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1) Keith Richards by Ronnie Wood
This week the Bar becomes a special gallery filled with music stars' work! Peruse the paintings and name their famous creators, and suggest songs inspired by art and artists from any period or genre
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Faust in their Wümme studio in 1971
Kraftwerk to Neu! Bowie to The Fall! Leaping into last week's surprise topic, guest writer Flatfrog takes a voyage of discovery to playlist prime originals and others hugely influenced by this German genre
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Cosmic machines ... Kraftwerk
Experimental electronica, or meditative riff and beat repetition? This week from man to machine, Can to Krafwerk, Neu! to Faust, let's celebrate the work and influence of 60s and 70s Germany music revolution
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Iggy Pop and friend are watching the news
How did it all unfold on election night? Narrated through perfect playlists of running coverage, our guest reporter EnglishOutlaw, inspired by last week's topic, cleverly sneaked inside No 10 Downing Street …
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The Day Today ... the perfect headline.
Headlines in lyrics or titles, to songs about the press, TV, websites and social media, this week it’s time to retell stories of how the news and its communication can also be a musical muse for songwriters
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Ministry of Untruth? George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four ... with a slight update
George Orwell to the Emperor's New Clothes, Mao Tse Tung to Tiananmen Square, this week's guest writer Marco den Ouden skilfully picks songs from last week's topic that perfectly play with the truth
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Awkward … your life in their hands. May, Trump and poor old Washington
Mass campaigns to crowd manipulation, political U-turns to personal deception, suggest songs about the art and artifice of changing facts for dubious or other purposes, but here to make truthful playlists
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Dr John Cooper Clarke, the Bard of Salford
Cabbage to Inspiral Carpets, John Cooper Clarke to a visiting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, guest writer treefrogdemon compiles humorous and moving lists from hundreds of songs for last week's tribute topic
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A few of Manchester's famous faces …
As a tribute to the dead, the injured, and all those affected by the Manchester Arena bombing, this week let's suggest songs that capture the culture, character, accents, humour and history of this city
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Mr Dynamic … Otis Redding
Otis Redding to Arvo Pärt, Beach Boys to Beau, Kate Bush Waking The Witch to Wedding Present's Bewitched, guest writer Rachel Courtney turns up diverse and distinguished playlists from last week's topic
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Eleven? That's one louder.
From soft to loud in vivid variety, this week we look into musical works that test our headphones and master the control of decibel and frequency, bringing subtlety and surprises to our ears
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Silky smooth: Count Basie
Van Morrison's spiritual journey to rough seas with Gordon Lightfoot, Aretha Franklin's lover to smooth silk via Count Basie, this week's guest writer TakeitawayGuru creates two tantalisingly touching playlists
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The rocks of Mount Rushmore. Things are looking rough right now …
This week let's not only get sensual on surfaces, objects and textures, but also look at the rough and the smooth of people, behaviour, conditions and life experiences, all captured in lyrics and music
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Busy band on their way: Jonathan Richman with The Modern Lovers
As preparations are hastily made for a special event at the Song Bar, guest playlister Hoshino Sakura tries to organise the artists nominated from last week's topic. But will it all come together in time?
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Spongebob Squarepants. Getting it done, or just swamped?
From juggling duties and spinning plates for family, social life, relationships, work or other chores, name songs that talk about that struggle to keep concentration when there's a long list of distracting tasks
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Feast your eyes on Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Fairy-tale dreams to strange train journeys, Visions of Johanna to Elvis Presley's lost Jesse, guest writer Severin takes us into weird and wonderful world inspired by last week's song nominations
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Time to log on …
Log Lady to Blue Velvet, Beefheart and fantasy fish, doppelgängers and all-seeing owls, this week we delve in an alternative world where lyrics and music capture an area between dream and reality
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Ooh Betty. Davis.
Inspired by last week's pyroclastic flow of song suggestions, the Song Bar Landlord takes a visit to see who is playing at the House of Funk and finds a vibe that is both super cool and hot, hot, hot
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Prince, Godfather and King. Three funky greats, among others …
To commemorate a year since the passing of the Purple One, let's get into the groove to find out what funk is all about, with fat, sexy bass lines, and rhythmic, syncopated riffs running through the body
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Hidden lines … Nick Drake
Digging out treasures of all shapes and sizes from last week's topic, guest playlister Maki cracks open songs ranging from Gorillaz to The Jam, REM to Nick Drake
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