October Chill

I always try to find some apple cider to drink when October rolls around. It gives me that good ol’ harvest feeling this time of year, and I’ve discovered that cider tastes surprisingly good when accompanied by my latest lounge vibe discoveries, Gabin and Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band. Gabin (named after Jean Gabin, a classic French film actor of the 30’s and 40’s) are an Italian duo. Their CD fuses emotional, chill-out lounge vibes with more uptempo vocal grooves like “Doo Uap” which is based on the classic Duke Ellington song “It Don’t Mean a Thing”. You may have heard it on one of the excellent Hotel Costes compilations. Ralph Myerz’ A Special Album, is an entirely different animal. The CD art, first of all, is wickedly funny, featuring accountants in a wood-paneled office eating donuts and such. It’s such a non-sequitur to the CD’s luscious, dreamy arrangements of trip-hop-infused, ambient house. These two CDs have really floored me. It’s great to feel like you’ve found something fresh and alive, and if you’re a fan of this type of downtempo, groovy lounge music, you’ll love these. Perfect music for this year’s pumpkin carving party.