Alynda Lee

Hola Nola, and hola Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Lee Segarra. Still riding high after opening for Ani Difranco last week at the House of Blues, and about to embark on a ten day European tour, this country/rock/honky tonk assembly is (grass)rooted in NOLA atop two self-released albums- 2008's It Don't Mean I Don't Love You and 2010's Young Blood Blues.

After their time in Austin this year, Mojo4music.com named HFTRR the second best band at SXWW 2011. Most recently, British Record label Loose Music (Felice Brothers, M. Ward, Neko Case) released a self-titled CD that compiles this female's favorite tunes from the band's discography. Today, however, Alynda shares her top ten favorite songs par des autres, and just what they mean to her.

1. ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ -- Otis Redding.

 This man was one of the greatest gifts ever brought upon this earth. Otis poured pure emotion onto the stage and his recordings, sang with all his heart and soul, and had the best band ever! The Stax records studio band was composed of Booker T and the MG's for Christ sakes…you can't get any better than that. With drummer Al Jackson, guitarist Steve Cropper (who co authored many Otis originals) Booker T. on the organ, and Donald "Duck" Dunn on the bass, you got a band that will live on in history as something we all strive for. Stax Records was the place to be, it seems, a label bold enough to have inter-racial bands in Memphis, Tennessee in the late 1950s! It's a beautiful history with a sad ending. The music that was left behind will be an inspiration always.

But back to the song itself; this represents the greatest kind of love to me. There's nothing sexier than a man singing about treating his love with some care, respect, and tenderness. Otis just steals your heart instantly when he begins the song; anyone who's ever felt weary wearing an old dress will feel this song, for real. By the time he kicks into double time it becomes a religious experience. Legend has it that when Janis Joplin first feasted her eyes on Otis Redding live at the Monterey Pop Festival, she was quoted saying "I'm not a singer, Otis Redding is a singer, man." I feel the same way.

2. ‘Lakes of Pontchartrain’ -- Paul Brady (1977 version)

I first heard Paul Brady last summer when i was traveling through Montana. My good friend Kate Cavazos, who also happens to be one of my favorite singers and songwriters, showed me some videos of him and we learned this song together. It is a magical song for sure, sung by Brady at the top of his game. He is a very underrated singer due to the sad path his music took the 80's ruined so much!), but at this young age he was a vessel for traditional Irish tunes. His interpretations have sustained their being sung today. He has the voice of an angel on this recording, and any New Orleanian should have the pleasure of hearing this tale of unrequited love for a Creole girl.

3.’ Be My Baby’ -- The Ronnettes

One of my favorite songs of all time! Incredible production by the talented (but-god awful) Phil Spector. Some say (Brian Wilson to be exact) this is "the best pop record ever made" It’s a classic that fills me with nostalgia for a time I wasn't even alive for. Lead singer Ronnie Spector has the perfect vocals for that era: raspy, warm and piercing. They just soar over the whole wall of sound in this beautiful way without any silly frills or tricks; Ronnie keeps it real and simple. Gotta love that girl group sound. When this one pops on the oldies station on tour, you know the whole van is singing along.

4. ‘Farethee Well Miss Carousel’ - Townes Van Zandt

 Oh Townes, I just love this man. It's hard to pick a single Townes Van Zandt song for me; I don't appreciate his music song by song, but more as a soundtrack of my life. He is a comforting presence, and there's always something you can learn as a songwriter by listening to his lyrics. I was on a long bus ride with a friend of mine and I was listening to Townes on headphones. She turned to me and said "Not fair, you're just gonna study the whole time! Who will I talk to?" It occurred to me then that I was in fact studying intently.

I chose this song off my favorite of his records, the self entitled Townes Van Zandt. It's obviously his stab at writing a Dylan-esque lengthy song filled with bizarre characters and scenes. All with a strange wisdom and sadness leading him back to the mysterious Miss Carousel. The song is unique for Townes being that it's not as straight forward as many of his tunes are. This is filled with riddles and more about the overall movement of the band and his singing. It's a hand held tour of his world, leading you down many paths with sad stories and representations of the men and women that live amongst him. Who is Miss Carousel? She seems to play queen over them all.

