It’s been called “bastard pop” and “bootleg remixes,” but since it’s been appropriated to describe any kind of combination of media, the most common term we have for it is “mashup.” Originally, it was used to describe unauthorized mixes where the vocal track from one song is laid over the instrumental track of another (or more than one) song to create a new tune.
You can get into all sorts of arguments over where this began or what was the first mashup record, but a pretty good educated guess traces it to computer/electronics wizard Mark Gunderson, who founded the group Evolution Control Committee in 1987. Four years later, a landmark legal case, where dreary singer/songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan’s publishing company successfully sued rapper Biz Markie’s label over a sample of GOS’s 1972 hit “Alone Again Naturually,” drove the hardcore art of sampling (especially the unauthorized kind) underground, which is where ECC comes into the picture again.
Our roundup called the Grammys “the nerdy older sister of awards shows,” and this year impressed yet again with a strong showing of irrelevance and poorly performed, manic mashup choices. We were given “Speechless” with “Your Song,” Beyonce honoring Alanis Morrissette, Jamie Foxx and opera, and other baffling choices that make you feel like the Grammy organizers have been listening to too much Girl Talk.
Unfortunately, not every hit song from 2009 earned airtime (can you imagine the hammered brothers in Kings of Leon motoring through “Use Somebody” with AC/DC?). Instead, we go to mashup artist DJ Earworm, who has created the United State of Pop 2009 by combining the top 25 songs on the Billboard chart from last year. We’ve mourned the irrelevance of the Billboard chart in the past, so the fact these songs earned a combined 25 Grammy nominations is a sobering thought. We’ve included this year’s mashup along with the United State of Pop 2008 and 2007 after the jump. Try and count how many songs you remember or wish you could forget.
In support of the Beastie Boys’ Check Your Head reissue, Max Tannone, the remixing mastermind behind the Jay-Z and Radiohead mash-up, Jaydiohead, has released Doublecheck Your Head. The album mashes the Beastie Boys’ vocals from Check Your Head with samples from the Beastie Boys’ other works, hence the doublecheck. Download the entire album here for free. If you want to listen before you download, check out a streaming version of the album after the jump! Read More »
