Music and Wine: June 2019

Welcome to Delectable's column, Music and Wine! If you’re on the lookout for newly released music, grab your headphones. If you’re searching for a fresh bottle, grab your glass. And if you’re looking for the perfect wine to pair with that pop song you can't stop playing on repeat, then sit back, relax, and enjoy these Delectable tunes. Each month, we will gather a playlist of newly released songs and pair them with wines that hit all the right notes. Listen on Spotify Now 1. Cheap Queen – King Princess June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and we’re celebrating by kicking off our June playlist with well-known LGBTQ+ singer, King Princess. Her latest single, Cheap Queen, has the signature soft-pop beats that have propelled her on the fast-track to fame, and it’s that fame and its affect on her own character that she seems to call into question. She sings, “they drive all the way to the west side to see my face,” calling back to one of her first hits, Upper West Side, in which she mocked those living on the “west side”. While King Princess has found herself in the very seat she once ridiculed, we don’t think her fame has to compromise who she was. With that in mind, we think a west coast Cabernet QPR from Napa is just what this song calls for. 2. Strangling Song – Thomas Azier On its own, Thomas Azier’s Strangling Song teeters precariously between upbeat and subdued, but comes off as a smooth and groovy jam when contrasted with the three other songs off the Raven On The First Floor EP. Azier’s distinctive voice opens the track with a few lines of near-seductive speak-singing, illustrating a scene that is embellished yet simple, backed by a sound that is both familiar and fresh while keeping the listener hooked with changes in tempo and tone. With so many contrasts, we think a well-known grape from an up-and-coming region would pair perfectly. Why not try out a Tasmanian Chardonnay ? 3. Birdsong – Rosie Lowe Three years after the release of her first album Control, Rosie Lowe is back with another album featuring various guest artists and filled with synths that echo her distinctive style. While the entirety of Birdsong is a pleasure to hear, the chorus sung by Rosie and four male vocalists (Jamie Woon, Jamie Lidell, Kwabs, and Jordan Rakei) makes you turn up the volume a little more each time it comes around. We recommend you fill your glass with bubbles that are as lively as the beat. The lyrics express one who gets through life by the thought of the one they love, so we think you should give an Sparkling Gamay Poulsard a try. 4. FRIDA – Jamila Woods If you’re looking for an album that pays homage to multiple cultural icons that shaped the artist behind the music, look no further than the latest from Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!. From Eartha Kitt to Zora Neal Hurston, Jamila creates an album that discuss the writers, artists, musicians, and activists that have impacted her personally and artistically. As indicated by the name, FRIDA pays tribute to Frida Kahlo and contains the almost humorous and telling lyric “I like you better when you see me less”. If you’re planning on taking some much needed alone time this summer, we recommend you walk away playing this song with a glass of smooth Beaujolais Gamay in hand. 5. Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time – Thomas Rhett (feat. Little Big Town) Thomas Rhett’s newest album, Center Point Road (named after the road he grew up on) screams nostalgia. Summer months are upon us, and if you’re looking for a song to play poolside or blast through open windows, Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time is the song for you. This is a fun and carefree song that brings back memories of college nights filled with dancing and too many drinks. The college party vibe paired with the lyric, “Just dive right in, girl, the tequila’s fine, so fine” makes us think you should grab some Blanco Tequila , tequila in its purist form, for your party. Afterall, what says college nostalgia better than tequila? 6. Trouble Is Your Middle Name – Whitesnake Whitesnake formed in England in the late 70s, and this hard rock band is back with their latest album, Flesh and Blood. These songs ring similar to the classic rock of the 80s, while infusing some of the dirty rock sound of today. Whether you add this song to your workout playlist, summer playlist, or blast it in your living room while whipping your hair around, we recommend you grab a glass of Vintage Port . We also recommend that you set down your glass before you start head banging. 7. Dinero Tiene Cualquiera – Maluma From the first strike of the piano key, you can tell that this song off of Maluma’s newest album 11:11 is going to be an emotional ballad that stands out from the rest of the album. While summer seems to be the time to bring in upbeat, carefree songs, we can’t forget the ballads that hit close to the heart. The slow melody is heavy with emotion, so we recommend you balance that out with a refreshing Chardonnay. Grab a bottle of the 2012 Cattleya Wines Pratt Vineyard Chardonnay from woman winemaker, Bibiana González Rave. 8. Rabbit Hole – Jenny Lewis Jenny Lewis has created a music and wine pairing of her own. Accompanying the release of her newest album, On the Line, Jenny will be releasing a wine appropriately labeled, On the Vine. While her wine and album should be paired together, we are going to create our own pair with her song Rabbit Hole. This last song featured comes as a nice closing to the entire album. Unlike Alice in Wonderland, the singer refuses to go down the rabbit hole after someone else; however, the fading final lines of the song say “I am gonna go down the rabbit hole/Without you, without you”. Whether you do or do not go down the rabbit hole, you can do it alone and do it with a glass of a Natural Sparkling Riesling from Fingerlakes, NY in hand. Listen to the previous month's playlist here .