“Mixtape” (Used 10 times)

Yes! The time has finally come. It was a thrilling ride all throughout 2011; a ride that led us to discover some truly amazing artists whose music made our mornings worth getting up to and turned each evening into one unforgettable party!

Today we want to celebrate all that talent and over 2.3 Million Free and Legal Downloads our promotions generated only during 2011.

We proudly present to you the Second official FrostClick/FrostWire mixtape. And just as before, all of the music in this compilation is available as a free download under Creative Commons. So get yours now and open your ears to some new great quality music!

Bourbon's Got It Covered 

Hola Nola- When describing an every day, you-can-count-on-it, Bourbon Street stroll, one would never leave out such essentials as the foot long Hand Grenade, neon colored shots served from graduated cylindershanded to you from the curb by young women (aka Tulane and Loyola students) decked out in slutty nurse Halloween costumes, 'Huge-Ass Beers To Go', and the occasion gutter punk crusade cruising through on their mile-high two-wheelers, a spectacle within a spectacle.  But what is the soundtrack to this 24/7 block party, aside from the one and only Chris Owens, the tucked away Jazz coming from Irvin Mayfield's Playhouse in the Royal Sonesta, and the Karaoke classics coming from classy joints with even classier titles, such as 'Bourbon Cowboy'?  Covers.  No matter what time of day, what day of the week, or how many people are in the bar (at varying levels of consciousness), the enthusiastic passerby seeking a dose of live music will have a hard time finding anything other than sub-par renditions of your typical AC/DC, Guns & Roses, Bon Jovi, and Journey favorites.  Because these round the clock musicians cover nothing but the classics (sometimes changing it up with a Pearl Jam's 'Better Man', or a Thin Lizzy tribute medley), I aim to expose the off-the-bourbon-beaten path re-inventions, as these covers don't merely rinse-and-repeat, they rejuvenate an old favorite into something completely new, with the artist in attempt's personal flavor on his adopted track.  This clearly reminds me of only one thing: To Be Born, First One Must Die (see Chapter 1 of The Satanic Verses, Rushdie).

A wise Canadian by the name of Ann Nagel once explained to me the criteria for a respectable cover song. I'll borrow her theory, basing my evaluation on originality redeemed through interpretation.  A cover is a true success when it takes time into the first verse, and possibly not until the chorus, until one even recognizes what song is being recycled. 

A few songs fit this criteria, but unfortunately are not featured in this week's interactive playlist (as they are hackneyed in my mind due to the course of excitement-->obsession-->outplaying-->I can never hear this song again-->2 years later-->omg this song is amazing why haven't I heard it in so long?)  I am currently in the 4th stage of this mutated Kubler-Ross cycle of belief, but highly recommend these extremely creative versions to the unindoctrinated:  'Jimmy' (Of Montreal's take on MIA's original), 'Modern Romance' (TV on the Radio's re-do of the YYY's Fever To Tell's hidden track) 'Turn Me On' (CocoRosie's breathtaking reformation of Kevin Lyttle's masterpiece, that I was blessed with live, five years ago at Boston's Paradise Rock Club) and 'Too Little, Too Late' (Dan Rossen of Grizzly Bear covering Jojo).  If these are not already musics to your ears, use your eyes and find them on any of the myriad of blogs that have been posting these special editions for years.

