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My brilliant friend: songs about charisma

October 17, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Little Richard

Little Richard

Feel the magnetism. It’ s a quality of presence, an aura, a warmth, an energy, eyes and voice. It inspires and attracts others to good, or sometimes bad effect. But it isn’t only in the famous, but also unknown people brought to light in song

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In avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, postpunk, pop, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, charisma, character, Little Richard, books, Film, art, Elena Ferrante, Flannery O'Connor, Charles Dickens, Freddie Mercury, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, John F Kennedy, Elvis Presley, Ralph Archbold, Robert Breault, Vanessa Van Edwards, Max Weber, Umberto Eco, Peter Jackson, Kate Winslet, Charles Manson, Gerald Tyrwhitt / Baron Berners, Francis Henry Egerton, William Buckland, Keith Moon, Oliver Reed, Brian Blessed, George Best, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Helen Mirren, Holly Hunter, Jack Nicholson, Serge Gainsbourg, Lene Lovich, Iggy Pop, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Randy Newman
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Sole power: songs about footwear

October 10, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Walk this way and press play …

Walk this way and press play …

Shoes, boots, slippers, high-heels, trainers, loafers, brothel creepers, brogues, to clogs to spats and a whole lot more, from the sexy to the silly, the stylish to the smart, let’s get the sole of this subject in this lyrical theme

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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, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, footwear, shoes, boots, nursery rhymes, fairytales, Cinderella, Dr Seuss, Marilyn Monroe, Brian Robertson, Thin Lizzy, Steve Mann, Abebe Bikila, Haile Gebrselassie, running, trainers, football, Craig Johnston, Adidas, Nike, smart technology, Billy Connolly, Elton John, The Who, Kiss, Lady Gaga, fashion, Alexander McQueen, Kobi Levi, The Wizard of Oz, The Red Shoes, Film, film soundtrack, protest, climate change, REM, Michael Stipe, Paul Weller, David Bowie, Maxine Peake, Dolly Parton, Joey Ramone, Twiggy
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Playlists: songs with wordless vocals

September 25, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Lusty: Bas Sheva

Lusty: Bas Sheva

This week’s playlists, picked by guest pejepeine, are simply beyond words – joiking to scat, konnakol to yodel, inspired by from last week’s nominations larynx and lips combine to take music to a whole new place

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, dub, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, playlists, pop, rock, prog, songs, reggae, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, wordless songs, scat, joiking, konnakol, yodelling, Jimmie Rodgers, Ella Fitzgerald, Bas Sheva, Swingle Singers, Karl Denver, Francis Lai, Barbara Moore, David Crosby, The Beach Boys, Matching Mole, Torgeir Vassvik, Tanya Tagaq, Adjagas, Shawn Phillips, Oscar Peterson, Cab Calloway, Nina Simone, Henry Whitter, Julie Fowlis, Cocteau Twins, Bobby McFerrin, Milton Nascimento, Bob Marley, The Wailers, Selva Ganesh & Brothers, Sheila Chandra, Paul Horn, Novi Singers, Collage, pejepeine
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You Tarzan, Me Cheeta: songs about famous or specific animals

August 22, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Cheeta with his co-stars Jane and Tarzan, aka Maureen O’Sullivan and Johnny Weissmuller

Cheeta with his co-stars Jane and Tarzan, aka Maureen O’Sullivan and Johnny Weissmuller

Dogs, cats, horses, apes, pigeons, elephants and more, stars of film, TV, science, history or art, in fact or fiction, this week we’re calling for songs that mention, or are chiefly about famous creatures, usually with a specific name

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, prog, punk, postpunk, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, A.A. Milne, animals, animal behaviour, Marlene Dietrich, Cheeta, Johnny Weissmuller, Tarzan, Maureen O'Sullivan, Uggie, Film, Lassie, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Eric Knight, James Lever, biography, autobiography, Harry Potter, television, documentary, Larry The Cat, racehorses, Russell Morris, Joy Adamson, Christian the Lion, William Shakespeare, Marocco, William Bankes, Jumbo the elephant, Laika, Space, Nasa, First World War, second world war, Dolly The Sheep, war heroes
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I know why the caged bird sings: songs about or expressing empathy

August 15, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Maya Angelou: “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”

Maya Angelou: “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”

