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Playlists: distinctively quiet songs

May 6, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Take a stroll through this forest of quiet music

Take a stroll through this forest of quiet music

Looking to achieve a mind at peace? Take a stroll through a Finnish forest, the accompaniment to a beautiful selection of songs chosen by hundreds of nominations last week, as chosen and described by guest DiscoMonster

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In African, blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, dance, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, songs, ska, soul, soundtracks, reggae Tags songs, playlists, quiet, silence, The Beloved, Dreadzone, Jane, Catrin Finch, Seckou Keita, Gabriel Fauré, Chet Baker, Charlie Haden, DJ Cam, William Basinski, Drunken Galleon, Dennis Kamakahi, Mazzy Star, Ulrich Drechsler Quartet, Tord Gustavsen, Pino Donaggio, Leonard Cohen, Adrianne Lenker, FKA Twigs, Cat's Eyes, SE Rogie, Nils Frahm, Sparklehorse, Linda Perhacs, Carlton & The Shoes, Simon & Garfunkel, Al Green, Marconi Union, Charles Baudelaire, DiscoMonster
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Softly, softly, it's still here: distinctively quiet songs

April 30, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Pocomoke Sound, eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia

Pocomoke Sound, eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia

Pianissimo, sotto voce to whispering vocals, or acoustic lo-fi to minimalistic electro tones, gentle intimacy to slow menace, this week we move from songs about quietness, turning instead to those performed and recorded at a perceptively low level

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, rock, rocksteady, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, quiet, Miguel de Cervantes, Catherine The Great, Roy Orbison, acoustic, Gillian Welch, Aidan Moffat, RM Hubbert, Bill Callahan, Smog, Joni Mitchell, Lambchop, Kurt Wagner, Nina Simone, Billie Eilish, Jamie xx, Oh Wonder, Camille Saint-Saëns, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Arvo Pärt, documentary, Pieter-Rim de Kroon
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Playlists: songs about quiet

April 29, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Shhh! It’s Björk

Shhh! It’s Björk

What does it mean to have quiet in your life? Inspired by hundreds of song nominations from last week’s topic, guest playlister DiscoMonster, puts together music through the prism of a story about truths, conflict and stillness

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In blues, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, soul, traditional, songs Tags songs, playlists, quiet, The Zombies, Bjork, Fleet Foxes, Jorge Drexler, The Go-Betweens, Jamie xx, Bahama Soul Club, Nina Simone, Prince, Massive Attack, 'Til Tuesday, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julian Cope, Depeche Mode, Japan, Parliament, Ibrahim Ferrer, Imara Portuondo, Miles Davis, Yona & Orkesteri Liikkuvat Pilvet, Kuusumun Profeetta, RiLF
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The undercurrent world: songs about quiet

April 23, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Spring bluebells quietly getting on with it

Spring bluebells quietly getting on with it

Tranquillity, calm and serenity, or concentration, slow stirring, unrest, plotting and revolution? There are all kinds of quiet out there, and this week it’s time to explore these as described or captured in song lyrics

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, quiet, silence, Jane Austen, Charles Bukowski, Napoleon Bonaparte, Billy Joel, Robert Louis Stevenson, coronavirus, lockdown, environment, John Lydon, Sex Pistols, James Hetfield, Metallica, Pete Burns, Dead or Alive, will.i.am, Black Eyed Peas, Jodie Whittaker, Doctor Who, Kate Bush, Kurt Vile, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Grace Jones, Kesha, Euripides, Adlai Stevenson I, William Wordsworth, Thomas De Quincey, Jonathan Swift, Laurence Sterne, Robert Greene, Mel Brooks, Henry David Thoreau, Noam Chomsky, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme, Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon, 2001 A Space Odyssey, New York, London
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Playlists: songs about Hollywood

April 22, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Who will the musical spotlight hover over tonight?

Who will the musical spotlight hover over tonight?

