Earl Scioneaux is no stranger to melding supposedly conflicting soundscapes. 

Tom Waits takes the yolk of a house - and, by symbolic turn, the country - upon his shoulders in an abrasive video for his new song "Hell Broke Luce." While the video's striking imagery makes it hard to look away, a gaze at the personnel reveals that along with the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, Preservation Hall sousaphonist Ben Jaffe and (in this case) tenor saxophonist Clint Maedgen were among the song's players. Watch the video:

Today is the final day of the Cajun-Zydeco and Creole Tomato Festivals, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra hits Uptwon, Poetry Slam and Open Mic Night at the Shadowbox Theatre, James Singleton gives Café Istanbul a whirl, and TBC Brass Band throws down at the Blue Nile. On this day in history, Preservation Hall opened its doors to the public for the first time. There was no cover. (1961) Later, French Quarter musician Johnnie Bachemin was found murdered in his apartment of Pauger Street (1998). Enjoy your Sunday:

Today, St. Cecilia's Asylum Chorus debuts its all star lineup at Preservation Hall, the Scandinavian Festival continues, as does Zeitgeist screening of Circumstance. But it wasn't mere circumstance when Abraham Lincoln defeated three other candidates for the U.S. presidency (1860), Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederacy (1861),  Meet the Press made its television debut (1947), Michael Bloomberg was elected mayor of NYC (2001), Mike Nichols (1931) and Rebecca Romijn (1972) were born, or when Peter Tchaikovsky died (1893). So act on today:

Today, The Scandinavian Festival kicks off its three day stint at the Norwegian Seamen's Church, Circumstance plays at Zeitgeist, and Preservation Hall's 50th Anniversary Gala is held at the Old U.S. Mint. Earlier, the Erie Canal was completed (1825), the first cash register was patented in Dayton, Ohio (1880), King Tut’s tomb was discovered in Egypt (1922), Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated (1995), and Barack Obama was elected President of the United States (2008), Diddy was born (1969), and Felix Mendelssohn died (1847). Check out what makes today famous:

As the New Orleans Film Festival rolls on, the movie menagierie's lesser talked-about panel discussion is only ramping up. Tomorrow night at the Louisiana Humanities Center, the Fest joins forces with an ongoing local series that features artists in conversation about the intersection of culture and the green (err, um..the dollars). Participating in tomorrow night's Film Fest edition of the People Say Project is Preservation Hall Creative Director and noted curly fro wearer, Ben Jaffe, and Otra timbale man and composer, Gabriel Velasco. The pair will be talking about the relationship of the music business to film.

Today, The East Bank Jefferson Library will celebrate two new book releases, and Zeitgeist will screen Cameron Crowe’s new rockumentary, but there was a time when Upton Sinclair was born (1878), when the first gasoline-powered car debuted in Springfield, MA (1891) when the first Cannes Film Festival was held (1946), and when Jim Croce died in a plane crash in Louisiana at the age of 30 (1973). Now back to the future:

As advertised, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band teamed up with Del McCoury and his band to play CBS' Late Show with David Letterman last night. Aside from allowing the two groups to actually fit on one stage, the big, TV setup made sure band members were ready for their closeup. The collaborators turned in a rendition of the jazz funeral staple "I'll Fly Away," that was making us strut though our living rooms. Watch it after the jump.

 April 20, the day that Warner Bros. announced the Vitaphone, the process that adds sound to film (1926), when Billie Holiday recorded “Strange Fruit” (1939), the premiere of Annie Hall (1977), the Columbine school shooting (1999), Deepwater Horizon oil catastrophe (2010, more on that later), Napolean (1808) and Hitler’s (1889) birthdays, Charles Richter’s death (1985), and 4/20 day. Here’s the scoop:

The Defender Picks (a gauche) lay down our list of suggestions each jour de la semaine, but here's our daily ‘pick of the litter,’ spotlighting a few of the day's offerings with some added detail.

Thursdays are for music, especially when it’s the first day of French Quarter Fest, and the first time that FQF starts on a Thursday. Full circle! From 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., you best be hopping between Woldenburg Park, Harrah’s, the aquarium, and Jackson Square to catch the Spirit of New Orleans (Brass Band) and all the Zydeco(sis) your little heart desires.