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Mission? Songs about the impossible

June 30, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Evel Knievel attempts to jump 13 buses in London, 1975. What could possibly go wrong?

Love, death, survival, creativity – at times they all seem impossible or insurmountable. After a seemingly inconceivable recent world history, it’s time to play with the idea of impossible in song, and work out what really is from what isn’t. Is it all down to perception?

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, impossible, Evel Knievel, Lewis Carroll, Gustave Flaubert, Victor Hugo, Friedrich Nietzsche, Oscar Wilde, MC Escher, history, politics, economics, psychology, media, popularism, Jair Bolsonaro, Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Charles MacKay, Audrey Hepburn, Nelson Mandela, Napoleon Bonaparte, Francis of Assisi, Charles R Swindoll, Robert H Goddard, Frank Sonnenberg, Amelia Earhart, Bette Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stephen Hawking, time travel, Richard Dawkins, alien life, aliens, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C Clarke, HL Mencken, Sir David Attenborough, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Abraham Lincoln, Jean de la Fontaine, Mary Wollstonecraft, Douglas Adams, David Cronenberg, Woody Allen, Monty Python, death, Francis Bacon, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Joe Moore, Miguel de Cervantes, Herman Melville, Sufjan Stevens, Beethoven, Billy Joel, Alan Moore, Tom Cruise
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Playlists: songs about punctuality

June 29, 2022 Peter Kimpton

What time will love flower? The Foundations 1968

Something changed around the Enlightenment, with the advent of universal timepieces, but how did that affect human relationships? Inspired by last week’s nominations, Marco den Ouden clocks in with perfectly timely playlists

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, punctuality, time, The Charioteers, Billy Paul, Joni Mitchell, The Foundations, Dinah Washington, Tyler The Creator, David Bowie, The Kinks, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bonnie Raitt, Violent Femmes, Mana Negra, Prince Buster, Lee Dorsey, The Big Bopper, Everly Brothers, Swaee Lake, Drake, Brewer & Shipley, Battlefield Band, Buddy Holly, The Grateful Dead, Paul Kelly, The Monkees, Mick Harvey, Long John Baldry, Nilsson, Kevin Morby, Vernon Dalhart, Sandie Shaw, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Dorsey Burnette, Rock Vito, Marshall Crenshaw, Ted Mulry Gang, Angus Stone, Julia Stone, Lord Creator, Tex Ritter, Hector Lavoe, George Faith, Robb Johnson, Leonard Cohen, Dolly Parton, Blondie, Elvis Presley, Marco den Ouden, Marconius
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Late, early, or right on time? Songs about punctuality

June 23, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Better late then never?

It’s something attempted to be trained into us from school to to the work place, and appears to be both necessary, but perhaps also unnatural. This week it’s time to pin down the essence of punctuality in song, with all the tensions and consequences of being early or late

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, drone, electronica, experimental, funk, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, pop, playlists, musicals, postpunk, prog, punk, psychedelia, reggae, rocksteady, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, punctuality, time, Evelyn Waugh, GK Chesterton, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Sukant Ratnakar, Franklin P Jones, Dr Seuss, Grace Jones, Lord Nelson, Louis XVIII, William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, William Hazlitt, Karen Joy Fowler, Machiavelli, Charles Dickens, E.B. White, Rose Macaulay, John Kennedy Toole, television, Film, books, David Niven, John Cleese, Kiefer Sutherland, 24, Anvil, Marilyn Monroe, Alan Jay Lerner, Lewis Carroll, Ray Davies
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Playlists: songs about perspiration

June 22, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Sweatiest video? Alewya

It’s more than warm in here. Sexual arousal to hard labour, cold sweats to night sweats, picked from all the nominations from last week’s hot topic guest of the week pejepeine’s playlists will leave you perspiring with excitement

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In African, blues, calypso, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, perspiration, sweating, Laura Nyro, Van Morrison, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Alewya, Prince, Basement Jaxx, Roxanne Shanté, Findley, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Dana Bryant, Robin Kester, Yello, Bruce Springsteen, The The, The Fall, Ace Marino, The Soul Lifters, Ohio Players, Keith Sweat, C&C Music Factory, Nelly, Ralphi Rosario, Marcos Valle, Disco Tex & His Sex-o-Lettes, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello, Joe Dolan, Iggy Pop, pejepeine
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Sweat bands: songs about perspiration

June 16, 2022 Peter Kimpton

What will pour out into this week’s hot landings? Meanwhile here’s Ted Striker

As heatwaves spread around many parts of the world, it’s time to turn the perspiration into inspiration. Sweating covers many contexts, from work, to exercise, fear to sex, but how are its process and emotions expressed in song?