It’s time to break out the popcorn, sit back and soak up the soundtrack of multiple movies and stories, hopes and dreams below those famous hills, perfectly projected from many nominations by guest director, philipphilip99

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In classical, blues, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, rock, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks, postpunk, ska Tags songs, playlists, Hollywood, Film, film soundtrack, Eryka Badu, Guy Clark, Loudon Wainwright III, The Everly Brothers, Lana Del Rey, Brigitte Fontaine, Bob Seger, Screen 3, Terry Callier, Jenny Lewis, Codeine Velvet Club, Billy Joel, Frank Zappa, Father's Children, Don Henley, Puppini Sisters, The Puppini Sisters, Jon English, Thin Lizzy, Dory Previn, Jackie De Shannon, The Miracles, Ariel Pink, Father John Misty, Sleater-Kinney, Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra, philipphilip99
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A whole heap of dreams: songs about Hollywood

April 16, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Hollywood Sign.jpg
Hollywood sign in reverse.jpg

It’s the most famous town in the world. This week our songs are about the place itself – its famous streets, landmarks, studios as well as the fascias, finery, or fakery of its people – their hopes, dreams, triumphs, failures, feuds and fantasies

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, Film, film soundtrack, Hollywood, John Huston, Marilyn Monroe, Kevin Bacon, Dorothy Parker, Bernardo Bertolucci, Lionel Barrymore, Groucho Marx, Alistair Cooke, John Schlesinger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monic Boulevard, Paramount Pictures, Capital Records, history, Christopher Ames, Max Lerner, Marlon Brando, Alan Arkin, Kimball King, Raymond Chandler, Angela Carter, La La Land, Erica Jong, Kris Kidd, WC Fields, Johnny Carson, James Baldwin, Billy Wilder, William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Buster Keaton, Cecil B. DeMille, Erich Von Stroheim, The Artist, Robert Altman, The Player, Tim Robbins, L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy, David Lynch, Mulholland Drive, Ethel Barrymore, Lily Amis, Andy Warhol, Fred Allen, Kermit, Kermit The Frog, The Muppets, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rita Rudner, William Goldman, William Faulkner, Michael Houbrick, Sophie Kinsella, Rachel Weisz, Lana Turner, Ben Hecht, Woody Allen, A.K. Kuykendall, Paul Newman, George A Romero, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Pynchon, Eric Cantona, Coen Brothers, Barton Fink, David Mamet, Caroline Kepnes, Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, Julia Phillips, Me Cheeta, John Waters, Terry Gilliam
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Playlists: songs about spring cleaning and household chores

April 15, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Sensational song suction: a huge hoover-up of hope in these week’s big playlists

Sensational song suction: a huge hoover-up of hope in these week’s big playlists

Spring cleaning takes energy, but the results can also generate even more. The same applies to this week’s serenely and clean playlists chosen by guest DJ Bear, who whizzes around the Bar with a hopeful heart and a spring in his step

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, spring clean, household chores, John Prine, Miranda Lambert, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Dr John, Roche Sisters, John Handy, Snuff, Poison Girls, Suzi Quatro, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul Kelly and the Dots, Paul Kelly, John Cooper Clarke, XTC, The Au Pairs, Shonen Knife, B-52s, Robert Palmer, John McCutcheon, The Skatalites, Prince Buster, Fats Waller, Spike Jones and His City Slickers, Duke Ellington, Sidney Lipton & His Grosvenor House Dance Orchestra, George Formby, Adriana Caselotti, Cock 'n' Bull, The Corrs, Peggy Seeger, Maria Muldaur, Van Morrison, Jayme Kelly Curtis, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Haley and the Comets, The Coasters, The Spaniels, Sammy Jones, Ike and Tina Turner, Tina Turner, Ike Turner, Betty Wright, Laura Lee, Albert Collins, Wailing Souls, Tapper Zukie, The Philadelphia International All Stars, The Average White Band, Marcia Ball, Helen Boulding, DJ Bear, PopOff!
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Lockdown relief: songs about spring cleaning and household chores

April 9, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Gratuitous gif of Freddie and Roger from a song that is nothing to do with this topic

Gratuitous gif of Freddie and Roger from a song that is nothing to do with this topic

It’s time for some lockdown relief. While doing them, let’s also think up and sometimes dance to some numbers about those chores we all must now face, not just cleaning or sorting, but also the psychological cleanse and clear out

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In African, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, metal, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, spring clean, spring, cleaning, household chores, Queen, Freddie Mercury, Phyllis Diller, A.A. Milne, Erma Bombeck, Joan Rivers, Simone De Beauvoir, Quentin Crisp, PJ O'Rourke, Mario Buatta, Shirley Conran, Agatha Christie, Bette Midler, Margaret Atwood, Peggy Lee, Katherine Whitehorn, Japanese chindogu, robots, Bob Dylan, Pablo Picasso, Mary Poppins
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Playlists: songs about the brain

April 8, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Einstein’s brain and music. Always connected.

