1. Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Just a Closer Walk with Thee - i figured this was just an instrumental introduction song, like something short that'd act as an overture. and then it kept going. it's not bad, though. in fact, apart from my misconception, i rather like it.
2. The Subdudes - All the Time in the World - this is okay.
3. Love as Laughter - Dirty Lives - alright, i like this. vocals were initially a little annoying, but i warmed up to them. and i like the music.
4. The Bluerunners - Coulee Rodair - now this is one where the vocals are a little annoying and there is a ton of harmonica here and i can't take too much of that.
5. Dr. John - I Walk on Gilded Splinters - how long is this... ? this lost my interest about thirty seconds in and never recovered. i thought i was in a time warp.
6. Johnny Ace - The Clock - this is boring me. the vocals are good, though.
7. Al Green - I'm a Ram - this song's okay. the horns are good. (edit: really? hmm, never heard this al green before.)
8. Jonathon Richman - Parties in the USA - eh, this is alright.
9. Wild Magnolias - Party - i was just wondering if i'd be able to classify anything on this mix as upbeat and i finally found it. let's keep this going. this is pretty good, even though it takes awhile to get started.
10. Beausoleil - Hey Baby, Quoi Ça Dit? - oh. this is alright.
11. Lucero - Watch It Burn - that was an odd transition, but i cannot complain about lucero. this is the first (edit: and only) thing i knew already.
12. The Dirtbombs - The Thing - this is at least upbeat. i like it.
13. Gomez - Detroit Swing '66 - wow, now this is a big change. i kinda like this, even though it's totally out of left field.
14. Ernie K-Doe - Ain't it the Truth - and, we're right back on track. it's alright.
15. Wild Tchipitoulas - Meet the Boys on the Battlefront - what is this? "beastie boys on the battle front"? (edit: oh...)
16. Professor Longhair - Cry to Me - hmm... not really my thing.
17. Big Al Carson - Take Your Drunken Ass Home - i don't really like songs just about drinking or being drunk. because i haven't had anything to write about this supposed jam, i've ended up listening to it about 4 times to hear something. not my favorite ending.

as with all my mixes, i listened to this blind and then looked at the tracklisting later. i've listened to this mix again since writing it and didn't feel the need to make many changes in what i wrote. that first dirty dozen brass band song is really good, then there're some alright songs, then a lull, then it picks up, then some surprises, and then it ends sourly for me. i'm not going to slam it because my appreciation for the bulk of what's here isn't very honed. i can't tell if it's good among its contemporaries or not; only that i don't really care for it right now, mostly out of ignorance. that's a not very sound review, but it's what i've got. overall, my favorite part was probably also the most modern part - that lucero/dirtbombs/gomez string. sometimes i like to think about what people were thinking when they made a mix and that made me think, "i should really put on something from the last few years." i'll be going back to this to pick out what stands out over time for me.

I included this song on the early prototype of my Tower Of Mong mix. Didn't really fit on there, but a great groove all the same.

Z,
Appericate the review even though you hated it.

i knew these reviews would come down to this at some point. there were five songs that i did hate, five that i really liked, and the rest were inbetween.

I'm just keeding around Z. I'm glad you took the time to review, really. We can't all like everything. I'm okay with that.

This didn't surprise me at all..goes back to the pop side of soul v. the dirty funk side of it. I pretty much like everything on Oldbullee's mix. People do tend to prefer one or the other though.

It's acordian. You should probably stay away from all cajun music then.

haha. well, i guess i need to stop trying to identify instruments.

1. Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Just a Closer Walk with Thee 3* Sets a great lazy New Orleans feel. This is the feel our high school jazz band could never effect whenever we tackled a dixieland number.

2. The Subdudes - All the Time in the World 3* The Wild Thing intro is a killer. Has just enough of a common strain with the opener to make it work really well in the second slot.

3. Love as Laughter - Dirty Lives 4* I swear at times this is Ray Davies fronting the band. Dig this tune a lot, but the clapping at the end was pretty lame.

