Mashups

The first mashup I ever heard was "Too Deep" by Girl Talk. I was in a store called Bodega in Boston and I heard Phantom Planet (the theme song to the OC) mixed with Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." I was hooked.

Let me pause here to explain what Bodega is. It's an urban boutique - designer sneakers, t-shirts, etc. - that you enter through a secret door in the back of an unassuming bodega in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. Go to this address, step inside, walk to the back right corner of the store, stand in front of the soda machines, and a secret door will slide open to reveal a cool boutique. I'm serious. Check it out.

Anyway, Girl Talk was the first mashup artist I ever heard, and he's still the best. If you don't have his new album, Feed the Animals, it's available as a "pay as you wish" download here. In my opinion, he's the master of the genre right now. After you listen to a few tracks, take a look at the Wikipedia pages for his albums to get a sense of how many songs he layers on each track. It's unbelievable. Play it at your next party and thank me later.

Anyway, there are a few other mashup albums that are worth checking out.

Collision Course
Jay-Z and Linkin Park

This came out a few years ago, but it's pretty good stuff. Jay-Z is one of my favorite artists of all time, and I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I listened to Reanimation quite a bit in college, so this mashup is OK by me.

Jaydiohead
Jay-Z and Radiohead

I think Radioheads melodies work very well with hip hop beats, so this new mashup is a winner.

The Hood Internet
Various Artists

It's worth checking in to this website from time to time to see what they've cooked up. They dig pretty deep into the indie rock vaults, so it's a great way to discover new bands too. And free album downloads are always cool.

Ratatat Remixes
Various Artists

Ratatat is an awesome electronic music duo from Brooklyn that uses their sweet beats to make fantastic mashup albums. If you're like me and you prefer to read or write to music without lyrics, then download Ratatat's studio albums and let er' rip. When party time rolls around, throw on the remixes.

Bootie
Various Artists

Check out these creepy mashup posters and you'll get a sense of the music these folks create. You can download their annual "Best of Bootie" albums for free here.

Just add a few of these tracks to your iPod and you'll be sure to turn some heads at your next party.

Any good mashup artists that I've left out?