This week the sound is about grooving. Every album and song has that groove effect, that dance in your chair and stop what you are doing kind of feeling. Imagine: you’re in the car, wind whipping through your hair, on your way to nowhere. That’s the feeling here. An easy, effortful, sweet nothing.
We begin with italo disco album Il Grande Esploratore. The first song on this album has it all — vocals that grip you, breathy wind instruments, rollicking percussion. It has all of the same elements of an Enya track, yet manages to transform the sound into something so danceable as to be unreal. This album rocks. If you’re looking to dance hard, start here. We move into hip-hops favorite funk-jazz album by French trio Cortex, which has been sampled 142 times, at least. Troupeau Bleu’s secret is being undefinable, with sound that is constantly changing, constantly surprising. The album evokes the French Riveria, dingy jazz clubs in the West Village, your funk friend’s garage jam sessions. This album is intensely groove-able. Hella Love is something a little closer to home — an homage to Mexican-American heritage, deeply influenced by Latin sounds from the sixties and seventies. The album drips with melancholic nostalgia for something that is disappearing. For Marinero, these tracks are a goodbye to his home, the San Francisco he used to know. With Emerson’s album, we get the opposite of disappearing. If You Need Me, Call Me was released thirty-one years after it was originally recorded, finally appearing in the world as an instant cult classic eletro-boogie album. This buttery album is smooth and crystal clear, with that warm eighties noise overlaying each track. This is easily one of the best albums that’s ever appeared on Dinner Music. We end with Lou Reed’s New Sensations, an album defined by its simplicity. If you’re driving for the holidays, put this album on. It’s perfect for the open road.
Enjoy.
The playlist is here.
Paid subscribers have access to the full Dinner Music archive — 75 hours of groove, soul, samba, disco, electro, post-punk, funk and more. It’s the perfect companion for holiday travel and long holiday gatherings and prep.
Monday
Il Grande Esploratore - Tony Esposito (1984)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Tuesday
Troupeau Bleu - Cortex (1975)
Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Wednesday
Hella Love - Marinero (2021)
Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Thursday
If You Need Me, Call Me - Emerson (1988)
Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Friday
New Sensations - Lou Reed (1984)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Pair with
Dumpling tomato salad with chile crisp vinaigrette. I’m very into this, because it’s easy but very inventive. Frozen, store-bought dumplings plus tomatoes and chile crisp? You cannot go wrong. Add a cucumber salad on the side to tame the heat.
Za’atar paratha with grated tomato. Co-mingle regional cuisine with these south Asian savory flatbreads. It’s easier than it seems and it ties with the dumplings in the tomato.
The Marigny Mixed Emotions red wine. A red blend from Oregon. Super drinkable, pairs with almost anything. A classic, easy table wine that will please anyone.
This sailor skirt from Ciao Lucia. There’s something about the sailor look that I’m very into right now? It feels very apt, considering we’re all basically out to sea.
A rewatch of the Last Days of Disco. We're getting older. We've lived through a period that's ended. It's like dying a little bit.
Korean Kiln Sauna Candle. Inspired by the scent of a traditional Korean sauna, scents of Pine, Juniper, Birch, Hay, Firewood.
Thank you, thank you. Have a great week.
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If you’re in Austin, come by Club Eternal on Saturday. I’ll be opening as 1/2 of Horse Opera for Mike Servito. Tickets and info here.