4. The Bluerunners - Coulee Rodair 4* Thanks for including this. We got their first album as a promo at the record store, and I immediatelyf fell in love. Picked up Chateau Chuck when it came out as well, then kind of lost track. They've definitely toned the "rock" aspect of their sound down, and the dark undercurrent that drove those first two albums has been abandoned, but this is still solid. Loves me some French and Creole.

5. Dr. John - I Walk on Gilded Splinters 3* Hypnotic, and gives a younger Tom Waits a good run for his money. Fits the mood of the mix very well.

6. Johnny Ace - The Clock 2* This one's a little too sleepy.

7. Al Green - I'm a Ram 4* Wicked slow soul funk. Excellent groove here.

8. Jonathon Richman - Parties in the USA 3* Cute, but it wears thin after a bit.

9. Wild Magnolias - Party 3* Cool, a heavier funk. Like it.

10. Beausoleil - Hey Baby, Quoi Ça Dit? 4* Love the half spanglish and franglais.
.
11. Lucero - Watch It Burn 2* This is okay, although incongruous given the 10 openers.

12. The Dirtbombs - The Thing 3* Fuzzzzzzzz. Dig it. Reminds me a lot of Barrence Whitfield.

13. Gomez - Detroit Swing '66 3* This would have been better as a Chemical Bros. style instrumental, although it build to a nice climax. Definitely got better toward the end and got an original 2* bumped to 3*

14. Ernie K-Doe - Ain't it the Truth 3* This one's solid--the backing horns and vocals make it. The guitar is a little too clean, though--could use a little more swing or slop to give it life--it comes across as mechanical.

15. Wild Tchipitoulas - Meet the Boys on the Battlefront 2* This one doesn't resonate with me.

16. Professor Longhair - Cry to Me 4* Took me a few listens to place the intro--it's The Damned "Dozen Girls" which means it's probably lifted from some classical piece. Nifty version of this tune, although my heart's still with The Pretty Things.

17. Big Al Carson - Take Your Drunken Ass Home 3* a suitable closer.

Excellent mix--I really love the bayou feel that is sustained through the whole thing. I knew a lot of the artists included, but not necessarily these tracks. Thanks for this!

1. Just A Closer Walk With Thee - Dirty Dozen Brass Band 5/5

Just great. This reminds me so much of jazzfest and as much as I like this, I own nothing like it.
Having not looked at the song titles first I was well into the song before I recognized it. I think I own at least 5 versions of this
holds up with any of them.

2. All The Time In The World - The Subdudes 5/5

Wow...I've never heard these guys before but they are pretty great. It sounds like 3 parts Neville Brothers 1 part The Band. In other words, they've gotten a distinctly New Orleans soulful sound but with a nice mix of rootsy rock and great playing. I'd imagine these guys have to be great live. Tell me where to start with these guys.

3. Dirty Lives - Love As Laughter 3.5/5

I don't like this is much as the last two but its still good. What's surprising is how well it works with the last two. I'd never heard anything off this album but I own and like Sea to Shining Sea, probably a little more than this but nothing off that would have worked at all here.

4. Coulee Radair - The Bluerunners 4/5

Close my eyes and I can imagine myself enjoying a cold one at the Fais Do Do stage. I have Le Grand Bleu which is all I've heard by them...that's much more of a roots rock album with some cajun elements. I like this more.

5. I walk on gilded splinters - Dr. John 3.5/5

I bought this album a few years ago. If I'm in the right mood for it, its pretty great. If I'm not, its sounds just ok. I'm not really feeling it right now, and its a bit long and a drag on the mix flow but I recognize its a pretty cool tune so I'll split the difference and give it a 3.5.

6. The Clock - Johnny Ace 4/5

Tell Me about this guy. He's got a pretty great voice and I like that the pace of the song and that that the music is pretty simple and doesn't distract from the appreciation of the song and vocals. Nice horns.

7. I'm A Ram - Al Green 5/5

Al Green's got one of the best voices in soul but as great as he is, a lot of his stuff sounds beautiful but very safe. This is considerably grittier and funkier than most of the Al Green I have. I may have to pick this one up.

