• 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

Playlists: 7-inch singles that differ from album versions

June 5, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Singularly different: The Undisputed Truth

Sometimes they were an inspiration improvement, sometimes an editing and style aberration. Picking out the differences from last week’s singular topic, guest playlister ParaMhor cleverly chooses the contrasts for better or worse

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags The Primitives, The Blue Hearts, The Move, The Beach Boys, Buddy Rich, Cathy Rich, David Bowie, The The, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Undisputed Truth, The Rolling Stones, Belle & Sebastian, Herbie Hancock, The Grateful Dead, Wire, XTC, The Go-Betweens, The Beatles, Doll By Doll, Roxy Music, The Isley Brothers, Ringo Sheena, Van Der Graaf Generator, Velvet Underground, Miles Davis, Boston, The Who, Subway Sect, singles, vinyl, vinyl records, ParaMhor
Comment

Singular differences: 7-inch releases that contrast with album versions

May 30, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Stack of 7-inches

Brutally, or mercifully truncated, radio-edited in musical mix or lyrical content, decorously tarted up with orchestra or other instruments, added or deleted solos, made dancier or more ethereal, it’s time to dig up some the contrasting versions that have surprised, delighted or frustrated you

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, singles, vinyl, vinyl records, radio, albums, Henry Rollins, Ian Gillan, Deep Purple, Alan Partridge, RCA, Gnarls Barkley, Ceelo Green, Danger Mouse, Roy Wood, Nile Rodgers, Tears for Fears, Curt Smith, Todd Rundgren, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Kinks, Dave Davies, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Jarvis Cocker, Pulp
Comment

Can you kick it? The score: songs about football and its culture

May 23, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Long player: A young Diego Maradona enjoying one of his other hobbies, 1980

At the zenith of the season, with tournaments ending and beginning, let’s pass our attention to the beautiful game, skill, artistry, eccentricity, but also history, culture, with metaphors, and hopefully avoiding the bad songs, the goal is dig deep into music from around the world …

Read more
In African, avant-garde, calypso, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, football, Shostakovich, Diego Maradona, Roy Keane, Zinedine Zidane, Bjork, Brian Clough, Eric Cantona, Bill Shankly, Carlo Ancelotti, John Ashbery, Nick Hornby, Karl Marx, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, China, World Cup, Pele, George Best, René Higuita, Ron Atkinson, Martin Tyler, sports journalism, Kevin Keegan, Michael Owen, Dion Dublin, Ray Wilkins, Paul Whitehouse, Alan Partridge, Comedy
Comment

Playlists: songs about legs, trousers, pants and other coverings

May 22, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Trousers, pants, hotpants and other leggings, not to mention even a couple of legless numbers, from the beautiful to the bawdy, this week’s music definitely doing the talking and walking is picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic

Read more
In blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, prog, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, music, Captain Beefheart, ZZ Top, Freddie King, Willie King, Jeff Healey, Dr Hook, Bull Moose Jackson & His Buffalo Bearcats, Beyonce, Post Malone, Jeffrey Foucault, Luiz Marenco, Sophie Les Bas Bleus, Katzenjammer, Kenny, Omar and the Howlers, The Cheers, David Dundas, The Magic Numbers, AOA, Gene Vincent, Johnny Clegg, Joe Tex, Hot Tuna, Blue Lu Barker, Danny Barker, Suzanne Vega, Clarence Williams, Icky Renrut, Eddie Cochran, Bloodhound Gang, Les Azteks, B-52s, The Four Blazes, Shirley Brown, Chris McDermott, Conway Twitty, Peaches, Boiled In Lead, Skyhooks, First Choice, Chocolate Milk, Will Franklin, John Mayall, Mel McDaniel, Fishbone, Jodi Benson, The Little Mermaid, Marco den Ouden
Comment

Playlists: songs about amphibians

May 14, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Who’s in this week’s lineup?

