The Silver Lining: Volume 32
Musings on living the good life: food, culture, art, and products designed to inspire. Top picks from me to you.
Hello! It’s been…a minute. To be honest, I burned out on the breakneck pace of TSL; publishing each week became more work than play.
I’m not entirely sure what the future of this newsletter looks like as the calendar turns to 2021, but perhaps as life returns to normal (fingers crossed) I’ll get some pep back in my step and grace your inboxes more often than not.
That all said, the music and restaurant sourcing hasn’t ceased one minute, and several tracks have been so delicious that I had to come back with an end-of-year sendoff.
Good riddance 2020. Happy holidays and a restful New Year to you and yours.
And as I’ve said all year, thanks for being here.
-Scott
Top Tracks
A long-winded Top Tracks this week. Bear with me.
Artist: Skinshape ft. Idd Aziz
Why I picked it: Skinshape is a project from British musician William Dorey with inspiration taken from 60s era Funk, Soul, Reggae, and African music. “Afande” features vocals from Idd Aziz via Nairobi, Kenya. It’s got the perfect baseline + electric guitar riff, evoking the perfect tropical counterpoint to depths of winter many of us find ourselves in these days.
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Artist: Antonio Adolfo
Why I picked it: Keeping the world-music theme going, we move next to Rio de Janeiro with Antonio Adolfo’s “Aonde Voce Vai”. A keyboard player, arranger, and touted as one of the greatest Brazilian talents of his generation, Adolfo wrote the track in ‘77 for the album titled Feito Em Casa, which translates to ‘Homemade’. If after a few plays you find yourself looking up flights to Rio for a Spring getaway, don’t blame me. Blame Antonio.
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Artist: Yazoo
Why I picked it: I forget now which Netflix binge featured this classic synth-pop superpower, but I’m grateful it reminded me of this iconic 80s hit nonetheless. Put this one on full blast, and if you’re inspired to throw on the neon leggings pulled from the deep recesses of your dresser, I won’t judge.
Fact check — after gaining success in the UK under the name Yazoo, the band had to re-brand to Yaz for North American audiences due to an already existing small American rock band of the same name. To that, I say: Yabba Dabba Doo!
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Artist: Camielle Yarbrough
Why I picked it: In November, Fatboy Slim released a new mix album in the beloved Back to Mine series, which was news to me; here’s Wikipedia with the explainer:
Back to Mine is a series of mix albums, usually mixed by renowned DJs or composers of electronic music. The compilations usually feature artists other than the artist compiling the album, and are based on what the artist would play in their home after a night out, rather than as part of a nightclub session.
I loved Camielle Yarbrough’s original “Take Yo’ Praise”, which Fatboy Slim sampled on his 1998 single 'Praise You'.
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Artist: Remi Wolf ft. Polo & Pan
Why I picked it: It’s well documented on the pages of TSL my fandom for Polo & Pan. When I saw they’d remixed Remi Wolf’s “Hello Hello Hello”, I was all-in. If you’re like me you’ll soon find this one on repeat; the track pairs equally well with road trips or house-hold chore sessions.
And if it sounds vaguely familiar to you — you’re probably right. Apple is equally smitten with this vibe, placing the song front and center in its massive iPhone 12 marketing campaign.
Bonus featurette: A Polo & Pan remix of French singer Corine’s “Pluie Fine”. If this doesn’t make you dance in your sweats, I’m not sure what will:
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Artist: Polocorp
Why I picked it: Speaking of Polo & Pan — Paul Armand-Delille, one half of the French duo, came out with his first solo EP project this month via his Gnawa EP. I devoured all 3 tracks and can’t wait for more from him.
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Artist: The Bongo Hop ft. Nidia Gongora.
Why I picked it: I’m a sucker for a good brass section, and the Afro Caribbean project known as The Bongo Hop from French trumpetist Etienne Sevet delivers in spades. Featuring friends from his travels to Colombia, the album is worthy of end-to-end listening treatment, though I’m partial to “Sonora” as a particular favorite with a beautiful vocal from Colombian artist Nidia Gongora.
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Artist: SG Lewis ft. Rhye
Why I picked it: When two of your heavy rotation artists collaborate on a new project, everybody wins. That’s precisely the case with “Time”, a dancey cut from SG Lewis and Rhye that dropped last week. This drop builds even more hype for SG Lewis's highly-anticipated debut album set to land Feb ‘21.
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Artist: Jimmy Giuffre
Why I picked it: We’ve been catching up on earlier seasons of The Crown as of late, and this track came on during a scene from the middle of Season 2. A swing orchestra vet, Jimmy Giuffre is synonymous with ‘cool jazz’, equal parts improv + avant-garde. This track is precisely that, indeed.
Finally, check out my Fall ‘20/Winter' ‘21 Playlist that features all the above + many more gems I couldn’t touch on.
Artist Date
As the year dragged on so did my disdain for featuring ‘Zoom this’ and ‘Zoom that’ in the Artist Date section of TSL. What was cute and novel in March and April became rote and depressing come November and December.
Somewhere in between, however, I caught wind of Oda, a speaker system for the home meticulously designed for live performances. While I’ve yet to receive my speakers in the mail (they’re currently on pre-order for purchase), I’m smitten with the brand and concept:
Each season we present a series of truly singular live performances. We engage experimentalists, storytellers, and audio pioneers to create works that unfold over time. Oda’s unique format even allows us to engage legendary artists unable to perform outside of their homes.
Oda’s approach to programming is certainly innovative; a seasonal model that unlocks via a $79/season fee. As we’re likely homebound for at least the next few months, bringing the concert home with Oda’s uniquely-suited-and-tuned hardware could be the next best thing to snagging floor seats at your favorite venue.
SKU of the Week
As the year draws to a close, check out TQE's special shoutout to 20 of our favorite new brands who, despite every obstacle, wowed us with their successful launches during this crazy year.
Table for 2
I ate a LOT of Pizza this year. Which partially explains why I’m having trouble squeezing into any semblance of tailored clothing these days.
My favorite pie of the year goes to this tiny outfit called Little Coyote down in Long Beach. It is simply delicious — we’ll 100% be going back and yes, it’s well worth the ~30 minute jaunt from LA. Thank me later.
Sadly we bid a permanent goodbye to many notable mainstays in the LA dining scene this year. I’m particularly bummed to see Here’s Looking at You, MTN, Broken Spanish, and The Tripel shut down.
Social Action
I’ve been following Nike Master trainer Joe Holder, aka Ochosystem, for a while now. He’s a social-impact minded wellness dude dishing out workout tips and tricks with a practical approach that I find refreshing and motivating.
Joe and friends compiled a list of youth-focused orgs to donate to and spread holiday cheer in major metros like Newark, New York, Los Angeles, SF, and Chicago. Get involved!
Social Starlettes
The covers killed me:
The OG Window seat:
Can you imagine?!:
Full moon last month was a doozy:
Birds of a Feather:
Touching tribute for a UPS driver from the community he serves everyday:
Now this is some cool ink:
Fitting to close out this volume, and the year, with the soothing words of Tracy Chapman:
That’s it for Volume 32. See you in the new year!
Comments, questions, tips?
Send a letter to the editor –– Scott Silver:
scott@thesilverlining.la / @thesilverlining.la