Defiant Dispatch: A Traveler Soundtrack

A while back a reader shared a playlist she created for Traveler. I was thrilled (still am), and it’s fantastic. You can listen to it here on Spotify.

In light of sharing playlists, I want to share the songs that played in The Defiant, the dimension-hopping coffee shop where Traveler takes place. Music features several times in the book as a backdrop to action and interaction between characters. While I took inspiration from many songs while writing Traveler, these seven were embedded in the story.

You can listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. I’ve also included links to the songs on YouTube. Here they are, in order of appearance:

Folsom Prison Blues - (youtube)

A series of vibrating notes shot through the room, waking Bracken.

—Twung‌-twung‌-twung‌-TWANG‌-TWANG‌-doom‌-dumm‌-‌toom—

He jumped to his feet. Light showed at the edges of the door, and a shadow moved across the gap underneath. Bracken’s breath stopped.

The base notes grew into a rousing song, coming from the room beside him. A steel guitar twanged, the sound shooting through his head like tiny rockets.

Newbop - Carousel Palace (youtube)

At three minutes to six, she leaned over to a small radio and clicked it on. Peaceful flute and xylophone music flowed from speakers affixed to the walls.

At two minutes past six, the bank rumbled, shuddered and crumbled inward like a deflating soufflé. Gray waves of dust rolled across the bricks. Bits of shrapnel plinked against The Defiant’s window panes, none large enough to cause any damage.

Sirens added discordant notes to the flute and xylophone music as emergency vehicles sped toward the spreading dust cloud that choked the plaza.

Jaz refilled her coffee.

Beast and Dragon, Adored - Spoon (youtube)

Jaz was moving about the workspace with half-closed eyes, unloading white cappuccino cups from the dishwasher and stacking them on top of the espresso machine. Sarcastic rock resounded through the café, a male voice singing about dragons and beasts, drowning out Jaz’s words when she spoke.
Bracken put a hand to his ear. “What?”
Jaz flicked a knob on the radio, and the music faded.

(The following songs are played on a magic soundtrack-generating Hi-Fi, brought into the shop from an alien world)

Apache (Grandmaster Flash Mix) - Incredible Bongo Band (youtube)

A blast of bongos and rollicking organ music rocketed through the room. Bracken and Jaz turned‌—‌Bracken with a startled spin and Jaz with resignation‌—‌toward the music. It was coming from Flower Shirt’s box. He rested his elbow and forearm across the top, grinning at the room.

L’appuntamento - Ornella Vanoni (youtube)

The coffee-centered courtship would have gone on, backed by quiet acoustic music straining through the hi-fi’s speaker‌—‌a lighted window on the side read, L’Appuntamento — but it was interrupted by Margo, who was watching the street. “We have incoming, boss.”

Let's Get Jiang - David Holmes (youtube)

Bracken threw open the basement door and led the way downstairs. Sean came after him, the twins heeling on either side. J.P. came behind them carrying the hi-fi, which now changed its tune from romantic guitar to a spy theme.

“What did you do before you had the theme-music box?” Bracken asked, coming to the bottom of the stairs.

“J.P. mostly hummed.”

Fanfare - Galactic (youtube)

A crowd of bright, popping flashes erupted between two shelves on their right. A blast of good-time funk, produced by J.P.’s hi-fi, resonated through the room.

Bracken hit the floor, pushed down by Jaz. The men turned toward the lights and opened fire. The shooting lasted about five seconds, then stopped abruptly as Mose and Margo descended from overhead, each holding a corner of the tarp like a floppy parachute. They came down over the men’s heads, landing heavily. They knelt on the edges of the tarp as the men struggled, their heads misshapen lumps bobbing beneath the tarp. Sean whipped out a black ropelike object and whacked at the lumps through the tarp.

Easy Does It - Oscar Peterson Trio (youtube)

“First we carry everything out, now we have to put it all back.” Bracken collected mugs arrayed on the countertop. “I’ve basically spent an entire day carrying stuff.”

“Welcome to Friday.” Jaz stretched her legs out on the counter, crossing her ankles. Beside her, J.P.’s hi-fi was playing sultry piano jazz. The small window on the side read, Easy Does It.