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A cartoon postcard at home that could be applied to most weeks
As restrictions loosen in some countries, it's time to reflect on these last three months with titles and lyrics from any time that could now be applied to lockdown experience, as well as more recent songs specifically about the situation
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Look closely and you’ll see why this is a special guide to the first song …
From a suggestive Welsh mount all the way to Texas, from India to getting lost on a London A to Z, guest playlister George Boyland takes us on a personal route, inspired by many more nominations on last week’s topic
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Living maps? Leo Belgicus by Hondius & Gerritsz, 1630
Accurately marked with facts and perfect proportions? Or fuel for fantasy and the imagination? Maps make stories, and stories make maps, and their fascination leads to where X marks the spot. So let’s go there and start digging …
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Few pianists are a patch on New Orleans’ James Booker
And the piano played on … During these testing times, inspired by the deft choices of readers and fast fingers of players, guest ParaMhor picks two note perfect playlists and adds some memorial extras for the dearly departed
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Dave Greenfield of The Stranglers in 1980
What makes a great riff or solo, and how does the keyboard player fit in a band? From purveyors of excess to cool minimalism, rock or prog to soul, electronica, postpunk, pop, jazz or classical, synth to clavinet, let’s follow those fingers
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Shhh! It’s Björk
What does it mean to have quiet in your life? Inspired by hundreds of song nominations from last week’s topic, guest playlister DiscoMonster, puts together music through the prism of a story about truths, conflict and stillness
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Spring bluebells quietly getting on with it
Tranquillity, calm and serenity, or concentration, slow stirring, unrest, plotting and revolution? There are all kinds of quiet out there, and this week it’s time to explore these as described or captured in song lyrics
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Who will the musical spotlight hover over tonight?
It’s time to break out the popcorn, sit back and soak up the soundtrack of multiple movies and stories, hopes and dreams below those famous hills, perfectly projected from many nominations by guest director, philipphilip99
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It’s the most famous town in the world. This week our songs are about the place itself – its famous streets, landmarks, studios as well as the fascias, finery, or fakery of its people – their hopes, dreams, triumphs, failures, feuds and fantasies
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Sensational song suction: a huge hoover-up of hope in these week’s big playlists
Spring cleaning takes energy, but the results can also generate even more. The same applies to this week’s serenely and clean playlists chosen by guest DJ Bear, who whizzes around the Bar with a hopeful heart and a spring in his step
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Gratuitous gif of Freddie and Roger from a song that is nothing to do with this topic
It’s time for some lockdown relief. While doing them, let’s also think up and sometimes dance to some numbers about those chores we all must now face, not just cleaning or sorting, but also the psychological cleanse and clear out
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Einstein’s brain and music. Always connected.
Albert Einstein to neuroplasticity, this week’s topic mixes the clever, complex cerebellum with music. Taking in last week’s many nominations, guest Marco den Ouden created a trio of mind-blowing playlists to educate and entertain
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Which way are you thinking?
Let’s celebrate the cerebrum and engage with the encephalon through lyrics and song subject, whether it is the biological makeup of this squidgy Tardis, or mindful thoughts and functions it can control. Worth a thought, anyway …
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David Bowie of course. Star from start to finish.
An astronomically huge topic resulting in a galaxy of nominations. This week’s guest playlister Amylee not only listened to them all, but turned them into a stellar set of songs spanning the musical universe
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Bootsy Collins. The bass line being he ticks more than one star box
From astronomy to celebrity, shapes to symbols, this week we escape earthly concerns and reach into the musical firmament for a rich lyrical topic that will cover all aspects and life as well as death. It’ll be stellar production
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Turn it up to 11? Some decor is, well, quite loud
It’s time to take some artistic licence through enforced isolation, and pick from your palette of musical paints to harmonise, fix up, adorn, and help create playlists that decorate the Song Bar, as well as the mind
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Bashful kids: Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice back in the day …
Don’t listen to these playlists. They’re not really that good at all. Then again they might be. What do you reckon? Actually they could actually be brilliant, chosen by guest playlister megadom from a whole set of funny and moving suggestions …
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Can’t put down. The self-deprecating Keanu Reeves walks the street absorbed in The Government Inspector
Humorous or serious? Self-defence mechanism, attention-seeking, of self-aggrandisement? This week’s lyric topic is richly nuanced, ironic, and covers a range of emotions, often fuelled by love and ambition, tempered by self-belittling
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Pop art? The playlist is the thing … and Shakespeare comes in many colours
Prithee, come along, the bell doth ring! Hear thy song, the playlist is the thing! Rock, classical, funk, soul, hip hop, the Bard is present in all genres, here played out in three splendid acts by guest magicman from a cast of nominations
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We are mere players …
We fling open the doors of the Bar to the great Bard, and his incalculable influence on our language and thought patterns as shown in song lyrics, key words and phrases, perhaps also characters and narratives, knowingly, wittily, or unconsciously
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