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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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Playlists: songs about urban wildlife and nature

May 29, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Biscuit time? Deer think so, in Nara Park, Japan

Biscuit time? Deer think so, in Nara Park, Japan

Foxes, deer, ducks, ospreys, to blossoms and orchids, leaping up into life from last week’s topic, guest writer barbryn picks a magical musical menagerie and floral fanfare in playlists about the wildlife that inhabit our towns and cities

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In avant-garde, blues, country, experimental, electronica, folk, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, prog, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, wildlife, animals, plants, biology, Abbey Lincoln, The Rats, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Shonen Knife, The Handsome Family, The Brunettes, Richard Hawley, The Nightingales, Grasscut, Simpson Cutting Kerr, XTC, CocoRosie, Archie & Lynn, Shakatak, Burial, Four Tet, The Mountain Goats, Grandaddy, Belle & Sebastian, Vera Lynn, Superchunk, Paul Westerberg, Lou Reed, Jeffrey Lewis, Barbryn, Indigo Girls
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Cracks in the concrete: songs about urban wildlife and nature

May 23, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Concrete evidence …

Concrete evidence …

Cats, rats or bats, peregrine falcons to parakeets, foxes and rabbits, bears or boars, and a whole host of other creatures, as well as plants and urban sunsets, this week let’s explore how nature exists in the city as shown in song

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, reggae, punk, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, animals, animal behaviour, plants, cities, ecology, Sir David Attenborough, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Robert Frost, poetry
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Playlists: songs about deceptive appearances

May 22, 2019 Peter Kimpton
They might well appear in a playlist near you … The Stranglers

They might well appear in a playlist near you … The Stranglers

Warnings about false friends, to advice about keeping things secret, one appearance doesn’t deceive - this week’s playlists are skilfully strung together by this week’s guest Suzi, covering everything from love to personal life, politics to parties

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In avant-garde, blues, country, folk, gospel, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rocksteady, reggae, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, appearance, deception, Macka B, Phil Ochs, Ruth Brown, Colin Blunstone, The Stranglers, The Southern Death Cult, The Alan Parsons Project, Lyle Lovett, Joe Pug, Gilmore & Roberts, Katriona Gilmore, Jamie Roberts, Pet Shop Boys, REM, Martin Carthy, Bob Dylan, The Who, Peter Sarstedt, Shirley Collins, Dolly Collins, Ella Shields, The Magnetic Fields, Gang of Four, The Bangles, Elvis Costello, Kevin Ayers, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Bruce Springsteen, Steeleye Span, Suzi
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Game of Tones? Songs about deceptive appearances

May 16, 2019 Peter Kimpton
It’s dragon on a bit. But how will it end? Gratuitous picture that has nothing to do with music

It’s dragon on a bit. But how will it end? Gratuitous picture that has nothing to do with music

Sex, love relationships, work, politics, and war, appearances all play apart in the game of life, and this week with a huge cast of talent coming to visit the Bar, we discuss and explore the art and topic of false or true in song lyrics

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, soul, songs Tags songs, playlists, Game of Thrones, TV, drama, William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, George RR Martin, quantum physics, philosophy, psychology, books, Film, art, Alexandre Dumas, Marvel, Starsky and Hutch, David Soul, Merv Griffin Show, Sia, Frank Sidebottom, George Orwell, Oscar Wilde, Michael Jackson, Chris Sievey, Boy George, Beethoven, Oscar Levant, Jo Brand, comedy, Franz Kafka, Friedrich Nietzsche, Marty Rubin, Samuel Butler, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Abraham Lincoln, Will Durant, history, Machiavelli, Vauvenargues, Christopher Lasch, John F Kennedy, Arthur Schopenhauer, Blaise Pascal, Brexit, Donald Trump, Stanislaw Jerzy Lec, Kurt Vonnegut, Henry David Thoreau, Aesop, Jane Austen, Disney, CJ Carlyon, Will Rogers, Joseph Conrad, Aristotle, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sun Tzu, Zsa Zsa Gabor, David Icke, Al Wilson
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Playlists: songs from/about Birmingham and The Black Country

May 15, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Skimpy Slade: fans of a beauty spot on Pouk Hill

Skimpy Slade: fans of a beauty spot on Pouk Hill

Bromwichham to Brummagem, Wednesfield, Walsall and Wolverhampton, this week’s guest playlister philipphilip99 blows an entertaining trumpet for the city and area that shaped him, his lists filled with fabulous music and facts