Einstein’s brain and music. Always connected.

Albert Einstein to neuroplasticity, this week’s topic mixes the clever, complex cerebellum with music. Taking in last week’s many nominations, guest Marco den Ouden created a trio of mind-blowing playlists to educate and entertain

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In African, blues, avant-garde, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, metal, music, jazz, instrumentals, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, reggae, soul, songs, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, the brain, psychology, Albert Einstein, René Descartes, Gilbert Ryle, Norman Doidge, Edward Taub, psychiatry, Bessel Van Der Kolk, Weird Al Jankovic, Young MC, African Head Charge, Imogen Heap, Blue Oyster Cult, Ezra Furman, Robyn Hitchcock, Richard Thompson, Joe Diffle, Rihanna, Bill Withers, Madness, Marco den Ouden, The Amboy Dukes, The Waifs, Katie Lee, Willie Nelson, Gabby Young and Other Animals, paul simon, Admiral Freebee, Philip Jeays, Willie Dixon, Enigma, deLillos, Eminem, Laurie Anderson, Matthew Trevino, Elvis Costello, Markley, a Group, Oasis, Tizzy Bac, Banks, Weezer, Starcrawler, Vangelis, Burning Spear, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sun Ra, Leo Kottke, Mogwai, Stanley Clarke Trio, Shakti, Renegade Soundwave, Henry Cow, Chick Corea, Alphonse Mouzon, George Duke, David Alexrod, Nine Inch Nails
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Here's a thought: songs about the brain

April 2, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Which way are you thinking?

Which way are you thinking?

Let’s celebrate the cerebrum and engage with the encephalon through lyrics and song subject, whether it is the biological makeup of this squidgy Tardis, or mindful thoughts and functions it can control. Worth a thought, anyway …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, the brain, psychology, William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, A.A. Milne, Carl Jung, Pink Floyd, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Emily Dickinson, biology, Jeffrey Eugenides, marine biology, animals, Daniel Levitin, Steven Pinker, Carole King, Maryanne Wolf, Carl Sagan, Jonathan Swift, Dr Seuss, Edward de Bono, Ada Lovelace, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Jeff Bezos, Amazon, Tom Wolfe, Robyn Mundell, Dean Burnett, David Perlmutter, Arthur Conan Doyle, Yuval Noah Harari, Steve Martin, Film, television, Jonathan Coulton, Peter Jackson, Tropical Fuck Storm, The Wizard of Oz
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Playlists: songs about stars

April 1, 2020 Peter Kimpton
David Bowie of course. Star from start to finish.

David Bowie of course. Star from start to finish.

An astronomically huge topic resulting in a galaxy of nominations. This week’s guest playlister Amylee not only listened to them all, but turned them into a stellar set of songs spanning the musical universe

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In blues, classical, avant-garde, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, stars, astronomy, Oliver, Jimi Hendrix, The Parisians, Prince, REM, Radiohead, Drugstore, Grinderman, Nick Cave, Rose Royce, Dub Syndicate, T Rex, David Bowie, Stan Tracey Quartet, Henry Purcell, Michael Askill, Primal Scream, Opal, Michel Polnareff, Kula Shaker, Van Morrison, The Chieftains, Billy Bragg, Wilco, Robb Johnson, Nina Nastasia, The Zephyrs, Bran Van 3000, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Freeheat, The Primitives, Superdrag, The New York Dolls, Andre Williams, The Art Attacks, Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, Jean Paul Sartre Experience, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, The Cranberries, Iggy Pop, Ty Segall, Mushroomhead, Dark Lotus, Pras, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Mya, Counting Crows
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Reach out for: songs about stars of all kinds

March 26, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Bootsy Collins. The bass line being he ticks more than one star box

Bootsy Collins. The bass line being he ticks more than one star box

From astronomy to celebrity, shapes to symbols, this week we escape earthly concerns and reach into the musical firmament for a rich lyrical topic that will cover all aspects and life as well as death. It’ll be stellar production

