Our friends at Liberated Matter take over the top floor of Pianos in NYC every Tuesday for Cross Pollination, a show that brings two artists together for solo sets, followed by a third with the performers joining forces to “cross-pollinate.” We’ve hit a few of the 137 they’ve thrown so far, always a good time, always free. The Liberated Matter crew is releasing Cross Pollination: The Mixtape Vol. 1 to celebrate the show’s longevity, featuring some new and exclusive tracks from a cross-section of the Cross Pollination acts. Like the show, it’s free. This one comes from Stereofave Shara Warden, performing the previously unreleased, haunting keyboard cut “Hi, Remember Me?” Sounds like Shara’s flipping into some Kelly Clarkson-styled ex finger-pointing. Very cool track.

• My Brightest Diamond – “Hi, Remember Me?”Download

Get the rest of the mixtape (including tracks from Kevin Devine and Dave Deporis) here (zip file here). The collection also features “Pretty Voice,” from Cloud Cult’s The Meaning Of 8, which we’ve included below. Gives us the chance to share a pic from Cloud Cult’s sold-out show (second of two) at Merc this past weekend. Advice From The Happy Hippopotamus will always be the fan fave (the Merc crowd lost it for for each cut from that epic record). With the majestic sprawl of “Take Your Medicine,” though, the band shut up the aggravating drunks shouting “Hippopotamus!” after each Meaning Of 8 song, and sent the crowd into orbit.

• Cloud Cult – “Pretty Voice”Download

Craig’s not as shy as this pic would have you believe.