• Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact
Menu

Song Bar

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Music, words, playlists

Your Custom Text Here

Song Bar

  • Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact

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

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs about or expressing empathy

August 21, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Sammy and Frank

Sammy and Frank

Best pals to the pangs of parenthood, lost lonely souls to lovers entwined, this week’s lists explore closeness in all forms through empathy, with emotionally powerful work chosen by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic

Read more
In blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, experimental, folk, hip hop, jazz, music, metal, pop, playlists, postpunk, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, empathy, relationships, The Pretenders, Elmore James, Prince, Jonathan Richman, The Modern Lovers, Loyle Carner, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Barenaked Ladies, Steve Ignorant's Slice of Life, Killdozer, Joe South, The Hollies, Buckshot Lefonque, Maya Angelou, Billy Joel, Alanis Morissette, Bonnie Herman, The Singers Unlimited, The Primitives, Johnny Cash, Sinead O'Connor, Seal, Amanda Shires, The Young 'Uns, Eri Sasaki, John Prine, The Four Tops, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, The Four Pennies, Jason Isbell, Drew Holcomb, Frankie Valli, Dean Jones, Cast of Company, Rihanna, Rilo Kiley, Modern English, Over The Rhine, Ben Harper, The Blind Boys of Alabama, lovelytheband, Marco den Ouden
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs about four-legged livestock

August 14, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Herd the one about …?

Herd the one about …?

Crazy cows, woolly bulls, pigs, sheep, goats, and even a camel and a llama, this week’s musical shepherd George Boyland rounds up wonderfully entertaining herd of songs tracked down from last week’s four-legged topic

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, dub, disco, electronica, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, animals, livestock, Ella Mae Morse, Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs, Amon Düül, Amon Düül II, AronChupa, Lil Sis Nora, Hugh Masekela, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Neil Hannon, The Unthanks, Jane Siberry, Dresden Dolls, Quatermass, Sparklehorse, Pere Ubu, Ry Cooder, Robert Johnson, Dr John, Fotheringay, Papa Freddie, Nelcy Sedibe, Mikaela, Pluto Shervington, George Boyland
Comment

Herd this one? Songs about four-legged livestock

August 8, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Woolly thinking? Alpacas are in on the act, of course.

Woolly thinking? Alpacas are in on the act, of course.

From cows to horses, sheep, pigs, ox, goats, donkeys, alpacas, llamas and more, this week let’s look into songs about the farming and husbandry of quadrupeds, our relationship with them and also what they say about us

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soundtracks, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, animals, livestock, farming, David Lynch, Johnny Mercer, Elvis Presley, Julian Cope, Gary Larson, religion, The Bible, Hinduism, George Orwell, Robert Plant, Grant Wood, Kate Bernheimer, art, books, Oliver Cromwell, Colin Wilson, Ray Davies, The Kinks, Alexander The Great, Thomas De Quincey, George Stubbs, John Miles (painter), Pigcasso, Matt Groening, The Simpsons, Zazie Beetz, climate change, kulning
Comment

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 …

Read more
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
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs about puppets and puppetry

July 31, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Five … four … playlists are go!

Five … four … playlists are go!

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights … roll up for a fabulous show, often with no strings attached, about puppets, but also featuring them, skilfully pulled together by guest playlister pejepeine from last week’s topic

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, instrumentals, indie, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags puppetry, puppets, playlists, songs, The 5th Dimension, The Muppets, Jim Henson, Els Titelles, XTC, Fuzzbox, France Gall, Sandie Shaw, James and Bobby Purify, Tyler The Creator, Gregory and the Hawk, 10, 10000 Maniacs, Punishment of Luxury, Kevin Coyne, Elvis Costello, The Roots, LCD Soundsystem, Robin The Frog, Kermit The Frog, Pinocchio, Disney, Von Trapp Family, Julie Andrews, Torchy the Battery Boy, Levi Stubbs, Tingha & Tucka, Pinky & Perky, Mister Rogers, Spit The Dog & Bob Carogees, Fingerbobs, REM, Kate Person, Sesame Street, Louie Ramirez, Bernd das Bröt, pejepeine, Joan Manuel Serrat
Comment

Playlists: songs from New York City

July 24, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus

It’s time to take the A Train and continue across the five boroughs on a musical journey. Inspired by last week’s topic, NY resident magicman takes us on fabulous tour of work recorded in, and capturing the spirit of the Big Apple