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, stars, astronomy, fame, music, television, Film, sport, Bootsy Collins, Carl Sagan, John Lennon, William Shakespeare, Rutger Hauer, Bladerunner, John Donne, Victor Hugo, Will Self, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Rehan Khan, Annie Proulx, Leonard Cohen, AE Houseman, Edgar Allan Poe, Piet Hein, Kenneth Koch, Neil Gaiman, Marcus Aurelius, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Andre Breton, Stephen Hawking, Italo Calvino, MC Escher, Brian May, Queen, Khang Kijarro Nguyen, Dejan Stojanovic, Gary Lineker, Marie Lloyd, Muhammad Ali, Jake Paul, William Shatner
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Playlists: songs about decor

March 25, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Slaves get stuck in, but it could get messy …

Slaves get stuck in, but it could get messy …

The many paints have been mixed, ladders climbed, and wallpaper glued. Now stand back, and admire the decorous musical result of these perfect playlists, as put up on our extensive walls, as chosen by guest George Boyland

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In avant-garde, blues, country, dub, electronica, folk, funk, gospel, indie, hip hop, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, decor, decoration, Steely Dan, Slaves, Sparks, Jonathan Coulton, Bill Nelson, Billy Bragg, The Handsome Family, Joni Mitchell, Captain Beefheart, family, The Beatles, David Frizzell, Jim Reeves, Dory Previn, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Mel Tormé, Edd Byrnes, B-52s, The Natural-Ites, Dagha, John Cooper Clarke, Willie Lindo, George Boyland
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Staying in? Get things done with songs about decor

March 19, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Turn it up to 11? Some decor is, well, quite loud

Turn it up to 11? Some decor is, well, quite loud

It’s time to take some artistic licence through enforced isolation, and pick from your palette of musical paints to harmonise, fix up, adorn, and help create playlists that decorate the Song Bar, as well as the mind

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In blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, punk, reggae, prog, postpunk Tags songs, playlists, decor, decoration, paint, wallpaper, William Morris, Leonardo Da Vinci, Charles Schulz, Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon, Karl Pilkington, The Sopranos
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Playlists: songs with self-deprecation

March 18, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Bashful kids: Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice back in the day …

Bashful kids: Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice back in the day …

Don’t listen to these playlists. They’re not really that good at all. Then again they might be. What do you reckon? Actually they could actually be brilliant, chosen by guest playlister megadom from a whole set of funny and moving suggestions …

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In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, self-deprecation, Orange Juice, Edwyn Collins, Fujiya & Miyagi, Camera Obscura, Ezra Furman, Loudon Wainwright III, Gregory Isaacs, Courtney Barnett, Sun Kil Moon, The Monochrome Set, John Grant, Neil Innes, Ballboy, The Soft Machine, Skee-Lo, X-Ray Spex, Dan Auerbach, Sebadoh, Edwin Starr, Split Enz, The 6ths, Seasick Steve, The Smiths, The Guv'nors, King Creosote, Dana Bryant, Elvis Costello, Peter Blegvad, megadom
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Try putting this down: songs with self-deprecation

March 12, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Can’t put down. The self-deprecating Keanu Reeves walks the street absorbed in The Government Inspector

Can’t put down. The self-deprecating Keanu Reeves walks the street absorbed in The Government Inspector

Humorous or serious? Self-defence mechanism, attention-seeking, of self-aggrandisement? This week’s lyric topic is richly nuanced, ironic, and covers a range of emotions, often fuelled by love and ambition, tempered by self-belittling

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, irony, self-deprecation, lyrics, psychology, depression, Woody Allen, Oscar Wilde, Joan Rivers, Carrie Fisher, Leonard Cohen, Keanu Reeves, Vincent Van Gogh, Bob Monkhouse, Jarvis Cocker, Jeffrey Lewis, Neil Hannon, The Divine Comedy, Marika Hackman, Lana Del Rey, Alan Bennett, Philip Larkin, Franz Kafka, Richard Pryor, Groucho Marx, Mordecai Richler, Mark Twain, Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, Vladimir Nabokov, Charles Schulz, Peanuts, Mark Hamill, Star Wars, The Muppets, Kermit The Frog, Rudolph Nureyev, Paul Whitehouse, The Fast Show, XTC, Sam Cooke, Paul McCartney, Wings, The Beatles, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Neil Innes
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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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The game is afoot: songs that quote Shakespeare

