Dinner Music: The weekly lineup
psychedelic disco, angst in french, weird bops, synth-pop
This week is all about leaning into the funky weird shit in the world. We begin with April March, a francophile American. The album is a little bit grunge, a little bit French twee, a little bit surf rock. It’s one of those albums that could exist in any era, though it’s clearly rooted in the sounds of the ‘60s. That is also how I’d describe Sababa 5, a group out of Tel Aviv. The synth work on this album is a blend of old school middle eastern sounds, African disco and pure retro eighties. Funky. Cosmic. Surprising to boot. This leads nicely into the ‘80s city pop of Tomoko Aran. It’s easy listening, like a romantic love scene in the rain. St. John Green is like that, too, but only if you include magic mushrooms. Finally, we descend into acid-jazz-pop madness with Vampyros Lesbos. It’s a wild, wild ride.
As always, the playlist rounds out the albums with a few other tracks that I’ve been listening to nonstop. A few people have asked me lately, “What are you listening to?” Every time, I’ve responded, “Italians.” Here’s to you, Mina.
Enjoy.