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, traditional, soundtracks, soul, songs, ska, showtime Tags songs, playlists, sweating, perspiration, heat, weather, Edgar Allan Poe, Keith Richards, George S Patton, Wayne Coyne, Karen Blixen, Elvis Presley, biology, Fame TV series, Film, television, James Brown, Prince, Iggy Pop, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Cheers, Rocky films, Ice Cold In Alex, The Deerhunter, Robert De Niro, Raging Bull, Whiplash, Scarface, Cool Hand Luke, Airplane, Louis Armstrong
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Playlists: songs about swimming, bathing and showering

June 15, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Dive in …

Come on in, the music’s lovely. Inspired by all the many excellent nominations from last week’s watery topic, guest of the week Severin makes big splash with a set of playlists perfect for all the rules of the pool. Take a delicious dip

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, playlists, musicals, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, swimming, bathing, showering, Loudon Wainwright III, The Skints, Kendrick Lamar, Smoke City, Frightened Rabbit, Wakusei Abnormal, Bjork, Jon Boden, Roger Eno, Tracey Thorn, Victories At Sea, Olivia Chaney, Snarky Puppy, Shayna Steele, Laura Marling, Memphis Jug Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Golden Gate Quartet, Modern Studies, Maddy Prior, The Mountain Goats, The Wave Pictures, K'Naan, Sub Focus, Veda Hille, Linda Lewis, Sade, Tricot, Allo Darlin, Little Feat, Show Of Hands, Anna Calvi, Madonna, Candidate, Lemon Jelly, Oh What A Lovely War, Honolulu Mountain Daffodils, This Heat, severin, Severin
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Wet legs: songs about swimming, bathing and showering

June 9, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Get your swimming high: Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens, Vauxhall, London

It’s time to dip into your music collections and then immerse more deeply. From bubbling tub soaks to cold water swims, Turkish baths to rubber ducks, hot springs to icy adventures, let’s soak up this topic in lyrics and sounds

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags swimming, bathing, baths, bathrooms, water, Rose Macaulay, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Beatles, Nile Rodgers, Joan Rivers, Vera Lynn, Sylvia Plath, Archimedes, Wim Hof, Grace Jones, Burt Lancaster, Film
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Playlists: songs about awkwardness

June 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Tribe 8 have got themselves into an awkward position. Explore the playlist to find out where …

Inspired by last week’s history of royal awkwardness and a host of songs nominated, guest of the week Loud Atlas presents a superb Musical Self-Help Guide on How To Be Awkward. Follow its 14 steps and beyond for further entertaining embarrassment

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, awkwardness, embarrassment, Frank Zappa, Kippington Lodge, The Ink Spots, Tribe 8, The Police, The Shangri–Las, Panic! At The Disco, Warren Zevon, Wet Leg, Art Brut, Rio Romeo, Danny John-Jules, Glass Animals, Creative Source, Buzzcocks, Jake Thackray, Joe Jackson, Ralph McTell, Janis Ian, Lord Melody, Bernard Cribbins, Courtney Barnett, The Business, Sunny Sweeney, Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons, Rodney Carrington, Humphrey Ocean, The Hardy Annuals, The Smiths, Scala and Kolacny Brothers, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Jonathan Coulton, Flo & Joan, Loud Atlas
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We are not amused: songs about awkwardness

June 2, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Waving or drowning?

