By: Anna Edwards

Let’s take a trip down south, to New Orleans, particularly. Home to the offbeat skateboarders, the artsy wealthy, the dirt poor, the Tulane students with their obnoxious Tulane shirts, the Loyola students with their dreads and glazed over eyes, the dumbfounded recent college graduates and the stray kittens and puppies who I’m sure have Lady and The Tramp moments constantly, New Orleans is most notably the dwelling of the low and soulful, of the heartbroken and the heartbreakers. A city comforting the homeless saxophone player on the jaded corner of Frenchman Street. It is the tattooed, pierced and colorful woman opening her soul on the dim-lit stage with a gin and tonic cowering in her cup.

Certain cities just foster music, and New Orleans has historically been known for doing so. There are the well-known musicians who made New Orleans famous, but the more interesting side of New Orleans music comes in the shape the modern-day street performers. Those making their living off drunk tourists who say “Nawlins,” and throwing dollars at them, whose pets are taught to play dead with a cigarette in their mouth, with instrument dwellings covered in stickers, spilled PBR and loose change.

These street artists are what keep New Orleans quirky; ragged men and women sketching, scatting and seducing their city in the hugging heat of the summer or in the thick, breathless night are the soul of blues, of jazz, of funk, of New Orleans.

I took the liberty of putting together a playlist that characterizes this perfect, eclectic music scene in New Orleans. Listen below:

Anna is a sophomore English major & avid dog lover. She might be the only girl with a playlist titled, “girls RULE boys DROOL,” and admits that it’s on constant repeat. She was once handed the microphone at an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s concert; but in a sick twist of fate, instead of hearing Alex Ebert ask her to “sing us a lyric,” she heard, “tell us a first.” Needless to say, she was cheated from her five minutes of fame. In all seriousness, she’s just tryin’ to play that funky music white [girl], play that funky music right.