I begin this playlist with the most recent Grizzly Bear cover, who seems to be nostalgic for Hot Chip's good old days of The Warning, with a bear boned acoustic 'Boy From School' (also check out Hot Chip's recent strip down of Sinead's cover of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U).  This is a reverberatingly raw recording that pairs well with a melancholy afternoon of fogged window finger doodling and some jasmine green tea (perfect for the imminent blast of April showers).  Not to get all Liz Lemon on ya'all, but this is a slanket in song form (see also Jens Lekman's 'You Can Call Me Al' for a similar effect).  So that this playlist doesn't pan out to be such a downer, and because I omitted a cover of Franz Ferdinand, I will include a cover by these Scotsmen with LCD Soundsystem's 'All My Friends'.  It's not overly daring, nor does it stray too far from LCD's, but I've always enjoyed it, and for a time listened to it more often than the original.  Keeping it upbeat is possibly easily one of my favorites on the list, Kate Bush's 'Hounds of Love' by the Futureheads.  A friend put this on a summer tape for me two summers ago, and I am not, and never will be sick of this tune.  RaRaRiot has recently dabbled in this Kate Bush rarity during live shows (I was witness to this great moment during their encore at BAM back in February), and it hurts to say it, but they don't hold a candle to the Futurehead's mastery.  Kate Bush's version is recommended as well.  Throwing some soul into the mix is a new find, by an artist I've been listening to since her punkier Riot Grrrl era with tracks like 'Sweet Baby' and 'And You Know', but who has only gained strength with her cleaner, well-produced sound on the latest Men in Love full-length.  The Gossip will blow you away with the late Aaliyah's 'Are You that Somebody', and Beth Ditto needs no Timbaland to break it down.  Mentioning the revolutionary Riot Grrrl scene (and zine) brings us to quite the innovative remake of Feist's '1, 2, 3, 4' who's single and impressively long single-take music video made a splash with her successful comeback post Let It Die's overwhelming success.  This cover is by the lesser-known Bikini, not to be confused with Riot Grrrl's Kathleen Hanna's band Bikini Kill (pre JD’s ‘stache and the rest of Le Tigre).  Staying on the Feist train (Bright Eyes does a croaky yet cheery 'Mushaboom' that may be of interest, but not to this playlist), is a beautiful Gonzales piano solo of the fourth track on Let it Die, the jazzy 'One Evening', off of Feist's own Open Season: Remixes and Collabs.  Just connecting the dots, over here.

Remember Glastonbury in 2008?  Neither do I, but apparently their music fest had a diverse lineup with headliners ranging from The Verve to Jay-Z (A la 'Bittersweet Dirt off Your Shoulder') and second-tier acts from Coldplay to Kylie Minogue.  And in celebration of this well-rounded cast of characters, Coldplay took liberties on Ms. Minogue's 'Can't Get You Out of My Head' during their performance (For another live blowout, not featured on today's Hola Nola, get at The White Stripes tackling Dolly Parton's "Jolene').  Keeping the dancefloor afloat is sir Sean Paul and his cover of Alton Ellis's 'I'm Still in Love with You', both versions equally satisfying.  Inching into Hip-Hop territory, I present a song that I have mixed feelings about, mostly because it's sappy and lame, but I keep listening to it...new to the scene rap group Barbara puts a startlingly different spin on Kid Cudi/MGMT's 'Pursuit of Happiness' with this acoustic version, fit for early morning Nick Jr. programming.  However, it passes the test of transformation, and I'm kinda into it, so I'm putting it out there.  And now for some awe-inspiring blood harmony, aided by the Swedish sisters of First Aid Kit, with their 'gift' to Fleet Foxes, 'Tiger Mountain Peasant Song'.  I highly recommend the Youtube video, for a full understanding of the magnitude of this performance.  And to close is a short cover by Metronomy (better known for their remixes) with this Klezmer-infused reconstruction of B. Spizzy's 'Toxic'.   And there you have it, a conglomerate of cover songs that may never make it to Bourbon Street, but have been taken in by NoDef, and now (hopefully) by you too.

If I Were a Festival, Where Would I Be....?

EVERYWHERE.  Hola Nola-between this past weekend's Foburg Music Festival on Frenchman, SXSW happening all this weekend, Coachella, and Jazzfest in just another few weeks, it's only natural that festivals will play a large role in the upcoming mixtapes.  Ironically, I won't be in attendance for any of these events!  But don't worry, because I'm returning to Nola just in time for the Bayou Boogaloo, held in my own neck of the woods, the beautiful Mid-City neighborhood.  To live vicariously through the actual attendees of these showcases, I will share the bands and songs that would be first on my list if I were in the tough position every festival-goer shares: looking at that overwhelming fold out schedule, seeing how many bands you enjoy overlap to play at the same time, and think to yourself: 'who planned this thing?!'.  I know.

Foburg stands apart from these monster balls of a show, with a majority of the performers on the bill from New Orleans, all congregating on and around Frenchman to pour Indie, Experimental, and Rock genres into the street.  There are some out of towners as well, for Foburg was designed as a pit stop destination for many bands on route to Austin for this week's South By Southwest festival.  Because that festival officially started this past Wednesday, this playlist touches on some local flavor that I’ve grown to know and love since my big move to the Big Easy, as well as some more widely known names that are making it rain down in Texas this weekend.

