Songs For Mario's Cafe

Mario’s Cafe is a legit London legend for more than a few folks, a small but well loved spot in Kentish Town known for its breakfasts and lunches since the very late 1980s, located near enough concert venues that music fans and journalists formed a lot of the initial clientele. That very much included the three core members of Saint Etienne, itself then newly founded. The trio had initially released a song called “Mario’s Cafe” on So Tough, then in 2004 put together a really fun mix disc on the Sanctuary label dedicated to it. Bob Stanley’s liner notes celebrate unpretentious cafes in general and the group’s tendency to have band meetings in them, while the songs reflect a day’s wandering through London caffs old and new and possible songs of choice reflecting the city’s all-over-the-map moods, with a general ear towards a broad 60s/70s sound. Tony Hatch’s instrumental “Man Alive” kicks off things with jazz-tinged pop flair but everyone from Honey Cone to King Tubby to the Kinks to the Chairmen of the Board serve up a soundtrack to an imagined bite, sip and chat, on your own or with friends. And why not indeed?