At 24, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is already a New Orleans MVP. Backatown is both deeply rooted and culturally omnivorous, opening with his 'bone hard-rocking a hip-hop groove, soon joined by a brass section, rock guitar and some boozy-sounding dudes hollering shit. Shorty can also sing smooth funk, and he dubs up nasty space fusion à la 1970s Miles Davis. Like the characters in HBO's Treme — which includes him — he's a Katrina survivor trying to hold on to the old while building the new.

“Youth Knows No Pain”

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”