Frogs, toads, salamanders and axolotls all leap into view in this week’s musical menagerie of amazing amphibious numbers across a fabulous pond of genres from folk to hip hop, jazz and much more, stylishly chosen by guest Suzi from last week’s topic

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags Moondog, T Rex, Duncan Sisters, Danny Dell and the Trends, Toshiko Akiyoshi and the Lew Tabackin Big Band, Darina Kostadinova, Peter Paul and Mary, The Short Sisters, Johnnie Moore and His New Blazers, Aesop Rock, Ieva Baltmiskyte, John Dowland, Teens of Thailand, Alain Souchon, Jethro Tull, Einstürzende Neubauten, Majkystar, Teho Teardo, Blixa Bargeld, Pearls Before Swine, Bentley Rhythm Ace, amphibians, frogs, axolotl, toads, salamander, Suzi
Comment

Ponder this: songs about amphibians

May 9, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Careful with that axolotl, humans …

Frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, caecilians, and not forgetting the amazing axolotl, in literal or metaphorical contexts, myth or fairytale, sounds or more, these amazing creatures seem to straddle that subjective line between cute, creepy and ugly. But how to they leap up in song?

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, amphibians, frogs, newts, toads, axolotl, salamander, Kermit The Frog, The Muppets, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Lerner, Adrian Forsyth, Sir David Attenborough, Aldous Huxley, Toni Braxton, Kim Young-Ha, climate change, evolution, biology, Grimm Brothers, Annalee Newitz
Comment

Playlists: songs with tautonyms and other repeat-word phrases

May 1, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Record bags: That Damned’s 7-inch sleeve from 1977

Echoing syllables and words across history, the animal kingdom, cultures and genres, this poetic linguistic effect brought a bountiful and vibrant supply of nominations. Guest playlister Maki picks a poetic selection to capture their glory

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, folk, experimental, funk, indie, jazz, krautrock, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags language, playlists, tautonyms, The Archies, Abba, Gillian Hills, The Milkees, Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads, Dub Syndicate, Burning Spear, A Taste of Honey, Talk Talk, Teenage Fanclub, The Damned, Los Bárbaros, Rihanna, Django Reinhardt, Erik Truffaz, Philou Louzolo, Coole Joe, Elivira, Tinariwen, Touki, Soraya, Erykah Badu, Scooter, The Grateful Dead, A Certain Ratio, The Jamaicans, Miriam Makeba, The Delfonics, Fox, Goldfrapp, Otis Redding, Jacques Brel, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Joe Strummer, King Crimson, Iggy Pop, John Lee Hooker, Rockin' Sydney, Middle of The Road, The Mamas and Papas, Dicky Doo and The Don'ts, Baby Ford, Cab Calloway, Fela Kuti, The Undertones, The Stranglers, Fruko y Sus Tesos, Bebe, Maki, Celia & The Mutations
Comment

Playlists: songs featuring superlatives

April 23, 2024 Peter Kimpton

A top shot at songcraft … LDR

Sweetest, biggest, baddest, punniest, funniest, spinniest, dreamiest, wooziest? Many more most ‘ests’ feature this week in the very best of superlative selections by guest playlister Uncleben, taking the very best shot from last week’s many nominations

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, superlatives, language, George Olsen, Dilated Peoples, The House of Love, Nickel Creek, Jesus & Mary Chain, David Childers, The Modern Don Juans, Utah Phillips, Ani di Franco, Garbage, Christophe Maé, REM, Charlie Rich, Lana Del Rey, Sarah Vaughan, Aswad, The Wild Swans, David Bowie, Clifford Jordan, No-No Boy, Rare Bird, Barry Brown, McCarthy, Gene Clark, The Kane Gang, Weyes Blood, Jockstrap, Uncleben
Comment

Record makers or breakers? Songs about superlatives

April 18, 2024 Peter Kimpton

The GOAT? Or just a goat?

