We had so much going on last week that we took a week off from the Friday Mix Tape. But fear not loyal readers, we’re back with another edition of the Mix Tape packed full of some heady tunes to get your weekend started. With Election Day right around the corner we’re feeling a bit patriotic, so we’ll feature songs named for a state. Just sit back and enjoy…

We kick things off with Wisconsin, a bonus track from Bon Iver’s achingly beautiful album For Emma, Forever Ago. Next up, we’ve got Philadelphia’s own Dr. Dog displaying their knack for harmonizing singing an ode to California, that can be found on their EP Takers & Leavers. From there, we’ve got the slow burner Arizona from the Kings Of Leon who will headline their biggest U.S. show to date in January at Madison Square Garden. We then move on to Yo La Tengo covering The Kinks with Okalahoma, USA from their covers record Fakebook. After that, we’ve got one from the melodic, shoegazers Ambulance LTD with the dreamy Michigan. Finally, we close things out Cat Power’s sultry take on Old Blue Eyes signature tune New York, New York from last year’s Jukebox.

• Click Here To Download This Week’s Mix Tape

Over the last few years, the hot thing has been get indie-rock bands to perform a classic album from their catalog. Well, for his upcoming residency at the Hollywood Bowl, legendary singer-songwriter Van Morrison will perform arguably his best album- Astral Weeks - in its entirety. Joining Van The Man will be a number of the musicians who originally performed on the album. The three night run - set to take place on November 7, 8 & 9 - will be filmed for a DVD release called Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl.

If you aren’t into the full album thing, then maybe you’ll dig one of these recently announced tours…

• Yo La Tengo returns to Maxwell’s for another eight night Hannukah run (begins: 12/21)
• Guitar slinger Derek Trucks takes his self-named band out on the road (begins: 10/22)
• Electro-rockers Ghostland Observatory keep busy through the end of the year (begins: 10/10)
• U.K. buzz band Noah & The Whale return to the states in December (begins: 12/02)
• Magnolia Electric Co. line up a brief 14 date run (begins: 10/21)
• Indie-pop act The Spinto Band head out for a two month tour (begins: 10/17)

Finally, several months back roots/Americana magazine No Depression ceased publication with the promise of relaunching as a web magazine in the coming months. Well, they have made good on that promise and have recently relaunched with a brand spanking new website and some amazing content. As a way of celebrating this No Depression is sponsoring a number of a parties around the country over the next few weeks featuring an impressive roster of talent that includes Lucinda Williams, Minus 5, Alejandro Escovedo and Nick Lowe, as well as dropping a hint of a full festival to take place in Seattle next July. Welcome back guys!

It’s no secret Yo La Tengo’s front man Ira Kaplan has quite an affinity for the New York Metropolitans - we previously reported on the connection to the origin of the bands name. What I didn’t know was that Kaplan and company took his love even a step further by covering the Mets kitchy fight song - Meet The Mets - during their annual fund drive appearance for WFMU. Give it a listen, I’d take their version over the original anyday.

The track appears on collection culled from their radio appearances called Yo La Tengo Is Murdering The Classics.

For further indie-rock baseball songs check out The Hold Steady’s version of Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

Dean Ween continues to provide outrageously brown content on his NING blog. Just yesterday Deaner shared some amazing shots from his photo collection. Where else can you see photos of Deaner with 1980 U.S. Hockey Coach Herb Brooks, or a head shot from the girl on the Chocolate & Cheese cover? Keep up the good work Deaner – the world needs more celebrity blogs that don’t suck.

Let’s start the final day of the week off with a fresh batch of links:

• Amy Winehouse denied visa; will not trainwreck at the Grammys
• Martin Scorsese’s Shine A Light debuted in Berlin yesterday
• The North Mississippi Allstars are giving away their new live CD
• Billy Joel beat out Yo La Tengo for the rights to play the last gig at Shea
• The B’more Sun explains the difference between indie kids and hipsters
• Levon Helm talks to the Wall Street Journal about the Midnight Rambles
• The NYT offers a meditation on the man who saved The Beatles
• Rockwell in Boulder recaps a busy night at the Fox Theatre
• It looks like a new venue is opening in Brooklyn soon

Finally, the Daily Swarm clued us in on a terrific list detailing 10 Examples of Auto-Tune Abuse in Pop Music. We Believe Cher is totally to blame for this horrible fad, so we’re shocked that song didn’t make the list.

Take it from famed New York Metropolitan Ed Kranepool and watch this short video as to the true origin of the band’s moniker. Our confidential informant Jesse Jarnow passed that clip along to us with the footnote: “What’s more amazing, is that the video was shot on the softball field in Hoboken, right by the Elysian Fields, where baseball was more or less invented in the 19th century.”