My Friday is anything but lazy, unfortunately, so can only give you what bubbles to the top of my head immediately - but I think these are some of the great overlooked gems that OUGHT to be part of anyone's background

Steely Dan: Aja, Royal Scam.
Jobim: (anything/everything)
Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll

Funny you said Jobim. Bossa nova was the first thing I thought of. There's an awesome 2 CD set called A Trip to Brazil available from Dusty Groove, and it's one steady breeze of summery pleasure, from "Summer Samba" to "Corcovado." The Frank Sinatra/Antonio Carlos Jobim LP (introduced to me by Bill DeMain of Swan Dive, whose own music would suit the mood as well) is nothing short of magnificent. Good one, S L.

Not to digress further, but I had a very surreal experience you'll appreciate, Mr. Pink. Business trip, a couple weeks to Panama City, Panama, company offices located in financial district, hotel a mile or more away in Bellavista area, and company drivers taking me everywhere. Until I was able to finally ditch them and walk back each day, absorbing the city and the sights while deciding between parrilladas and ceviches for dinner. Tevas on my feet, Jobim on my MP3 player, it quickly became the most incredible decompression time I have ever found while on business travel.

I half expected Ruben Blades to dance me across the Calle.

so much great local music, as in singer-songwriter kinda stuff. i have many suggestions, angela kaset being on the top of the list. she kicks norah jones ass - ANY DAY !!!

besides The Coffee Song by Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey orchestra...

Since Coffee is by and by a product gathered the sweat of the proletariat living in 3rd. world nations, they oughter play world music.

How about a mix CD of local artists, maybe even those who live in the 'hood?

maybe I'm just over it, but when I'm sipping a cup of coffee, it's usually either to enjoy a moment, to escape somewhere, or to wander about my own little mental landscape pondering something difficult, and frankly, nothing is more jarring to that process than hearing a bunch of unknown clever songwriters trying to out-middle-eight each other.

but that could just be me.

That certainly describes Gillian Welch to a T.

I agree only to the extent that not every environment requires a soundtrack. For pure misery, go have dinner at some little restaurant with a singer-songwriter night. You can't talk to your companion without raising your voice or being rude to the performer; you must sit uncomfortably trying to eat while someone attempts to entertain you. It's painful for the diner and the artist both.

But I also bet I could find you at least a dozen local artists whose music would enhance a pleasant afternoon lost in caffeine-stoked reverie. I'd start with the afore-mentioned Swan Dive, whose awesome new bossa-nova album is pretty much an audio caipirinha. Then maybe Cortney Tidwell, Lambchop, Tracy Nelson, Jennifer Nicely, Phil Lee (whose new record is great), the Altered Statesman, De Novo Dahl, etc.

Just curious: what does a Steely Dan fan have against "unknown clever songwriters trying to out-middle-eight each other"? Just that they're not known?

heck no, unknowns are always where it's at. What I'm tired of is the emphasis on local over brilliant and form over function. Heck, it's how many years later and we're still fighting over the same 5, 7, 8 syllables to find new turf on which we can plant our flags? I'm just tired of the format, especially when brilliance has been achieved, and rather than salute it we try to one-up it, rather than move on in discovery of new forms we continue the same path over and over. Lord, if you factor in Lennon-McCartney, who would point to Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Dozier/Holland/Dozier, et al for inspiration, we've been stuck in these formats for more than 50 years. 3 verses, chorus, bridge. next?

don't mean to be cranky. But how many new singer songwriters evoke the emotion of a Harry Chapin singing 'Mr. Tanner', or Janis Ian's "In the Winter" or hell's bells, J. D. Souther and 'Precious Love' or ... It becomes a contest to Everest, but Everest is done, we have all seen the postcard. Let's find out what the Mariana Trench looks like now, let's see where we can go next.

Of course, having said all this, I want to step back and say I was thinking of what I would like to hear while sipping a cup of joe, and not the state of music. Drinking coffee, I just prefer sometimes for the page to remain a little more blank than others.

Some of my personal favorite sipping moments were in Googie-style coffee shops with absolutely no soundtrack whatsoever. I apparently miss those days (not to mention that style).

no offense intended.

I wanted to research this subject and write a paper. Your post what a thousand words would not. Nice job.






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