8. Parties in the USA - Jonathon Richman 3.5/5

This is another one that seemed out of place based on a cursory glance at the track list. It works though even if its one of my least favorite songs so far.

9. Wild Magnolias - Party 2.5/5 This is my least favorite song on the mix. I'm guessing that this would be a lot better live, but I'm crazy about it on disc. I'm not crazy about the singer's voice and while its certainly upbeat, I don't really feel it getting into any good groove.

10. Beausoleil - He Baby, Quoi Ca Dit? 3.5/5 Unlike Z, I'm a sucker for the accordion. This is good but not great zydeco. I enjoy it, but its a bit repetitive and could be a little livelier.

11. Lucero - Watch It Burn 3.5/5

I like this but its the one song that seems the most out of place. I've got mixed feelings about its inclusion. I've never heard a full Lucero song before so I appreciate it but yours is one of a few mixes that I could see myself listening to repeatedly and it does feel out of place.

12. The Dirtbombs - The Thing 3/5

Its fine for what it is...a basic garage rock tune with some r&b underpinnings, the later of which tie it to the mix somewhat. Still, its not a great song and I like the first half of the mix better.

13. Gomez - Detroit Swing 66 3.5/5

The horns tie this to the mix a bit better than I would have expected. A friend of mine is a big fan and has been trying to get me into them. This isn't bad. I think these last three songs might have worked better if they weren't all in a row.

14. Ernie H-Doe - Taint It the Truth 3/5

At first it was a welcome change back to the New Orleans sound theme. Its a bit long and sleepy though. Maybe it's suffering from work level volume limitations. I thought I remembered liking this more when listening in the car.

15. Wild Tchipitoulas - Meet the Boys on the Battlefront 4/5

Classic New Orleans sound. I've heard this many times before but didn't know it was the Wild Tcipitoulas. How is the rest of their stuff.

16. Professor Longhair - Cry to Me 5/5

You're back in the swing of things here. I'm a sucker for New Orleans piano. That I discovered Professor Longhair through Rolling Stone's top 500 albums list is proof that as Fu might say every once in awhile sunshine does hit a dog's asshole.

17. Big Al Carson - Take Your Drunken Ass Home 4/5

I like it. A nice way to "bring in on home" as it were.

Thanks oldbullee. I enjoyed listening to this and know I'll put it out on occassion. I like the first half more than the 2nd half and there are a few real strong numbers on here, esp. the Subdudes who I will check out.

A few notes on Billy G's review.

1. Dirty Dozen Brass Band - A closer walk with Thee. This is off of their last album Funeral for a Friend, which is a tribute to Anthony Lucen who died in 04.' I'm not sure exactly his relation to the band But the album is absolutely great. In fact I would venture to call it an instant New Orleans classic and the seminal 2nd line album

2. The Subdudes. They are good live. I believe they are friends from a small town in Louisiana that had nothing better to do then play music to entertain themselves and friends. I don't have much recorded music but I defintely enjoy the little I have.

6. Johnny Ace - According to legend, he killed himself before a show by playing russian roulette drunk. He charted on the r&b charts posthumously with Forever in the 50's. Career cut way too short. All of his stuff is captured on Memorial. Every swamp pop band around here knows at least one Johnny Ace song even though I think he was from Texas

9. Wild Magnolias - as you suspected they are unbelievable live. But they rarely record and play together only occasionally.

14. Ernie K- Doe - Super famous locally. One hit wonder of the 50's with Mother-in-law. He's now running for mayor even though he's been dead for 5 years. No good compliation on cd exists. My dad has a killer comp on a record that does sound better.

15 Wild Tchipitoulas- Only one album. Knowing the music you like, this is essential. Basically this is a bunch of Mardi Gras Indians fronted by Chief Landry who recruited his nephews the Neville Bros to the group. I think some Meters might have been involved too. Anyways they only made the one album and broke up but it gave way to the Neville Bros. I think this is the greatest New Orleans/funk/Mardi Gras record ever made.

Thanks for the review. I wanted to make some sort of indie/Mardi Gras mix to put on at a party. It was a lot harder than I expected.

