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Late, early, or right on time? Songs about punctuality

June 23, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Better late then never?

It’s something attempted to be trained into us from school to to the work place, and appears to be both necessary, but perhaps also unnatural. This week it’s time to pin down the essence of punctuality in song, with all the tensions and consequences of being early or late

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, drone, electronica, experimental, funk, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, pop, playlists, musicals, postpunk, prog, punk, psychedelia, reggae, rocksteady, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, punctuality, time, Evelyn Waugh, GK Chesterton, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Sukant Ratnakar, Franklin P Jones, Dr Seuss, Grace Jones, Lord Nelson, Louis XVIII, William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, William Hazlitt, Karen Joy Fowler, Machiavelli, Charles Dickens, E.B. White, Rose Macaulay, John Kennedy Toole, television, Film, books, David Niven, John Cleese, Kiefer Sutherland, 24, Anvil, Marilyn Monroe, Alan Jay Lerner, Lewis Carroll, Ray Davies
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Playlists: songs about perspiration

June 22, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Sweatiest video? Alewya

It’s more than warm in here. Sexual arousal to hard labour, cold sweats to night sweats, picked from all the nominations from last week’s hot topic guest of the week pejepeine’s playlists will leave you perspiring with excitement

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In African, blues, calypso, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, perspiration, sweating, Laura Nyro, Van Morrison, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Alewya, Prince, Basement Jaxx, Roxanne Shanté, Findley, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Dana Bryant, Robin Kester, Yello, Bruce Springsteen, The The, The Fall, Ace Marino, The Soul Lifters, Ohio Players, Keith Sweat, C&C Music Factory, Nelly, Ralphi Rosario, Marcos Valle, Disco Tex & His Sex-o-Lettes, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello, Joe Dolan, Iggy Pop, pejepeine
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Sweat bands: songs about perspiration

June 16, 2022 Peter Kimpton

What will pour out into this week’s hot landings? Meanwhile here’s Ted Striker

As heatwaves spread around many parts of the world, it’s time to turn the perspiration into inspiration. Sweating covers many contexts, from work, to exercise, fear to sex, but how are its process and emotions expressed in song?

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, traditional, soundtracks, soul, songs, ska, showtime Tags songs, playlists, sweating, perspiration, heat, weather, Edgar Allan Poe, Keith Richards, George S Patton, Wayne Coyne, Karen Blixen, Elvis Presley, biology, Fame TV series, Film, television, James Brown, Prince, Iggy Pop, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Cheers, Rocky films, Ice Cold In Alex, The Deerhunter, Robert De Niro, Raging Bull, Whiplash, Scarface, Cool Hand Luke, Airplane, Louis Armstrong
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Playlists: songs about swimming, bathing and showering

June 15, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Dive in …

Come on in, the music’s lovely. Inspired by all the many excellent nominations from last week’s watery topic, guest of the week Severin makes big splash with a set of playlists perfect for all the rules of the pool. Take a delicious dip

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, swimming, bathing, showering, Loudon Wainwright III, The Skints, Kendrick Lamar, Smoke City, Frightened Rabbit, Wakusei Abnormal, Bjork, Jon Boden, Roger Eno, Tracey Thorn, Victories At Sea, Olivia Chaney, Snarky Puppy, Shayna Steele, Laura Marling, Memphis Jug Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Golden Gate Quartet, Modern Studies, Maddy Prior, The Mountain Goats, The Wave Pictures, K'Naan, Sub Focus, Veda Hille, Linda Lewis, Sade, Tricot, Allo Darlin, Little Feat, Show Of Hands, Anna Calvi, Madonna, Candidate, Lemon Jelly, Oh What A Lovely War, Honolulu Mountain Daffodils, This Heat, severin, Severin
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Wet legs: songs about swimming, bathing and showering

June 9, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Get your swimming high: Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens, Vauxhall, London

It’s time to dip into your music collections and then immerse more deeply. From bubbling tub soaks to cold water swims, Turkish baths to rubber ducks, hot springs to icy adventures, let’s soak up this topic in lyrics and sounds

