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Playlists: songs about space travel

November 23, 2022 Peter Kimpton

After the many posts … vintage posters

When last week’s topic launched, it went off like a rocket - with hundreds of nominations. Now, out of this musical astral shower, guest playlister Shiv Sidecar has mapped out a song constellation that’s out of this world …

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In avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Space, space travel, playlists, The Byrds, Ray Anderson & The Home Folks, Public Service Broadcasting, Labrinth, Pharoah Sanders, Judee Sill, Elton John, Brett Smiley, The Imagined Village, Hen Ogledd, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The Mekons, The Honeymoon Killers, The Blue Men, Chris Kenner, Spiritualized, Broadcast, Lothar and the Hand People, Weather Report, Janelle Monae, Peter Gabriel, Shudder To Think, Automatic Man, Fu Manchu, Blink-182, Teenage Fanclub, Chungking, Pearls Before Swine, Curt Boettcher, Wonky Alice, Children Collide, Soundhog, T.P. Orchestre Poly Rhythmo De Colonou, Rezillos, PJ Harvey, XTC, Amon Düül II, Kendra Smith, Game Theory, The Kaleidoscope, ShivSidecar
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To infinity and beyond: songs about space flight

November 17, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Yuri’n the hotseat: Gagarin

After last week's orgasmic theme and playlists, it’s time for thrusting engines over another kind, rockets and space ships, real or fictional, fantastic, wondrous, frightening journeys of all kind, as we boldly go to new musical territory

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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 Space, space travel, Nasa, Yuri Gagarin, Jack London, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Sally Ride, Michael P Anderson, Douglas Adams, Blaise Pascal, William Burroughs, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Laika, Alexei Leonev, International Space Station, Sputnik, Mir, Voyager, Artemis, Apollo 11, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, TV, Film, film soundtrack, 2001 A Space Odyssey
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Playlists: songs about orgasms

November 16, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Horn of plenty: Rosalía

Yes! Yes! Yes! After days of non-stop, multiple orgasmic musical nominations, it’s time to have a cigarette, sit back and relax as guest of the week magicman presents more than pleasurable playlists that reach even more climaxes …

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In African, avant-garde, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, orgasms, sex, Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention, Fairport Convention, Sugababes, The Rolling Stones, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Major Harris, The Beths, Lil Louis, Starlight Vocal Band, Teddy Prendergrass, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Prince, Machine Gun Fellatio, Rosalía, Turbonegro, Blonde Redhead, Marvin Gaye, Bebe, Alex Puddu, Janet Jackson, Max Romeo, Magic Dirt, Destiny's Child, Apollonia 6, The Dukes of Stratosphear, Liz Phair, Millie Jackson, The Beatles, magicman
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Come together: it’s songs about the orgasm

November 10, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Barbarella tries the musical ‘Excessive Machine’

Expressed in lyrics literally, euphemistically and metaphorically, or in the sheer sound the music or delivery of voice, promises of, or the act itself, few things concentrate the mind and body more. So how to they come together in song? First, enjoy a brief social history of the orgasm by hitting this button …

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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, sex, orgasms, Film, television, books, theatre, biology, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, John Wilmot Earl of Rochester, Lily Seabroke, Lynne Connolly, Jackie Stewart, Tori Amos, Woody Allen, Władysław Podkowiński, art, DH Lawrence, Sigmund Freud, Jean-Martin Charcot, Alan Partridge
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Playlists: songs about fear of missing out (FOMO)

November 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

A brutally candid fight for confidence: Rebecca Taylor aka Self Esteem

So, where’s the party? Social pressure, time trickling away, fear of the unknown and the elsewhere? Don’t worry, one thing you won’t miss out on are some excellent playlists on this universal subject, picked by guest Loud Atlas from last week’s topic

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In African, blues, country, comedy, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, fear of missing out, fomo, psychology, time, social media, Pink Floyd, Courtney Barnett, David Bowie, Shakin' Stevens, Shed Seven, Smokey Robinson, Philip Jeays, Gary Clark Jr, Liz Lawrence, Wolf Alice, Self Esteem, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, Willie Colón, Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, The Lovely Eggs, Dr Hook, Them, Van Morrison, Imani Coppola, UK Subs, Don Gibson, Billie Holiday, Bad Finger, Lee Hazelwood, Kim Churchill, Half Man Half Biscuit, TISM, Olivia Rodrigo, Henry Britton, Angelivro, Loud Atlas
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Be here/there now: songs about the fear of missing out