I feel for you. Reach out and I’ll be there. This week we’re seeking song-related understanding and connection the form of songs about empathy, and though it’s different perhaps also little secondary sympathy, in form or content

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, metal, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, songs, ska, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, empathy, sympathy, relationships, Maya Angelou, William Blake, Leslie Jamison, Brené Brown, RIchard Louv, science, neurology, psychology, music, Brian Eno, Jay Griffiths, Gloria Steinem, Conor Oberst, Mary Gauthier, Viv Albertine, Anohni, Antony and the Johnsons, politics, Nathan Englander, Theodore Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Ben Harper, Steve Martin, Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker, Margaret Atwood, Marty Rubin, Yann Martel, Morgan Neville, Film, books, Justin Simien, Roger Ebert, Harper Lee, Joseph Conrad, Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Sterling K. Brown, James Baldwin, Mehmet Oz, John Connolly, Mohsin Hamid, Neil Gaiman, Rumaan Alam, Terry Pratchett, Nitya Prakash, Elizabeth Goudge, Paul Auster, Eric Micha'el Leventhal, Gustave Flaubert, Elizabeth Bowen, Walt Whitman, Jorge Luis Borges, William Shakespeare
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Playlists: songs containing indirect messages

August 7, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Did Dusty get a message. How?

Did Dusty get a message. How?

Rumour has it that there are a couple of great playlists around that totally nail the topic all about indirect communication, sometimes via a third party. Following last week’s topic, let’s just say that this week’s guest Olive Butler might be behind it …

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In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, folk, funk, gospel, instrumentals, indie, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, indirect messages, relationships, Elvis Presley, Ed Townsend, Jackson 5, Dusty Springfield, The Lemonheads, Paul McCartney, Wings, Dr Hook, Joan Armatrading, JJ Cale, Nina Simone, Herb Albert, The Tijuana Brass, Diana Ross, The Slits, Wreckless Eric, Ricky Valance, Morrissey, Buddy Holly, The Ink Spots, Josephine Baker, Paul Evans, Kevin Coyne, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich
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Tell my wife I love her so: songs containing indirect messages

August 1, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Hound of love? Indirect delivery

Hound of love? Indirect delivery

Through a third party, on scribbled letters left, sent or hidden, on answering machines or other means, even via prayer, this week let's look at songs about communication to an individual sent via a roundabout route

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, messages, letters, telephone, relationships, family, politics, Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Marvin Gaye, David Bowie, animals, Kurt Cobain, Hunter S. Thompson, Vincent Van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Wendy O. Williams, Robin Williams, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, paul simon, Art Garfunkel, Ray Davies, The Kinks, Abba, Fleetwood Mac, Edmond Rostand, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Paul Verhoeven, Philip K Dick, George Bernard Shaw, Mark Lanegan
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Who's pulling the strings? Songs about puppets and puppetry

July 25, 2019 Peter Kimpton
It’s time to play the music …

It’s time to play the music …

It’s all about manipulation. This week’s theme could centre around relationships, work, politics, or other forms of entertainment, where also the puppets do the performing and play on the theme of who is really in control …

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, metal, music, musicals, musical hall, pop, postpunk, punk, prog, rock, reggae, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, puppetry, puppets, The Muppets, ventriloquists, Nina Conti, Trey Parker, South Park, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, politics, Steve Bannon, Vladimir Putin, Punch and Judy, China, shadow puppets, Anthony Hosein, Stacey Loewen, Sesame Street, Shari Lewis, Sooty, Rod Hull and Emu, Johnny Carson, Angela Carter, Spitting Image, John Malvovich, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze, Michael Redgrave
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In full swing: songs and instrumentals from New York City

July 18, 2019 Peter Kimpton
There’s more than one way of having in ball in New York. The 1930s …

There’s more than one way of having in ball in New York. The 1930s …

It’s the city of the world that never sleeps, but this week let’s explore what kind of music, particularly instrumentals, but also lyrics, capture the particular spirit, culture, feel and rhythms of its extraordinary five boroughs

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, experimental, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, New York, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Beastie Boys, LCD Soundsystem, Henry Ford, Duke Ellington, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island, David Byrne, Talking Heads, George Gershwin, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond, Sonny Bono, paul simon, Broadway, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Blondie, The Ramones, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, B-52s, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Dee-Lite, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Led Zeppelin, Joe Strummer, The Clash, Television (band), Prince, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Harlem, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Milos Forman, John Updike, Bette Midler, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Film, film soundtrack, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, gangs, Statue of Liberty
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Fourth of July? Songs about parades and processions

July 4, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Onwards!

