Radiohead’s Kid A is an immersive, visceral album, a complex soundscape that conjures images from thin air with nothing but the sounds of synths, guitars and Thom Yorke’s plaintive, signature howl.
Now, Radiohead’s sensual masterpiece will have tastes to go along with it: Last week, Detroit chef Kyle Hanley served a one-night-only 10-course tasting menu soundtracked by Kid A. The dishes (one for each track on the album) featured fare such as “oil-poached monkfish, white asparagus, white balsamic vinaigrette, daikon sprouts” (paired with “How to Disappear Completely”) alongside hand-selected wine pairings and cocktails (such as the “cilantro-infused gin” that accompanied “Treefingers”).
But why stop with Radiohead? Here are five more albums that pair well with haute cuisine.
The Album: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel
The Dish: Creamy carrot soup with peppery carrot slaw; White Russian
All lush acoustic guitars and Jeff Mangum’s argyle angst, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the perfect listen for a cold fall or winter night. So why not warm up with a rich, earthy carrot soup (inspired by “The King of Carrot Flowers”) served with carrots two ways (“Two Headed Boy”). After dinner, wash down your fuzzy oncoming depression with a “Communist Daughter” White Russian, a pleasant mix of coffee liqueur, vodka and cream.
The Album: The Beatles (The White Album), The Beatles
The Dish: Jerk pork chops with truffles and pearl onions; Honey whiskey
The Beatles’ self-titled album is an epic sprawl with its share of ups, downs and jaunts into far-flung musical landscapes. With that in mind, go cosmopolitan: Use Jamaican jerk seasonings (a la the jangly island pastiche “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”) on the white meat (in honor of the always-terrifying “Piggies”) and serve with “Savoy Truffle[s]” and “Glass Onion[s].” Wash down your sadness (“I’m So Tired”) with a bourbon (all-American, like “Rocky Raccoon”) — maybe a Wild Turkey American Honey (“Wild Honey Pie”)?
The Album: Rum Sodomy & the Lash, The Pogues
The Dish: Rum, salami, and the mash(ed potatoes); Guinness
This is a pun that may or may not taste all right. Moving on.
The Album: Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
The Dish: Barbecued chicken with corn on the cob; Miller High Life
To celebrate the album with which Bruce ascended to legendary status or became a painful self-parody (depending on which cool uncle you’re talking to), fire up the most American meal imaginable: Grill chicken (white meat, dark meat — why can’t all the meat just cook together, America?) over a lighter-fluid and charcoal briquette fire. Baste with your favorite barbecue sauce and serve with a case of “the champagne of beers.” Grab a group of friends from back home and talk about high school, sports and foreign policy until the sun goes down.
The Album: Watch the Throne, Kanye West and Jay Z
The Dish: Sandwich of ham and melted gruyere with arugula and stone-ground mustard on freshly baked croissant; Bottomless mimosas
“Sun coming up, 5 a.m.” raps Kanye in “No Church in the Wild,” the opening salvo of West and Jay Z’s ode to conspicuous consumption, race relations and the state of the world’s rap game. From the pulsing wake-up of “Wild” to the auto-tuned piano groove of “New Day,” there is no better brunch album than Watch the Throne (“Gotta Have It” is the soundtrack to putting your name on the list at Hotel Tabard Inn in Washington). Celebrate the bright lights of fame and a hungover Saturday morning with this upscale “H.A.M” and cheese served on a croissant, brought to you alongside a fruit plate and a tableside mimosa fountain.