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, dance, disco, dub, experimental, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, funk Tags songs, instrumentals, New York, Duke Ellington, Princess Nokia, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Willie Colon, Joe Bataan, Dionne Warwick, Dion, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Eric B & Rakim, Bernard Herrmann, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Lou Reed, Miles Davis, Afrika Bambaataa, The Soul Sonic Force, Raymond Scott, Bruce Springsteen, Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans, Harry Nilsson, Benny Goodman, Nas, Nuyorican Soul, Jocelyn Brown, Larry Corvell, St Vincent, Vampire Weekend, The Notorious B.I.G., Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, A Tribe Called Quest, Crown Heights Affair, Sister Sledge, Art Blakey, magicman
Comment

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

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs with and about ambiguity

July 17, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Stock image? Gazelle Twin – definitely, possibly otherwise

Stock image? Gazelle Twin – definitely, possibly otherwise

What indeed does it all mean? Weaving in and out of lyrics and songs like an outer-body radio station, inspired by last week’s nominations, guest magicman creates two mesmerising playlists that ask as many questions as they answer

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, experimental, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, reggae, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, ambiguity, Tedesci Trucks Band, Townes Van Zandt, Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup, Electric Light Orchestra, Nona Hendryx, The Kinks, Rosa Leon, paul simon, Gazelle Twin, Dana & Karen Kletter, Harry Nilsson, Todd Rundgren, Chris Bell, Yola, Adrian Belew, Steely Dan, Wire, The Beatles, Peter Hammill, Aldous Harding, Sam Sham & The Pharoahs, REM, Fairport Convention, Dead Can Dance, Frank Zappa, Vampire Weekend, Laurie Anderson, magicman
Comment

Playlists: songs about parades and processions

July 10, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Mardi Gras in New Orleans has a Zulu tradition

Mardi Gras in New Orleans has a Zulu tradition

Belfast to New Orleans, Romania to India, this week’s musical procession, inspired by a tremendous train from last week’s topic is led by the twirling baton of guest guru ParaMhor, who takes on a perfect parade of two playlists

Read more
In blues, country, avant-garde, dance, disco, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, metal, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, soul, songs, traditional Tags songs, playlists, parades, The Undertones, Zero 7, The Magnetic Fields, Bo Dollis & The Wild Magnolias, Mary Gauthier, The Staple Singers, Mary Coughlan, Dr John, Kimya Dawson, Darren Hayman, Jackson C Frank, The Blue Nile, Reina Republicana, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Earl King, Duke Ellington, Dejan's Olympia Brass Band, Professor Longhair, Mighty Sparrow, Urumbu, Grand Drive, Elvis Costello, Leon Rosselson, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Nina Rota, Biber, Yes, ParaMhor, Thaikkudam Bridge, Miles Davis
Comment

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?

Read more
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
Comment

Playlists: songs about hitchhiking

July 3, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Who will get a pickup this week?

Who will get a pickup this week?

Breakdowns to what’s around the bend, picking up from last week’s topic’s many passengers, our guest driver takeitawayGuru takes us on a fabulous rockin’ rollin’ journey with his pick of songs that really catch a musical ride

Read more
In blues, comedy, country, dance, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, hitchhiking, Sheryl Crow, Tom Robinson, Savoy Brown, Boston, Vanity Fair, Bruce Springsteen, Earl Wright and his Orchestra, Dolly Parton, David Allan Coe, Lyle Lovett, Travis Tritt, Attila The Stockbroker, Simon & Garfunkel, Pearl Jam, The Ramones, Gov't Mule, The Grateful Dead, Tom Waits, The White Stripes, The Mutton Birds, Roger Waters, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Red City Radio, Heart, Black Ace, Green Day, takeitawayGuru
Comment

Thumbs up: catch songs about hitchhiking

June 27, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Where to?

Where to?

