The article surveyed a wide range of alternative, underground and outsider music to uncover 60 idiosyncratic takes on the songwriting tradition, and the radio shows playlisted songs discussed in the article, including music by This Heat, Pandit Pran Nath, The Stooges, King Tubby, Skip Spence, Terry Riley, Incredible String Band, Super_Collider, Devandra Banhart, Alice Coltrane and more.

The shows were commissioned by Radio Scorpio, an independent station based in Leuven, Belgium, and were originally broadcast in 7, 14, 21 and 28 May 2004 in the station's Question Mark slot. They were presented by Tony Herrington (first three shows) and Chris Bohn (final show).