March 5, 2020 Peter Kimpton
We are mere players …

We are mere players …

We fling open the doors of the Bar to the great Bard, and his incalculable influence on our language and thought patterns as shown in song lyrics, key words and phrases, perhaps also characters and narratives, knowingly, wittily, or unconsciously

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In African, blues, avant-garde, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, soul, songs, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, music, William Shakespeare, John Dryden, Thomas More, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Cole Porter, Orson Welles, theatre, Film
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Playlists: songs about singing

March 4, 2020 Peter Kimpton
The Unthanks

The Unthanks

Take a deep breath, slowly exhale, press play and let marvellous meta-songs flow out in the form two lovely playlists by guest Suzi, taking in folk to reggae, funk to soul along the way, and inspired by last week’s topic suggestions

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In country, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, playlists, pop, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, traditional, blues Tags songs, playlists, singing, The Unthanks, Molly Drake, Tom Jobim, Jackie Wilson, The Persuasians, Camille, Roberta Flack, Everything But The Girl, Lisa Germano, Manic Street Preachers, Enya, Chumbawumba, Marcia Griffiths, Sly & The Family Stone, Buckshot Lefonque, Shellac, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Janis Joplin, Chumbawamba, Richard Thompson, Cyndi Lauper, Alasdair Roberts, Laurie Anderson, Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, Family, Bobby Bare, Christy Moore, Suzi
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Take a chanson me: songs about singing

February 27, 2020 Peter Kimpton
SInging. Part of our evolution …

SInging. Part of our evolution …

It’s time to sing out suggestions on this lyrical, meta-topic – from the perspective of singer or listener, by humans, animals or birds, whether for love, warning, fear, joy or despair, or singing simply to exist, make others aware

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, Ella Fitzgerald, Janis Joplin, Bjork, Leonard Cohen, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas, Christina Aguilera, Kevin Ayers, Cervantes, Marty Rubin, JRR Tolkien, John Milton, Alexander Pope, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Andrea Bocelli, David Byrne, Thom Yorke, Neil Young, Michael Stipe, REM, Rebecca Pederson, Usama Rasheed, Donovan, Irish Murdoch, Harper Lee, Percy Shelley
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New Albums …

Featured
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Jan 30, 2026
Tyler Ballgame: For The First Time, Again
Jan 30, 2026

New album: With that sublime, soaring, soulful voice, and echoes of Roy Orbison, the Rhode Island-raised singer-songwriter’s truly gorgeous debut LP captures all the range of of the love – warmth, longing, tenderness and heartbreak through classy and crafted retro sound of 60s and 70s rock

Jan 30, 2026
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Jan 29, 2026
Tessa Rose Jackson: The Lighthouse
Jan 29, 2026

New album: Beautiful, intricate, understated, poetic and intelligent, this warm, inviting experimental folk by the Dutch-British singer-songwriter is the first LP under her own name, having previously released three as the artist Someone

Jan 29, 2026
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Jan 28, 2026
Lucinda Williams: World's Gone Wrong
Jan 28, 2026

New album: The acclaimed veteran country, rock and Americana singer-songwriter and multi-Grammy winner’s latest LP has a title that speaks for itself, but is powerful, angry, defiant and uplifting, and, recorded in Nashville, features guest vocals from Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer

Jan 28, 2026
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Jan 27, 2026
Clothesline From Hell: Slather On The Honey
Jan 27, 2026

New album: His moniker mischievously named after a wrestling move, a highly impressive, independently-created experimental, psychedelic rock debut the the Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Adam LaFramboise

Jan 27, 2026
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Jan 27, 2026
Dead Dads Club: Dead Dads Club
Jan 27, 2026

New album: Dynamic, passionate, heart-stirring indie rock in this project fronted by Chilli Jesson (formerly bassist of Palma Violets) with songs spurred by the trauma of losing his father 20 years ago, retelling a defiant and difficult aftermath, with sound boosted by producer Carlos O’Connell of Fontaines D.C.