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In blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, prog, punk, postpunk, reggae, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Birmingham, The Black Country, The Craig, The Au Pairs, Slade, Noddy Holder, Jon WIlks, The Lilac Time, Stephen Duffy, Fashiøn, Laura Mvula, Dexys Midnight Runners, Denim, Ocean Colour Scene, We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It, Beverley Knight, Billy Bragg, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Spencer Davis Group, The Beat, The Move, Duran Duran, Electric Light Orchestra, The Mighty Lemon Drops, Victories At Sea, Diamond Head, Mr Hudson and The Library, Spirit Of The West, philipphilip99
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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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Playlists: songs about electricity

May 8, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Where will lightning strike in this week’s playlists?

Where will lightning strike in this week’s playlists?

Ancient lightning gods and rods to pioneers of current, this week’s bright spark EnglishOutlaw connects nature, history and scientific experiment into musical form with playlists inspired by last week’s electrifying topic

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In avant-garde, comedy, country, dance, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, reggae, soul Tags songs, playlists, electricity, science, Screeching Wheel, White Noise, The Grateful Dead, MGMT, Buzzcocks, The Decemberists, The Bee Gees, Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Frank Sidebottom, Photomartyr, Band of Holy Joy, The Cure, They Might Be Giants, The Waterproof Candle, Man or Astro-Man?, The Ramones, Jenny Hval, Joni Mitchell, Barenaked Ladies, Albert Hammond, Captain Beefheart, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, The Cravats, Mischief Brew, EnglishOutlaw
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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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The gift of sound and vision: songs enhanced by impressive videos

April 25, 2019 Peter Kimpton
What will be your weapon of choice this week?

What will be your weapon of choice this week?

Music and film are often intertwined commercially, but where does a video become an artform to the level that the visual elements enhance, complement and become symbiotic with the song? Let the action commence …

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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, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, showtime Tags songs, playlists, videos, Film, YouTube, MTV, David Lynch, Bessie Smith, Louis Jordan, Tony Bennett, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Jacques Brel, The Moody Blues, Kenneth Anger, The Beatles, Queen, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Chris Cunningham, Spike Jones, Spike Jonze, Michael Gondry, Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Aphex Twin, Bjork, Norman Cook / Fatboy Slim, Bootsy Collins, Christopher Walken, Electric Six, Peter Gabriel, Aardman Animations, Radiohead, Childish Gambino, Cate Le Bon, Fat White Family, Ibeyi, Arctic Monkeys, Philip Glass, Godfrey Reggio
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Playlists: songs that defy genre definition

April 24, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Dare to be different. Mitski

Dare to be different. Mitski

Embarking on adventures into the avant-garde, hip-hop, jazz and more, crossing continents and skimming multiple styles from waves of nominations, this week’s guest Nilpferd creates playlists enduringly indefinable

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, genres, Katzenjammer, Juana Molina, Mitski, The Durutti Column, The Kaleidoscope, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Roxy Music, The Last Poets, Kendrick Lamar, Herbie Hancock, Bohren and der Club of Gore, Thundercat, Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, Ry Cooder, VM Bhatt, Shirley Collins, Davey Graham, The Real Tuesday Weld, Sudan Archives, Peter Blegvad, Andy Partridge, Ken Nordine, Bjork, Moondog, Portishead, Primus, Scritti Politti, My Bloody Valentine, Andrew Weatherall, Matthew Herbert, Miles Davis, Coldcut
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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 witches and witchcraft

April 17, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Spellbinding: Koko Taylor

Spellbinding: Koko Taylor

What’s been brewing in the musical cauldron this week? Making the magic happen from a huge casting of spells and songs from readers is guest playlister George Boyland, who conjures up two miraculous selections

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, gospel, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, witchcraft, witches, superstition, supernatural, Martin Carthy, Tampa Red, Koko Taylor, Cream, The Temptations, Jimi Hendrix, Sharon Forrester, Redbone, Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention, Captain Beefheart, Supergrass, Hen Ogledd, Richard Dawson, Princess Nokia, Royal Trux, The Sonics, Betty Lavette, Thurston Moore, The Lollipop Shoppe, Cowboy Junkies, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Van Der Graaf Generator, The Cramps, The Audience, Jethro Tull, October Country, Return To Forever, George Boyland, Nina Simone
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Put in a spell on this: songs about witches and witchcraft

April 11, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Sorceress Siouxsie Sioux

Sorceress Siouxsie Sioux

Good, bad, beautiful or ugly, purveyors of black or white magic, and the effect they have on others, from witch-finders to fans, this week we explore the culture of witchery, but which way, and what magic will this conjure up in songs?