It’s time to give us all a lift, not only emotionally, but as Song Bar bus sets off on a road trip, picking up all sorts of musicians and other artists, in a quest to find for stories about hitching experiences – good, bad, scary or heartwarming

Read more
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, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, hitchhiking, road songs, Janis Joplin, Vincent Gallo, John Waters, WH Auden, Kenneth Grahame, Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, books, Film, art, John Steinbeck, Charles Dickens, Stephen King, Tony Hawks, Serge Oldenburg, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Brownie McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knopfler, Phil Brown, Hunter S. Thompson, Jackie Lomax, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Marvin Gaye, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson, Eminem, Lou Reed, Ruth Weiss, Bjork, Ursula K. Le Guin, Warren Zevon, Mama Cass Elliot, The Mamas and Papas, Kris Kristofferson, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Les Paul, John Cage, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Beatles, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, John Sayles, Terry Gilliam, Claudette Colbert, Clark Cable, Rutger Hauer, Tom Robbins, Tom Waits
Comment

Playlists: songs about the lost and found

June 26, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Finding Julian? More than one saint is involved this week …

Finding Julian? More than one saint is involved this week …

On a mission for the missing to a feast of the found, from the divine inspiration of last week’s nominations, guest guru Maki turns to to more than one source of saintly wisdom to help ‘cope’ with choosing two supreme playlists

Read more
In avant-garde, dance, country, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, lost, found, saints, martyrs, Tom Waits, Regina Spektor, Steel Pulse, Julian Cope, Richard Hawley, Christine and the Queens, Pepé Kallé, Nyboma, The Cramps, White Lies, Ballboy, Fugazi, Barrington Levy, The Waterboys, The Fiery Furnaces, John Lee Hooker, Babyshambles, Lorraine Silver, Ketama, Toumani Diabate, Jose Soto, Sade, Lisa Stanfield, Argentina (music artist)
Comment

Keep looking: songs about the lost and found

June 20, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Any leads?

Any leads?

Possessions, pets, family members, or even personal identity, this week the musical mission is all about the missing, but also hopefully, with a story arc that also leads to rediscovery, finding more than what you were searching for

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, reggae, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, losing, finding, lost, found, family, pets, possessions, Irving Berlin, animals, The Fiery Furnaces, Sonny James, Harry S. Miller
Comment

Playlists: songs about compromise

June 19, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Dennis Brown … halfway up, halfway down

Dennis Brown … halfway up, halfway down

Love, relationships, work, politics. There are all sorts of compromises in life, but this this week everyone’s a winner, at least those who suggested or performed this brilliantly balanced set of songs chosen by our guest playlister severin

Read more
In blues, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, prog, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, compromise, politics, relationships, Bjork, Bugge Wesseltoft, Sidsel Endresen, Jackson Browne, Michael Franti, Spearhead, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Dennis Brown, Swarathma, Shubha Mudgal, Alabama Shakes, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tracy Chapman, The Beatles, Lily Bryant, The Pioneers, Wilson Pickett, Richard Thompson, Hodges James and Smith, Rosalia, United Bottles, The Isley Brothers, Ben L’Oncle Soul, Frank Sinatra, Echo and the Bunnymen, Adrian Borland, Severin, severin
Comment

Meet me in the middle? Songs about compromise

June 13, 2019 Peter Kimpton
John, Yoko and Paul. Compromise is a divisive but potent issue …

John, Yoko and Paul. Compromise is a divisive but potent issue …

It’s all about the C-word in song, but does it strengthen or weaken us? Does it hold society together or kill artistic integrity? You can’t always get what you want, but can you give a little, take it a little? Can we work it out, or just do it my way?

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, compromise, politics, US politics, Brexit, Donald Trump, climate change, climate change denial, music, Film, books, football, sport, George Herbert, Henrik Ibsen, Edmund Burke, Janis Joplin, Bay City Rollers, Marc Bolan, punk, new romantics, goths, heavy metal, rockers, mods, Alain Prost, Scott Walker, PJ Harvey, Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Abba, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Talib Kweli, T Bone Burnett, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Bat For Lashes, Peter Hook, New Order, Viv Albertine, Matt Dillon, Louis MacNiece, Irvine Welsh, Mike Leigh, Andrei Tarkovsky, Barack Obama, Mahatma Gandhi, Alan Greenspan, George Clooney, Angela Merkel
Comment

Playlists: songs about spiders

June 12, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Fiddling for arachnophobes

Fiddling for arachnophobes

How do songwriters face their arachnophobia? Spotting behavioural trends expressed through musical and lyrics, and weaving a beautiful and witty web, this week’s guest swawilg creates playlists from last week’s thread of song suggestions

Read more
In avant-garde, blues, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, ska, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, spiders, wildlife, biology, psychology, Slim Newton, Flanders and Swann, The Who, John Entwistle, Toy Dolls, Captain Beefheart, Dr John, The Handsome Family, Hoagy Carmichael, Tidal Waves, Ludovico Einaudi, Wilco, Joanna Newsom, Black Box Recorder, TISM, Herbie Hancock, Barenaked Ladies, Memphis Jug Band, Jean Luc Ponty, Ten Years After, Buckshot Lefonque, Fats Waller, Ike and Tina Turner, Jim Stafford, Robyn Hitchcock, Jef Neve, Pascal Schumacher, swawilg
Comment
← Newer Posts Older Posts →
music_declares_emergency_logo.png