Jan 27, 2026
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Jan 25, 2026
The Paper Kites: If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
Jan 25, 2026

New album: Warm, tender, gently-paced, calmly reflective, beautifully soothing, poetic, melancholic alternative folk and Americana by the band from Melbourne in their seventh LP in 15 years

Jan 25, 2026
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Jan 24, 2026
PVA: No More Like This
Jan 24, 2026

New album: Inventive, alluring, sensual, mysterious, minimalistic electronica, trip-hop and experimental pop by the London trio of Ella Harris, Joshua Baxter and Louis Satchell, in this second album following 2022’s Blush, boosted by the creativity of producer and instrumentalist Kwake Bass

Jan 24, 2026
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Jan 20, 2026
Imarhan: Essam
Jan 20, 2026

New album: A mesmeric fourth LP in a decade by the band from Tamanrasset, Algeria, whose name means ‘the ones I care about’, their Tuareg music mixing guitar riffs, pop melodies and African rhythms, but this time also evolves slightly away from the desert blues rocky, bluesy influence of contemporaries Tinariwen with electronic elements

Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews: Valentine
Jan 20, 2026

New album: Emotional, beautiful, stirring, Americana, folk and indie-pop by singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, in this latest studio LP in of soaring voice, strong melodies, love, vulnerability and heartbreak, longing and bravery

Jan 20, 2026
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Jan 18, 2026
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore: Tragic Magic
Jan 18, 2026

New album: Delicate, beautiful, ethereal, meditative new work by the two American experimental composers in their first collaborative LP, with gentle understated vocals, classic synth sounds, and rare harps chosen from from the Paris Musée de la Musique Collection

Jan 18, 2026
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Jan 16, 2026
Sleaford Mods: The Demise of Planet X
Jan 16, 2026

New album: The caustic wit of Nottingham’s Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn return with a 13th LP of brilliantly abrasive, dark humoured hip-hop and catchy beats, addressing the rubbish state of the world, as well as local, personal and social irritations through slick nostalgic cultural reference, some expanded sounds, and an eclectic set of guests

Jan 16, 2026
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Jan 14, 2026
SAULT: Chapter 1
Jan 14, 2026

New album: As ever, released suddenly without fanfare or any publicity, the prolific experimental soul, jazz, gospel, funk, psychedelia and disco collective of Cleo Sol, Info (aka Dean Josiah Cover) and co return with a stylish, mysterious LP

Jan 14, 2026
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Jan 14, 2026
The Cribs: Selling A Vibe
Jan 14, 2026

New album: A first LP in five years by the likeable and solid guitar indie-rock Jarman brothers trio from Wakefield, now with their ninth - a catchy, but at times with rueful, bittersweet perspectives on their times in the music business

Jan 14, 2026
Dry Cleaning - Secret Love.jpeg
Jan 9, 2026
Dry Cleaning: Secret Love
Jan 9, 2026

New album: This third LP by the London experimental post-punk quartet with the distinctive, spoken, droll delivery of Florence Shaw, is packed with striking, vivid, often non seqitur lyrics capturing life’s surreal mundanities and neuroses with a sound coloured and polished by Cate Le Bon as producer

Jan 9, 2026

new songs …

Featured
Robber Robber band.jpeg
Jan 30, 2026
Song of the Day: Robber Robber - The Sound It Made
Jan 30, 2026

Song of the Day: Striking, dynamic, noisy stop-and-start, stylish experimental post-rock and post-rock by the band from Burlington, Vermont, fronted by Nina Cates, heralding their new album, Two Wheels Move the Soul, out on 3 April via on Fire Talk

Jan 30, 2026
Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody.jpeg
Jan 29, 2026
Song of the Day: Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody
Jan 29, 2026

Song of the Day: Shimmeringly catchy and singalong, effervescent Abba-esque and Fleetwood Mac-ish piano and synth pop with an eye-catching, vampiric-themed video by the British singer-songwriter from Grantham, heralding her second album Cruel World out on 10 April via Polydor/Universal.

Jan 29, 2026
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Jan 28, 2026
Song of the Day: Nathan Fake - Slow Yamaha
Jan 28, 2026

Song of the Day: Hypnotic electronica with woozy layers of smooth resonance and a lattice of shifting analogue patterns by the British artist from Norfolk, taken from his forthcoming album, Evaporator, out on InFiné Music

Jan 28, 2026
Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Song of the Day: Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean (featuring Saya Gray)
Jan 27, 2026

Song of the Day: Stylish, striking, sensual experimental electro-pop and R&B in this fabulous collaboration between the two Canadian singer/ multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, out on Stone Woman Music/ XL Recordings

Jan 27, 2026
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Jan 26, 2026
Song of the Day: Lime Garden - 23
Jan 26, 2026