5. ‘I'd Rather Go Blind’ -- Etta James

Etta just kills it on this recording. Plain and simple, she breaks your damned heart.  She wrote in her autobiography that her friend Ellington Jordan wrote some of this song in prison, and sang it to her when she visited him. She helped him finish it up, and with the incredible strength of her voice and some love from a very gifted lead guitarist this became a soul classic. There's not much I can say about it- she says it all.

6. ‘This Morning I Was Born Again’ -- The Tumbleweeds

No New Orleans mix tape would be official without a track from one of the very gifted local bands we got around here. This city is unlike any other when it comes to being chock-full of talent. I am very proud to say my friends the Tumbleweeds are now filling the hole I had in my heart for a young and inspired honky tonk band that writes their own original songs! These boys are a dream come true for a music appreciator like myself. They know their stuff when it comes to the old records, and they’ve digested enough great music to create their own.

This song is special because the words were actually written by Woody Guthrie, but he was never able to record it. Riley Downing of the Tumbleweeds put a melody to this song and he sings it with all his soul. I am lucky enough to have heard the sneak peak of the recording, complete with a killer band sound and some cosmic country production. I was even able to sing some "Ooh's" in the background. However, the back ups by Sam Doores and Dan Cutler are where it's at. Those boys can sing, and when we exclaim "Oh yeah!" you can really feel where this song is leading you, to the promise land. This recording will be out very soon, so look out for it! I'm sure Woody is proud of it wherever he is.

7. ‘Lonely Teardrops’ -- Jackie Wilson

This is a very romantic song for me, and it has some incredible "Shoo-be-doo-wops." Whenever I hear it, I think of my sweetheart, since we are always reuniting and separating due to various gigs and the like. We both are big fans of Jackie and think his voice is out of this world. My favorite part is actually his last note, which brings the whole song home. A great mix tape song for your special someone!

8. ‘Love is Just a Four Letter Word’ -- Joan Baez

Whoa, speaking of love! This Dylan-penned song is one of his best in my opinion; it kills me that it’s so well written and yet, he just kind of forgot about it. I can only hope I'll write that many amazing songs some day. This is a revolutionary love song when it comes to the writing. The singer is leading you through the experience of learning that relationships simply do not last forever, and explaining so eloquently the change of heart and hope one has as love fails them for the first time.

There is a very strong female character in this song that is wise and older. She is the teacher in matters of the heart, and amazes the singer with her serenity and acceptance that love is often fleeting. That all we truly have is ourselves. The narrator witnesses her interaction with the Father of her child, and it hints that this is a good example of a relationship that did not last. I believe that for that time period this song was incredibly powerful and honest. It shattered old stereotypes of what relationships should be by speaking honestly about the different shapes relationships take in the real world. Honesty like that is very important for our culture.

The end mentions the turning of tables- the singer has learned many lessons and is much older than he/she probably is in years. It seems like the Wise Woman is perhaps in Love again and now the student is repeating what was said so long ago. "Love is just a four letter word." We fall in love, we get hurt, we fall in love again. You can't stop it. You know Joan knows what that's like. Which is why I love that she sang this song. The production is cheesy yes, and her voice took some getting used to for me. But the alternate title of this song should be "How I learned to stop worrying and love Joan Baez." Get it, Joan.

9. ‘The Ballad of Boot Hill’ -- Johnny Cash

I love Johnny Cash, but this song is the epitome of his voice and what he represents. American to the core, full of the myth of the old west and also 100% Rock n' Roll, Johnny was special. I also love the melody of this tune, and the storyline is epic; it brings you to another time and place. A great song for a road trip.

10. ‘Consider Me’ -- Mahalia Jackson 

I was introduced to this song by a band I play with on Royal Street called Tuba Skinny. Singer Erika Lewis actually does an incredible version of this, and I only wish it was on record so I could put it on this tape. She brings tears to me every time we play it. But there are no comparisons to the two versions, they are simply both so beautiful and well done in their own ways. You cannot argue that Mahalia Jackson is the Queen of Gospel. She will fill the heart of you listeners out there. All there is left to say about this recording is that it will heal your soul. Amen.