As Queen Elizabeth II reaches a record Platinum Jubilee, what has it all been about? Aside from any royal references, this week’s song theme is all about awkwardness, awkward moments, anything mortifyingly cringeworthy, or just a bit unseemly, bumbling, blundering and embarrassing

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, prog, pop, postpunk, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, showtime, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags awkwardness, Queen Elizabeth II, royalty, royal family, Platinum Jubilee, Alan Partridge, Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
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Playlists: songs about the invisible and unseen

May 31, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Part hidden: one of this week’s artists revealed …

What is revealed? From cloaks of invisibility to unseen superpowers, mysterious animals or scents to the people who are never spotted, guest playlister Noodsy picks some outstanding songs that are truly out of sight but well in earshot

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, invisibility, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Mik Artistik's Ego Trip, Frost*, Leon Rosselson, Robb Johnson, Curtis Mayfield, The Twilight Sad, Seckou Keita, Sonic Youth, Céu, Electrelane, Rosanne Cash, Radiohead, Ornette Coleman, The Apples, The Misunderstood, Keen, Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke, 1000 Homo DJs, Michael Penn, Stromae, Lana Del Rey, Hannah Peel, The Mountain Goats, Steel Pulse, Underworld, Noodsy
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See through this: songs about the invisible or unseen

May 26, 2022 Peter Kimpton

It’s a wrap: Claude Rains as the HG Wells’ Invisible Man in 1933

What’s hiding in plain sight, or completely obscured? From deceptive lovers to undercover governments, hidden worlds or he pleasure of anonymity, this week we find the power of invisibility to help fill in the musical blanks

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Tags songs, playlists, invisibility, hidden things, René Descartes, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Theordore Roosevelt, Giuseppe Mazzini, Sean Lennon, Vladimir Nabokov, George Monbiot, Emil Cioran, Robert Morgan, Terence Stamp, Hannah Fry, Banksy, JS Bach, György Ligeti, MC Escher
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Playlists: songs about heartbreak

May 25, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Otis Redding - cut down in his prime

Relationship breakdown, devastating loneliness to shocking bereavement, from a huge response to last week’s topic, it’s all here in a set of supremely powerful playlists picked by guest magicman, where despite all the sorrow, the music brings release

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In classical, blues, avant-garde, country, dance, folk, funk, gospel, indie, jazz, instrumentals, music, playlists, pop, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, heartbreak, relationships, bereavement, Robert Johnson, Odyssey, Otis Redding, Harry Nilsson, Tammy Wynette, Reparata & The Delrons, Diana Ross, Angel Olsen, Sam Brown, Roy Orbison, Jimmy Ruffin, Skeeter Davis, Taylor Swift, The Bee Gees, Eric Carmen, Johnny Ray, Smokey Robinson, Hank Williams, Elliott Smith, John Mayer, Manic Street Preachers, The Shangri–Las, Earth Wind & Fire, Jun Togawa, The Rankin Family, Donny Hathaway, Janis Joplin, Franco & TPOK Jazz, Kenny Rogers, Daniel Johnston, Bruno Mars, Mozart, Andi Thakambau, Willie Nelson, John Holt, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Stelios Kazantzidis, Beck, Deafheaven, Richard Wagner, JS Bach, Johannes Brahms, Edward Elgar, Samuel Barber, Ketty Lester, Gram Parsons, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Amy Winehouse, The Fureys, Davey Arthur, Aretha Franklin, Wyona Judd
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Tracks of more tears: songs about heartbreak

May 19, 2022 Peter Kimpton

It’s a fragile thing, but we still drink it in

Sudden or slow-motion tragedy, from breakup to sudden loss of a loved one, or any other of life’s soul-destroying events, this week it’s time to drown all sorrows in the bar and find the most potent selection of heartbreak songs

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, electronica, dub, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, pop, playlists, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, heartbreak, Jasmine Mans, Kazuo Ishiguro, Charles Bukowski, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Wallace Stegner, L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz, Ukraine
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Playlists: songs about bees

May 17, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Bumblebee: music collected from many sources

So what’s buzz? Literal or metaphor, and collecting nectar from a wide range of sources from last week’s topic, guest musical beekeeper Alaric gives takes on a world of the bluesy, folky and much more as his playlists fully bloom

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In blues, avant-garde, calypso, classical, country, comedy, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, psychedelia, reggae, rock, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, bees, Christy Moore, The Temptations, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, The Beatles, Scritti Politti, Jean-Jaques Perrey, Bird And The Bee, Simpson Cutting Kerr, Regina Spektor, The Unthanks, Alison Moyet, Monty Python, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Manhattan Brothers, Memphis Jug Band, Bline Blake, Leola Wilson, Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, Eric Andersen, Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabaté, Fats Waller, B Bumble and The Stingers, Of Montreal, Abigail Washburn, Tintern Abbey, Acabou Chorare, Agnes Obel, Caribou, Cab Calloway, Billie Piper, Cyril Tawney, Roky Erickson, Davina and the Vagabonds, The Grateful Dead, Adult Net, Jeannes, Loudon Wainwright III, James Yorkston, Neko Case, John Rencourn, John Renbourn, Alaricmc
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What's the buzz, hive mind? Songs about bees