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags swimming, bathing, baths, bathrooms, water, Rose Macaulay, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Beatles, Nile Rodgers, Joan Rivers, Vera Lynn, Sylvia Plath, Archimedes, Wim Hof, Grace Jones, Burt Lancaster, Film
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Playlists: songs about awkwardness

June 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Tribe 8 have got themselves into an awkward position. Explore the playlist to find out where …

Inspired by last week’s history of royal awkwardness and a host of songs nominated, guest of the week Loud Atlas presents a superb Musical Self-Help Guide on How To Be Awkward. Follow its 14 steps and beyond for further entertaining embarrassment

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, awkwardness, embarrassment, Frank Zappa, Kippington Lodge, The Ink Spots, Tribe 8, The Police, The Shangri–Las, Panic! At The Disco, Warren Zevon, Wet Leg, Art Brut, Rio Romeo, Danny John-Jules, Glass Animals, Creative Source, Buzzcocks, Jake Thackray, Joe Jackson, Ralph McTell, Janis Ian, Lord Melody, Bernard Cribbins, Courtney Barnett, The Business, Sunny Sweeney, Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons, Rodney Carrington, Humphrey Ocean, The Hardy Annuals, The Smiths, Scala and Kolacny Brothers, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Jonathan Coulton, Flo & Joan, Loud Atlas
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We are not amused: songs about awkwardness

June 2, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Waving or drowning?

As Queen Elizabeth II reaches a record Platinum Jubilee, what has it all been about? Aside from any royal references, this week’s song theme is all about awkwardness, awkward moments, anything mortifyingly cringeworthy, or just a bit unseemly, bumbling, blundering and embarrassing

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, prog, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags awkwardness, Queen Elizabeth II, royalty, royal family, Platinum Jubilee, Alan Partridge, Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
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Playlists: songs about the invisible and unseen

May 31, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Part hidden: one of this week’s artists revealed …

What is revealed? From cloaks of invisibility to unseen superpowers, mysterious animals or scents to the people who are never spotted, guest playlister Noodsy picks some outstanding songs that are truly out of sight but well in earshot

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, invisibility, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Mik Artistik's Ego Trip, Frost*, Leon Rosselson, Robb Johnson, Curtis Mayfield, The Twilight Sad, Seckou Keita, Sonic Youth, Céu, Electrelane, Rosanne Cash, Radiohead, Ornette Coleman, The Apples, The Misunderstood, Keen, Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke, 1000 Homo DJs, Michael Penn, Stromae, Lana Del Rey, Hannah Peel, The Mountain Goats, Steel Pulse, Underworld, Noodsy
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Playlists: songs about heartbreak

May 25, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Otis Redding - cut down in his prime

Relationship breakdown, devastating loneliness to shocking bereavement, from a huge response to last week’s topic, it’s all here in a set of supremely powerful playlists picked by guest magicman, where despite all the sorrow, the music brings release

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In classical, blues, avant-garde, country, dance, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, heartbreak, relationships, bereavement, Robert Johnson, Odyssey, Otis Redding, Harry Nilsson, Tammy Wynette, Reparata & The Delrons, Diana Ross, Angel Olsen, Sam Brown, Roy Orbison, Jimmy Ruffin, Skeeter Davis, Taylor Swift, The Bee Gees, Eric Carmen, Johnny Ray, Smokey Robinson, Hank Williams, Elliott Smith, John Mayer, Manic Street Preachers, The Shangri–Las, Earth Wind & Fire, Jun Togawa, The Rankin Family, Donny Hathaway, Janis Joplin, Franco & TPOK Jazz, Kenny Rogers, Daniel Johnston, Bruno Mars, Mozart, Andi Thakambau, Willie Nelson, John Holt, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Stelios Kazantzidis, Beck, Deafheaven, Richard Wagner, JS Bach, Johannes Brahms, Edward Elgar, Samuel Barber, Ketty Lester, Gram Parsons, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Amy Winehouse, The Fureys, Davey Arthur, Aretha Franklin, Wyona Judd
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Tracks of more tears: songs about heartbreak

May 19, 2022 Peter Kimpton

It’s a fragile thing, but we still drink it in

Sudden or slow-motion tragedy, from breakup to sudden loss of a loved one, or any other of life’s soul-destroying events, this week it’s time to drown all sorrows in the bar and find the most potent selection of heartbreak songs

