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His Master’s Voice
Pigeons to felines, canines to bigger hairy beasts, from humour to the historical, tales of cruelty and caring, to cartoons, this week’s magical menagerie, inspired by last week’s topic is an ark of excellence brought picked by guest writer Uncleben
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Maya Angelou: “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”
I feel for you. Reach out and I’ll be there. This week we’re seeking song-related understanding and connection the form of songs about empathy, and though it’s different perhaps also little secondary sympathy, in form or content
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Woolly thinking? Alpacas are in on the act, of course.
From cows to horses, sheep, pigs, ox, goats, donkeys, alpacas, llamas and more, this week let’s look into songs about the farming and husbandry of quadrupeds, our relationship with them and also what they say about us
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Onwards!
They express the joys, hopes, triumphs and tragedies of the human race coming together, – mixed emotions, war to civil rights, weddings to funerals, religious and sports to military might to floral festivals. But where do they come up in song?
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Where to?
It’s time to give us all a lift, not only emotionally, but as Song Bar bus sets off on a road trip, picking up all sorts of musicians and other artists, in a quest to find for stories about hitching experiences – good, bad, scary or heartwarming
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John, Yoko and Paul. Compromise is a divisive but potent issue …
It’s all about the C-word in song, but does it strengthen or weaken us? Does it hold society together or kill artistic integrity? You can’t always get what you want, but can you give a little, take it a little? Can we work it out, or just do it my way?
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What orange-ments are playing out this week?
Fresh, funky, bright and effervescent, spreading from Jamaica to India, France and America and all the way to Japan, this week’s guest playlister Hoshino Sakura captures the essence of this colour in all forms, sky to fruit to street
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Orangutan. Of course
From animals to objects, plants to birds, and all of its cultural associations, the meeting of red and yellow, symbol of change, joy, entertainment and also warning, this week let’s explore songs are about anything clearly of this colour
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Biscuit time? Deer think so, in Nara Park, Japan
Foxes, deer, ducks, ospreys, to blossoms and orchids, leaping up into life from last week’s topic, guest writer barbryn picks a magical musical menagerie and floral fanfare in playlists about the wildlife that inhabit our towns and cities
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They might well appear in a playlist near you … The Stranglers
Warnings about false friends, to advice about keeping things secret, one appearance doesn’t deceive - this week’s playlists are skilfully strung together by this week’s guest Suzi, covering everything from love to personal life, politics to parties
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It’s dragon on a bit. But how will it end? Gratuitous picture that has nothing to do with music
Sex, love relationships, work, politics, and war, appearances all play apart in the game of life, and this week with a huge cast of talent coming to visit the Bar, we discuss and explore the art and topic of false or true in song lyrics
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Roy would …
This week’s topic takes a particular accent towards music inspired by the great British West Midlands city and its surrounding area, a rich cultural mix of ethnicities and styles, industrial history, upheaval and humour
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Bright sparks ArcAttack make the Tesla connection
Capacitance, or resistance? This week on the circuit it’s time for bright sparks to plug in and make lyrical connections with songs that refer to electricity in all literal or metaphorical forms, from famous inventors to natural forces
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What will be your weapon of choice this week?
Music and film are often intertwined commercially, but where does a video become an artform to the level that the visual elements enhance, complement and become symbiotic with the song? Let the action commence …
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Genres? What are they?
This week let’s push the envelope and dig out often lesser known artists and works that wriggle away from definition, those who or mix sub-genres and styles with such originality it’s hard to place them. But can you still define them?
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Spellbinding: Koko Taylor
What’s been brewing in the musical cauldron this week? Making the magic happen from a huge casting of spells and songs from readers is guest playlister George Boyland, who conjures up two miraculous selections
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Join us … the joint is jumpin’
… as well as knuckles, ankles, shoulders and any other key bendy and swivelling bits of the body, human or otherwise. It's all about making connections, and freedom of movement …
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Do your wurst: What could go horribly right? The Producers (1967) starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel
The brilliantly bad to the awesomely atrocious, whether in sound or lyrics, this week it's time to stretch the realms of musical and lyrical taste into the outer regions, and boldly go where we've never been before
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What comes around …
This week we seek to search out and reclaim meanings for the months of the year, largely through the Gregorian calendar of the big 12 from January to December, whether that be by mood, setting, or different associations
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Faces in rock: Samples from Japan’s famous Rock Museum
Rock face? This week we explore lyrics that attribute human characteristics to objects, concepts, natural forces and many other non-human things. Enjoy a few famous, inspiring examples in songs, poetry, literature and photography
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