May 12, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Bumblebee

Time to get busy! From honey to nectar, pollination to special dance moves, lyrics literal or metaphor, or in sounds, with World Bee Day coming up, it’s time to feel the musical buzz of these inspirational insects in all that they mean to humans, and how we should protect them

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, bees, environment, Maurice Maeterlinck, Elbert Hubbard, John Muir, June Stoyer, Sue Monk Kidd, Global Bee Day, Manchester
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Playlists: songs about higher education and graduation

May 11, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Results are in the air tonight

Applications have been made, papers marked, but from last week’s many entries, which made the grade and will reach graduation to make the playlists? Examiner Marco den Ouden reveals the full results …

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, reggae, punk, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, further education, university, college, education, The Rover Boys, Suzy Bogguss, Rudy Vallee, Smoking Popes, Jefferson Starship, Jimmy Rushing, The Isley Brothers, Timbuk 3, David Bazen, Vampire Weekend, Pat Green, Griot B & School Yard Rap, Chris Webby, Madi Wolf, Speedy Ortiz, The Bolshoi, Clifford T Ward, Belle & Sebastian, Tom Lehrer, Asher Roth, The Verve Pipe, Townes Van Zandt, Albert Hammond, Indigo Girls, Franz Ferdinand, Derailers, The Specials, Anita O'Day, Luke Haines, Sam Adams, Dub Syndicate, Andy Fairly, Prince Buster, Terence Boylan, The Beach Boys, paul simon, Elvis Presley, Phil Ochs, Malvina Reynolds, Rhiannon Giddens, Waring's Pennsylvanians, Harry Reser and His Six Jumping Jacks, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Chris Isaak, David Roth, Vitamin C, Weird Al Jankovic, Marco den Ouden
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A matter of degree: songs about higher education and graduation

May 5, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Jarvis Cocker’s student pass for the art course he took when aged 25

Days of college, university, polytechnic, art school, institute or more, this week we examine education after secondary or high school and graduation, what it all means, from learning to social experience, captured though the prism of song

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, further education, college, university, Jarvis Cocker, Anton Chekhov, Stephen Hawking, Derek Bok, Samuel Beckett, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Steely Dan, Public Enemy, Chuck D, Queen, The Commodores, Pink Floyd, Vampire Weekend, education
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Playlists: basement and underground songs

May 3, 2022 Peter Kimpton

What’s at play below ground level? Walk this way …

There’s a whole other life going on underground, but what form does it take? Unearthed from last week’s nominations, guest ShivSidecar digs deep to present a wondrous otherworld of fabulous music choices

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In avant-garde, blues, African, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, metal, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags basements, underground, transport, songs, playlists, Tom Waits, Mark Stewart & the Maffia, Flesh For Lulu, Sneaker Pimps, Elysian Fields, The Beautiful South, Elvis Costello, Robb Johnson and the Irregulars, Robb Johnson, Sopwith Camel, The Sundays, McLuhan, Peter Hammill, Josh Ritter, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Guru, Branford Marsalis, Joe Bataan, Mute Choir, The New York Dolls, Superchunk, The Queers, Tiger, Pavement, Girls Aloud, Manhattan Transfer, sir Was, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Flynn, Robyn Hitchcock, Nathan Hall & The Sinister Locals, Carolanne Pegg, Heron Oblivion, The Tickle, Denis Couldry, Klaatu, Sidecar Shiv, ShivSidecar
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Basement tapes: songs set below the ground floor

April 28, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Go deeper ...

Dig deep: it’s time to go downstairs, take the lift and explore songs in an underground setting - basements or lower, from tube and metro stations from servants in the kitchen, to sewers and pipes, this is often where society is run

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In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, basements, cellars, underground, MC Escher, Theordore Roosevelt, Haruki Murakami, Bob Dylan, F. Scott Fitzgerald, horror, Film, language, transport, clubbing culture, London Underground, television, history, disco
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Playlists: songs that reference fairytales

April 26, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Handy: which band was inspired by the rather cutting-edge Struwwelpeter story?