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Playlists: songs about bees

May 17, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Bumblebee: music collected from many sources

So what’s buzz? Literal or metaphor, and collecting nectar from a wide range of sources from last week’s topic, guest musical beekeeper Alaric gives takes on a world of the bluesy, folky and much more as his playlists fully bloom

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In blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, psychedelia, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, bees, Christy Moore, The Temptations, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, The Beatles, Scritti Politti, Jean-Jaques Perrey, Bird And The Bee, Simpson Cutting Kerr, Regina Spektor, The Unthanks, Alison Moyet, Monty Python, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Manhattan Brothers, Memphis Jug Band, Bline Blake, Leola Wilson, Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, Eric Andersen, Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabaté, Fats Waller, B Bumble and The Stingers, Of Montreal, Abigail Washburn, Tintern Abbey, Acabou Chorare, Agnes Obel, Caribou, Cab Calloway, Billie Piper, Cyril Tawney, Roky Erickson, Davina and the Vagabonds, The Grateful Dead, Adult Net, Jeannes, Loudon Wainwright III, James Yorkston, Neko Case, John Rencourn, John Renbourn, Alaricmc
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What's the buzz, hive mind? Songs about bees

May 12, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Bumblebee

Time to get busy! From honey to nectar, pollination to special dance moves, lyrics literal or metaphor, or in sounds, with World Bee Day coming up, it’s time to feel the musical buzz of these inspirational insects in all that they mean to humans, and how we should protect them

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, bees, environment, Maurice Maeterlinck, Elbert Hubbard, John Muir, June Stoyer, Sue Monk Kidd, Global Bee Day, Manchester
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Playlists: songs about higher education and graduation

May 11, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Results are in the air tonight

Applications have been made, papers marked, but from last week’s many entries, which made the grade and will reach graduation to make the playlists? Examiner Marco den Ouden reveals the full results …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, reggae, punk, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, further education, university, college, education, The Rover Boys, Suzy Bogguss, Rudy Vallee, Smoking Popes, Jefferson Starship, Jimmy Rushing, The Isley Brothers, Timbuk 3, David Bazen, Vampire Weekend, Pat Green, Griot B & School Yard Rap, Chris Webby, Madi Wolf, Speedy Ortiz, The Bolshoi, Clifford T Ward, Belle & Sebastian, Tom Lehrer, Asher Roth, The Verve Pipe, Townes Van Zandt, Albert Hammond, Indigo Girls, Franz Ferdinand, Derailers, The Specials, Anita O'Day, Luke Haines, Sam Adams, Dub Syndicate, Andy Fairly, Prince Buster, Terence Boylan, The Beach Boys, paul simon, Elvis Presley, Phil Ochs, Malvina Reynolds, Rhiannon Giddens, Waring's Pennsylvanians, Harry Reser and His Six Jumping Jacks, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Chris Isaak, David Roth, Vitamin C, Weird Al Jankovic, Marco den Ouden
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A matter of degree: songs about higher education and graduation

May 5, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Jarvis Cocker’s student pass for the art course he took when aged 25

Days of college, university, polytechnic, art school, institute or more, this week we examine education after secondary or high school and graduation, what it all means, from learning to social experience, captured though the prism of song

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Playlists: basement and underground songs

May 3, 2022 Peter Kimpton

What’s at play below ground level? Walk this way …

There’s a whole other life going on underground, but what form does it take? Unearthed from last week’s nominations, guest ShivSidecar digs deep to present a wondrous otherworld of fabulous music choices

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Basement tapes: songs set below the ground floor

April 28, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Go deeper ...

Dig deep: it’s time to go downstairs, take the lift and explore songs in an underground setting - basements or lower, from tube and metro stations from servants in the kitchen, to sewers and pipes, this is often where society is run

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Playlists: songs that reference fairytales

April 26, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Handy: which band was inspired by the rather cutting-edge Struwwelpeter story?