November 3, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Fomo-sapiens

FOMO? A social phenomenon term derived in the last 30 years of internet culture and social media, but fear of missing out is nothing new. From big events to looking for love, don’t miss out on this fun topic with songs related to it

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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, fomo, fear of missing out, psychology, social media, internet, Alan Arkin, Etty Hillesum, Peter Ackroyd, Naved Abdali, David Bowie, Franz Liszt, Andrew Yang, Cavett Robert, Tony Blair, Fiona Apple, Elton John, Ray Parker Jr, Barry Humphries, Sex Pistols, Kate Bush, Johnny Marr, Woodstock, Glastonbury Festival, history, evolution
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Playlists: songs about gangs

November 1, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Mommy Long Legs

Girl gangs, guy gangs, punk, rock, folk, pop and more, since this topic was launched last week it’s been a group effort, and leading us out with his pick of the nominations, guest ParaMhor makes songs about gangs great

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In blues, country, comedy, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, funk, indie, hip hop, gospel, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, gangs, Pulp, Bikini Kill, Sault, Mommy Long Legs, The Creation, Drake, The Monochrome Set, Dexys Midnight Runners, Junior Murvin, Shirley Collins, Elbow, Bruce Springsteen, Cabaret Voltaire, Leather Boy, New Uniform, The Devotchkas, Irving Berlin, Columbia Quartette, The Times, The Shangri–Las, Chaos UK, Raveonettes, Chron Gen, The Ruts, Joe White, Drive-By Truckers, Milton Nascimento, The Housemartins, The Jam, Massive Attack, ParaMhor
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Join here: songs about gangs

October 27, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Quadrophenia (1979)

Crime, culture, music, identity, fashion? From family belonging to sheer survival, there are many reasons to join a gang, but how do you get out? From street kids to Mafia organisations, this huge and colourful subject has inspired many songs …

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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, gangs, crime, fashion, politics, fascism, Film, film soundtrack, Jesse Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Quadrophenia, The Who, Los Angeles, New York, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Liverpool, Philippines, mafia, triads, John Boorman, Shane Meadows, Peaky Blinders, Martin Scorsese, John Singleton
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Playlists: songs about judges and trials

October 26, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Judgement has arrived: scales played and gavel struck

The musical evidence has been weighed up, the scales balanced, and the verdict has arrived. Guest judge Lord Justice Nicko has made his full summary, and after forensic deliberations, has made supremely tasteful and sound judgement from last week’s submissions

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, dub, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia Tags songs, playlists, law, judges, legal system, courts, Wynonie Harris, Lead Belly, Blyth Power, The Fall, OV Wright, Atoms For Peace, Common, Marvin Gaye, Furry Lewis, The Cruel Sea, Crooked Still, Roky Erickson, June Tabor and the Oyster Band, Woody Guthrie, Derrick Morgan, Bunny Wailer, Pigmeat Markham, Judge Winchester (aka Winston Blake), Peter Tosh, The Last Poets, Clarence Carter, Talking Heads, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robin Trower, Tom Verlaine, Dead Can Dance, Colin Newman, Billy Bragg, Jules Shear, Felice Brothers, Bob Dylan, Lila Downs, Gilbert Bécaud, John Reed, Gary Shearston, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Eddie Cantor, Sam Mangwana, Cornell Campbell, Honey Cone, T-Connection, Nicko
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Court in the act: songs about judges and trials

October 20, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Sing out the scales of justice …

It’s time for the musical scales of justice to sing out as we explore songs about trials, short or long, from or about any perspective of those present, accused or accusers, jurors or judges, or even lawyers, as long as as the action is in court

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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, law, judiciary, Socrates, George Herbert, Charles Dickens, George Chapman, Roe v Wade, US Supreme Court, Lord George Jeffries, Judge Judy, television, Michael Jackson, OJ Simpson, Court Cam, Lord Denning, Lord Wilberforce, Lady Hale, Ketanji Jackson, Peter Fonda, Film
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Playlists: songs featuring steelpan bands

October 19, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Trinidad Panorama

They make a beautiful sound, created in Trinidad & Tobago, one that has since spread around the world. Picking from the nominations from last week’s topic, guest Loud Atlas presents global, genre-spanning panoramic lists that are pan-tastic