We’re not exaggerating, from most beautiful to the fastest, craziest hottest or worst, this week it’s songs centrally featuring that adjective or adverb that expresses that the thing or person described has possessing more of that particular quality than anything or anyone else of that type

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, superlatives, language, Record Breakers, Guinness Book of Records, Roy Castle, Isabella Bird, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Neruda, Dorothy Parker, The Simpsons, Flight of the Conchords, Wyndham Lewis, Claude C. Hopkins, Elias Canetti, Rudyard Kipling, US presidents, Donald Trump
Comment

Playlists: songs using collective nouns

April 17, 2024 Peter Kimpton

We’ve got shoal: silver herring

Congregations to murders, vaquejada to izinyoni, Scotland to England and Spain, Africa to Brazil and beyond, collective nouns add vivd poetry to song lyrics. Guest playlister Maki picks out some collective colour from last week’s theme

Read more
In African, blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, country, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, indie, hip hop, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Ewan MacColl, collective nouns, language, animals, birds, fish, Jesca Hoop, Cadaver Club, Scientist, Low, Foo Fighters, Quinteto Violado, The Mahotella Queens, Burning Spear, Killing Joke, The Stranglers, Hildegard Knef, GoGo Penguin, The Housemartins, Martin Green, Eek-a-Mouse, CW McCall, The Green Pajamas, Mau Maus, Honningbarna, Jauría
Comment

Playlists: songs about lighthouses and guiding lights

April 3, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Through the darkness …

Nautical life-saving stories to metaphorical naval-gazing declarations of love, this topic sheds light on different contexts, and across a range of genres, inspired by last week’s nominations, is a bright star in the hands of guest keeper Nicko and his playlists

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags lights, lighthouses, oceans, islands, Lindisfarne, My Friend The Chocolate Cake, Two Door Cinema Club, Richard O'Brien, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Irish Lights, The Roots, Prince Far I, television, Olivia Chaney, The Waifs, The The, Philip Glass, The Black Keys, Juana Molina, Hawkwind, The Seekers, Meryl Streep, Ashley Park, Karine Polwart, Kris Delmhorst, Archie Roach, Gordon Lightfoot, Don Gibson, The Strawbs, The Fashioneers, Bim Sherman, Bialystocks, Revolver, Roy Ayers, Freddie Slack, Ella Mae Morse, Atlas Sound, No Means No, Aimiina, Mary Finsterer, Paulo Bragança, Blind Willie Johnson, Horace Andy, Mark Korven, Nicko
Comment

Playlists: songs about physical gestures

March 27, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Sound waves and beyond …

Pointing, clapping, nodding, waving, thumbs up, thumbs down, high fives and much more, there’s no end to the lyrical gesticulation on offer signalled from last week’s topic by guest playlister Loud Atlas, whose presentation and choices should attract a salute and long applause

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags gestures, psychology, human behaviour, AC/DC, Marvin Gaye, Little Simz, Obongjayar, Brenton Wood, Alanis Morissette, Jake Bugg, Sufjan Stevens, Loyle Carner, Stevie Smith, The Bevis Frond, Richard Thompson, The Meters, Alfred Apaka, The Chiffons, Little Eva, Neil Diamond, Henry Hall, BBC Concert Orchestra, Dan Donovan, Soft Cell, The Lowest Pair, Was (Not Was), Herbie Hancock, The Fairfield Four, Mama Cass Elliot, Vanity Fare, The Guess Who, Slobberbone, Beck, Don McLean, Wreckless Eric, The Ramones, United Bottles, Tom Lehrer, Kismet Original Broadway Cast, Alfred Drake, Dropkick Murphys, Ludovico Bource, The Black Crowes, Ben Platt, Loud Atlas
Comment

Playlists: music without percussion

March 13, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Slowdive back in the day … but now reaching a new audience

Jazz, classical, acoustic rock to neo-folk, gentle pop and soul to ambient electronica, there’s a whole texture of sounds audible when the bang of drums and other struck percussion are absent. Inspired by last week’s topic, guest Nilpferd brilliantly guides us through a more delicate, nuanced musical experience

