It seems like mashups are all the rage these days. And why not? Take a great song, take another great song and make a new great song. I remember when MTV mixed ACDC's "Back in Black" with Eminem's "My Name Is". So sick.
Well this next guy takes it to a whole new level. Instead of just taking and combining two good songs to create a new one, he takes DOZENS. Strangely enough, his name is Greg. He's from Pittsburgh. You'll know him as Girl Talk.
He's had a few albums, but his latest release, from 2008 I believe, Feed the Animals is by far his best. I've heard many other mashup artists' albums before. Something about this one really stands out and I just can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the pacing. Maybe it's just sample selection. I don't know but it works and it works better than the rest. The album itself plays out kind of like flipping through a radio station or an iPod, which is good for our attention deficit generation. A sample comes on that you don't like, just hang out, it'll be gone in a few seconds.
You get a great mix on here. I can pick out the rappers and singers from their lyrics, but a lot of the instrumentals are from rock groups I'm not quite as familiar with. I can tell you that this album runs the gamut from Busta Rhymes, to the Jackson 5, to Kelly Clarkson. It is divided into tracks, but flows well and is really meant to be listened to in it's entirety. I stuck this CD in my car and had it there for a while because as time goes by, certain samples and parts that you weren't crazy about before grow on you. It's fun to sing along and is an essential road trip album because chances are, all your friends in the car at least know SOME of the words.
This brings me to his live performances. I was lucky enough to see him this past summer in Pittsburgh. OH. MY. GOD. I'm not a frequent concert goer, but that concert is now the standard by which all others will be judged. Absolute insanity. Tons of people dancing on the stage. Lights everywhere. Everybody was dancing like crazy for hours. It was a better party atmosphere than even any club or party I've been to. If you ever have an opportunity to see this guy live, you are a FOOL if you miss this show. Bottom line. No argument. I still check his MySpace every now and again to make sure I'm not missing out on any upcoming shows. Until then, I'll still have Feed the Animals to hold me over.
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