Teddy Blanks covers Sinead O'Connor's "The Emperor's New Clothes."

A new episode of Mixed Tapes is available every month at themixedtapes.com.

Through a series of casual conversations with unsigned and independent musicians, Mixed Tapes explores new artists' early influences, their struggles, their shifting conceptions on making music, and the challenge of living and working in New York City. At the end of every episode, the artist or band performs a cover of a song they love -- linking their personal journeys to a unifying pop experience.