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Cat whistle? Walk this way with Felix …
Main melody, instrumental break or eerie sound effect, cheerful tune to shrill alarm, kettle to steam train, referee to wolf, put your lips and thoughts together to suggest songs that blow through music's history
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Room for imagination. House shown in picture may differ from that which is advertised …
Leaving plenty of room for the imagination from a palace of nominations from last week's topic, guest agent EnglishOutlaw presents a musical property currently on the market that's a must-see and listen
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Frank Zappa chez parents' living room
Bluesy bathrooms to calypso kitchens, Britpop bedrooms to lovers rock lounges, whether big or small, green or blue, closet or cloister, suggest yours to create a whole building of musical adventure
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Who's a boy …
Pithy, witty and straight to-the-point, this week's guest writer treefrogdemon picks two playlists inspired by last week's topic that, while about all types of obvious, are never predictable
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There's something in the room …
What, or who is the elephant? Is anything obvious? Is it obvious when we're in love? Who is the right person to be leader? Is winter coming? This week we examine all these questions and more with lyrics and music …
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Charlottesville anti-racism protesters wait to make their voices heard, while police wait in line behind them
Prince to Nina Simone, Billy Bragg to Black Uhuru, this week's guest playlister Rachel Courtney writes a powerful topical piece about waiting for a better world, inspired by hundreds of readers' nominations
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Which song or songwriter will take the lead on this topic?
Anticipation, excitement or apprehension, for anything from the rapture to Robert De Niro, opportunity or a bus, the light, love or in limbo, place your songs in our waiting room and see what happens …
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Can anyone soar higher than Yma Sumac?
Inspired by hundreds of songs nominated in last week's topic, guest curator Hoshino Sakura creates two beautifully elevated playlists, taking it up to even higher art with a wonderful, painterly gallery display
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La laaaaaaaaa !!!
Male or female, soul or opera stars to pop or metal rockers, boy sopranos to countertenors, this week we elevate our range to pick out how a high-range voice can lift a song even greater heights
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Joan's not in love, but …
Madness to metaphor, the sacred to the profane, there are many ways to start a song. Inspired by last week's many nominations, guest writer severin creates two cleverly crafted playlists of examples
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The art of the opening
Profound statements to emotional exclamations, sexual provocation to oddball situation, suggest your favourite and outstanding starter lyrics as we examine a host of musical and literary examples at the bar
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Cat Power
Candi Staton to Cat Power, Camera Obscura to Cherry Smash, guest playlister Barbryn creates two beautifully reflective playlists inspired by many marvellous nominations on last week's meta-topic
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I'll be your mirror: The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon
It's a musical meta-topic! Hear examples, then suggest more songs that refer to others in lyrics, titles, artists, through musical echoes, or, with nuance, those that variously praise, seek or reject love songs
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A Granstand finish? Des Lynam back in the day, with almost everything except the medallion
From unforgettable film and TV soundtracks to readers' associated memories, this week's guest director EnglishOutlaw calls the action on a wide variety of genres inspired by last week's topic
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Buster Keaton in The General
Silent or modern movie scenes to news footage, overture, underscore or background, suggest music or songs that suggests action going on, whether that's personal memory or a better known scenario
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Love was good to him: Johnny Cash, set to rest next to his beloved June Carter Cash
Cash to Cohen, Brown to Bhundu Boys and Fauré's farewell, this week's guest playlister Uncleben lays to rest a sublime set of beautiful goodbyes, moved by many great nominations from last week's topic
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New Orleans jazz can lead a funeral into sombre or upbeat moods
What might be played at yours? The tranquil and reflective? Songs humorous, loud, brash or celebratory? Lyrics personal or universal? This week we create a cultural range as much for those present as the departed
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Lotte Lenya as Pirate Jenny in Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera (1928)
German cabaret opera to New York hip-hop, French chansons to Caribbean reggae, sailing in the full breeze of last week's topic, guest pirate commander ParaMhor steers us to open many a musical treasure chest
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Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach
Golden Age rogues from Blackbeard to Anne Bonny, Calico Jack to Treasure Island, from the Caribbean to modern marauders of Somalia, in folk to rock, metal to reggae, set sail with your song suggestions
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Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Brushes and paints at the ready? From Magritte to Old Masters, our guest writer Severin, inspired by nominations from last week's topic, turns the bar into an art class distinctly in the hue of Joyce Grenfell
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