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Japanese gramophone puzzle
A two-fold topic: first we’re seeking songs that initially produce a mix of incomprehension, wonder, bafflement, bewilderment, mystification, and game-changer amazement, or those about puzzles themselves, jigsaws and other mental and physical solution-solving challenges
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Sound waves and beyond …
Pointing, clapping, nodding, waving, thumbs up, thumbs down, high fives and much more, there’s no end to the lyrical gesticulation on offer signalled from last week’s topic by guest playlister Loud Atlas, whose presentation and choices should attract a salute and long applause
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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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Time to wake …
Songs to get your up and motivated, or songs that are also about the morning? Don’t be alarmed, it’s all covered in this special two-parter, picked by guest of the week DiscoMonster from a huge dawn chorus of nominations from the past week
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Now they all come together …
They’re big, and fierce, and beautiful; unpredictable, wild and exhilarating. And that’s not just those big, stripy cats. We’re also talking about this amazing ambush of playlists, picked from a wild jungle of brilliant suggestions by guest Severin
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The Go-Betweens
There’s no denying it - this is a subject that is attached to every part of our lives, private and public, and from many nominations, guest playlister AmyLee picks amazing all-encompassing selections to uncover the musical truth
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Leonard Cohen. Like no one else.
There’s noting quite like a simile playlist, and even more special is a pair. This week’s guest ParaMhor creates perfect examples for comparison, picked with impeccable taste out of a vast selection from last week’s topic
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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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Hellishly good
Drumming to drones, strange sounds are coming out the Song Bar stereo this week. Is in the Devil’s work? Not quite, but this week’s guest takeitawayGuru, inspired by your nominations, has got devilishly good lists
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Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, Blind Melon, Beastie Boys, Blur … there all here, you know, and very different. And that’s just a few of the Bs. This week’s guest playlist writer amylee gives you a whole lot more than fantastic playlists inspired by last week’s topic.
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The sublime Stevie Wonder
It plays out like the voice, beautifully expresses emotion, can wail like a train and is popular across blues, rock, pop, jazz, classical and other genres. This week it's time to inhale deeply and get harmonious with the harmonica
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… made glorious summer by this song of York, canvassing for business …
Step right up! This week we look into the psychology of selling and the heartbeat of bargains across our culture. Retail therapy to ripoff, suggest lyrics all about the intimacy and anonymity of commercial transaction
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This week's playlists are whipping up a storm
Pompeii to pollution, plague, pestilence and pressure drop, volcanoes, falling rocks, Fiery Furnaces to forest fires, this week's playlists by guest writer ParaMhor, whipped up by last week's topic, will surely go down a storm
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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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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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Mr Benn. Artful master of weekly self-renewal or bored man in a constant crisis?
What links Mr Benn, Reginald Perrin, John Lennon, Beck, Jill Scott, Siobhan Fahey, Stephen King and Franz Kafka? From philosophy to religion, giving up drugs to leaving prison, visit Song Bar to find out more and suggest songs on this topic ...
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Marguerite ... singing in the key of life
Hard-luck humour to human frailty, comedy compassion to sentimental sadness, suggest songs that inspire this complex mix of feelings stirred up in lyrics, setting or performance
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