Today we feature three songs inspired by New Orleans and the August 29, 2005 Katrina disaster that killed 1833 souls.
We start with Steve Earle and the song he wrote for the HBO series Treme, “This City”. He explains the genesis of the song in the intro:
The recording is from BBC4 and he is accompanied by Diana Jones and Tom Morello, a person with great guitar chops and an even better social conscience.
Next, The subdudes. And yes, that’s a small “s”. Their sound is notable for the band’s substitution of a tambourine player for a drummer. The song is “Poor Man’s Paradise” from the 2007 album, Street Symphony, produced by George Massenberg, who produced with the Wrongologist’s favorite, Little Feat (that would be the Lowell George iteration of the band).
Finally, here is a Treme funeral scene that is followed by a traditional Second Line parade in honor of the dearly departed. Khandi Alexander’s performance in this scene is amazing. The idea of your loved ones dancing down the street after you go is very New Orleans and very comforting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-iZUhHjXi8
Laissez les bon temps rouler mon amis!