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, witches, witchcraft, William Shakespeare, Johnny Mercer, Siouxsie Sioux, superstition, Radiohead, Lotte Lenya, Lene Lovich, Kate Bush, religion, pagan rituals, Devil, Heinrich Kramer, The Bible, Salem witch trials, Arthur Miller, The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, League of Gentlemen, Vincent Price, Film, television, Mark Gatiss, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon, Jack Nicholson, Roald Dahl, Terry Pratchett, Aleister Crowley, Game of Thrones, George RR Martin, André Breton, Peter Grey, Sam Ervin, politics, McCarthy era, Cass McCombs, Anthony Horowitz, Yoko Ono, Florence Welch, Margot Adler, Paulo Coelho
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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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Joint effort: songs about knees, hips, elbows, wrists & toes …

April 4, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Join us … the joint is jumpin’

Join us … the joint is jumpin’

… as well as knuckles, ankles, shoulders and any other key bendy and swivelling bits of the body, human or otherwise. It's all about making connections, and freedom of movement …

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In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, showtime, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, biology, science, dance, Jimi Hendrix, Charles Bukowski, Liza Minnelli, The Wizard of Oz, Pete Townshend, The Who, Elvis Presley, Jimmy Buffett, James Brown, Norman Cook / Fatboy Slim, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, Bernard Sumner, animals, evolution, Terry Notary, Andy Serkis, Film, Lee Majors, robotics, Grace Jones, Soul Train, West Side Story, Jon Heder
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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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Playlists: songs about months of the year

March 27, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Timeless melodies: a page from the Antikamnia Chemical Company’s Skeleton Calendar for 1901

Timeless melodies: a page from the Antikamnia Chemical Company’s Skeleton Calendar for 1901

When does The Fall come, is it in autumn or spring? And what and when might Brian Eno or Vashti Bunyan bring? All this and more as this week’s playlister Rachel Courtney aka uneasy listening gets creative with musical calendars

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In blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, electronica, folk, gospel, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, months, time, Wire, Hank Snow, Mulata Astatke, Pizzicato Five, Bambi OST, Acid Gallery, The Fall, Mark E Smith, Los Brincos, Brian Eno, Jessye Norman, Milton Nascimento, Vashti Bunyan, Scott Walker, Johnny Mathis, Pilot, Estalares, Ruth Etting, Jesus & Mary Chain, Bob and Rob Cropper, Fats Waller, Nina Simone, Love, Dinah Washington, Chris and Cosey, Sandy Denny, Bear Babes, The Cryin' Shames, Rachel Courtney / uneasy listening, Mulatu Astatke, The Cryan' Shames
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New Albums …

Featured
Favourite Albums of 2025 - Part 3.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Three
Dec 18, 2025

Welcome to the third and final part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also Part One, and Part Two. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Two.jpeg
Dec 17, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Two
Dec 17, 2025

Welcome to the second part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also a first part and a third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 17, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part 1 updated.jpg
Dec 16, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part One
Dec 16, 2025

Welcome to the first part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There will also be a second and third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Dec 16, 2025
Juliana Hatfield.jpeg
Dec 16, 2025
Juliana Hatfield: Lightning Might Strike
Dec 16, 2025

New album: Personal upheaval, grief, powerlessness, trauma, sudden change inform the title and colour the lyrics of this latest LP by the seasoned Boston indie artist but her songs are packed with brutally honest, candid, concise reflections and warm, catchy, stirring riffs and melodies

Dec 16, 2025
Dove Ellis - Blizzard.jpeg
Dec 9, 2025
Dove Ellis: Blizzard
Dec 9, 2025

New album: An extraordinarily mature, passionate, poetic, and outstandingly powerful debut by the Manchester-based Galway-born singer-songwriter, whose soaring delivery has instant echoes of Jeff Buckley and lyrics that go above and beyond

Dec 9, 2025
Spíra by Ólöf Arnalds.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Ólöf Arnalds: Spíra
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A gorgeous, delicate, ethereal first release in a decade by the Icelandic singer-songwriter, acoustic instruments and her gentle, high, pure voice, all in her native language, caressing this listening experience like pure waters of some slowly trickling glacial stream

Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber - Unclouded.jpeg
Dec 5, 2025
Melody's Echo Chamber: Unclouded
Dec 5, 2025