Sing out, act on CLIMATE CHANGE

Black Lives Matter.jpg

CONDEMN RACISM, EMBRACE EQUALITY


Donate
Song Bar spinning.gif

DRINK OF THE WEEK

Istak selection


SNACK OF THE WEEK

Kolompeh


New Albums …

Featured
Tiga - HOTLIFE.jpeg
Apr 21, 2026
Tiga: HOTLIFE
Apr 21, 2026

New album: Montreal’s acclaimed electronica/techno/dance artist Tiga Sontag returns with his fourth album - inventively packed with head-nodding, toe-tapping, oddly itchy, infectious grooves, cleverly crafted retro sounds recalling Kraftwerk to acid house and electroclash, insistent bold beats and synth riffs, with lyrics of the existential, droll and surreal

Apr 21, 2026
Tomora - Come Closer.jpg
Apr 20, 2026
TOMORA: Come Closer
Apr 20, 2026

New album: A striking, dynamic collaboration between Norwegian experimental pop sensation Aurora and Tom Rowlands, one of half of Chemical Brothers, with a sensual, otherworldly energetic fusion of mystical, sensual ambience, and block-rocking dance beats

Apr 20, 2026
Jessie Ware - Superbloom.jpeg
Apr 20, 2026
Jessie Ware: Superbloom
Apr 20, 2026

New album: Following 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure? and 2023’s That! Feels Good!, as well as the successful food podcast Table Manners she hosts alongside her mother, the British pop singer continues to ride the 70s disco ball train, catering to the clever, kitsch and catchy with an ironic wink, adding also a luxuriant garden metaphor

Apr 20, 2026
Evergreen In Your Mind by Juni Habel.jpeg
Apr 16, 2026
Juni Habel: Evergreen In Your Mind
Apr 16, 2026

New album: Exquisite, delicate, ethereal finger-picking folk by the Norwegian singer-songwriter in this third album, one that poetically and musically inhabits a mysterious half-dream state flitting between two worlds

Apr 16, 2026
Gretel - Squish.jpeg
Apr 16, 2026
Gretel: Squish
Apr 16, 2026

New album: After several years of excellent EPs and singles such as Drive, a much anticipated and strong rock-pop debut by the London singer-songwriter who delivers catchy, energising numbers, here themed around wanting the warmly craved feelings of love, lust and relationships, but also finding overwhelming of being squashed and consumed by them

Apr 16, 2026
Kammerkonzert by Squarepusher.jpeg
Apr 15, 2026
Squarepusher: Kammerkonzert
Apr 15, 2026

New album: An eclectic, dramatic, polyrhythmic mix of jazz, modern classical and drum’n’bass by the experimental British musician and producer Tom Jenkinson, in this dramatic, abstract, cerebral and cinematic release featuring a host of instruments from bass to chamber strings and harpischord

Apr 15, 2026
Pictish Trail - Life Slime.jpeg
Apr 15, 2026
Pictish Trail: Life Slime
Apr 15, 2026

New album: Mesmeric, slow-build, mid-tempo, woozy, psychedelic-electronica folk of gentle, personal, reflective dark humour, profundity and melancholy by the Isle of Eigg-based Scottish musician Johnny Lynch in his sixth LP, here produced by Mike Lindsay of Tunng and LUMP themed around metaphorical ooze, transformation, exhaustion, hope, guilt, and renewal

Apr 15, 2026
Flea - Honora.jpeg
Apr 14, 2026
Flea: Honora
Apr 14, 2026

New album: The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist turns his skills to another passion – trumpet – and the result is an absorbing, eclectic, fusion of experimental jazz, electronica, spoken word of six originals and four covers, with collaborators including Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Tortoise’s Jeff Parker, and Nick Cave

Apr 14, 2026
Maybe Not Tonight by Lime Garden.jpeg
Apr 12, 2026
Lime Garden: Maybe Not Tonight
Apr 12, 2026

New album: Zesty, fresh, infectiously catchy, smash-and-grab synthy indie-pop-rock by the Brighton quartet, packed with fabulous riffs and melodies and droll, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that engagingly chart the highs and lows, the joys and insecurities of a big night out