Onwards!

They express the joys, hopes, triumphs and tragedies of the human race coming together, – mixed emotions, war to civil rights, weddings to funerals, religious and sports to military might to floral festivals. But where do they come up in song?

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In avant-garde, blues, comedy, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, pop, playlists, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, parades, processions, fourth of July, Independence Day, Philip James Bailey, Mike Ditka, FKA Twigs, US presidents, US politics, Russia, Philippines, First World War, Jack Johnson, boxing, Hawaii, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Will Smith, Donald Trump, France, Emmanuel Macron, Richard Nixon, John Naisbitt, China, Oliver Stone, Tom Cruise, Mark Twain, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bette Midler, Tom Wolfe, Adam Smith, New Orleans, Rio Carnival, London 2012 Olympics, Gilbert K. Chesterton, David Lee Roth, Prince, Super Bowl
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Bright and beautiful: songs about the colour orange

May 30, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Orangutan. Of course

Orangutan. Of course

From animals to objects, plants to birds, and all of its cultural associations, the meeting of red and yellow, symbol of change, joy, entertainment and also warning, this week let’s explore songs are about anything clearly of this colour

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, 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, colours, orange, animals, art, plants, Frank Sinatra, Wassily Kandinsky, Michel Gondry, Tae Yun Kim, Ram Charan, Vincent Van Gogh, painting, Film, The Netherlands, Greek mythology, Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Matisse, Confucius, China, Buddhism, Hinduism, food, biochemistry, vegetables, Tango, Orange mobile, Orange guitars, Fender, orange sunburst, Donald Trump, Agent Orange, Vietnam War
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Bostin'! Songs from or about Birmingham and The Black Country

May 9, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Roy would …

Roy would …

This week’s topic takes a particular accent towards music inspired by the great British West Midlands city and its surrounding area, a rich cultural mix of ethnicities and styles, industrial history, upheaval and humour

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, experimental, electronica, folk, 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, playlists, Birmingham, West Midlands, The Black Country, Roy Wood, slang, The Beat, Black Sabbath, The Move, The Moody Blues, Traffic, Dexys Midnight Runners, ELO, Felt, Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood, Joan Armatrading, Roland Gift, Steel Pulse, Laura Mvula, Mike Skinner, The Streets, Ocean Colour Scene, The Nightingales, UB40, industry, Francis Brett Young, Donald Trump, Stewart Lee, Jasper Carrot, Milton Jones, comedy, Jim Capaldi, JRR Tolkien, David Lodge, Jim Crace, WH Auden, Benjamin Zephaniah, Peaky Blinders
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Current topic: songs about electricity

May 2, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Bright sparks ArcAttack make the Tesla connection

Bright sparks ArcAttack make the Tesla connection

Capacitance, or resistance? This week on the circuit it’s time for bright sparks to plug in and make lyrical connections with songs that refer to electricity in all literal or metaphorical forms, from famous inventors to natural forces

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, electricity, power sources, energy, Nikola Tesla, Ray Charles, George Carlin, George Gobel, Bill Bryson, Spike Milligan, climate change, Bob Dylan, Luigi Galvani, biology, evolution, Pliny The Elder, Scribonius Largus, Otto von Guericke, Robert Boyle, Stephen Gray, C. F. du Fay, Benjamin Franklin (scientist), Pieter van Musschenbroek, Alessandro Volta, Hans Christian Ørsted, André-Marie Ampère, Michael Faraday, Goerg Ohm, Thomas Edison, Charles Steinmetz, Wilhelm Eduard Weber, David Bowie, Bjork, ArcAttack, Joe DiPrima, Black Sabbath, Bram Stoker, James Gleick, James Whale, Film, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, Boris Karloff, Earl Wilson, Anton Chekhov, Chance The Rapper, Sanober Khan, Lou Reed, Steven Magee, Clio Barnard
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Playlists: songs enhanced by impressive videos

May 1, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Over the moon with Smashing Pumpkins

Over the moon with Smashing Pumpkins

What a production! Cartoons to big-screen movie references, emotional stories, quirky comedies and extraordinary dancing, from a massive choice, this week’s guest Marco den Ouden chooses two perfectly eye-popping playlists

