Y.J.'s owner David Ford isn't a sadist; he just really likes music, and his hearing's not all that great. Maybe that's why the music at Y.J.'s -- both live and recorded -- is so loud. But it's always in the best possible taste, ranging from stuff we could all sing along to in our sleep to stuff that would make collectors of obscure recordings scratch their heads. Sometimes having a conversation in the arty snack bar just isn't an option, but depending on whom you've run into, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Y.J.'s is packed into a tiny little space; both the music and the coffee shop's creative energy spill out onto the sidewalk. Meanwhile, visitors -- left without the choice of letting the music fade, unappreciated, into the background -- may just pay attention and discover something to look for on their next trip to the record store. If you're going to go deaf -- and you probably are -- this is the place to make it worth your while.
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