Because I slept in Brooklyn last night, this mix begins with a Brooklyn duo known as Savoir Adore, who are slowly but surely making a name for themselves in NYC and beyond.  They graced Nola this past weekend and are continuing their journey to perform next in Austin.  What is impressive about the collaboration between Deidre Muro and Paul Hammer was created in one weekend; their first EP is an entire concept album that the two conceived in just two days, as a sort of experiment.  Like so many of these 'accidental successes' of young creative talent who were just having fun, and passing the time (Au Revoir Simone, The Unicorns, etc) Savoir Adore played a few shows in their hood and impressed the local crowds.  The band is really making moves, heard all over itunes, Hype Machine, and venues all over the country.  'The Scientific Findings of Dr. Rousseau' is my favorite tune on the album, with soothing instrumentals and an inventive progression.  Next up is Big Rock Candy Mountain, a band who has a legit following down south, largely due to the hit single 'Rocketship', which rocks out with intelligent riffs and hearty vocals.  Music is not the only thing these guys do well- BRCM is also known for their killer potlucks, stocked with slow braised ribs, mama's cornbread mash, spicy cole-slaw, and a seasonal Abita to wash it all down.  I was lucky enough to attend one of these feasts over the summer, being that one of my first New Orleans buddies happens to be lead vocalist and  man on keys Michael Girardot, who played host during a great gathering at his humble uptown abode.  These guys share the limelight with another household name in town, MynameisJohnMichael.  I caught these guys at a party held at the CAC a few months ago, and enjoyed the unique sound created by a mix of instruments that no one genre can define.  This isn't blues, this isn't jazz, this isn't rock, this isn't indie singer-songwriting, this is electric, percussive, and brass-blasting music that cannot and should not be labeled.  'Misery Runs' displays the horns that are a consistent tool to strengthen and flesh out these melodies, with special attention paid to, in my opinion, the Teddy Roosevelt of brass: the Trombone.

At that same CAC shakedown, DJ Bees Knees stepped in to close out the night with some twisting and shouting, thanks to their mainly MOD themed sets.  These guys also get around, headlining weekend dance parties at The Saint, Saturn Bar, All-Ways Lounge and events in need of some Motown soul.  When Bees Knees starts spinning (working with vinyl, and vinyl only) the party goes all night, and the sweat pours like PBR.  To illustrate the vibe of these two, I've selected the quintessential MOD representatives (aside from The Kinks and The Who), The Yardbirds, with the famous 'For Your Love'.  For a more poetic Foburg experience, the sunday night regulars at Circle Bar, Meg 'Peg' Roussel, Micah of Silent Cinema, and Loren Murrell all showed up to share some tunes.  I learned of Loren when going to check out friend Peg at the Circle bar and later on Yellow Moon down i the bywater, and his backup vocals alone blew me away before even starting his own set.  Loren's voice and how he uses it is enough to stop all banter in the bar, and 'Swinging His Keys' proves why.  Before moving on to SXSW, it is important to note Meschiya Lake, who frequents old Frenchman watering holes such as The Spotted Cat, and upstairs at Mimis, and is a favorite of mine to catch any night of the week.

Moving into selections from those inaugurating 2010's South By Southwest, Austin's Beauty Bar invited Jeremy Jay to play late night on Wednesday, a newbie to Northwest's K Records, breaking into the scene with his EP Slow Dance.  Jay immediately grabbed my attention after first hearing 'Gallop', what remains as my favorite of the bunch.  His sound sometimes resembles that of Peter Bjorn and John  (without the accent), with heavy reverb and EQ on the production.  [A quick local alert: Nola was heard in Austin on Wednesday thanks to Curren$y, DJ Pasta, and Blaire, who were spread out across the city on opening night of the festival].