Read more
In classical, African, avant-garde, blues, country, experimental, electronica, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, prog, psychedelia, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Jimmy Giuffre, Astor Piazzolla, Benjamin Britten, Led Zeppelin, The Full English, The Go-Betweens, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Wheeler, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Nat King Cole, Huey Lewis and the News, Flying Pickets, Patti Austin, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, Rachel Unthank, The Grateful Dead, Charles Brown, The Mountain Goats, Black Sabbath, King Crimson, Flying Lotus, Pink Floyd, Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Christian McBride, Mark Whitfield, Nicolas Payton, Flanders Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven, Nilpferd
Comment

Playlists: songs about jumping

March 6, 2024 Peter Kimpton

This joint is jumping …

There are many reasons to leave the ground spontaneously, such as for dancing, sex and relationships, but also more darkly - suicide. But inspired by the many leap of musical imagination from last week’s topic, guest pejepeine’s playlists will have you jumping for joy

Read more
In African, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, funk, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, jumping, leap years, The Undertones, Marcia Griffiths, Cab Calloway, Roy Milton & His Solid Soldiers, Little Walter, Gene Vincent, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Los Bengala, The Cure, The Associates, The Pointer Sisters, Destiny's Child, Eddie the Eagle, Amigo The Devil, Richard Thompson, Linda Thompson, Pentangle, The Dukes, Derrick Morgan, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, Ernest Ranglin, The Carnaby, Psymon Spine, Basement Jaxx, Slarta John, Erykah Badu, Lil Wayne, Bilal, System Of A Down, House of Pain, King Africa, pejepeine
Comment

29 February? A rare leap ... at songs about jumping

February 29, 2024 Peter Kimpton

One giant leap: Bob Beamon’s long jump record at the Mexico City 1968 Olympics stood for at an unusually lengthy 23 years

A Thursday on 29 February rarely happens, so let’s not skip it: Songs about jumps, leaps, bounds, hurdles, vaults of all kinds, literal and metaphorical, no t random occurrence of a related words, but where the leap in question is central to to the song's theme. Get inspired by many varied contexts and guests in the Bar …

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, jumping, leap years, Olympic Games, athletics, sport, Bob Beamon, Pablo Picasso, Emily Dickinson, Michael McClure, Neil Armstrong, Louis Jordan, Kurt Cobain, Wayne Shorter, Quincy Jones, Charlotte Bronte, WH Auden, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, calendars, Gioachino Rossini, Jimmy Dorsey, Saul Williams, marriage, relationships, Amy Adams, Ireland, France, Finland, Greece, women's rights, geology, Tori Amos, Julia Margaret Cameron, David Lloyd George, Evel Knievel, Margaret Mead, Gustave Flaubert, Ray Bradbury, Nadia Comaneci, basketball, Nikki Sixx, Eddie the Eagle, Henry Miller
Comment

Playlists: itchy and scratchy songs

February 28, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Itching to have a go …

Got that tingle but don’t know how to reach it? Found the right spot but scratching makes it itchier? Inspired by last week’s topic, guest playlister EnglishOutlaw has a variety of melodious ointment to express and find musical relief

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, scratching, itching, skin, Ani di Franco, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, James Domestic, quinnie, Willie Nelson, Harry Belafonte, T. Texas Tyler, Glen Campbell, Clarence Carter, 100º Proof Aged In Soul, Busdriver, Roxanne Shanté, Tarwater, Gabriel Prokofiev, Prokofiev, Peter Gregson, The Caretaker, Butthole Surfers, Lucifer and the Peppermint, The Coasters, Devo, Kid Koala, JJ Burnel, The Crabs, Joan Jett, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Soul Snatchers, DJ Krush, Mista Sinista, Cachao, Darius Jones, Days N' Daze, EnglishOutlaw
Comment