New album: A fourth album, here full of delicious uplifting, dreamily chic, psychedelic soul pop by the French musician Melody Prochet, with bright, upbeat, optimistic numbers and a title lifted from a quote by the acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, about achieving equilibrium

Dec 5, 2025
Devotion & The Black Divine by anaiis.jpeg
Dec 2, 2025
anaiis: Devotion & The Black Divine
Dec 2, 2025

New album: Following a summer Song of the Day - Deus Deus, a review of the autumn release and third LP by the London-based French-Senegalese singer-songwriter of resonantly beautiful, dynamic, sensual soul, gospel, R&B and experimental and chamber pop, with themes of new motherhood, uncertainty, religion, self-love and acceptance

Dec 2, 2025
De La Soul - Cabin In The Sky.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
De La Soul: Cabin In The Sky
Nov 26, 2025

New album: The hip-hop veterans return with their first without, yet including the voice of, and a tribute to, founding member Trugoy the Dove, AKA Dave Jolicoeur who passed away in 2023, alongside many hip-hop luminary guests, with trademark playful skits, and all themed around the afterlife

Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats- Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
The Mountain Goats: Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan
Nov 26, 2025

New album: An evocative musical journey of a concept album by the indie-folk band from Claremont, California, fronted by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, based on a dream of his in 2023 about a voyage to a fictional island by the titular captain, charting adventure, wonder and tragedy

Nov 26, 2025
Allie X - Happiness Is Going To Get You.jpeg
Nov 26, 2025
Allie X: Happiness Is Going To Get You
Nov 26, 2025

New album: A hugely entertaining, witty, droll, inventive, chamber and synth-pop fourth LP with a goth twist by the charismatic and theatrical Canadian artist Alexandra Hughes, who brings paradox and dark themes through sounds that include string quartet, harpsichord, classical and pure pop piano with killer lyrics

Nov 26, 2025
Tortoise - Touch.jpeg
Nov 25, 2025
Tortoise: Touch
Nov 25, 2025

New album: A welcome return with a cinematic and mesmeric groove-filled first studio LP in nine years, and the eighth over all by the eclectic Chicago post-rock/jazz/krautrock multi-instrumentalists Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire and Jeff Parker

Nov 25, 2025
What of Our Nature by Haley Heynderickx, Max García Conover.jpeg
Nov 24, 2025
Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover: What of Our Nature
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Beautiful, precise, poignant and poetic new folk numbers inspired by the life and music style of Woody Guthrie as the Portland, Oregon and New Yorker, now Portland, Maine-based singer-songwriters bring a delicious duet album, alternating and sharing songs covering a variety of forever topical social issues

Nov 24, 2025
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Nov 24, 2025
Oneohtrix Point Never: Tranquilizer
Nov 24, 2025

New album: Ambient, otherworldly, cinematic, mesmeric, and at times very odd, the Brooklyn-based electronic artist and producer Daniel Lopatin returns with a new nostalgia-based concept – constructing tracks from lost-then-refound Y2K CDs of 1990s and early 2000s royalty-free sample electronic sounds

Nov 24, 2025

new songs …

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Deadletter - To The Brim.jpeg
Dec 19, 2025
Song of the Day: DEADLETTER - To The Brim
Dec 19, 2025

Song of the Day: A moody, mysterious minute-long intro with gentle bursts of brass and woodwind veils what becomes a punchy new lead single by the Leeds post-punk band heralding their second LP - Existence is Bliss out on 27 February via SO Recordings

Dec 19, 2025
Greentea Peng - Prisoners Round.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Song of the Day: Greentea Peng - Prisoners Round
Dec 18, 2025

Song of the Day: Following March 2025’s acclaimed album, Tell Dem It’s Sunny, the south-east London artist (aka Aria Wells) returns with another smoky, dark, track with hues of blues, dub and soul and Portishead-esque trip-hop, focusing on the trappings and challenges of modern life

Dec 18, 2025
Kaitlyn Aurela Smith - I Miss The Way You Swim.jpg
Dec 17, 2025
Song of the Day: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - I Miss the Way You Swim
Dec 17, 2025

Song of the Day: Beautiful modular synths and intermingling orchestral sounds ripple in this work by the American composer, performer and producer in a piece shaped by loss of someone loved, taken from an upcoming instrumental album Thoughts On The Future, out on Nettwerk Music

Dec 17, 2025
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Dec 16, 2025
Song of the Day: The Paper Kites - Change Of The Wind
Dec 16, 2025