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Film, videos, Georges Méliès, Xavier Cugat, Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Killers, Bob Dylan, Soul Asylum, Miley Cyrus, Smashing Pumpkins, Guns 'n' Roses, Sia, OK Go, Beth Hart, The Hu Band, World Order, Goyte, Kimbra, Leonard Cohen, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Chris Rea, Aerosmith, Silent Movie Susie, Beyonce, Kate Bush, Anderson .Paak, Elton John, Phil Collins, t.A.t.u., Bjork, Two Door Cinema Club, The Beatles, Gene Kelly, Jay-Z, David Bowie, 3 Doors Down, Killing Jokes, Michael Nesmith, Cab Calloway, Marco den Ouden
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Out of this oeuvre? Songs and music that defy genre definition

April 18, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Genres? What are they?

Genres? What are they?

This week let’s push the envelope and dig out often lesser known artists and works that wriggle away from definition, those who or mix sub-genres and styles with such originality it’s hard to place them. But can you still define them?

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, genres, fusion genres, Tom Waits, Kamasi Washington, Billie Eilish, Arctic Monkeys, Alex Turner, Albert Finney, Alan Sillitoe, David Bowie, Miles Davis, Gazelle Twin, The Residents, FKA Twigs, Avicii, David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Damon Albarn, Gorillaz, Public Enemy, Chuck D, Henry Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Jessie J, Taylor Swift, Beck, Danny Boyle, Todd Haynes, Fever Ray, Jeanette Winterson, Italo Calvino, Anthony Newley, J Dilla
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Playlists: songs about joints of the body

April 10, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Hip priestess? Shakira video

Hip priestess? Shakira video

Shoulders to toes, hips to knees, this week’s playlists, picked by our flexibly skilful guest Noodsy from last week’s topic connect up through all the styles and genres, from Shakira to Sparklehorse, The Beat to The Beach Boys …

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In blues, comedy, country, disco, dance, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, musical hall, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, joints, biology, Fats Waller, The Decemberists, Esther Phillips, Shakira, The Rolling Stones, 10cc, The Beach Boys, The Beat, Sparklehorse, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Laura Marling, Funkadelic, Julien Baker, Captain Beefheart, Ronnie Hudson, Johnny Cash, The Cufflinx, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Neil, Major Lance, Squeeze, I Am Kloot, Iris Dement, Charly Bliss, Noodsy, Elsie and Doris Waters
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Playlists: worst songs outside the comfort zone

April 3, 2019 Peter Kimpton
The striking ex-Welsh miner Adrian Street. But what song has he wrestled into total submission?

The striking ex-Welsh miner Adrian Street. But what song has he wrestled into total submission?

Worst week ever? Just how low can we go? This week’s counterintuitive topic brought hundreds of highly entertaining gems, out of which the wonderfully mischievous guest playlister Olive Butler created two terrifically torturous lists

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, The Seekers, Linda Jardim, The Alexandra Brothers, Arcesia, Katerine, Adrian Street, Unknown Singer, Lil' Markie, Rex Dallas, Jan Windolf, George Dobbie, Splodgenessabounds, Georgina Dobson & Cupboard Simon, The Tartan Horde, Bay City Rollers, M.A.Numminen, Raphael, William Shatner, Los Punk Rockers, Altered Images, Paul Shane, Su Pollard, Vladimir Putin, Gipsy Kings, Telly Savalas, El Principe Gitano, Barbara Cartland, Jack Warner, Paul Henry, Reginald Bosanquet, Equipe 84, Olive Butler
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Do your wonderful worst: songs out of the comfort zone

March 28, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Do your wurst: What could go horribly right? The Producers (1967) starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel

Do your wurst: What could go horribly right? The Producers (1967) starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel

The brilliantly bad to the awesomely atrocious, whether in sound or lyrics, this week it's time to stretch the realms of musical and lyrical taste into the outer regions, and boldly go where we've never been before

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, 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, avant-garde, experimental Tags songs, playlists, poor taste, bad quality, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Dick Emery, comedy, theatre, Film, film soundtrack, Chris Lynam, Brexit, Florence Foster Jenkins, William Shatner, Laurie Anderson, Yoko Ono, Scott Walker, Miles Davis, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Les Dawson, This is Spinal Tap, Mel Brooks, Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Kenny Everett, Cathy Berberian, Arthur Mullard, Hylda Baker, Tony Hiller, Gloria Balsam, Edie and the Eggs, The Novas, The Shaggs
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We're only human: songs using lyrical personification