Enchanting, mysterious, beautiful, crazy, or the downright cruel, the imagination doesn’t come any more vivid in fairytales. Woven from last week’s nominations, guest Loud Atlas spins a set of sharp tales into superbly absorbing playlists

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In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, fairytales, fairy tales, Morgen, Captain Beefheart, The Wizard of Oz, The Sham-Ettes, Little Red Riding Hood, Milton Nascimento, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Gecko, Rapunzel, XTC, Struwwelpeter, Anita Baker, Lana Del Rey, Ba Cissoko, Al 'Jazzbo' Collins, Dotterine, Emily Portman, Jellyfish, Renaissance, Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs, The Blue Hearts, John Holt, James Taylor, Ruth B, Miles Davis, Shorty Rogers, Stan Freeburg, Danny Kaye, Cursive, Jill Freeman, John Otway, Sinead O'Connor, Ariana Grande, John Legend, The Bee Gees, Salem Ilese, Javier Navarette, Loud Atlas
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New Albums …

Featured
 Against the Dying of the Light by José González  2.jpeg
Apr 1, 2026
José González: Against The Dying Of The Light
Apr 1, 2026

New album: A gentle, reflective, meditative, but quietly defiant fifth LP by the Swedish-Argentine indie-folk guitarist and singer-songwriter, following his last, Local Valley, broadening his perspective in an urgent call to preserve the light of humanity as technology advances in ironically darkening world

Apr 1, 2026
Raye - This Music May Contain Hope.jpg
Apr 1, 2026
RAYE: This Music May Contain Hope
Apr 1, 2026

New album: A highly entertaining, exuberantly stylish, cross-genre 17-track, 73-minute odyssey by the London popstar, with a huge musical show of a second LP, spanning swing-era jazz to soul, R&B, house music, pop, dance, gospel, classical and the full kitchen sink, with orchestral band, family members, Hans Zimmer, and even Al Green

Apr 1, 2026
Pitou P2.jpeg
Mar 30, 2026
Pitou: P2
Mar 30, 2026

New album: Brilliantly quirky, original second LP of experimental folk pop by the Amsterdam artist, who has the free spirited musical adventurousness reminiscent of Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus and Fiona Apple in this clever, playful, stop-start work with oodles of vocal loops and layering, electronica and unusual field recordings across themes of freedom and restlessness

Mar 30, 2026
Robyn - Sexistential.jpeg
Mar 29, 2026
Robyn: Sexistential
Mar 29, 2026

New album: After a break of seven years, the hugely influential 46-year-old Swedish pop star returns with a new burst of alternative, electro-pop bangers, in this ninth LP, now subverting themes of romantic love in another context since having gone through having IVF and becoming a single parent

Mar 29, 2026
IT'S THE LONG GOODBYE by The Twilight Sad.jpeg
Mar 29, 2026
The Twilight Sad: It's The Long Goodbye
Mar 29, 2026

New album: The Glasgow indie rockers fronted by vocalist James Graham and guitarist Andy MacFarlane return with a tempestuous, highly emotional and moving sixth LP, their first for seven years, with musical input from The Cure’s Robert Smith, fuelled by the illness and passing of Graham’s mother and his subsequent mental health struggles

Mar 29, 2026
Courtney Barnett - Creature of Habit.jpeg
Mar 28, 2026
Courtney Barnett: Creature of Habit
Mar 28, 2026

New album: The Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist returns after a five-year gap to bring more of her witty, indie-country-rock, but with a bittersweet flavour, and an emotionally resonant record that explores change and the central question: how to get out of your own way so you can truly feel your life

Mar 28, 2026
Ego Ella May - Good Intentions.jpeg
Mar 26, 2026
Ego Ella May: Good Intentions
Mar 26, 2026

New album: Beautifully crafted but effortlessly performed, a wonderful release of delicious, classy, smooth and smoky soul, jazz and RnB by the London singer-songwriter who has vocal and stylistic qualities reminiscent of Erykah Badu and Sade

Mar 26, 2026
 Time of Fallow by Ellie O’Neill.jpeg
Mar 25, 2026
Ellie O'Neill: Time of Fallow
Mar 25, 2026