Aye, there's the rub: itchy 'n' scratchy songs

February 22, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Bear with us …

Let’s satisfy the itch across many musical surfaces with a multi-pronged backscratcher, not just on lyrical flesh, but also the tight skin of drums, wires, guitar strings, resonant idiophones or the hollow or solid wooden bodies of stringed instruments, and of course, using vinyl turntables …

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, itching, scratching, Ogden Nash, Kingsley Amis, Iggy Pop, Marilyn Monroe, Michel de Montaigne, Socrates, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, Yoko Ono, Robert Penn Warren, CS Lewis, Moholy-Nagy, Oskar Fischinger, Paul Arma, Christian Marclay, Pierre Schaeffer, John Cage, Shuichi Obata, turntables, Technics, Grand Wizzard Theodore, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, The Slits, Viv Albertine, animals
Comment

Playlist: songs about blessings and curses

February 21, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Blessed or cursed? How how will it play out…?

Mysterious places, songs and secrets. This week’s wonderfully vivid playlist, inspired by last week’s topic, sets an intriguing narrative in a mysterious establishment run by a shady figure. But will it take a dark or a light path? Guest writer Maki sets the scene …

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, country, drone, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, soul, songs, ska, traditional Tags The Mountain Goats, Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, The Grateful Dead, Lee Scratch Perry, Agnes Obel, Camarón de La Isla, The Pogues, Celina y Reutilio, Mischief Brew, The Only Ones, Tunng, Kevin Ayers, Charlotte Day Wilson, boygenius, Aira Yuuki, Ornette Coleman, The Stranglers, Maki, playlists, songs, blessings, curses
Comment

Playlists: songs about treasure

February 14, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Fatoumata Diawara

It could be pilfered by pirates or dug up by explorers, but treasure comes in many forms. In Song Bar’s Eighth Birthday week, guest ajostu finds many sorts of pieces of eight from around the globe in a truly celebratory set of lists inspired by a topic to treasure

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, krautrock, jazz, metal, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags John Williams, Troy Banarzi, The Full English, The Church, XTC, Richard Thompson, 17 Hippies, Astrud Gilberto, The Black Sorrows, The Pilgram Brothers, Johnny Flynn, Fatoumata Diawara, Cowboy Junkies, Joni Mitchell, Sade, Chris Squire, Our Last Night, Howling Bells, Culture, The Maytals, Pat Thomas, Linda Lewis, Traffic, Gwenno, Peter Hammill, Alan Parsons, Todd Sickafoose, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, ajostu
Comment

Song Bar Birthday Special: Pieces of eight? Seeking songs about treasure

February 8, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Eight? How many pieces do you have?

Precious, rare, valuable, timeless? Monetary or something more intangible? How do you define treasure? This week we celebrate eight years of of Song Bar from a phase from a Robert Louis Stevenson novel and seeking songs on this theme

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags songs, playlists, anniversaries, treasure, gold, coins, archaelogoy, books, art, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Walt Disney, Dale Carnegie, Rainer Maria Rilke, Charlotte Bronte, Dolly Parton, Johnny Depp, Film, film soundtrack, money, Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, Captain William Kidd, pirates, The Detectorists, Mackenzie Crook, Toby Jones, television, Tintin, Hergé, history, JRR Tolkien, Andy Serkis, Napoleon Bonaparte, Lao Tzu, Christina Aguilera, Thornton Wilder, Joseph Campbell, Friedrich Schiller, Audrey Tatou, Sergio Leone, Ennio Morricone, Clint Eastwood
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

Constant comment tea

SNACK OF THE WEEK

black-eyed peas

New Albums …

Featured
Lucinda Williams - World's Gone Wrong.jpeg
Jan 28, 2026
Lucinda Williams: World's Gone Wrong
Jan 28, 2026

New album: The acclaimed veteran country, rock and Americana singer-songwriter and multi-Grammy winner’s latest LP has a title that speaks for itself, but is powerful, angry, defiant and uplifting, and, recorded in Nashville, features guest vocals from Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer

