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Ars Poetica: Lizzo and friends strike an artistic pose
High art to big bum beauty, it’s time to fling off those garments and let it all hang out as guest playlister Tatanka Yotanka goes au naturel with a double dozen pair of playlists inspired by last week’s nominations that brilliantly buff
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It’s a cover-up. Australian Michael O’Brien goes for a famous bet on exposure at Twickenham in 1974. Strangely Christ-like?
Ancient art to modern exposure, Emperor’s New Clothes to strippers, streakers and various performers, exposed souls in songwriting, what is the different between naked and nude, and how does it express itself in song? All revealed here and more
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Oh brother, will this playlist take off? High flyers Orville and Wilbur Wright face the music
Biblical brothers to medieval lovers, abandoned siblings to fictional detectives, inspired by last week’s topic, this week we get double the fun as guest playlister Uncleben brilliantly flies through time to interview notable pairs about their lives and attributed songs
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Playing it straight? It’s all about timing with Laurel and Hardy in Saps At Sea (1940)
What’s their chemistry? Creative or romantic, adventurous or anarchic, real or fictional, who gets a prominent lyrical or titular appearance in a song, ideally where they are the primary focus rather just a passing mention?
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There’s something inside … Labi Siffre
Love and marriage, fighting alcoholism, fearless drag queens, 400 years of black resilience, to being able to bend rather than be brittle and break – there’s something very strong going on here, thanks for playlists picked by guest magicman inspired by last week’s topic
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The watchful, high-soaring Aquila audax or wedge-tailed eagle
Eagle, kestrels, vultures and more, after last week’s topic took flight and inspired nominations, keen-eyed musical ornithologist Nicko spreads his wings, swoops in and makes a skilful and erudite grab with these evocative playlists
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David Bradley in Kes (1969)
It’s time to swoop down and grasp for songs related to these birds of prey, and the emotional and physical impact their generate, from hawks, eagles, falcons, kestrels, kites, ospreys, buzzards, harriers and more, as well as the scavengers – vultures, sea eagles and condors
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Seeking some special rhythm? How about with help from Omara Portuondo?
Jamaica to Japan, inner city London to the American south, Cuba to Scotland and Ireland, this week’s playlists cover all sorts of searches from love to spiritual and material quests, and turn into a treasure trove of finds put together by guest of the week ajostu
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Search engines … Monty Python and The Holy Grail. The low-budget classic film was variously funded by among others, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Charisma Records, and possibly Elton John
Love, food, shelter, identity, meaning? Rare vinyl? Most of our existence is about searching for something, but in what ways is this expressed in song lyrics? Here’s some other forms of inspiration and, after all, what is the true holy grail?
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It’s an open road for songs and music that capture the experience of driving and the journey …
This is not so much songs about roads and cars, instead those that best accompany the journey, shows not tells, enhances the sensations and capture that strangely magical movement of human and vehicle through a landscape. Enjoy here some road movies for inspiration …
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Seamlessly beautiful ending: boygenius aka Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers
From the seamlessly beautiful to the outrageously expansive, the gently whispered to the incendiary solo freakout, where do you start with great outros? From the beginning to the end (of the end), AmyLee picks a blistering selection from last week’s topic nominations
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What goes around …
The end has to come, but how, in an outro or coda, does a song or piece offer something different, original, unusual or memorable, musically or even lyrical form, a twist, a mood change, upbeat, downbeat or even a sense of unresolved mystery?
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Flying trapeze in 1890
It’s time to fly high with all the triumphs and tragedies of the arena, from escaping elephants to crazy clowns, tentative tightropes to human cannonballs! This excellent entertainment is provided by guest Loud Atlas, picking songs from last week’s Big Top-ic
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Getting into the swing of it: Trapeze artists, 1890
Roll up! Roll up! This week we’re going under the big top and looking to capture the excitement, the artistry, the adventure, tragedy and also cruelty of circus culture. For audience or performers, it’s all about the show, in music and lyrics
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Spellbinding Siouxsie ...
Can you believe your eyes? You’d better believe your ears, as, from mirages to tricks of the light, we reveal playlists inspired by last week’s illusion topic, as chosen by the sharp senses of guest picker Maki
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Shadowplay: from the video for Come, by French singer-songwriter Jain
Visual, auditory, via media, rumour, or any other distortion of perceptions, from personal experience to the political, this week we search for songs about the interplay of the senses and idea of illusions as a primary focus
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This week’s topic attracted a rainbow range of music and lyrics
Multi-coloured and international, from caterpillars to these winged insects in their full glory and the beauty, tragedy and majesty that they represent, all are captured in beautiful playlists gathered by guest Severin from last week’s topic
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Hey, this way. Don’t forget the moths, says the rosy maple
Fragile mutability, intangible beauty, or a hairy horror with collecting obsessives? Metaphor or more, in lyrics or music, with a four-stage life cycle, from egg to pupae, caterpillar to winged wonders, let’s hear it for all these wondrous lepidoptera, with as much for the moths as for the butterflies
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So, do you want this, or not? Well, let’s see …
Ever felt in two minds? Caught between two stools? Stuck between a rock, pop, and hardcore place? All the wobbles and vacillations about everything in life are expertly and entertainingly captured by guest Olive Butler, chosen from nominations for last week’s topic. But which list will it be?
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Are you fur staying on the fence?
From the many various situations and vacillations of love to shopping, voting, moving or staying and more, it’s finally time to plump for indecisiveness on song lyrics. The choice of what to nominate is yours. If you can …
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