Apr 12, 2026
My New Band Believe album.jpeg
Apr 11, 2026
My New Band Believe: My New Band Believe
Apr 11, 2026

New album: A superb, rapturous swirl of energy, invention, passionate emotions and originality, this debut album by Cameron Picton, the bassist of the acclaimed British experimentalists Black Midi, features shapeshifting structures with a host of acoustic instruments, all originating from a hotel room fever dream of weird imagery and scrambled text

Apr 11, 2026
Wendy Eisenberg by Wendy Eisenberg.jpeg
Apr 9, 2026
Wendy Eisenberg: Wendy Eisenberg
Apr 9, 2026

New album: An absolutely gorgeous, delicate, subtle, brilliantly inventive LP of folk-rock-country-pop by the Brooklyn-based guitarist, improviser, composer and singer-songwriter, themed around the artist’s newfound queerness and love, all coloured by a sense of personal awe and reinvention

Apr 9, 2026
LuxJury - Giving Up.jpeg
Apr 8, 2026
LuxJury: Giving Up
Apr 8, 2026

New album: Catchy, funky, witty, insightful and candid soulful indie-pop debut by the London trio fronted by Nicole ‘Lux’ Fermie, with songs inspired by a formative first queer relationship and subsequent exploration of identity

Apr 8, 2026
Snail Mail - Ricochet.jpeg
Apr 7, 2026
Snail Mail: Ricochet
Apr 7, 2026

New album: American indie singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan returns with a third LP, awash with natural tendency for shoegaze-y melancholy, but also with a warm embrace of jangly and acoustic guitars in this introspective release about time, fading friendships, mortality, the afterlife, and the quiet terror of watching the things you love slip away

Apr 7, 2026
Dark Sky Reservation by LYR.jpeg
Apr 6, 2026
LYR: Dark Sky Reservation
Apr 6, 2026

New album: Filled with beautiful stillness and vivid, intricate images, gentle wit, lilting profundity and contemplative moments, this gorgeously illuminating third experimental LP by the trio of UK poet laureate Simon Armitage and musicians Richard Walters and Patrick J Pearson begins on the constellatory contradiction that the furthest points of light in our skies can only be seen in the dark

Apr 6, 2026

new songs …

Featured
Leenalchi band 2.jpeg
Apr 21, 2026
Song of the Day: LEENALCHI 이날치 - Here Comes That Crow 떴다 저 가마귀
Apr 21, 2026

Song of the Day: Wonderfully catchy, funky, psychedelic and quirky new work by the seven-piece Seoul-based Korean pansori band led by bassist Jang Young Gyu with the title track of their new EP, out on 12 June via Luaka Bop, and heralding a European and North American tour

Apr 21, 2026
Jesca Hoop - Big Storm.jpeg
Apr 20, 2026
Song of the Day: Jesca Hoop - Big Storm
Apr 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, quirky experimental indie folk-pop by the innovative Manchester-based California artist, featuring a clever video that old footage and Hoop in various vintage guises, heralding her upcoming album Long Wave Home, out on 1 May via Last Laugh / Republic of Music

Apr 20, 2026
Gia Margaret - Singing.jpeg
Apr 19, 2026
Song of the Day: Gia Margaret - Alive Inside
Apr 19, 2026

Song of the Day: Delicate, dream-like, reflective experimental folk-pop by the American singer-songwriter and producer from Chicago, heralding her upcoming fourth album, Singing, out on Jagjaguwar

Apr 19, 2026
Prima Queen
Apr 18, 2026
Song of the Day: Prima Queen - Crumb
Apr 18, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, playful, gently humorous, self-deprecating experimental indie pop by the inventive transatlantic duo of Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden, with a number about having a fragile crush on someone, and their first new music of 2026, out on Submarine Cat Records

Apr 18, 2026
Olivia Rodrigo - You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.jpeg
Apr 17, 2026
Song of the Day: Olivia Rodrigo - Drop Dead
Apr 17, 2026

Song of the Day: A bright, shimmering, effervescent, soaring new single by the American pop superstar, with stylistic parallels to Chappell Roan and ABBA, heralding her upcoming third album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, out on 12 June via Geffen

Apr 17, 2026
Massive Attack - Boots On the Ground.png
Apr 16, 2026
Song of the Day: Massive Attack with Tom Waits – Boots on the Ground
Apr 16, 2026