Jan 28, 2026
Clotheline From Hell.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Clothesline From Hell: Slather On The Honey
Jan 27, 2026

New album: His moniker mischievously named after a wrestling move, a highly impressive, independently-created experimental, psychedelic rock debut the the Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Adam LaFramboise

Jan 27, 2026
Dead Dads Club.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Dead Dads Club: Dead Dads Club
Jan 27, 2026

New album: Dynamic, passionate, heart-stirring indie rock in this project fronted by Chilli Jesson (formerly bassist of Palma Violets) with songs spurred by the trauma of losing his father 20 years ago, retelling a defiant and difficult aftermath, with sound boosted by producer Carlos O’Connell of Fontaines D.C.

Jan 27, 2026
The Paper Kites - IF YOU GO THERE, I HOPE YOU FIND IT.png
Jan 25, 2026
The Paper Kites: If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
Jan 25, 2026

New album: Warm, tender, gently-paced, calmly reflective, beautifully soothing, poetic, melancholic alternative folk and Americana by the band from Melbourne in their seventh LP in 15 years

Jan 25, 2026
PVA - No More Like This.jpeg
Jan 24, 2026
PVA: No More Like This
Jan 24, 2026

New album: Inventive, alluring, sensual, mysterious, minimalistic electronica, trip-hop and experimental pop by the London trio of Ella Harris, Joshua Baxter and Louis Satchell, in this second album following 2022’s Blush, boosted by the creativity of producer and instrumentalist Kwake Bass

Jan 24, 2026
Imarhan - Essam.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Imarhan: Essam
Jan 20, 2026

New album: A mesmeric fourth LP in a decade by the band from Tamanrasset, Algeria, whose name means ‘the ones I care about’, their Tuareg music mixing guitar riffs, pop melodies and African rhythms, but this time also evolves slightly away from the desert blues rocky, bluesy influence of contemporaries Tinariwen with electronic elements

Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews: Valentine
Jan 20, 2026

New album: Emotional, beautiful, stirring, Americana, folk and indie-pop by singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, in this latest studio LP in of soaring voice, strong melodies, love, vulnerability and heartbreak, longing and bravery

Jan 20, 2026
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore - Tragic Magic.jpeg
Jan 18, 2026
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore: Tragic Magic
Jan 18, 2026

New album: Delicate, beautiful, ethereal, meditative new work by the two American experimental composers in their first collaborative LP, with gentle understated vocals, classic synth sounds, and rare harps chosen from from the Paris Musée de la Musique Collection

Jan 18, 2026
Sleaford Mods- The Demise of Planet X.jpeg
Jan 16, 2026
Sleaford Mods: The Demise of Planet X
Jan 16, 2026

New album: The caustic wit of Nottingham’s Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn return with a 13th LP of brilliantly abrasive, dark humoured hip-hop and catchy beats, addressing the rubbish state of the world, as well as local, personal and social irritations through slick nostalgic cultural reference, some expanded sounds, and an eclectic set of guests

Jan 16, 2026
Sault - Chapter 1.jpeg
Jan 14, 2026
SAULT: Chapter 1
Jan 14, 2026

New album: As ever, released suddenly without fanfare or any publicity, the prolific experimental soul, jazz, gospel, funk, psychedelia and disco collective of Cleo Sol, Info (aka Dean Josiah Cover) and co return with a stylish, mysterious LP

Jan 14, 2026
The Cribs - Selling A Vibe.jpeg
Jan 14, 2026
The Cribs: Selling A Vibe
Jan 14, 2026

New album: A first LP in five years by the likeable and solid guitar indie-rock Jarman brothers trio from Wakefield, now with their ninth - a catchy, but at times with rueful, bittersweet perspectives on their times in the music business