Thursday had a huge lineup, with so many amazing performers, from Jean Grae to The Very Best, to my good friends from Anamanaguchi.  However, I want to highlight some names that hopefully didn't get lost in the mix of big-time headliners like GZA and The XX.  Attention must be paid to the deserving Nicole Atkins, who I recently saw perform (with David Byrne) at Bowery Ballroom on Delancey street a few weeks ago, and, closing the show after a long night of many great acts, melted the audience into their seats until her last belted note.  I have not been so excited by a folky female with  guitar since Dar Williams and Ani Difranco (no shame here), and 'The Way It Is' speaks for itself. Changing it up is a dance track that has been on repeat is the insanely catchy 'I'll Get You' by Classixx.  They ask the simple question 'Do you Like Bass?", as if it's even a question.  Enjoy this one.  Next is a rough around the edges electronic band from Denver who go by Pictureplane, who I was excited to see were invited to play at the Speakeasy Kabaret on South By's second evening.  This discovery was most likely due to another spastic music blog researching/downloading session, and thankfully so, because this band is doing it's own thing, taking risks with elements like tempo and structure, and their guts are paying off.  Check out 'Cyclical Cyclical (Atlantis)' for some freshness.  [Thursday local alert: Nola was heard on Thursday thanks to The Generationals, Truth Universal, and Big Sam's Funky Nation].  I am tempted to keep going, but will reserve Friday-Sunday's picks from Austin for next week, and will close with one of my favorite old school jams 'Keep Livin', by Jean Grae, who spits over Scarface's original beat off his hit single 'My Block' on his seventh album The Fix.  Both are great, and although Scarface came first, my loyalty lies with Ms. Grae on this one (who thankfully, although mentioning this thought in the song's first line, did NOT change her name to Crystal Meth).

Hola Nola!  For a second installment of this mixtape series I've decided to do a spotlight on our beloved WTUL, Tulane's own 91.5 FM.  The station is compiled of both affiliates and non-affiliates, however speaking from experience, you'll have to fight the throng of ever-eager freshmen just to nab the left-over after-hours time slots.  Regardless of my distrust in its claim to bring on non-Tulane attendees, I have a lot of respect for WTUL and it's mission to play the utmost alternative and non-commericial material, heard nowhere else on the waves (this means a lot considering I spent four years as a loyal DJ with my own college station, and a religious listener to possibly the best college radio of our time, Emerson's WERS).

In the midst of TUL's diverse and innovative selectivity, there is a consistent representation of local acts and NOLA staples, supporting and strengthening the connection to its community and listeners.  I chose a random week (3/3-3/10) to dive in and share my top pick of each day (sometimes a greedy 2 or 3 favorites of the day), all in the effort to display the bold variety and paid respek that is the devoted WTUL.

To start, we have Gang Starr's jumpoff 'The Militia', a great track by duo Guru (classic voice) and DJ Premier on the beat.  This is off of the group's fourth studio album The Moment of Truth (including one of my favorite and first heard Gang Starr tunes 'Betrayal') and samples the Dark Shadows Theme song "Main Title", by Robert Cobert.  March 4th laid down some NOLA pride with Galactic's 'Tuff Love' featuring Trombone Shorty and Big Sam.  I've been a fan of Galactic for a long time before I knew they were New Orleans natives, and have always enjoyed their funk and Jazz spin on the Jam-band scene.  Trombone Shorty and Big Sam are of course also home grown gems.  The morning of March 5th did me right with one of my favorite new songs of the new year, Hot Chip's 'I Feel Better', off their newest release One Life Stand.  This is a band I love and hate, love for when they serenade with the famous 'Boy From School' and lesser known lo-fi 'So Glad to See you', and hate for irritating tendencies heard in trash like 'over and over', and weak third album single 'Ready For the Floor'.  But this time Hot Chip strikes a chord, braving new territory and vibe, and doing it right.  Also be sure to check out old-school 'Baby Said', from their first LP in 2004.  The next song comes from a band I've only recently been turned on to, but has been around since hitting the famous CBGB Bowery/Bleeker music club scene in the 1970s.  It's possible I didn't know of Television for so long because of their superior popularity in Europe over the U.S., but no excuse nonetheless.  WTUL streamed 'Venus', from their 1977 debut album Marquee Moon (whose epic title track runs for almost a full eleven minutes).