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In avant-garde, African, calypso, blues, dance, disco, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, reggae, rock, ska, showtime, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, pan steel, Lord Kitchener, Madness, Super Furry Animals, Ahmad Jamal, The Grateful Dead, John Williams, Jane's Addiction, The Beach Boys, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, The Invaders Steel Orchestra, Trinidad & Tobago, Caribbean, Winston 'Spree' Simon, John Gibbs and US Steel Orchestra, Robert Palmer, Kikuo, Esso Trinidad Steel Band, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, The Sweet, Othello Molineaux, Steel Rhythm Band, David Rudder, Lennox "Boogsie" Sharpe, Frankie Dante & Orchestra Flamboyan, M.I.A., Phase II Pan Groove, Loud Atlas
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Pan’s people: songs and pieces featuring steel pan

October 13, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Panoramic range

With origins from slavery, then made in Trinidad & Tobago, let’s explore how this beautiful instrument appears across genres, within original material or bringing a new timbre to covers, or mixing with other sounds

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In calypso, African, dance, country, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, musicals, playlists, musical hall, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, traditional, soundtracks Tags songs, instrumentals, instruments, pan steel, Caribbean, Trinidad & Tobago, Derek Walcott, Curtis Greasley, Africa, Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra, Winston 'Spree' Simon, Elliott 'Ellie' Mannette, Tony Williams, Bertie Marshall, Rudolph Charles, Len 'Boogsie' Sharp, Ray Holman, Liam Teague, Russ Henderson, Andy Narell, Andy Akiho, Othello Molineaux, Jaco Pastorius, Jonathan Scales
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Playlists: songs about the meaning of life

October 11, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Some of this week’s house band …

Aristotelianism to absurdism, cynicism to nihilism to stoicism and more, this week’s musings on our existence come no shortage of great musicians as well as philosophers, thoughtfully chosen and superbly described by guest playlister Uncleben from last week’s theme

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, postpunk, pop, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, philosophy, nihilism, stoicism, Aristotle, Diogenes, William James, Douglas Adams, existentialism, Epicurus, René Descartes, Socrates, The Weirdos, Clinton Fearon, Soul II Soul, Odyssey, Indigo Girls, Black Uhuru, The Shins, Rudy Vallee, Joy Ellis, Dr Alimantado, Propaganda, Liza Minnelli, Dionne Warwick, Buzzcocks, Villagers, Fontaines D.C., The Heptones, Penetration, Bruce Springsteen, Hitsujibungaku, Charlie Rich, Joe Higgs, Hex, Cabbage Boy, Band of Holy Joy, Blackalicious, The Wailers, Kurt Vonnegut, Plato, Abraham Lincoln, Uncleben, CLR James
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Like a butterfly: songs about the meaning of life

October 6, 2022 Peter Kimpton

The monarch butterfly: a profound life cycle, and ‘a rainbow of chaos’

It’s a big question. But how might it be answered in song lyrics? Not merely through broad definition or metaphor, but also through philosophy, practical advice or experience. See many inspirational ideas here, but it’s also time to let your answers take flight …

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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, meaning of life, philosophy, Bob Marley, Douglas Adams, Bob Dylan, Maya Angelou, Charlie Chaplin, Paul Cezanne, Marcus Aurelius, Keith Richards, Groucho Marx, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Conan Doyle, E.M. Forster, Craig Venter, science, biology, Joseph Campbell, Anais Nin, Socrates, Albert Camus, Mark Haddon, Irving Berlin, Lou Holtz, Woody Allen, Mark Twain, Elbert Hubbard, Jim Carrey, Will Rogers, Stephen Hawking, Jean Cocteau, Katherine Hepburn, Sigmund Freud, Arthur Schopenhauer, H Jackson Brown Jr, William Wallace, Anton Chekhov, Thomas Hobbes, Vladimir Nabokov, Dale Carnegie, Leonardo Da Vinci, GZA, Wu-Tang Clan, Albert Einstein, Kenneth G Ross, Soren Kierkegaard, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Matthew McConaughey, Emily Dickinson, George Herbert, Jimi Hendrix, George Eliot, Emile Zola, Friedrich Nietzsche, George Bernard Shaw, Terry Pratchett, Jim Henson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Samuel Butler, Tom Lehrer, George Gershwin, David Bowie, Slavoj Žižek, Rufus Wainwright, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Roy T. Bennett, William Wordsworth, Thomas Aquinas, Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, Morgan Freeman, Monty Python, Film, film soundtrack, books, art
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Playlists: songs about taxation and wealth distribution