Song of the Day: Now 35 years since the hugely influential Blue Lines, and 16 since their last LP, Robert Del Naja and co return, joined by the unmistakeable voice of the American musician, with a powerful, poignant, topically political number portraying the perspective of a boorish, monstrous warmonger

Apr 16, 2026
The Gnomes - Magic Man.jpeg
Apr 15, 2026
Song of the Day: The Gnomes - Magic Man
Apr 15, 2026

Song of the Day: Fresh, energised, guitar-driven 60s-style retro garage-rock-pop fun from the young Melbourne four-piece taken from their the new EP, More, out on 13 May

Apr 15, 2026
Getdown Services - live.jpeg
Apr 14, 2026
Song of the Day: Getdown Services - The Radiator
Apr 14, 2026

Song of the Day: Weirdly wonderful and oddly mesmeric, catchy, surreal and silly groove electro-pop by the Bristol duo of Josh Law and Ben Sadler, best known for the single Dog Dribble and their joyous, comedic, frenzied live shows, out on Breakfast Records

Apr 14, 2026
Tamikrest.jpeg
Apr 13, 2026
Song of the Day: Tamikrest - Imanin
Apr 13, 2026

Song of the Day: A stirring, evocative song of defiance and resistance to the repression of northern Mali people by the acclaimed Saharan rock band, from their upcoming sixth album, Assikel, out on 15 May via Glitterbeat Records

Apr 13, 2026
Royel Otis - Sweet Hallelujah.jpeg
Apr 12, 2026
Song of the Day: Royel Otis - Sweet Hallelujah
Apr 12, 2026

Song of the Day: Soaring, strident, anthemic rock about a bittersweet farewell and enriched with stirring orchestral backing in this latest single by the Sydney, Australia duo of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, out on Ourness/Capitol Records/UMG

Apr 12, 2026
Kelela.jpeg
Apr 11, 2026
Song of the Day: Kelela - Idea 1
Apr 11, 2026

Song of the Day: Sensual, smoky, stripped back soul, R&B dream-pop and electronica about facing an uncertain world by the acclaimed American singer-songwriter of Ethiopian ancestry with first new music since her second album Raven (2023), out on Warp Records

Apr 11, 2026
Lambrini Girls - Cult of Celebrity.jpeg
Apr 10, 2026
Song of the Day: Lambrini Girls - Cult of Celebrity
Apr 10, 2026

Song of the Day: Taking a punchy shot at the sinister, dark underbelly of global elites and backdoor dealings of notorious super-wealthy inner circles who prey on the young and innocent, a fabulously feisty new single by the Brighton British punk duo of Phoebe Lunny and Selin Macieira, out on City Slang

Apr 10, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Undine - Novella.jpeg
Apr 9, 2026
Word of the week: undine
Apr 9, 2026

Word of the week: It might sound like the act of abstaining from food, but this noun from derived from undina (Latin unda) meaning wave, refers to mythical, elemental beings associated with water, such as mermaids, and stemming from the alchemical writings of the 16th-century Swiss physician, alchemist and philosopher Paracelsus

Apr 9, 2026
Veena player.jpg
Mar 27, 2026
Word of the week: veena
Mar 27, 2026

Word of the week: This ornate, curvaceous, south Indian classical instrument, the saraswati veena, is a special bowl lute with a rich, resonant tone, has 24 copper frets with four playing strings and three drone strings, and is used for Carnatic music

Mar 27, 2026
Snail on a wall.jpeg
Mar 12, 2026
Word of the week: wallfish
Mar 12, 2026

Word of the week: It sounds like the singing finned picture ornament Big Mouth Billy Bass that became popular in the late 1990s, but this is a much older noun, derived in Somerset, England, pertains to the climbing gastropod that can slowly climb up any surface

Mar 12, 2026
Swordfish.jpg
Feb 25, 2026
Word of the week: xiphias
Feb 25, 2026

Word of the week: Get the point? This is the scientific name for the swordfish, in full Xiphias gladius (from the Greek and Latin for sword), that extraordinary sea creature with the long, pointy bill. But what of it in song?

Feb 25, 2026
Korean musicians in 1971.jpeg
Feb 12, 2026
Word of the week: yanggeum
Feb 12, 2026

Word of the week: A form or hammered dulcimer, this traditional Korean instrument, with a flat and trapezoidal shape, has seven sets of four metal strings hit by thin bamboo stick

Feb 12, 2026

Song Bar spinning.gif