Just before the clock struck noon (central standard time) on March 7, Tulane blessed us with Judy Garland on 'Happiness is a Thing Called Joe', recorded in 1955 and originally written fifteen years prior for the Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky.  This is a treat for so many reasons, one being Lady Garland, who is to singing as Meryl Streep is to, well, everything (including her own singing voice, let us not forget Mama Mia!)  The play was staged by one of my favorite choreographers, George Ballanchine, so that's a plus, and the musical turned film features Duke Ellington and NOLA's main squeeze, Louis Armststrong.  And on top of all that, if you're not so ga ga for Garland, there is a 1995 recording of this tune by Harvey Fierstein... Hola perfection!

Moving on we have Canadian duo The King Khan & BBQ Show, who I was lucky enough to see at Quintron and Miss Pussycat's own home/venue, Spellcaster Lounge, one of the hippest spots on the St. Claude drag.  'I'll Be Loving You' is the third track off their third studio album, Invisible Girl, and I highly recommend a listen.  I think if Weezer, The Beach Boys, and Doo-Wop all made Whoopie, out would pop The King Khan & BBQ Show.  Next on board are two tracks in the same day (don't mind if I do), when March 9 graced us with old and new digs: 'Le Crabe', by Montreal's Malajube, and 'Here in Heaven', by Sparks, a band of brothers (literally) hailing from Los Angeles in 1970.  Malajube's been well received in Quebec and beyond since 2004, and being a fan of everything Francophone, I approve of this indie rock band, despite their selling out to the new way musicians earn a living: The TV Commercial (a la Passion Pit, Feist, Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, and so many others that unfortunately chose this slippery slope to success).  I first heard of Sparks when a friend burned me a mix, including their hit 'Angst in My Pants', one of my favorite titles and awe-inspring lyrics for a song:

You can dress nautical

Learn to tie knots

Take lots of Dramamine Out on your yacht

and later:

You can be smart as hell Know how to add Know how to figure things On yellow pads

Enough said.

To Wrap, we touch down with  Broadcast's 'America's Boy', heard on the morning of March 10th, with WTUL showing some knowledge of and love for the UK.  Broadcast very pleasantly mixes their tracks with subtle feedback and distortion, creating a fuzzy but smooth overall feel; my kind of easy listening. 

Gracias to WTUL for providing such a Smörgåsbord of sound, a satisfying delight, both day and night.

Welcome to Hola NOLA, presenting music recommendations chock full of local artists, New Orleans inspired/related tunes, bands who will be passing through, new tracks and album release spotlights, and the occasional random jam that I deem as a must-hear (ya heard).  I’ve been exiled in the cold North for a few months; so, I'm going to kick off the series with a collection for those of us who know what it means to miss New Orleans.

We start with  'Way Down Yonder in New Orleans', sung by The Andrews Sisters (although Frankie Laine does his own rendition of this 1922 classic as well).  Although I love Tom Waits on the big screen, I shamelessly do NOT enjoy his music (sorry if I’ve offended every one of you) so I chose Scar Jo’s ‘I wish I was in New Orleans’, off her Waits Cover Album, which I enjoy far less than her new-and-not-too-shabby collaboration with Pete Yorn, Break Up.  [Relevant Tangent: Ms. Johansson is currently receiving rave reviews for her performance on Broadway as Catherin in Arthur Miller’s ‘A View From the Bridge’.] 

Moving along, we’ve got Paul Simon with ‘Take Me to the Mardi Gras’ paired with the King’s ‘Crawfish’ (which I unfortunately and unintentionally did not consume during my lucky and last minute visit down for MG this season), followed my Mason Jennings’ cover of ‘Going back to New Orleans’, which I did, when I went back, to New Orleans, only to return to this unforgiving island of overworking penguin suits and never-working (but seemingly wealthier) beautiful couples.  

Changing it up a bit is super chill Ernest Greene, lead singer of Washed Out, part of the the new/revived genre ‘Nu Gaze’ (New Wave Shoegaze) .  He’s getting down at Howlin’ Wolf on March `15th, so be sure to check out one of Pitchfork’s Top 10 of 2009 then. 

And last but not least, because I miss riding my bicycle, we close with Kraftwerk’s ‘Tour de France’, another laid-back track honoring the wonder on two wheels that we wholeheartedly embrace down south.  "Bicycling at high gear, Final sprint at the finish. Flat tire on the paving stones. The bicycle is repaired quickly. The peloton is regrouped. Comrades and friendship." equals HOLA NOLA!!