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Christ on a bike! There’s always one …
Cultural counting as a figure of superstition and bad luck, it can also have other associations, but whether number, name, place, amount, date, age or more, this week it’s time find your significant thirteens in song as we head through a new Friday 13th
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Zeugma and more … Elvis Costello & The Attractions
It’s a figure of speech in which a word applies to two or more others in different senses, giving a concise form of wordplay. Inspired by last week’s topic nominations, guest playlister magicman picks out many sparkling examples and more
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The yoke’s on you, Dad …
On this celebration day of the written word, let’s embrace the many songs which lyrically use a word to govern two or more other words or phrases in a line or sentence. It comes from the Ancient Greek meaning "a yoking together". Time to pull out words and pints …
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Fats Domino left a star-studded list of those he influenced across the many strings of his music
From early rock ‘n’ roll to pop, rock, reggae, jazz and beyond, the quietly humble, smiling pianist and singer who rose to fame in the 1950s left a huge musical legacy. Loud Atlas expertly picks up some the many big names and songs he influenced, inspired by last week’s topic
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
From fragile gifts for children to party inflations, early hot air expeditions to the plight of dirigible blimps and zeppelins, balloons offer a profound literal and metaphorical set of emotions to fill the lungs of song
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… you’re in for a big surprise …
Aliens to unexpected identity, unusual sounds to strange artistic combinations as well as the lyrical subject itself, guest Marco den Ouden brings a box of brilliant surprises in response to our Big 10th Birthday Topic
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Our birthday celebrations are going with a bang
Suddenly, out of nowhere we are 10 years old! A big celebration then, and a theme that’s surprising (or is it?) with lyrically with narrative twists, or unpredictable turns of phrase, bizarre sounds, odd instruments, strange key changes, or structures made to take the listener by surprise
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Liquorice stick? It’s a whole feast of music as we tootle into this week’s lists …
Liquorice stick? This is more like a full musical feast as we tootle across multiple nations, eras and genres courtesy of the nimble fingers and ears of guest Nicko, who picks many great notes from last week’s theme
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Sidney Bechet
Across all the genres it's time for a tootle on the old liquorice stick. Versatile in sound, from a smooth, pure voice, to a dirty growl, a gradual glissando to a noisy blast of so-called blarinet, from resonant, lovely soloist to a voluminous harmonised group
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It might start with the fingers, but your ears will tell you what makes a great riff
A term coined in the early the 20th century, often played on guitar but also on piano and other instruments, this core, repetitive musical phrase could be even more memorable and catchy than the sung melody. But what riffs have you humming from the last 25 years?
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Heated exchanges: Rita Moreno and Animal of the The Muppets
Silly ballads to battles of the sexes, parodies to social commentary, odd duets and witty wordplay and musical japery, guest jester Marco den Ouden picks a bundle of lyrical and other laughs inspired by last week’s comedic songs theme
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Vivian and the crew …
In words or notes, from dark parody to the plain old silly, it’s time to celebrate comedic songs, those written specifically to tickle, to amuse, to make you smile and laugh. If they do that, then they count
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The two-faced Roman god Janus, the inspiration for this month’s name
It’s a month of mixed feelings and perspectives, and can bring optimism as well as anguish. Songs about January, or set during it, so let’s see what settings, stories and emotions it inspires and produces …
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Poison pen? Luvcat has a thing for Dr John Cooper Clarke
Love is strange. It can manifest in many forms - from individual physical and behavioural obsessions, even to non-human attraction - robots and animals. Guest playlister ShivSidecar expertly explores these Agony Aunt questions, inspired by last week’s topic
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Edward Lear’s classic odd couple, The Owl and the Pussycat
This week we celebrate not the usual or generalised soft-focus cliches about beauty and romance, but songs which describe uniquely odd and different detail, appearance or behaviour that stirs an individual’s tastes, from alternative sex drives, emotions and attraction
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Monarch butterfly metamorphosis
It’s time for not temporary or partial, but radical change - here reflected in lyrics from lifestyle to career, to triggering experiences, love and relationships, fortune or tragedy, a sudden huge idea or even spiritual revelation, sudden or gradual
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Things go a little Gaga over Xmas …
Share your music and thoughts about the year. It’s a time of Christmas baubles but also bigger social patterns. While we can see our own reflection in them, are they so controlled by AI that we don't know what other bubbles exist?
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Reflections on candle music …
With metaphors for the fragility of life, relationships and more, and inspired by last week’s topic nominations, guest of the week Marco den Ouden lights a bright and beautifully illuminating selection on this festive and glowing theme
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An illuminated memorial concert to the late Ryuichi Sakamoto in 2023
They were our only source of light for thousand of years, and burn in the imaginations many meanings and emotions - mutability, time’s remorseless melt, a fragile beauty, time passing, life, hope and sharing. How are they used in song lyrics?
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Some blissful solitary listening …
Among the many joys of solitude is being able to do exactly what you like. Guest playlister DiscoMonster does exactly that, throwing a personal party in splendid isolation, inspired by last week’s topic nominations, which we can all enjoy on our own too
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