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Pianist Paul Barton is joined by a Thai trumpeter …
The big tusk ahead: actual or metaphorical, fictional, real, or idiomatic, in nature or captivity, it’s time to gather the herd, stroll or stampede through your musical collections and celebrate these magnificent huge creatures of trunk in song
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The Wild Bunch Gang, with Butch Cassidy, front right, and Harry Longabaugh, aka Sundance Kid, seated left
Catch this if you can. It’s time to stand, or sit, and deliver. Figures real or fictional, outlaws or those against the establishment, or the spirit of rebellion in all forms, let’s explore this primal instinct in myth, romance and fact via story and song
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Goblin: legendary Italian creators of the 1977 Suspiria soundtrack
After a marvellously monstrous nomination response to this topic, guest playlister Amylee picks out a huge house of horror to be enjoyed, from scary soundtracks to freaky folk traditional, zombie rock apocalypses to gruesome gore. The devil has all the best tunes …
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Nosferatu, 1922
Whether inspired by fictional horror in books or film, or indeed horrors of the real world, physical or psychological, stylishly goth or gruesomely gory, this Halloween-inspired topic is all about songs that send a shiver up the spine
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Hot on the horizon: The Meitan Tea Museum in Guizhou Province, China stands more than 70 metres in height
The routine, the ceremony, the warming up, the cooling down, the flavour, the comfort, the refreshment and everything that goes with it. This week we’re brewing up and leafing through our music collections …
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Urban Sax
Spontaneous, weird, wonderful, brash and brilliant to the totally bonkers, with a bustling street of suggestions, playing all around the world, guest playlister pejepeine selects his favourites from gypsy to bagpipes, one-man bands to big groups
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Italian street harpist in 19th-century London
It’s time to take the show on the road and pick out videos of street music with all the spirit, authenticity and vivaciousness that comes from the passing setting, the spontaneity, urgency, oddness, originality or unexpected brilliance
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White nothing? Not quite
This week, with a host of guests to inspire, it’s songs all about nowt, nought, the big nada, zilch, and by association, no one, nobody, but of course in whatever context, there's always someone, a something, a story, a feeling behind it
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We are family …
They’ve roamed the globe, howling out for attention. But which survived? Norway to Sweden to Italy, north America and beyond, two packs of superb songs circling many genres are picked by guest playlister Severin from a wonderful wilderness of nominations
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Arctic wolves in full song
Hunter or hunted, in a pack or working alone, in metaphor or myth, human connections from werewolf to dire wolf, this week they are all at the door, so it’s time to howl out your song suggestions referring magnificent canis lupus
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Just before the second plane hit the South Tower
Twenty years on from that most dramatic and tragic day of 9/11, from anger and outrage to soft, sensitive memorials, guest playlister Loud Atlas picks a poignant and sensitive set of lists from an outpouring of excellent nominations
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New York, 11th September 2001
Songs about the shock, panic, in remembrance, tributes, heroism, terrorism, consequences, conspiracy theories and how things bite back? This week, 20 years on, it’s time to try and capture memories and thoughts of this world-changing tragedy
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Rainbow aurora …
The magic, the mystery and a dash of science, it’s all rolled into one beautiful spectrum of songs chosen by guest playlister Hoshino Sakura from last week’s vast and exquisite sky full of nominations. Most enlightening!
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Aurora borealis in Iceland
Intangible, evasive, fleeting, precious, in constant flux, a source of awe, excitement, sometimes primal fear, of mythical beauty and infinite moods, hues and colours, its time to capture these celestial miracles in song
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Sparks: the Mael brothers are simply married to their music
It’s time to see what resulted at last week’s Song Bar Singles Night. Sad, lonely to deliriously happy and free, the resultant songs go in many directions, all married together in poignant, perceptive and playful lists by guest picker pejepeine
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Greta Garbo - a singular inspiration for many a song
Welcome to the special Song Bar Singles Night, where, with the help of many special guests who chat freely on the subject, we seek songs on the ups and downs of the single state, from loneliness to blissful solitude, dating and even giving yourself a helping hand …
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What will emerge out of the mist on the Mersey ….?
Misty Mersey to the streets of Kenny and more, it’s time to weigh up anchor and, inspired by last week’s nominations, explore this liveliest, most celebrated city and beyond, courtesy of terrific tour guide and playlister Alaricmc
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The Fab Four at Pier Head
To the five boroughs! … of Merseyside, Liverpool city and beyond, this week it’s not about bands from the area, but those who reference its streets, buildings, landmarks, districts, history, the people, accents, broader culture and more
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Ace solos …
What will be turned? High rollers to full houses, this week the deck, and the record player, is stacked with wonderful winners as guest George Boyland plays his hand from a selection of nominations from last week’s topic
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But … who’s the ace?
Queens, kings, aces and jacks, jokers and dealers, tricks and games, winners and loses, gambling, risk, and making the best of the hand you’re dealt, this week it’s time to shuffle the musical pack and see what’s in hand on this theme
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