Enchanting, mysterious, beautiful, crazy, or the downright cruel, the imagination doesn’t come any more vivid in fairytales. Woven from last week’s nominations, guest Loud Atlas spins a set of sharp tales into superbly absorbing playlists

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Cruel to be kind: songs that reference fairytales

April 21, 2022 Peter Kimpton

The famous Grimm’s edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham

They fuelled the fevered imaginations of our childhoods, and contain many adult themes of love and lust, violence and identity, but how are these characters and narratives used in song? Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin …

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Playlists: songs about cetaceans

April 19, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Tails of the unexpected: whale dive

Tales of tragedy and adversity, death, survival and joy, from folk, rock, experimental and beyond, this week’s guest captain George Boyland steers us on a fabulous music journey, a deep dive to follow tales of whales and dolphins

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, country, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, prog, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags whales, dolphins, porpoises, cetaceans, marine biology, Sting, Lou Reed, Jim Capaldi, Tulku, J.B. Lenoir, Tom Waits, Eddi Reader, Dennis Wilson, Connan Mockasin, Massive Attack, Bronski Beat, Seth Lakeman, The Byrds, Jeff Beal, paul simon, Elton John, Leon Russell, Crosby Stills & Nash, Gordon Lightfoot, Adrian Belew, Louis Armstrong, Billy Bragg, Country Joe McDonald, The Pogues, Nic Jones, George Boyland
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A sense of porpoise: songs about cetaceans

April 14, 2022 Peter Kimpton

A bigger splash: humpback whale breach

Cetaceans are dolphins, whales and porpoises – familiar yet mysterious, those large, intelligent water mammals that have inspired oceans of songwriters, but in what way? On freedom, tragedy, slaughter, or wondrous, otherworldly sounds?

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DRINK OF THE WEEK

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New Albums …

Featured
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
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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
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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
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Apr 5, 2026
deary: Birding
Apr 5, 2026

New album: A shimmering, sparkling, ethereal dream-pop and shoegaze debut by the London trio with an ornithological theme in the context of human impact, and significant echoes in flight of their key influences Cocteau Twins, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive

Apr 5, 2026
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Apr 4, 2026
Angine de Poitrine: Vol. II
Apr 4, 2026

New album: A weirdly wonky hot sensation on social media, the mysterious Quebec duo are instantly recognisable by their oddball, masked polka dot disguises, but this second release of mostly instrumental prog-rock bendy loops and riffs between guitar and drums remain just as mesmeric in their musical skill and complexity

Apr 4, 2026
Thundercat - Distracted.jpeg
Apr 4, 2026
Thundercat: Distracted
Apr 4, 2026

New album: Rich, deep, squelchy grooves and high falsetto in the distinctively funky-jazz-soul-afrofuturistic-cosmic-rock return of the outstanding Los Angeles bass player with his first LP for six years, and an impressive array of collaborators, including Mac Miller, Tame Impala, Flying Lotus, A$AP Rocky, and The Lemon Twigs

Apr 4, 2026
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Apr 1, 2026
MEMORIALS: All Clouds Bring Not Rain
Apr 1, 2026

New album: Innovative, eclectic fusion of psychedelia, folk, dub, krautrock, 60s soul, garage rock, prog, pop, electronica and 70s spiritual jazz by the Canterbury experimental duo of Verity Susman and Matthew Simms

Apr 1, 2026
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Apr 1, 2026
José González: Against The Dying Of The Light
Apr 1, 2026

New album: A gentle, reflective, meditative, but quietly defiant fifth LP by the Swedish-Argentine indie-folk guitarist and singer-songwriter, following his last, Local Valley, broadening his perspective in an urgent call to preserve the light of humanity as technology advances in ironically darkening world

Apr 1, 2026
Raye - This Music May Contain Hope.jpg
Apr 1, 2026
RAYE: This Music May Contain Hope
Apr 1, 2026

New album: A highly entertaining, exuberantly stylish, cross-genre 17-track, 73-minute odyssey by the London popstar, with a huge musical show of a second LP, spanning swing-era jazz to soul, R&B, house music, pop, dance, gospel, classical and the full kitchen sink, with orchestral band, family members, Hans Zimmer, and even Al Green

Apr 1, 2026
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Mar 30, 2026
Pitou: P2
Mar 30, 2026

