As the temperatures are stuck around the 90 degree level for days round my way, and I live in a dark cave now with all curtains shut and fans going, what is called for is Iced Frappe Songs. I am thinking of artists who have a cool timbre and evoke frost, chill, iced lemonade.
My pick at the moment is Stacey Kent, who has got a high laid-back ice cube rating with me. Below is What The World Needs Now. Although what I need now is milk as all mine had gone off in the fridge today well before the expiry date. Thankfully a kindly neighbour lent me some for breakfast, as porridge is dire without it.
So what are your cooling voices, and songs, and also heatwave survival stories and tips?
Tracy Thorn immediately comes to mind. This one has particular emotional significance for me which probably adds to its froideur.
Yep, Tracey came to my mind too. Froideur – what a great word!
Bravo Carolina!
Moving on to beverages from spreads is a great idea.
How about some Bill Friselll?
Or Stina Nordenstam?
Stacey was a great choice, Here she is with my favourite Swedish pianist, Jan Lundgren.
Stina definitely brings the temperature down. Terrific. What a lovely track with the Swedish pianist and Stacey.
For M….
That saxophone (I hope I’ve got the right instrument there) is really refreshing.
Gershwin and Ella. What could be cooler?
Ella is ALWAYS on my cool list!
The finger clicking apogee of cool.
Cool as a cucumber, Mr Squeezer.
Here’s a nice light and breezy one with one of the greatest musical jokes in recorded history at the start of the trumpet solo.
Thad Jones – April In Paris
I love that cover photo of Thad Jones in Times Square.
Great choice, Pencil!
Icy songs? We’d better head for Iceland.
Asgeir
Hjalmar
Iceland – how I wish I was there, it must be cooler than here. Iceland, Ice lollies, Ice Ice Baby. Even Iceland the supermarket would do – it must have good aircon, all that frozen food.
I feel your pain. My immunosuppressants make me UV hypersensitive, so I’m in a cave, too. I dropped something round to a neighbour this morning, forgot my hat, stopped for a chat in the shade of her hedge, but now my ears are peeling. A minor complaint, really. I hope you’re keeping well.
How about something more current? Here’s Air, from only 22 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4U19zwFENs
That is very chilled, Steve, fellow cave dweller. My recent scan showed new treatment is having positive effect, thanks for asking.
The smallest milk I can buy in Tesco is 2 pints. I only use it for porridge in the morning, so after 4 days or so, well over 1 pint goes down the sink. I hate wasting food/drink and I try to avoid going to Tesco, or any other shops, as I don’t like wearing a mask. A couple of weeks ago, I found out about filtered milk. It lasts for at least 7 days after it’s opened, and tastes exactly the same. Less waste, and less visits to shops!
You can freeze milk.
I don’t use a lot of milk. Only in my 3-4 cups of coffee a day. I usually buy a 2 pint bottle every 3-4 days. A 4-pint bottle always goes off before I’ve finished it. When lockdown was at it’s height end of March – April, I found that if I bought two 2-pint bottles at a time they just about lasted a week, as the second one keeps better unopened, so I didn’t have to visit the shop so often.
Of course, as my sister who used to work in a supermarket until last year pointed out, you don’t know how long the shop leaves a milk delivery out of the cold store after it arrives.
With current temperatures, this cunning plan no longer seems to be working, so I’m back to going out for milk twice a week. But when I went out for milk on Friday, there were no 2-pint bottles of milk in the shop. Ho hum.
That’s interesting, will have to investigate, stevie. My freezer space is at a premium and I chucked my spare milk out a few weeks back. However now I have a back up plan with an extra supermarket delivery to make 2 in a week this week, Will be worth it even if I only want the milk!
My advice about coping with a heatwave is to move up North. No wave up here.
I turn to Scandinavia for über cool music. Try early Agnes Obel.
Fab choice, I had forgotten about Agnes, I like that track very much, frosty. Moving up North is a bit drastic for me, but what with global warming many people might consider it in the future.
I used to play this in the top floor flat with the windows overlooking central Brussels in the torpid summer months. Sent the temperature dropping as soon as the needle hit the record.
Ooh that is lovely and very cooling I agree, Sal.
Another of my chilly favourites is Laurel by Goldfrapp. The whole of the album Tales of Us is similar in temperature ( and also brilliant.)
I find this wonderful to ‘chill’ to, like the sound of water dripping from icicles.
The video helps too.
Is this cool enough?
This is definitely not a typical Comsat Angels song but might fit the bill…Pray for Rain.