I remember a time before Algorithms... a time when my problems weren't called Knapsack and Traveling Salesman... a time when I would have thought that a Heap was a place you place empty bottles and Dijkstra's was a bar in Andersonville.
Soon it'll be time get my life back. My real life. I'll be done with school and will fill my time with listening to new music and drinking new beer. In preparation for this happy reunion, I thought it'd be appropriate to reminisce the mixes of years past.
Did I mention Christmas is around the corner?
Let's start with the first one and move on from there...
Every December for the past five years, I've spent a majority of my non-holiday shopping/drinking hours obsessing over my annual holiday mix. At some point I decided a mix for my friends would be better than a cheesy Christmas card. As such, I let out much of my Christmas anxieties by finding my favorite songs of the year, packaging them in a photo from the year, and distributing them to my loved ones (if you don't receive one, it doesn't mean you're unloved... just unlucky).
Recently, the first person to whom I gave a "best of" mix asked me where his was. It is, as he politely pointed out, January of 2011 and he never received his 2010 mix. In order to make up for this awful mistake, I made two promises.
(1) For him, an extra disc of tunes from 2010 (2) For everyone else, drink pairings for each song on the 2010 mix
And so it is... The Audible ImBible 2010 Mix
Track: Giving Up the Gun - Vampire Weekend Drink: Piña Colada
It's as close to an Horchata as one can get without being too obvious.
Track: Boyfriend - Best Coast Drink: Peach Bellini
I'm admittedly a little off-base here. This song reminds me of 70's sunshine and Don Draper visiting his old life in LA.
Track: You Must Be Out of Your Mind - The Magnetic Fields Drink: Glögg from Simon's
This band is the essence of the holidays without being overtly Christmassy (see also, certain songs from Sufjan Stevens' Michigan). Nothing better to go with this memory than Glöggfrom my favorite Swedish bar in Chicago.
Track: Fuck You - Cee Lo Green Drink: Four Loko
That's right. Four Loko. Nothing says fuck you like "Blackout In a Can." This was the summer song of 2010 and Four Loko was the summer drink of 2010. And if you're listening to "Forget You," then I've got a Smirnoff Ice waiting for you.
Totally 80's. And totally rad. And like totally a fad. However, great summer music/drink combo for you and your hipster friends. Just don't expect it to be around in 2012. And definitely don't see the band live. Very disappointing.
This beer seriously has medicinal powers with the sweetness and comfort of Beach House singer Victoria Legrand's voice. Norway, the song, and Hopslam are both essential January.
It's no mistake this track came immediately after Beach House. Twin Sister's lead singer's voice is similarly eerie, haunting, and unbelievably sexy. This song, with its loungy sex appeal, must be accompanied by a hip drink of yesteryear.
Track: Maneater - The Bird and the Bee Drink: Maneater
Favorite Scottish Ale to drink with my favorite Scottish band (sorry Franz).
Track: Bang Pop - Free Energy Drink: Yuengling Lager
Though this beer doesn't quite have the bang nor the pop, it is probably the beer of choice of these Philadelphia residents. If you need more bangity poppitiness, add some Chipotle peppers to the beer and let them sit for a couple of days.
Track: Good Intentions Paving Co. - Joanna Newsom Drink: Anne Amie 2007 Pinot Noir
Really, any red wine would do. And a fire, or some candles.
Track: Silver Rider - Robert Plant Drink: Surly Furious
Every once in a while you just have to go with personal experience and this song will always remind me of a Low show in Minneapolis last Thanksgiving. As such, this Minneapolis American IPA is the drink of choice.
It all started when I was drunk and listening to music... the same way most ideas start for me.
There's this idea of pairing food with drinks. There are certain characteristics in drinks that perfectly complement or even enhance the flavors of food. I personally am one to always trust a good sommelier to make my restaurant experience the best it can be, regardless of the expense. A great pairing helps create memories that are everlasting.
So, this drunken thought was something along the lines of "if a sommelier's job is to enhance your experience by picking the right wine to go with your meal, then who's job is it to pick the music?" Music evokes emotion just as well, if not better, than food and beverage. As such, if a meal should be a memorable experience, then the music you listen to while eating should be considered a decision equal to choosing red versus white or beer versus wine. Music and flavors (whether in food or drink) act as placeholders for memories of emotion, experience, and environment. The right music can complete an otherwise fragmented occasion.
So, I've spent the last few months thinking a lot about music, memories, seasons, drinks, food, and the connections between different types of each. Fun stuff. Aside from intellectual curiosity, where will this lead me (and you, should you decide to read on)?
The Audible ImBible - a site dedicated to finding the right music to listen to while you imbibe.
But first, a blog about a site in the making...
I believe there is a perfect playlist to complement a meal. Am I the best person to do this? Possibly not. A lot of people's opinions of music is based on experience and memories - something telling them that "this goes with that" because "this reminds me of that." However, I think there are many common reference points that humans share and as such, I'm not afraid to share my drink-song pairings with others in hope that they'll share theirs with me.
And so I present to you, some of the thoughts behind this damn little project that won't go away - The Audible ImBible. A blog dedicated to a site dedicated to pairing drinks, music, and memories.