Song of the Day: Wonderfully catchy, witty, quirky indie pop about age and adjustment by the Brighton-formed quartet fronted by Chloe Howard, heralding their upcoming album Maybe Not Tonight, out on So Young Records on 10 April

Jan 26, 2026
Madra Salach - It's A Hell Of An Age - EP.jpeg
Jan 25, 2026
Song of the Day: Madra Salach - The Man Who Seeks Pleasure
Jan 25, 2026

Song of the Day: A powerful, slow-simmering and gradually intensifying, drone-based original folk number about the the flipsides of love and hedonism by the young Irish traditional and alternative folk band, with comparisons to Lankum, from the recently released EP It's a Hell of an Age, out on Canvas Music

Jan 25, 2026
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Jan 24, 2026
Song of the Day: Adult DVD - Real Tree Lee
Jan 24, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, witty, energised acid-dance-punk with echoes of Underworld and Snapped Ankles by the dynamic, innovative band from Leeds in a new number about a dodgy character of toxic masculinity and online ignorance, and their first release on signing to Fat Possum

Jan 24, 2026
Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night - War Child - HELP 2.jpeg
Jan 23, 2026
Song of the Day: Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night (for War Child HELP 2 charity album)
Jan 23, 2026

Song of the Day: A simmering, potent, contemplative new track by acclaimed Sheffield band, their first song since 2022’s album The Car, with proceeds benefiting the charity War Child, heralding the upcoming HELP (2) compilation out on 6 March with various contributors

Jan 23, 2026
White Denim - Lock and Key.jpg
Jan 22, 2026
Song of the Day: White Denim - (God Created) Lock and Key
Jan 22, 2026

Song of the Day: The Austin, Texas-formed LA-based rockers return with an infectiously catchy groove fusing rock, funk, dub, soul, and down-dirty blues with some playful self-mythologising and darker themes, heralding 13th album, 13, out on 24 April via Bella Union

Jan 22, 2026
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Jan 21, 2026
Song of the Day: Holy Fuck - Evie
Jan 21, 2026

Song of the Day: The Canadian experimental indie rock and electronica quartet from Toronto return with a pulsating new track of thrumming bass and shimmering keyboards, heralding their forthcoming new album Event Beat, out on 27 March via Satellite Services

Jan 21, 2026
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Jan 20, 2026
Song of the Day: KAVARI - IRON VEINS
Jan 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Exciting, cutting-edge electronica and hardcore dance music by innovative the Birkenhead-born, Glasgow-based artist Cameron Winters (she), with a stylish, striking video, heralding the forthcoming EP, PLAGUE MUSIC, out digitally and on 12-inch vinyl on 6 February via XL Recordings

Jan 20, 2026
Asap Rocky - Punk Rocky.png
Jan 19, 2026
Song of the Day: A$AP Rocky - Punk Rocky
Jan 19, 2026

Song of the Day: The standout catchy hip-pop/soul/pop track from the New York rapper aka Rakim Athelston Mayers’ (also the husband of Rihanna) recently released album, Don’t Be Dumb, featuring also the voice of Cristoforo Donadi, and out on A$AP Rocky Recordings

Jan 19, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Zumbador dorado - mango bumblebee Puerto Rico.jpeg
Jan 22, 2026
Word of the week: zumbador
Jan 22, 2026

Word of the week: A wonderfully evocative noun from the Spanish for word buzz, and meaning both a South American hummingbird, a door buzzer, and symbolic of resurrection of the soul in ancient Mexican culture, while also serving as the logo for a tequila brand

Jan 22, 2026
Hamlet ad - Gregor Fisher.jpg
Jan 8, 2026
Word of the week: aspectabund
Jan 8, 2026

Word of the week: This rare adjective describes a highly expressive face or countenance, where emotions and reactions are readily shown through the eyes or mouth

Jan 8, 2026
Kaufmann Trumpeter 1950.jpeg
Dec 24, 2025
Word of the week: bellonion (or belloneon)
Dec 24, 2025

Word of the week: It sounds like a bulbous, multi-layered peeling vegetable, but this obscure mechanical musical instrument invented in 1812 in Dresden consisted of 24 trumpets and two kettle drums and, designed to mimic the sound of a marching band, might also make your eyes water

Dec 24, 2025
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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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