Coffeehouse Music
Whether your taste is for Starbucks or Caribou Coffee or the little cafe on the corner, coffeehouse culture is alive and strong.
While the exact ingredients that go into a successful creation of coffee house culture may be elusive to most…the first thing that should be revamped or rechecked is the music. If your CD collection you’re playing for your customers doesn’t have some great mellow tunes that aren’t Kenny-G…you need to rethink your coffeehouse music philosophy. Don’t get me wrong, all coffeehouse music isn’t mellow. Lisa Loeb had some great funky tunes that were totally coffeehouse music without being slow and mellow.
Coffeehouses do not have Musak piped in through muted speakers. Coffeehouses do not have the Top-40 radio station on in the background. They have artists with “soul” - that bring a special vibe to the coffeehouse so it becomes a place where you feel things, not just a place where you drink a beverage.
If you’re looking for coffeehouse music, look no farther than your nearest and dearest Indie labels. Sure Amy Winehouse is huge and on a big label now, but she still qualifies as coffeehouse music. Also make sure to check out Alice Smith and her fabulous album For Lovers, Dreamers & Me. It has an India Arie vibe that is pure coffeehouse.
Usually you can tell if you’re listening to coffeehouse music if you can picture yourself with a steaming cup in your hands while you’re swaying to the music. It makes you feel like you could be more than you were before hearing the music.
It makes you feel artistic, creative, and deep.
That’s what makes it such an important part of coffeehouse culture.