New album: Brilliantly quirky, original second LP of experimental folk pop by the Amsterdam artist, who has the free spirited musical adventurousness reminiscent of Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus and Fiona Apple in this clever, playful, stop-start work with oodles of vocal loops and layering, electronica and unusual field recordings across themes of freedom and restlessness

Mar 30, 2026
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Mar 29, 2026
Robyn: Sexistential
Mar 29, 2026

New album: After a break of seven years, the hugely influential 46-year-old Swedish pop star returns with a new burst of alternative, electro-pop bangers, in this ninth LP, now subverting themes of romantic love in another context since having gone through having IVF and becoming a single parent

Mar 29, 2026

new songs …

Featured
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
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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
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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
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Apr 9, 2026
Song of the Day: Surfbort - Hot Dog
Apr 9, 2026

Song of the Day: Tasty, catchy, satirical fun, suggestively themed around the popular fast-food snack, with an even more entertaining video filled with colourful characters by the Brooklyn punk band, taken from their recent third album Reality Star, out on TODO

Apr 9, 2026
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Apr 8, 2026
Song of the Day: Beth Orton - The Ground Above
Apr 8, 2026

Song of the Day: The British singer-songwriter returns with a profound and beautiful new 8-minute eclectic folk-rock number about how humans are “all vulnerable beings living out invincible lives”, suffused with piano and trumpet, and out on Partisan Records

Apr 8, 2026
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Apr 7, 2026
Song of the Day: Liz Lawrence - Black Ulysses
Apr 7, 2026

Song of the Day: A beautifully moving, melodic and poignant acoustic indie-pop single by the acclaimed British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, from the upcoming album fifth album Vespers, out on 5 June via Chrysalis Records

Apr 7, 2026
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Apr 6, 2026
Song of the Day: Angelo De Augustine - Empty Shell
Apr 6, 2026

Song of the Day: Beautiful, delicate, tender, elegiac indie folk with chamber strings, by the California singer-songwriter, and friend and associate of Sufjan Stevens, who is an inspiration, heralding his upcoming fifth album Angel in Plainclothes, out on 24 April via Asthmatic Kitty Records

Apr 6, 2026
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Apr 5, 2026
Song of the Day: U2 - Easter Parade
Apr 5, 2026

Song of the Day: After February’s politically themed protest EP Days of Ash, another surprise single and EP, Easter Lily, by the veteran Irish rock band, seasonally themed and reflecting the band’s beliefs, with a classic sound harking back to the past, guitar and synths, and a number described as a devotional song, a celebration of new life, rebirth and resurrection

Apr 5, 2026
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Apr 4, 2026
Song of the Day: Bedouine - Long Way To Fall
Apr 4, 2026

Song of the Day: A beautiful, tender, poignant return by the Syrian-American singer-songwriter Azniv Korkejian, with a strings and piano-based indie-folk number heralding her fourth album Neon Summer Skin, out on 5 June via Bedouine Music/ Thirty Tigers

Apr 4, 2026
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Apr 3, 2026
Song of the Day: Jack White - G.O.D. AND THE BROKEN RIBS / Derecho Demonico
Apr 3, 2026

Song of the Day: The acclaimed rock guitarist-singer-songwriter of White Stripes fame returns with this punchy, scorching catchy organ-backed, biblical-modern-fable-apocalypse-themed number alongside another, the Led Zeppelin-esque Derecho Demonico, out on his label Third Man Records

Apr 3, 2026
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Apr 2, 2026
Song of the Day: Julia Cumming - Please Let Me Remember This
Apr 2, 2026

Song of the Day: Lush, classic, piano-pop by the New York–born multi-instrumentalist and Sunflower Bean singer and bassist, influenced by Burt Bacharach, Carole King, and heralding her debut solo album, Julia, out on 24 April via Partisan Records

Apr 2, 2026
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Apr 1, 2026
Song of the Day: Jessie Ware - Automatic
Apr 1, 2026

Song of the Day: Infectiously catchy, funk-soul-disco pop by the charismatic singer-songwriter featuring a deep-voiced spoken intro by actor Colman Domingo, and the latest single heralding upcoming sixth album, Superbloom, out on 17 April via Interscope

Apr 1, 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
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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
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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
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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

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