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Café Playlists

Sitting right here in a cafe (Stell’s, Redlands, CA), I have been listening to a play list from the 60s. Ordinarily that would be great – much Neil Young, CSN, Nick Drake, and many tracks that I am familiar with from the first time around (and the cafe owners presumably aren’t).

But I was fantasising that I could put together a truly great playlist for the cafe vibe – although it would probably offend a true 60s cafe folk purist, and who knows, maybe that’s exactly who assembled the playlist I am listening to?

Add in some real folk – and Richard Thompson, of course, staying away from the more disturbing, faster tempo tracks; Nic Jones (Annan Water, Annechie Gordon); Hedgehog Pie; Vashti Buntan; Devendra Banhart; Antony & the Johnsons; Dion DiMucchi; Scott Walker; PF Sloan; John Fahey; Davy Graham; Leonard Cohen; …

The basic idea is to stick with the ethos, but vary the era. Also hit some of the undeservedly unknown artists from those days. Looking back at the list, I can see that mine represents a edgier, less reassuring take on the genre – who, after all, thinks of Nick Drake these days in that way, even if that is what his music really represents to me?

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