Jan 14, 2026
Dry Cleaning - Secret Love.jpeg
Jan 9, 2026
Dry Cleaning: Secret Love
Jan 9, 2026

New album: This third LP by the London experimental post-punk quartet with the distinctive, spoken, droll delivery of Florence Shaw, is packed with striking, vivid, often non seqitur lyrics capturing life’s surreal mundanities and neuroses with a sound coloured and polished by Cate Le Bon as producer

Jan 9, 2026
Various - Icelock Continuum.jpeg
Dec 31, 2025
Various Artists: ICELOCK CONTINUUM
Dec 31, 2025

New album: An inspiring, evocative, sensual and sonically tactile experimental compilation from the fabulously named underground French label Camembert Électrique, with range of international electronic artists capturing cold winter weather’s many textures - cracking, delicate crunchy ice, snow, electric fog, and frost in many fierce and fragile forms across 98 adventurous tracks

Dec 31, 2025
Favourite Albums of 2025 - Part 3.jpeg
Dec 18, 2025
Favourite albums of 2025 - Part Three
Dec 18, 2025

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

Dec 18, 2025

new songs …

Featured
Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody.jpeg
Jan 29, 2026
Song of the Day: Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody
Jan 29, 2026

Song of the Day: Shimmeringly catchy and singalong, effervescent Abba-esque and Fleetwood Mac-ish piano and synth pop with an eye-catching, vampiric-themed video by the British singer-songwriter from Grantham, heralding her second album Cruel World out on 10 April via Polydor/Universal.

Jan 29, 2026
Nathan Fake.jpeg
Jan 28, 2026
Song of the Day: Nathan Fake - Slow Yamaha
Jan 28, 2026

Song of the Day: Hypnotic electronica with woozy layers of smooth resonance and a lattice of shifting analogue patterns by the British artist from Norfolk, taken from his forthcoming album, Evaporator, out on InFiné Music

Jan 28, 2026
Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Song of the Day: Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean (featuring Saya Gray)
Jan 27, 2026

Song of the Day: Stylish, striking, sensual experimental electro-pop and R&B in this fabulous collaboration between the two Canadian singer/ multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, out on Stone Woman Music/ XL Recordings

Jan 27, 2026
Lime Garden - 23.jpeg
Jan 26, 2026
Song of the Day: Lime Garden - 23
Jan 26, 2026

Song of the Day: Wonderfully catchy, witty, quirky indie pop about age and adjustment by the Brighton-formed quartet fronted by Chloe Howard, heralding their upcoming album Maybe Not Tonight, out on So Young Records on 10 April

Jan 26, 2026
Madra Salach - It's A Hell Of An Age - EP.jpeg
Jan 25, 2026
Song of the Day: Madra Salach - The Man Who Seeks Pleasure
Jan 25, 2026

Song of the Day: A powerful, slow-simmering and gradually intensifying, drone-based original folk number about the the flipsides of love and hedonism by the young Irish traditional and alternative folk band, with comparisons to Lankum, from the recently released EP It's a Hell of an Age, out on Canvas Music

Jan 25, 2026
Adult DVD band.jpeg
Jan 24, 2026
Song of the Day: Adult DVD - Real Tree Lee
Jan 24, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, witty, energised acid-dance-punk with echoes of Underworld and Snapped Ankles by the dynamic, innovative band from Leeds in a new number about a dodgy character of toxic masculinity and online ignorance, and their first release on signing to Fat Possum

Jan 24, 2026
Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night - War Child - HELP 2.jpeg
Jan 23, 2026
Song of the Day: Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night (for War Child HELP 2 charity album)
Jan 23, 2026

Song of the Day: A simmering, potent, contemplative new track by acclaimed Sheffield band, their first song since 2022’s album The Car, with proceeds benefiting the charity War Child, heralding the upcoming HELP (2) compilation out on 6 March with various contributors

Jan 23, 2026
White Denim - Lock and Key.jpg
Jan 22, 2026
Song of the Day: White Denim - (God Created) Lock and Key
Jan 22, 2026

