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Bootsy Collins. The bass line being he ticks more than one star box
From astronomy to celebrity, shapes to symbols, this week we escape earthly concerns and reach into the musical firmament for a rich lyrical topic that will cover all aspects and life as well as death. It’ll be stellar production
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Slaves get stuck in, but it could get messy …
The many paints have been mixed, ladders climbed, and wallpaper glued. Now stand back, and admire the decorous musical result of these perfect playlists, as put up on our extensive walls, as chosen by guest George Boyland
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Turn it up to 11? Some decor is, well, quite loud
It’s time to take some artistic licence through enforced isolation, and pick from your palette of musical paints to harmonise, fix up, adorn, and help create playlists that decorate the Song Bar, as well as the mind
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Bashful kids: Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice back in the day …
Don’t listen to these playlists. They’re not really that good at all. Then again they might be. What do you reckon? Actually they could actually be brilliant, chosen by guest playlister megadom from a whole set of funny and moving suggestions …
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Can’t put down. The self-deprecating Keanu Reeves walks the street absorbed in The Government Inspector
Humorous or serious? Self-defence mechanism, attention-seeking, of self-aggrandisement? This week’s lyric topic is richly nuanced, ironic, and covers a range of emotions, often fuelled by love and ambition, tempered by self-belittling
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Pop art? The playlist is the thing … and Shakespeare comes in many colours
Prithee, come along, the bell doth ring! Hear thy song, the playlist is the thing! Rock, classical, funk, soul, hip hop, the Bard is present in all genres, here played out in three splendid acts by guest magicman from a cast of nominations
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We are mere players …
We fling open the doors of the Bar to the great Bard, and his incalculable influence on our language and thought patterns as shown in song lyrics, key words and phrases, perhaps also characters and narratives, knowingly, wittily, or unconsciously
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The Unthanks
Take a deep breath, slowly exhale, press play and let marvellous meta-songs flow out in the form two lovely playlists by guest Suzi, taking in folk to reggae, funk to soul along the way, and inspired by last week’s topic suggestions
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SInging. Part of our evolution …
It’s time to sing out suggestions on this lyrical, meta-topic – from the perspective of singer or listener, by humans, animals or birds, whether for love, warning, fear, joy or despair, or singing simply to exist, make others aware
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Which accessory do the B52’s wear big time?
Head to foot, wrist to chest, this week’s musical accessorising, picked by guest playlister Mnemosene2 from last week’s highly fashionable topic stylishly covers many parts and genres, including postpunk, calypso and jazz
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Sensitive on the heart strings …
From the sensual to the sensitive, benign behaviour to the feel of a soft breeze, this week’s guest playlister Ravi takes a delicate, skilled touch to bring out gentleness all forms, physical and emotional, in beautiful selections
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Koko and friend
Soothing words, a light touch; holding baby, stroking an animal; lifting a fragile glass a measured, restrained response to tense moments, rage or violence; the soft caress of a light breeze across the eyelids, let’s gently let it out in song
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Nice guitar licks …
From Beautiful Pea Green Boat to Rockabye, they float up in a whole range song contexts and genres. Picking out perfect examples nominated in last week’s topic, guest playlister EnglishOutlaw takes us from innocence to experience
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Cat on a fiddle.? Dashing dish? Hey diddle diddle, just about anything can happen this week
Their words and images are variously bizarre to banal, entrancing or exciting, rhythmical, repetitive, surreal, but also cruel and brutal, even utterly terrifying, and above all, powerfully manipulative and controlling. But how are they used in other songs?
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There’s no dictating to Pauline Murray from Penetration …
An impressive collection of tough cookies feature in this week’s lineup of artists ready to take no nonsense from anybody, covering the full spectrum obstinacy, from soul to punk and beyond, picked by discerning ear of guest Maki
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Captain Beefheart. Not exactly a shrinking wallflower in the obstinacy stakes
Stupid or inspired? Annoying obstinacy, obduracy, inflexibility and bullheadedness, or admirable persistence, pertinacity, tenacity and indomitability? It can go both ways, but how might it shape up in song lyrics?
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Sound the foghorn! What’s on this week’s playlists?
Alarm clocks to church bells, foghorns to sirens, this week let’s sound the alert - two fantastic playlists featuring these sounds and more are on the musical horizon, picked by this week’s lighthouse keeper pejepeine
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Plenty of alarms and surprises in store this week …
Sound effects or samples in songs that cover alerts and alarms and of all types are what could sound out this week’s creativity cacophony, from car and fire alarms to clocks and klaxons, and no doubt plenty of horns, bells or whistles
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Which voices will light a musical fire this week?
Obsessive arson to agricultural control to amorous anger, the matches in this week’s playlists come in striking form, and picked by guest swawilg from many nominations, are full of illuminating, smouldering surprises
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Jimi Hendrix. Fan of the flames
What happens when we do it on purpose? This week’s sparky topic might well be illuminating, fanning the flames of human life in all its creativity energy and destructive tragedy, from hearth to ritual, entertainment to war
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