolved mystery?
Read more
Flying trapeze in 1890
It’s time to fly high with all the triumphs and tragedies of the arena, from escaping elephants to crazy clowns, tentative tightropes to human cannonballs! This excellent entertainment is provided by guest Loud Atlas, picking songs from last week’s Big Top-ic
Read more
Getting into the swing of it: Trapeze artists, 1890
Roll up! Roll up! This week we’re going under the big top and looking to capture the excitement, the artistry, the adventure, tragedy and also cruelty of circus culture. For audience or performers, it’s all about the show, in music and lyrics
Read more
Spellbinding Siouxsie ...
Can you believe your eyes? You’d better believe your ears, as, from mirages to tricks of the light, we reveal playlists inspired by last week’s illusion topic, as chosen by the sharp senses of guest picker Maki
Read more
Shadowplay: from the video for Come, by French singer-songwriter Jain
Visual, auditory, via media, rumour, or any other distortion of perceptions, from personal experience to the political, this week we search for songs about the interplay of the senses and idea of illusions as a primary focus
Read more
This week’s topic attracted a rainbow range of music and lyrics
Multi-coloured and international, from caterpillars to these winged insects in their full glory and the beauty, tragedy and majesty that they represent, all are captured in beautiful playlists gathered by guest Severin from last week’s topic
Read more
Hey, this way. Don’t forget the moths, says the rosy maple
Fragile mutability, intangible beauty, or a hairy horror with collecting obsessives? Metaphor or more, in lyrics or music, with a four-stage life cycle, from egg to pupae, caterpillar to winged wonders, let’s hear it for all these wondrous lepidoptera, with as much for the moths as for the butterflies
Read more
So, do you want this, or not? Well, let’s see …
Ever felt in two minds? Caught between two stools? Stuck between a rock, pop, and hardcore place? All the wobbles and vacillations about everything in life are expertly and entertainingly captured by guest Olive Butler, chosen from nominations for last week’s topic. But which list will it be?
Read more
Are you fur staying on the fence?
From the many various situations and vacillations of love to shopping, voting, moving or staying and more, it’s finally time to plump for indecisiveness on song lyrics. The choice of what to nominate is yours. If you can …
Read more
Aldous Harding: intense imagination … about her man
Childhood dreams to grownup fantasy, emotional flowering to practical, creative necessity, this week’s playlists, picked from last week’s topic by guest Shiv Sidecar, perfectly stimulating our brains and ears, cerebrally and musically
Read more
Vladmir Kush’s African Sonata
From practical life problems, work, relationships, craft or crisis, to all sorts of creative problems, or even channelling dreams, it’s time to access the right hemisphere and see how the imagination can be used, as expressed in song lyrics. Read on for more stimulation …
Read more
Take a world tour of music that captures market culture here under one roof
Apples, ackee, okra, all odds and sods are for sale from Africa to South America, Turkey to Vietnam, Jamaica and more, a vibrant, tasty, colourful selection of world markets and genres are all here under one roof, expertly picked by guest Suzi from last week’s topic
Read more