It’s Mardi Gras Time!

Editor’s Note: This is a repost from last year, or the year before – whatever.

Mardi Gras is the final big blowout before the period of fasting and sacrifice called Lent.  Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, is the end of carnival season and the final day you can indulge in those earthly pleasures we all love so much. Ash Wednesday is next Wednesday.

Feel free to party as you please; here’s some music to help you on your way.  Play ‘em loud, play ‘em often and play ‘em all year – make every day a Mardi Gras Day.

Don’t forget: You can tune in to real-time live webcams for a ringside seat to the madness and Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans.  NOLA webcams

MP3: “Life Is A Carnival/Party” by the Wild Magnolias

MP3: “Mardi Gras Mambo” by the Hawketts

MP3: “Second Line, Part 1” by Bill Sinegal & the Skyliners

MP3: “Who Dat at Mardi Gras” by Luther Kent

MP3: “Carnival Time” by My Morning Jacket w/the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

MP3: “Brother John/Iko Iko” by the Neville Brothers

MP3: “My Indian Red” by Dr. John

MP3: “Shake That Thing” by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

MP3: “Walking To New Orleans” by Fats Domino

MP3: “Tipitina” by Professor Longhair

MP3: “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In” by Louis Armstrong

MP3: “Mardi Gras Mambo”/”Hey Pocky-A-Way” (live) by the Meters

Your Sister’s (Record) Rack: Singles, Part 9 – Siblings

Our Labor Day rock-a-thon continues with more singles on 45.  This time let’s listen to some rock and roll siblings.  We’ve already spun a few sibling acts: the Carpenters, with brother and sister Richard and Karen, as well as Phil and Don, better known as the Everly Brothers.

Let’s begin with the first family of New Orleans: the Neville Brothers.  You’ve probably seen us rant about how the Nevilles should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not to mention Art Neville and the Meters;  these boys are just about the greatest musicians on the planet.  The Nevilles have had some awesome albums, but their history on 45 single is woeful.  We did dig up “Yellow Moon,” the title track from their unsurpassed classic album from 1989.

MP3: “Yellow Moon” by the Neville Brothers

The Everly Brothers are no strangers to the top of the pop charts.  Between 1957 and 1965, the Bros scored 26 Top 40 singles to make them the most successful recording duo of all time.  We covered their 1984 comeback, but let’s listen to the 1964 “Gone, Gone, Gone” which was covered recently by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

MP3: “Gone, Gone, Gone” by the Everly Brothers

Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart

Canadian sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson form the nucleus of Heart, whom I once described as “Led Zeppelin with breasts.”  I’m sorry about that, because I really like Heart; their “Bebe Le Strange” single from 1980 truly rocks out.

MP3: “Bebe Le Strange” by Heart

Speaking of rocking out, let’s dip into some Iggy and the Stooges, featuring the mighty Scott Asheton on drums and the late, very great Ron Asheton on guitar.  When the Stooges cut their 1973 punk masterpiece Raw Power, Ron Asheton had been relegated to the bass to make room for guitarist James Williamson.  “Search And Destroy” was issued to radio stations with a mono and stereo mix on each side of a single; you have here the glorious mono mix.

MP3: “Search and Destroy” (mono) by Iggy and the Stooges

Who Dat?™ Geaux Saints!

Oh yeah … all those years when nobody else cared about the Saints, it was “Who Dat? Nation” and “Who Dat?” dis and “Who Dat?” dat.  Now the NFL is claiming “Who Dat” is copyrighted, or it’s a trademark, or something.  Now that the New Orleans Saints are in the Super Bowl, the NFL is seizing”Who Dat?” – oh wait … “Who Dat?™” – in hopes of feeding its already bloated billion-dollar enterprise.

Who Dat?™ who’s greedy?  The NFL, dat’s Who Dat?™!

In other news, our great friend and awesome photographer Art Meripol sent an e-mail yesterday: he’s on assignment in New Orleans shooting jazz clubs from about now until the middle of next week.  The Super Bowl’s on Sunday, Mardi Gras hits its fever pitch next week (or Sunday if the Saints win), and our buddy’s in the middle of it all.  Nice work if you can get it.

Anyway, the covergence of these great events is convenient … so in the interest of public service, here’s a handful of New Orleans and Louisiana swamp rock songs for your Super Bowl/Mardi Gras party.  You can find many more by going to our “Walkin’ To New Orleans” series, plus we have a handful of Saints fight songs.  Of course, there are beaucoups more Saints fight songs at the New Orleans Times-Picayune.  The Saints, the Colts and the Who are gonna tear it up this weekend … be there, square hair!  Geaux Saints!

MP3: “Party Town” by Bobby Charles

MP3: “Blueberry Hill” by Fats Domino (Live at Austin City Limits)

MP3: “The Crawl” by Guitar Junior

MP3: “Tell It Like It Is” by Eddie Bo

MP3: “Shake Your Tambourine” by the Neville Brothers (live)

MP3: “Hang ‘Em High” by the Meters

MP3: “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” by Ernie K-Doe

MP3: “I’m A Fool To Care” by Joe Barry

MP3: “Rockin’ At Cosimo’s” by Lee Allen

MP3: “My Toot Toot” by John Fogerty w/Rockin’ Sidney

MP3: “Down South In New Orleans” by the Band w/Bobby Charles & Dr. John (live)

MP3: “Mardi Gras In New Orleans” by Professor Longhair

MP3: “Don’t Mess With My Popeye’s” by Fats Domino and Doug Kershaw