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Just before the second plane hit the South Tower
Twenty years on from that most dramatic and tragic day of 9/11, from anger and outrage to soft, sensitive memorials, guest playlister Loud Atlas picks a poignant and sensitive set of lists from an outpouring of excellent nominations
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New York, 11th September 2001
Songs about the shock, panic, in remembrance, tributes, heroism, terrorism, consequences, conspiracy theories and how things bite back? This week, 20 years on, it’s time to try and capture memories and thoughts of this world-changing tragedy
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Rainbow aurora …
The magic, the mystery and a dash of science, it’s all rolled into one beautiful spectrum of songs chosen by guest playlister Hoshino Sakura from last week’s vast and exquisite sky full of nominations. Most enlightening!
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Aurora borealis in Iceland
Intangible, evasive, fleeting, precious, in constant flux, a source of awe, excitement, sometimes primal fear, of mythical beauty and infinite moods, hues and colours, its time to capture these celestial miracles in song
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Sparks: the Mael brothers are simply married to their music
It’s time to see what resulted at last week’s Song Bar Singles Night. Sad, lonely to deliriously happy and free, the resultant songs go in many directions, all married together in poignant, perceptive and playful lists by guest picker pejepeine
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Greta Garbo - a singular inspiration for many a song
Welcome to the special Song Bar Singles Night, where, with the help of many special guests who chat freely on the subject, we seek songs on the ups and downs of the single state, from loneliness to blissful solitude, dating and even giving yourself a helping hand …
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The Fab Four at Pier Head
To the five boroughs! … of Merseyside, Liverpool city and beyond, this week it’s not about bands from the area, but those who reference its streets, buildings, landmarks, districts, history, the people, accents, broader culture and more
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But … who’s the ace?
Queens, kings, aces and jacks, jokers and dealers, tricks and games, winners and loses, gambling, risk, and making the best of the hand you’re dealt, this week it’s time to shuffle the musical pack and see what’s in hand on this theme
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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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JJ Johnson
From classical to Dixieland to New Orleans early jazz, swing, big band, bebop to modern jazz, pop, funk, rock and more, it’s time to bone up, slide in and have a blast with your suggestions on this great, often unheralded instrument
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Crane at sunset
Music on the magic of flight to the feathery movement of mythology and morality tales, beautiful murmurations to deadly war munitions, guest playlister Marco den Ouden marvellously spreads his wings from a vast array of song nominations
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Hum that tune …
Birds to insects, bats and angels to Icarus and aeroplanes, myth and reality, metaphor and literal, it’s time to let your musical imagination take flight and soar with the senses in songs that feature these supreme super-limbs in lyrics
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Very cool: The Main Ingredient
As the heat continues, where might we find refreshment? From cold water, drinks and more there’s no fresher breeze to bring a sweet shade of musical relief than playlists picked by Hoshino Sakura from last week’s many nominations
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The Specials. A most atypical and brilliant band …
Band member types to black racial stereotyping, standard gender attributes to cultural cliches, this week our guest writer Loud Atlas explores all the standard norms and from a huge choices picks playlists are outstandingly atypical
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Stereo-typing
Which type are you? Portraying or satirising, explaining or exploding, this week we explore these social generalisations about race, gender, age, nationality, class or profession as expressed in song lyrics or even musical style
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Airing the sound: MOMA’s Music Gallery
It’s a private view where all are invited. Led by our expert guest curator EnglishOutlaw, chosen from a range of musical hanging fruit, welcome to the grand tour reopening of an entirely unique grand expo - a canticular spectacular
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Some of the Horniman Museum’s many musical instruments
It’s time to show off your best and most collectible nominations about venues of art and artefacts, whether that is the building, the people, or the interacting with the items within, from grand palaces to tiny garages
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Heavenly pennies to begged 10p, stolen florins to counterfeit double-dealing, this week we coin in the songs courtesy of a shower of suggestions from last week’s topic, out of which guest George Boyland picks a shiny set of collectibles
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Heavy metal: American guitar pick coins
Penny for your thoughts? Spare a dime? Money may often be on anyone’s mind, but this week we’re spinning a theme in particular all about coins, incidentally or centrally in a song lyrics. Will your suggestions come up heads or tails?
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Pride: coming out from black and white
Coded 30s black blues to a 1950s Mexican diva, 1970s and 80s politics to full on out dirty disco in 2021, this week’s guest playlister Pop Off! celebrates a personal birthday with Gay Pride parade that goes beyond the obvious anthems
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