New album: A gorgeous, delicate debut folk LP by the Dublin-based singer-songwriter from County Meath with an exquisite voice, not unlike that of Joni Mitchell, that hovers and rises with expressive control, with themes of memory, grief, desire, and self-reckoning

Mar 25, 2026
Paradises by Ladytron.jpeg
Mar 25, 2026
Ladytron: Paradises
Mar 25, 2026

New album: Following 2023’s Time’s Arrow, the Liverpool synth-pop band fronted by Helen Marnie, now a trio, return with substantial 16-track eighth LP that combines simplicity of chord progressions with rich textures, styles retro and futuristic with classic, catchy pop melodies

Mar 25, 2026
 Girlfriend by Grace Ives.jpeg
Mar 25, 2026
Grace Ives: Girlfriend
Mar 25, 2026

New album: Best known as a bedroom pop artist on her DIY produced first two LPs, the New Yorker returns with an expanded sound of eclectic, striking synth-pop, fuelled by a sense of personal and musical rebirth, inspired by some Californian sunshine where she recorded, and referencing an escape from addictions

Mar 25, 2026
Hoggar by Tinariwen.jpeg
Mar 23, 2026
Tinariwen: Hoggar
Mar 23, 2026

New album: After 2023’s Amatssou, the collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara region of southern Algeria and of northern Mali return with a 10th LP iteration of their signature desert blues style sung in Tamasheq, and joined this time by younger younger musicians from the bands Imarhan and Terakaft, as well as guests José González and Sulafa Elyas

Mar 23, 2026
Avalon Emerson - Written Into Changes album.jpeg
Mar 23, 2026
Avalon Emerson & The Charm: Written Into Changes
Mar 23, 2026

New album: A fabulous, bright, catchy and expanded, more live sound by the innovative New York multi-instrumentalist of experimental indie and synth-pop, moving on from the more bedroom feel of her first self-titled & The Charm LP, and here with lyrical themes of personal and relationship evolution

Mar 23, 2026
Anna Calvi - Is That All There Is?.jpeg
Mar 22, 2026
Anna Calvi: Is This All There Is?
Mar 22, 2026

New EP: A powerful, passionate, dynamic return by the extraordinary singer-songwiter and guitarist on a four-track EP, in which she duets with Iggy Pop, Perfume Genius, Laurie Anderson and The National’s Matt Berninger, and the first of a trilogy

Mar 22, 2026
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Mar 19, 2026
Book of Churches: Book of Churches
Mar 19, 2026

New album: Beautiful, tender, melancholic and poetic, a walking-pace acoustic folk and Americana debut solo release by the singer-songwriter Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, co-lead singer with the Nottingham alternative indie band Divorce

Mar 19, 2026

new songs …

Featured
Jessie Ware - Automatic.jpeg
Apr 1, 2026
Song of the Day: Jessie Ware - Automatic
Apr 1, 2026

Song of the Day: Infectiously catchy, funk-soul-disco pop by the charismatic singer-songwriter featuring a deep-voiced spoken intro by actor Colman Domingo, and the latest single heralding upcoming sixth album, Superbloom, out on 17 April via Interscope

Apr 1, 2026
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Mar 31, 2026
Song of the Day: Mount Palomar ft. Enola Gay - Feeding Frenzy
Mar 31, 2026

Song of the Day: Pulsating, dark, hard-hitting dance and hip-hop by the Northern Irish music producer, DJ and live electronic hardware artist Neil Kerr, joined by the Belfast indie-noise-punk quartet, on this title track of a new four-track EP, out on Ursa Minor

Mar 31, 2026
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Mar 30, 2026
Song of the Day: Jungle - Carry On
Mar 30, 2026

Song of the Day: Swoonful, beautiful, but also bittersweet and vulnerable, old-fashioned soul-pop by the British band featuring the vocals of Lydia Kitto in a number co-penned with producer Joshua Lloyd Watson, heralding the upcoming album, Sunshine, out on 14 August via Caiola Records / AWAL Recordings

Mar 30, 2026
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Mar 29, 2026
Song of the Day: The Ocelots - Motor Hotel
Mar 29, 2026

Song of the Day: Beautiful, reflective, uplifting alternative folk with banjo, guitar, flute and more by the Wexford Irish twin brothers Brandon and Ashley Watson, from their new five-track EP, Revisions, a mix of new and re-worked, re-recorded numbers