October 4, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Who gets the crown? Hint: the bird is the word …

Feeling taxed? Get some relief here. Blues, reggae, funk, punk, post-punk and more, we’ve got a full revenue of great music in store with no duty to pay, courtesy of an excellent distribution by guest playlister Severin picked from last week’s topic

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Spend it wisely: songs about tax and wealth distribution

September 29, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Trickle down economics, all the way down to …

During a time of fiscal crisis, while policy helps the wealthy avoid paying what’s due, here at Song Bar we’re open and pennywise with our playlists. So what contribution might you have on this taxing subject of social justice? Spend your time wisely …

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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, money, economics, tax, Marty Rubin, Benjamin Franklin, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Alan Partridge, Steve Coogan, Herman Wouk, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ronald Reagan, Leona Helmsley, Ken Dodd, Liz Truss, Conservatives, Kwasi Kwarteng, Boston Tea Party, poll tax, Margaret Thatcher, William Pitt The Younger, East India Company, American War of Independence, Benjamin Disraeli, William Gladstone, The Beatles, Thomas Piketty, Noam Chomsky, Nicholas D. Kristof, Donald Trump, Judith Martin, Jimmy Carr, David Cameron, George Carman QC, Chuck Berry, Gary Barlow, Willie Nelson, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Judy Garland, Al Capone, The Rolling Stones, Albert Einstein, Bauvard, Sean Kernan, HL Mencken, Lysander Spooner, Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, George Lakoff, Vanessa Williamson
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Playlists: songs with more questions than answers

September 28, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Bande à part: Roxy Music

Inspired by Jean-Luc Godard and the French New Wave cinema movement, music poses questions in all forms - in sound, form, structure, as well as lyrics. Picking from last week’s topic, guest playlister pejepeine has excellent answers by example

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In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, hip hop, gospel, electronica, songs, rock, reggae, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, French New Wave, Jean-Luc Godard, Charlie Parker, Joao Gilberto, Annette Peacock, Paul Bley, Roxy Music, Gang of Four, Boards of Canada, Cat Stevens, Reeps One, Jefferson Airplane, Public Enemy, Rosalia, Stereolab, Mitsujibungaka, Diana Ross, Johnny Nash, Supertramp, The Grateful Dead, Les Paul, Mary Ford, Moloko, Wire, Stump, Barry Mann, Hortense Ellis, Jean Constantin, Film, film soundtrack, pejepeine
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What's going on? Songs with more questions than answers

September 22, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Un bout de souffle (1960): Under cover? How soon is now? Where did our love go?

Inspired by the recent death of a creative great and the movement he spurred, this week it’s time to pose questions of the listener, existential or otherwise, perhaps found lyrics or titles, but more than just in a random line, and perhaps also in often in form, structure and sound

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Playlists: songs about wastelands

September 21, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Woody Guthrie …

They tell stories of decay and often a trail of human destruction, but out of the infertile soil also also grows vivid, moving, and often profound songwriting. Picking from the ground of last week’s topic, guest George Boyland sees portents in the past and future

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In African, avant-garde, blues, country, drone, dub, folk, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, wastelands, environment, human behaviour, fossil fuels, The Troggs, Old Crow Medicine Show, JJ Cale, The Congos, Richard Thompson, Husker Du, PJ Harvey, David Rovics, Snog, Samantha Crain, The Doors, Ian Noe, Bryan Ferry, James, Misty in Roots, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Band of Holy Joy, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Deadead, Van Der Graaf Generator, Songs: Ohia, Kevin Coyne, Seth Lakeman, Bert Jansch, The Atrix, Bob Dylan, George Boyland
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Grounds for imagination: songs about wastelands

September 15, 2022 Peter Kimpton

A wasteland of the imagination, as well as reality

It’s time to lyrically explore, literally or metaphorically, where almost no one or nothing lives, but where ideas are fertile: from scrub moorland to heath, barren lands or badlands, to urban concrete waste sites, places deserted or destroyed, unkempt, neglected, toxic, eroded, unused, overgrown, sparse or bleak

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New Albums …

Featured
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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
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Apr 11, 2026
My New Band Believe: My New Band Believe
Apr 11, 2026

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

Apr 11, 2026
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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
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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
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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
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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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