To mark the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — and in response to the Gulf Oil Disaster also deeply affecting the region — Air Traffic Control (a nonprofit resource for activist and philanthropic musicians) has produced DEAR NEW ORLEANS, a digital music benefit compilation for the people of the Gulf. Mike plays on two tracks on the compilation: a cover version of Neil Young’s “Ohio” which features Mike and Bonerama (accompanied by Wayne Kramer and Dave Herlihy) and a cover version of the MC5s “Kick Out the Jams,” also with Kramer and Bonerama.
DEAR NEW ORLEANS will be available for download on Tuesday, August 24th at Dearneworleansmusic.org, iTunes, Amazon.com, Rhapsody and eMusic.com.
More About Dear New Orleans
DEAR NEW ORLEANS is the product of lasting friendships forged between musicians from all walks of life and New Orleans artists, tradition bearers, organizers and a cast of “only in New Orleans” characters during artist activism retreats co-produced by Air Traffic Control . The compilation features 31 New Orleans-inspired tracks ranging from original compositions written by musicians about their experiences in the area to covers of popular New Orleans songs to one-of-a-kind collaborations between retreat alumni and celebrated New Orleans musicians.
In addition to the two tracks on which Mike plays, DEAR NEW ORLEANS tracks include the original OK Go song “Louisiana Land,” a narrative born out of the band’s time spent in the Big Easy, Nicole Atkins and Bonerama’s horn-powered version of Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks,” My Morning Jacket and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s live cover of Al Johnson’s Mardi Gras anthem “Carnival Time” and The Wrens’ “Crescent,” an early mix from the band’s forthcoming album — their first since 2003 (DEAR NEW ORLEANS full track listing is below).
Proceeds from DEAR NEW ORLEANS will be granted to New Orleans based nonprofits working to support and sustain the region’s unique musical and cultural traditions and to protect and restore vital environment and community resources for future generations. Such beneficiaries include Sweet Home New Orleans and Gulf Restoration Network.
ABOUT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
Air Traffic Control (ATC) exists to help musicians play an effective, unique and vital role in the promotion of social justice. Musicians and managers established ATC five years ago to assemble an experienced and trusted team of leaders, resources and tools that would help them to create more effective social change collaborations with each other and with social justice organizations. As a result, ATC became an artists’ air traffic control—one that develops capacity, efficiency, and coordination to produce stronger and more creative social change partnerships.
DEAR NEW ORLEANS TRACK LISTING:
1. OK Go “Louisiana Land”
2. The Mendoza Line “Catch a Collapsing Star”
3. Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman “Midnight in the City of Destruction”
4. Janet Bean and the Concertina Wire “My Little Brigadoon”
5. Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ââ¬ËPrince’ Billy “Love in the Hot Afternoon”
6. Paul Sanchez (featuring Shamarr Allen) “Don’t Be Sure”
7. Alec Ounsworth “Dr. So and So” (featuring Al “Carnival Time”
Johnson and John Boutte)
8. Steve Earle “Dixieland”
9. Luke Reynolds “Flood”
10. Jon Langford “Last Fair Deal Gone Down”
11. Laura Veirs “I Can See Your Tracks”
12. Vijay Iyer “Threnody”
13. Jill Sobule “Where is Bobby Gentry?”
14. Flobots “Stand Up”
15. Rebecca Gates “Doos”
16. The Wrens “Crescent”
17. Indigo Girls (featuring Brandi Carlile) “Kid Fears”
18. Timothy Bracy’s Collection Agency “Matching Scars”
19. Nellie McKay “Late Again”
20. Blind Pilot “Buried a Bone”
21. Mirah (featuring Thao Nguyen) “NOLA”
22. Allison Moorer “A Change is Gonna Come”
23. 2nd Chief David Montana “The Change of Heart Man”
24. Wonderlick “The American Way”
25. Bonerama “Mr. Go”
26. Thao Nguyen and Bonerama “Body”
27. Erin McKeown and Bonerama “Blackbirds”
28. Nicole Atkins and Bonerama “When the Levee Breaks”
29. Mike Mills and Bonerama “Ohio” (with Wayne
Kramer and Dave Herlihy)
30. Wayne Kramer and Bonerama “Kick out the Jams” (with Mike Mills, Erin McKeown, Nicole Atkins and MartÃÂn Perna)
31. My Morning Jacket and Preservation Hall Jazz Band “Carnival Time”
For more information on DEAR NEW ORLEANS, visit Dearneworleansmusic.org. For more information on Air Traffic Control, visit Air Traffic Control.