Song of the Day: The Austin, Texas-formed LA-based rockers return with an infectiously catchy groove fusing rock, funk, dub, soul, and down-dirty blues with some playful self-mythologising and darker themes, heralding 13th album, 13, out on 24 April via Bella Union

Jan 22, 2026
Holy Fuck band.jpeg
Jan 21, 2026
Song of the Day: Holy Fuck - Evie
Jan 21, 2026

Song of the Day: The Canadian experimental indie rock and electronica quartet from Toronto return with a pulsating new track of thrumming bass and shimmering keyboards, heralding their forthcoming new album Event Beat, out on 27 March via Satellite Services

Jan 21, 2026
KAVARI.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Song of the Day: KAVARI - IRON VEINS
Jan 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Exciting, cutting-edge electronica and hardcore dance music by innovative the Birkenhead-born, Glasgow-based artist Cameron Winters (she), with a stylish, striking video, heralding the forthcoming EP, PLAGUE MUSIC, out digitally and on 12-inch vinyl on 6 February via XL Recordings

Jan 20, 2026
Asap Rocky - Punk Rocky.png
Jan 19, 2026
Song of the Day: A$AP Rocky - Punk Rocky
Jan 19, 2026

Song of the Day: The standout catchy hip-pop/soul/pop track from the New York rapper aka Rakim Athelston Mayers’ (also the husband of Rihanna) recently released album, Don’t Be Dumb, featuring also the voice of Cristoforo Donadi, and out on A$AP Rocky Recordings

Jan 19, 2026
Buck Meek - The Mirror.jpeg
Jan 18, 2026
Song of the Day: Buck Meek - Gasoline
Jan 18, 2026

Song of the Day: The Texas-born Big Thief guitarist returns with an beautifully stirring, evocative, poetic love-enthralled indie-folk single of free association made-up words and quantum leap feelings, rolling drums and strums, heralding his upcoming fourth solo album, The Mirror, out on 27 February via 4AD

Jan 18, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Zumbador dorado - mango bumblebee Puerto Rico.jpeg
Jan 22, 2026
Word of the week: zumbador
Jan 22, 2026

Word of the week: A wonderfully evocative noun from the Spanish for word buzz, and meaning both a South American hummingbird, a door buzzer, and symbolic of resurrection of the soul in ancient Mexican culture, while also serving as the logo for a tequila brand

Jan 22, 2026
Hamlet ad - Gregor Fisher.jpg
Jan 8, 2026
Word of the week: aspectabund
Jan 8, 2026

Word of the week: This rare adjective describes a highly expressive face or countenance, where emotions and reactions are readily shown through the eyes or mouth

Jan 8, 2026
Kaufmann Trumpeter 1950.jpeg
Dec 24, 2025
Word of the week: bellonion (or belloneon)
Dec 24, 2025

Word of the week: It sounds like a bulbous, multi-layered peeling vegetable, but this obscure mechanical musical instrument invented in 1812 in Dresden consisted of 24 trumpets and two kettle drums and, designed to mimic the sound of a marching band, might also make your eyes water

Dec 24, 2025
Hangover.jpeg
Dec 4, 2025
Word of the week: crapulence
Dec 4, 2025

Word of the week: A term that may apply regularly during Xmas party season, from the from the Latin crapula, in turn from the Greek kraipálē meaning "drunkenness" or "headache" pertains to sickness symptoms caused by excess in eating or drinking, or general intemperance and overindulgence

Dec 4, 2025
Running shoes and barefoot.jpeg
Nov 20, 2025
Word of the week: discalceate
Nov 20, 2025

Word of the week: A rarely used, but often practised verb, especially when arriving home, it means to take off your shoes, but is also a slightly more common adjective meaning barefoot or unshod, particularly for certain religious orders that wear sandals instead of shoes. But in what context does this come up in song?

Nov 20, 2025
Song Bar spinning.gif