Loon Choir (photo by Ming Wu)
By Ashley McConnell
Rarely does sound affect food or culinary taste affect music. Paired properly, however, they can act as powerful catalysts for sensory synergy. Music can not only set the stage for the appearance of a certain kind of food, but it can shape the very environment around us. That’s why choosing a restaurant is much like being in a record store: you stare into the myriad possibilities, pondering what experience you want for the occasion.
These musings on the connection between food and music got me salivating about our local offerings of tunes and tastes. With patio season in full swing and a steady number of music events on the horizon, I’ve dreamed up some tasty sound-and-fare combinations to share ...
Loon Choir and Taylor’s Genuine Wine and Food Bar
The most pleasurable experiences are often the ones you don’t expect—which is exactly why Loon Choir and Taylor’s make a perfect duo. One is a six-piece indie-folk band and the other is a wine bar in Old Ottawa South. Initially, both seem like rather tired concepts, but don’t be mistaken. There’s so much tasty genius moving through Loon Choir’s lyrics and Taylor’s plates. The harmonies and flavours created here are beyond mere method: both Loon Choir and Taylor’s combine honest elements in their offerings with just straight-head kicking it real. Real hard.
Giant Hand (photo by Ming Wu)
Giant Hand and The Whalesbone Fish Market
It’s probably hard to stay humble when you’re the Whalesbone. But while the restaurant on Bank Street has garnered a reputation as one the best in the city, their Fish Market located a few blocks west on Kent Street has really sequestered my gastro-interest. Every dish is born of a creative inclination to glorify fresh seafood using scratch-recipe methods. What kind of sound could possibly complete the karmic food cycle at Whalesbone? The honeyed vocals of self-taught musician Giant Hand. His wounded folk lilt has a soft and sweet touch of vintage that rises smoothly and swoops somberly. This genuine, melancholic music would be most keenly appreciated while sitting at the rickety picnic table in the parking lot of the Market with an oyster po’boy in hand.
The Polymorphines and steak frites
No. The Polymorphines don’t sing songs to which we might heedlessly BBQ. This is music for those who like meat with a side of stubbed cigarette butts. Your steak must be at least 24oz and cooked no more than crimson-rare. Bonus points if you shot the cow yourself while sucking on a Marlboro. The Polymorphines explode with sharp lyrics and loose, primal rifts—and what is more primal than protein and starch? Check out Farbs for the juiciest steak in town, but candlelight won’t cut it. I’d recommend taking your blood-bathed fare to go and dining on the hood of your car while blasting the Polymorphines’ “Wicked Woman.”
Peach Kelli Pop and cheap tacos
Noting says solstice like eating on the street while listening to pop music. Ideally purchased from Ahora and consumed sitting on a Dalhousie curb at dusk, cheap Mexican fare should be washed down with surreptitious bottles of Dos Equis while grooving to the sugary beats of Peach Kelli Pop. These lo-fi bubblegum sounds make for the perfect outdoor dining soundtrack; of course promptly followed by a chain of debauched teenage antics (think making out in your neighbour’s pool). While customizing your Mexican feast by dousing all tortilla-wrapped items in the red and green salsas from Ahora’s serve-yourself condiment bar, tracks such as “Doo Wah Diddy” and “Girls of Summer” will make your head bop and your shoulders sway.
André M. Bluteau (photo by Ming Wu)
André M. Bluteau and Oz Kafe hangover breakfast
Perhaps the most anticipated Elgin Street food development has been Oz Kafe’s hangover breakfast. The restaurant famous for catering to service industry clientele with their Chef Appreciation events and late-night menus has yet again bridged a new gap for those who are on the other side of the bar. The hangover brunch is served from 2:30 to 9:00 a.m. every Sunday and features items that could cure or at last help you forget your hangover. What local vocalist would be suitable accompaniment? One with a voice that’s probably raspier and heavier than yours after a night of drinking: André M. Bluteau. His vintage sound is straightforward and candid. The smoky acoustics and poetic lyrics present a deep sonic expedition that even the most irritable hangover sufferer could enjoy.
Claude Marquis and Deedee Butters of The Peptides (photos by Jonathan Hobin)
The Peptides and a hotel rooftop
The Peptides are infectious. Once you hear their avant-garde ballads there's no going back to regular pop. The band maintains a low profile but every musical note stays firmly planted in the eardrums. You end up humming while brushing your teeth. The songs are catchy and clever and can punch up the most mundane tasks, slowing planting themselves in the soundtrack of your dreams, fucking up your rapid eye movement. For suitable listening-and-dining surroundings, find someplace with a view. Check out Tennessey Willems in Westboro, grab a pizza to go, and ascend to a rooftop. Once there, plug in the album For Those Who Hate Human Interaction, turn up the volume, and plot world domination.