Song of the Day: A beautiful, reflective number by the alternative folk-rock band from Melbourne fronted by Sam Bentley, heralding their seventh studio album If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, out on 23 January via Nettwerk Music Group

Dec 16, 2025
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine.jpeg
Dec 15, 2025
Song of the Day: Courtney Marie Andrews - Little Picture Of A Butterfly
Dec 15, 2025

Song of the Day: Beautiful, delicate, fluttering, eclectic, heartbreak folk and Americana by the singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, heralding her forthcoming new album, Valentine, out on 16 January via Loose Future

Dec 15, 2025
Peter Perrett - Proud To Be Self-Hating.jpeg
Dec 12, 2025
Song of the Day: Peter Perrett - PROUD TO BE SELF-HATING (irony and provocation)
Dec 12, 2025

Song of the Day: The veteran British artist, originally frontman of The Only Ones, and now with three solo albums, who actually has Jewish heritage, releases a gently powerful, nuanced, pro-Palestine acoustic number as a response to ongoing genocide by the Israeli government, out on Domino Records

Dec 12, 2025
Maddie Ashman - Jaded.jpeg
Dec 11, 2025
Song of the Day: Maddie Ashman - Jaded
Dec 11, 2025

Song of the Day: Magical, delicate, eclectic, intricate, experimental microtonal music by the London musician and singer, released alongside a longer track, In Autumn My Heart Breaks

Dec 11, 2025
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Dec 10, 2025
Song of the Day: Ye Vagabonds - The Flood
Dec 10, 2025

Song of the Day: Wonderfully warm, rich, lively fiddle-driven Irish folk by the award-winning band fronted by Carlow brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn with a heartbreaking number about the housing crisis, heralding their upcoming new album, All Tied Together, out on Rough Trade’s River Lea Recordings on 30 January

Dec 10, 2025
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Dec 9, 2025
Song of the Day: DBA! A Poet And A Clown
Dec 9, 2025

Song of the Day: Catchy fuzz-guitar indie rock with a swagger by the Liverpool-formed trio of Sam Warren, James Lindberg and Joshua Grant in a song described as “a confessional story of desire tangled with religious guilt”

Dec 9, 2025
Puma Blue - Croak Dream.jpeg
Dec 8, 2025
Song of the Day: Puma Blue - Croak Dream
Dec 8, 2025

Song of the Day: A dark, esoteric, mysterious and stylish title track with a hint of Radiohead and playing with the idea of knowing your future death, from the experimental indie/goth/ambient London artist Jacob Allen’s forthcoming album out on 6 February via Play It Again Sam

Dec 8, 2025
ELIZA - Anyone Else.jpeg
Dec 7, 2025
Song of the Day: ELIZA - Anyone Else
Dec 7, 2025

Song of the Day: Stripped-back, bluesy, fuzzy funk with slight echoes of Prince and alt-R&B are conjured up in this love song by the London-based singer-songwriter Eliza Caird, her first single for two years, now off the mainstream and out on Log Off Records

Dec 7, 2025
SILK SCARF by Tiga & Fcukers.jpg
Dec 6, 2025
Song of the Day: Tiga (featuring Fcukers) - Silk Scarf
Dec 6, 2025

Song of the Day: A fun, sensual, quirkily oddball electronica dance single with a slick, fetish-flirtatious ode to a favourite smooth material by the Montreal musician (Tiga James Sontag) joined here with vocals by the New York band (Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis), and heralding Tiga’s upcoming album Hotlife, out in April on Secret City Records

Dec 6, 2025

Word of the week

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Hangover.jpeg
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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Nov 6, 2025
Word of the week: erythrophyll
Nov 6, 2025

Word of the week: A seasonally topical word relating to the the red pigment of tree leaves, fruits and flowers, that appears particularly when changing in autumn, as opposed to the green effect of chlorophyll, from the Greek erythros for red, and phyll for leaves. But what of songs about this?

Nov 6, 2025
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Oct 22, 2025
Word of the week: fennec
Oct 22, 2025

Word of the week: It’s a small pale-fawn nocturnal fox with unusually large, highly sensitive ears, that inhabits from African and Arab deserts areas from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. But has it ever been seen in a song?

Oct 22, 2025
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Oct 9, 2025
Word of the week: gongoozler
Oct 9, 2025

Word of the week: A fabulous old English slang term for someone who tends to stand or sit for long periods staring at the passing of boats on canals, sometimes with a derogatory or at least ironic use for someone who is useless or lazy. But what of songs about this activity and culture?

Oct 9, 2025

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