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Crosstown traffic: he’s luckier even than Donald Trump …
This week it’s the almosts, the nearly happenings, the white-knuckle moments, the narrow escapes, for better or worse, however, and whatever way you look at them, the tiny marginal could-have-gone-either-way events that make you think, gasp, feel relieved, grateful, sorry, or change your perspective
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Live and Letta Mbulu
From politics to personal life, sexuality and personal liberation to broader social issues, on the back of recent elections and a topic covering freedom of speech, guest playlister Maki spans geography, genre and time to give the subject a full hearing
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Trumpet solo …
Trumpet solos, roar power to the sound of mew-sic, after a melodious menagerie of nominations from last week’s topic, nature-loving playlister Uncleben cleverly tracks down creatural participants for their own perspective on fabulous avine, bovine, elephantine, feline, galline, leonine, lupine, phocaenine and porcine contributions to the genre
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Three-part harmony …
It’s a vast sonic language, mostly beyond our understanding, but with a more subconscious appreciation, has been incorporated in different genres of music, from field recordings and samples, or even those mimicked by the human voice or by instruments
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Reflection on Omaha beach in the aftermath of D-Day battles on 6 June 1944
Following the 80th anniversary of one of the most significant events of the 20th century, guest playlister Maki picks poignant and powerful selections abuot that event as well as other do-or-die metaphors inspired by last week’s D-Day topic
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Singularly different: The Undisputed Truth
Sometimes they were an inspiration improvement, sometimes an editing and style aberration. Picking out the differences from last week’s singular topic, guest playlister ParaMhor cleverly chooses the contrasts for better or worse
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Stack of 7-inches
Brutally, or mercifully truncated, radio-edited in musical mix or lyrical content, decorously tarted up with orchestra or other instruments, added or deleted solos, made dancier or more ethereal, it’s time to dig up some the contrasting versions that have surprised, delighted or frustrated you
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Long player: A young Diego Maradona enjoying one of his other hobbies, 1980
At the zenith of the season, with tournaments ending and beginning, let’s pass our attention to the beautiful game, skill, artistry, eccentricity, but also history, culture, with metaphors, and hopefully avoiding the bad songs, the goal is dig deep into music from around the world …
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Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band
Trousers, pants, hotpants and other leggings, not to mention even a couple of legless numbers, from the beautiful to the bawdy, this week’s music definitely doing the talking and walking is picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic
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Careful with that axolotl, humans …
Frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, caecilians, and not forgetting the amazing axolotl, in literal or metaphorical contexts, myth or fairytale, sounds or more, these amazing creatures seem to straddle that subjective line between cute, creepy and ugly. But how to they leap up in song?
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A top shot at songcraft … LDR
Sweetest, biggest, baddest, punniest, funniest, spinniest, dreamiest, wooziest? Many more most ‘ests’ feature this week in the very best of superlative selections by guest playlister Uncleben, taking the very best shot from last week’s many nominations
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The GOAT? Or just a goat?
We’re not exaggerating, from most beautiful to the fastest, craziest hottest or worst, this week it’s songs centrally featuring that adjective or adverb that expresses that the thing or person described has possessing more of that particular quality than anything or anyone else of that type
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Sound waves and beyond …
Pointing, clapping, nodding, waving, thumbs up, thumbs down, high fives and much more, there’s no end to the lyrical gesticulation on offer signalled from last week’s topic by guest playlister Loud Atlas, whose presentation and choices should attract a salute and long applause
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One giant leap: Bob Beamon’s long jump record at the Mexico City 1968 Olympics stood for at an unusually lengthy 23 years
A Thursday on 29 February rarely happens, so let’s not skip it: Songs about jumps, leaps, bounds, hurdles, vaults of all kinds, literal and metaphorical, no t random occurrence of a related words, but where the leap in question is central to to the song's theme. Get inspired by many varied contexts and guests in the Bar …
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Itching to have a go …
Got that tingle but don’t know how to reach it? Found the right spot but scratching makes it itchier? Inspired by last week’s topic, guest playlister EnglishOutlaw has a variety of melodious ointment to express and find musical relief
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Bear with us …
Let’s satisfy the itch across many musical surfaces with a multi-pronged backscratcher, not just on lyrical flesh, but also the tight skin of drums, wires, guitar strings, resonant idiophones or the hollow or solid wooden bodies of stringed instruments, and of course, using vinyl turntables …
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Fatoumata Diawara
It could be pilfered by pirates or dug up by explorers, but treasure comes in many forms. In Song Bar’s Eighth Birthday week, guest ajostu finds many sorts of pieces of eight from around the globe in a truly celebratory set of lists inspired by a topic to treasure
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Eight? How many pieces do you have?
Precious, rare, valuable, timeless? Monetary or something more intangible? How do you define treasure? This week we celebrate eight years of of Song Bar from a phase from a Robert Louis Stevenson novel and seeking songs on this theme
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Tea time at the Bar? Alternative servings …
Pleased to meter? 5, 7, 11, 13, 15 or even 17? We’ve got all the strange signature numbers for you here in brilliantly arrhythmic playlists by guest of the week Barbryn, making it really count from last week’s topic nominations
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After a short paws …what happens next?
Hard to beat? Not necessarily. While most songs are in 4/4 time, and others in 3/4 waltz, there are many fascinating variants that push the boundaries, often in a catchy way. It’s not necessary here to name the numbers, just how it feels when you count …
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