Mar 29, 2026
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Mar 28, 2026
Song of the Day: Lee "Scratch" Perry & Mouse On Mars - Rockcurry
Mar 28, 2026

Song of the Day: A stylish, eclectic, cross-genre single from the late, great, legendary Jamaican producer and performer’s ongoing legacy, heralding his last official album - the project in Berlin with electronic pioneers Mouse on Mars (aka Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma) and the LP - Spatial, No Problem on on 5 June via Domino Records

Mar 28, 2026
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Mar 27, 2026
Song of the Day: Soulwax - Perfect We Are Not
Mar 27, 2026

Song of the Day: Following last October’s album All Systems Are Lying, Belgium’s Dewaele brothers David and Stephen return with a vibrant electro-pop dance standalone single with droll lyrics, from their recent Abbey Road After Hours project which included a live event at the iconic London studio

Mar 27, 2026
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Mar 26, 2026
Song of the Day: Lykke Li - Lucky Again
Mar 26, 2026

Song of the Day: Bright, uplifting, singalong, big sound pop in this welcome return from the enigmatic Swedish singer-songwriter and model, heralding her upcoming new album The Afterparty, out on 8 May via Futures Music Group

Mar 26, 2026
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Mar 25, 2026
Song of the Day: Model/Actriz - Glassman
Mar 25, 2026

Song of the Day: Violently sensual, truly alternative and viscerally arresting experimental noise/ industrial rock with guitar sounds unlike any other band, all conjured up by the Brooklyn quartet from their new EP Swan Songs out on Dirty Hit Records

Mar 25, 2026
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Mar 24, 2026
Song of the Day: Death Cab For Cutie - Riptides
Mar 24, 2026

Song of the Day: With a gradual, powerfully growing intensity, this new indie-rock single about personal and universal challenges by the Washington band fronted by Ben Gibbard, heralds the upcoming 11th album, I Built a Tower, produced by John Congleton, and out on 5 June via ANTI- Records

Mar 24, 2026
Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho.jpeg
Mar 23, 2026
Song of the Day: Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho
Mar 23, 2026

Song of the Day: An orchestral, atmospheric, textured, gently serene new number with background birdsong by the Radiohead co-founder and guitarist with the title track heralding his second solo album, out on 22 May via Transgressive

Mar 23, 2026
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Mar 22, 2026
Song of the Day: MRCY - Better Days (featuring Yazmin Lacey)
Mar 22, 2026

Song of the Day: Fabulous, uplifting, classic soul by the British duo of producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson, joined by the soaring voice of the London singer, out now on Dead Oceans

Mar 22, 2026
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Mar 21, 2026
Song of the Day: Eaves Wilder - Mountain Sized
Mar 21, 2026

Song of the Day: Stirring, dynamic indie-shoegaze by the breathy, sensual-voiced North London artist, expressing a fomenting anxiety morphing into a cathartic, explosive chorus to escape real-world restrictions, and after a series of singles and EPs, heralding her debut album Little Miss Sunshine, out on 17 April via Secretly Canadian

Mar 21, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Veena player.jpg
Mar 27, 2026
Word of the week: veena
Mar 27, 2026

Word of the week: This ornate, curvaceous, south Indian classical instrument, the saraswati veena, is a special bowl lute with a rich, resonant tone, has 24 copper frets with four playing strings and three drone strings, and is used for Carnatic music

Mar 27, 2026
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Mar 12, 2026
Word of the week: wallfish
Mar 12, 2026

Word of the week: It sounds like the singing finned picture ornament Big Mouth Billy Bass that became popular in the late 1990s, but this is a much older noun, derived in Somerset, England, pertains to the climbing gastropod that can slowly climb up any surface

Mar 12, 2026
Swordfish.jpg
Feb 25, 2026
Word of the week: xiphias
Feb 25, 2026

Word of the week: Get the point? This is the scientific name for the swordfish, in full Xiphias gladius (from the Greek and Latin for sword), that extraordinary sea creature with the long, pointy bill. But what of it in song?

Feb 25, 2026
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Feb 12, 2026
Word of the week: yanggeum
Feb 12, 2026

Word of the week: A form or hammered dulcimer, this traditional Korean instrument, with a flat and trapezoidal shape, has seven sets of four metal strings hit by thin bamboo stick

Feb 12, 2026
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

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