1. "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" - Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Man, this puts me right in the French Quarter! Doesn't get much more Nawlins than this.

2. "All the Time in the World" - The Subdudes
Mmm...this is greasy rock-n-roll. It's got a real "Honky Tonk Women" groove to it.

3. "Dirty Lives" - Love as Laughter
My favorite song of 2005! Fits perfectly, though I could just as easily see "Canal Street" on this mix.

4. "Coulee Radair" - The Bluerunners
I'm a sucker for that Zydeco sound, but it's something I need to limit to small doses. This really scratches me right where I itch.

5. "I Walk on Gilded Splinters" - Dr. John
It's a big Mac Rebennack attack! This sounds like it comes from his early Gris-Gris days. Very spooky and voodoo-tinged. I could easliy picture Yaphet Kotto rockin' this during Live and Let Die, while Geoffrey Holder dances around in a skirt made entirely from shrunken heads. Definite Big Easy flavor.

6. "The Clock" - Johnny Ace
Boy, this is oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold school Bourbon Street right here. My dad used to LOVE this stuff! I inherited a lot of his taste in music, and this is no exception.

7. "I'm a Ram" - Al Green
To the best of my knowledge, this would be our first trip outside Luzianne on this mix, though Memphis ain't but an oyster's throw to the north. What can be said about this legend that hasn't already been said thousands of times before. This is the master at his smoldering funkiest.

8. "Parties in the U.S.A." - Jonathan Richman
Boston's a lot more than a mere oyster's throw to the north, but Richman's good time music is right at home both here on this mix and in the Crescent City. Heck, this would work anywhere people are drinking and dancing, including the oft-referenced Huntington Beach. Hey, isn't that where billy g lived when he hired Dave Wakeling to play a gig in his backyard? Perfect!

9. "Party" - Wild Magnolias
The production on this track is a little too slick. That's the same problem I had with the Robert Randolph album. This type of music is supposed to sound a lot more raw and spontaneous than this. It'll still keep the dance floor shakin', though.

10. "Hey Baby, Quoi Ca Dit?" - Beausoleil
A Texas Tornadoes cover! AWESOME!!! One of the few bands my wife and I mutually enjoy. This is a great cajun reimagining.

11. "Watch It Burn" - Lucero
Great song from a solid band. Thanks to E. Fu for turning me on to these guys. This is what I imagine The Replacements might have sounded like, had they been from the South.

12. "The Thing" - The Dirtbombs
Like Richman, though they may be yankees (Detroit, in this case), they know how to bring the par-tay rock and/or roll! I can't ever get enough of their fuzz-drenched goodness.

13. "Detroit Swing 66" - Gomez
Other than the seedy nature of some of the lyrical content, this track is just REALLY out of place on this mix. The horns at the end might have saved things had they surfaced much earlier.

14. "Taint it the Truth?" - Ernie K-Doe
One of the main reasons my dad became such a die-hard New Orleans R&B fan was his infatuation with Ernie K-Doe's biggest hit, "Mother In-Law." This guy really is one of the standard bearers for the entire genre.

15. "Meet the Boys on the Battlefront" - Wild Tchipitoulas
This is a tasty hybrid of cajun and reggae. It actually works a lot better than you might expect.

16. "Cry to Me" - Professor Longhair
Long before Dr. John ever started tickling the ivories, Professor Longhair reigned as N.O.'s premier piano man. A true original. Great voice, too.

17. "Take Your Drunken Ass Home" - Big Al Carson
A bluesy ball-buster, which is the perfect way to close this mix. I love how it ends with him going, "Man, I'm tired!"

Great job on capsulizing the sound of your region, Tanner! This is exactly what I tried (and failed) to do with my ill-fated Fractured Texas! mixes. You really nailed it, man. I really enjoyed everything here, except for that Gomez track. You've got me craving crawfish etoufee with red beans and rice. I gotsta give you an A.

nope...but its not too far away about 45 minutes to an hour south.

I should add that I picked up 2 subdudes discs based on this mix. Good stuff.