March 14, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Faces in rock: Samples from Japan’s famous Rock Museum

Faces in rock: Samples from Japan’s famous Rock Museum

Rock face? This week we explore lyrics that attribute human characteristics to objects, concepts, natural forces and many other non-human things. Enjoy a few famous, inspiring examples in songs, poetry, literature and photography

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In blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, reggae, punk, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, poetry, personification, metaphor, David Bowie, The Beatles, paul simon, Simon & Garfunkel, The Neville Brothers, Virgil, Flannery O'Connor, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Shakespeare, The Byrds, Charles Dickens, TS Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Echo and the Bunnymen, Man Ray, photography, Carl Sagan, religion, Iggy Pop
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Songs that contain words of wisdom, this week’s topic is

February 21, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Yoda. Seeing the lighter side

Yoda. Seeing the lighter side

This week we’re not being clever,, simply seeking wisdom in individual lyrics or across a whole song. From philosophers to musicians to authors, how is is it gained, through humility, experience, courage, or a just turn of phrase?

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In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, prog, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, soul, soundtracks, songs, traditional Tags songs, playlists, wisdom, Confucius, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, The Beatles, Star Wars, Film, Yoda, philosophy, Bertrand Russell, Thomas Jefferson, Socrates, Aristotle, Oprah Winfrey, Albert Einstein, Jane Austen, Patrick Rothfuss, Ernest Hemingway, George RR Martin, Leo Tolstoy, Voltaire, Mahatma Gandhi, William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Isaac Asimov, Bob Dylan, Lao Tzu, Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Dickens, Imam Al-Ghazali, Emerson, Rabindranath Tagore, Paul McCartney, Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, Walter Lippmann, Frank Zappa, Charlie Parker, Cass McCombs, Molière, Francis Bacon, William Blake, Paulo Coelho
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New Albums …

Featured
Plantoid - FLARE.jpeg
Feb 2, 2026
Plantoid: FLARE
Feb 2, 2026

New album: The nimbly inventive, experimental prog trio from Brighton return following their debut LP Terrapath, with an evolved, often catchier style of oddball riffs, licks, clever tempo changes, unusual rhythms, and unconventional chord progressions with a stirring of jazz inflections, dream pop, psych rock and shoegaze

Feb 2, 2026
No Love Lost to Kindness by Yumi Zouma.jpeg
Feb 1, 2026
Yumi Zouma: No Love Lost To Kindness
Feb 1, 2026

New album: A bolder, more strident, indie-rock urgency of style by the New Zealand quartet previously known more for dream pop, particularly front-loading this fifth LP with a pacier, spikier material in their decade-long career

Feb 1, 2026
Tyler Ballgame - For The First Time Again.jpeg
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
Tessa Rose Jackson - The Lighthouse.jpeg
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
Lucinda Williams - World's Gone Wrong.jpeg
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
Clotheline From Hell.jpeg
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
Dead Dads Club.jpeg
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
The Paper Kites - IF YOU GO THERE, I HOPE YOU FIND IT.png
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
PVA - No More Like This.jpeg
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
Imarhan - Essam.jpeg
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
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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

new songs …

Featured
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Feb 2, 2026
Song of the Day: Sego - Buy It Break It
Feb 2, 2026

Song of the Day: Punchy, sharp, witty super-catchy art-punk indie by the Los Angeles-based band from Utah, consisting of Spence (guitar/ lead vocals), Tom (drums), Derv (bass), and Kathleen (keyboards and guitar)

Feb 2, 2026
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Feb 1, 2026
Song of the Day: Chris Brain - Red Sun Rising
Feb 1, 2026

Song of the Day: A beautiful Nick Drake-reminiscent new folk number with intricate finger-picking by the Yorkshire-based singer-songwriter, and the title track heralding his new album Red Sun Rising, out 1 May via Big Sun Records

Feb 1, 2026
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Jan 31, 2026
Song of the Day: Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Minneapolis
Jan 31, 2026

Song of the Day: A powerful brand new protest song by the Boss, tackling America’s controversial influx of ICE agents into Minneapolis and their recent murders of innocent bystanders Alex Pretti and Renée Good, released on Columbia

Jan 31, 2026
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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

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
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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
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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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