CAN YOU PICTURE MY PROPHECY?

Any time I get a chance to show love to D.C. musicians, I jumps on it. This time, it’s Brenton Duvall of the Potomac Boys Club who, according to his mission statement, desires to deliver “funky jams…sunny days…everyday.” I feel like that’s a train we can all get on. Duvall recently released The PBC Demos, which contains a series of interesting mashups and remixes of recognizable favorites ranging from Aaliyah to Jonsi to Wale. My personal favorite, and without a doubt the mixtape’s standout track, is “Against a Mad World,” a seamless blend of Tupac’s “Me Against the World” and Gary Jules’ cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” Add in some synths and drums, and you’ve got yourself a whole new jam.

MP3: Brenton Duvall – “Against a Mad World (Gary Jules vs. Tupac)”

Love,
Zack

YOU’RE IN MY MIND, YOU’RE IN MY HEART

MSTRKRFT is awesome. We all know this. This isn’t news. They are the only group that can really get away with removing the vowels (which became a huge indie trend) since, you know, it looks fucking awesome. They also dropped a song about a year ago called “Heartbreaker” which you’ve clearly heard before.

In case you don’t dig too deep into dirty remixes, I have done the work for you, delivering downright grimy remixes from two of the house scene’s biggest names right now; Laidback Luke and Wolfgang Gartner. Oh, you say that’s not enough for you? Well how about the CJ Milli remix which mashes up the crooning of John Legend with my boyfriend some guy called Justin Bieber who you may have read about somewhere. Yeah, MSTRKRFT makes Justin Bieber tolerable. Just sayin’.

MP3: MSTRKRFT – “Heartbreaker (ft. John Legend [Laidback Luke Remix])”
MP3: MSTRKRFT – “Heartbreaker (ft. John Legend [Wolfgang Gartner Remix])”
MP3: MSTRKRFT vs. Justin Bieber – “Heartbreaker Baby (CJ Milli Mix)”

Love,
Zack

YOU’RE PACKING TONS OF GUNS

DJ Bahler is a mash-up DJ from Los Angeles who recently released a mixtape called Mashin’ Pit, which features our favorite band’s repertoire spliced with some of the more recognizable jams in recent memory. While it is entirely possible (and, in my opinion, likely) that DJ Bahler came up with the name of the mix and then put music to it, the results are nonetheless intriguing. Highlights include “Mum Mum Mum Moth,” which deftly balances Major Lazer’s “Pon de Floor” with “Moth’s Wings,” tied together with the vocals from Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face.” Also worth listening to is “Potholes on Easy Street” which samples, among other things, Kanye’s “Touch the Sky,” Yelle’s “Ce Jeu,” and, of course, Passion Pit’s “Tons of Guns.” Grab the whole mixtape here, and the aforementioned favorites below. You may not love them, but honestly, I can’t get enough of anything that even remotely involves Passion Pit.

MP3: DJ BAHLER – “Mum Mum Mum Moth (Passion Pit vs. Major Lazer vs. Lady GaGa)”
MP3: DJ BAHLER – “Potholes on Easy Street (Passion Pit vs. Kanye West vs. Yelle)”

Love,
Zack

It Seems Like Everyone is on Your Side

“People see rock and roll as, as youth culture, and when youth culture becomes monopolized by big business, what are the youth to do? Do you, do you have any idea? I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture.”

These are the opening lines of “Heaven’s on Fire” by Radio Dept., eloquently delivered by none other than rock music demi-god Thurston Moore. The band then jumps in with one of the catchier hooks in recent memory, but those opening lines really stick with me. Is it safe to say that blogs and DIY music releases published by today’s youth are this youth culture’s response to the capitalist process? What does it say, then, when some of our favorite blogs (GvB, The Hype Machine, RCRD LBL) are getting bought up by massive media outlets? Does it even matter?

More importantly, is the music still fantastic? In the case of “Heaven’s on Fire,” the answer is a resounding yes. The Hood Internet has also furthered the youth movement towards a free-sharing system with their amazing mash-up of the aforementioned Radio Dept. jam and Trey Songz’ “Say Aah.” Wherever music is headed, if it’s more like this, it’ll be just fine with me.

MP3: The Radio Dept. – “Heaven’s on Fire”

MP3: The Hood Internet – “Trey-dio Departmentz (The Radio Dept. vs. Trey Songz)”

Love,
Zack

Life’s a Bitch and then You Die

Milkman, aka Gregg Luskin, is a glitch-pop mashup producer from San Diego, much in the vein of the celebrated pioneer of the genre, Girl Talk (coincidentally also named Gregg). Before you call Milkman a straight imitator…well..never mind. He’s pretty much Girl Talk. BUT, he does serve as a nice remedy for those who have been craving more since the latter mastermind dropped Feed the Animals in 2008, which feels like a century ago. Take “Tribute to Ms. Lonely,” which samples 50 Cent, Cam’Ron, RHCP, Nas, Kanye, and….Suzanne Vega?

MP3: Milkman – “Tribute to Ms. Lonely”

Love,
Zack

It’s So Sexy, to Be Living in America

Leave it up to my brah Derek at Neon Gold to find the bronzed, crystallized mega-jam of the summer all the way back in April. The Massachusetts-based Dom is set to take the world, or at least nerdy blog readers, by storm, with “Living in America,” a song that makes me feel prouder to be an American than eating apple pie or going to a water park does, which is saying something. Anyway, the trio’s Sun Bronzed Greek Gods EP drops very soon, so pre-order yourself a copy here.

MP3: Dom – “Living in America”

And just for good measure, check the incomparable Hood Internet remix, featuring everyone’s favorite auto-tuner, T-Pain.

MP3: The Hood Internet – “Cowgirls in America (T-Pain vs. Dom)”

Love,
Zack

From Block to Block We Snatchin’ Hearts and Jackin’ Marks

As if I could get any nerdier (see: Team Teamwork’s Ocarina of Rhyme post), I recently got an e-mail from a man by the name of Alex Kresovich (who apparently lists Team Teamwork as an influence) imploring me to listen to something called Gold N’ Fly: 007. Given that I played Goldeneye for N64 so much that I had memorized spawning points and would whoop up on unsuspecting friends, I was naturally curious. I downloaded the mixtape, which turned out to feature some of my favorite hip-hop songs mashed up with the soundtrack to each immeasurably awesome level of the game, from Dam to Cradle, and even Aztec and Temple (whatup norks!?). The songs work inexplicably well, and I have since tried to bump them at every party we’ve thrown since. The typical response from the girl is “who is this weirdo?” but the response from the bros is uncontrollable excitement and nostalgia for a simpler time. A time when James Bond dominated the scene, Natalya was the love interest, and Oddjob was off-limits for multiplayer cause he was so short and hard to shoot, no fair. Check out the two highlights, and grab yourself a copy of the mixtape here.

MP3: Alex Kresovich – “Rich Boy – Throw Some D’s (Frigate)”
MP3: Alex Kresovich – “2Pac – Holler if You Hear Me (Facility)”

For England, James? No, for me……..

Love,
Zack

I’m a Paint the City Red with this One

I’m a sucker for the mash-up, so expect a remixtape coming very very soon to ATG. Today, though, I got a bit impatient and felt like I must share this gem. Granted, it hit the blogs about a month ago, but for those of you who might’ve missed it, check out this absurdly well-crafted creation, courtesy of Clockwork. Lil’ Wayne’s “Hustler Musik” versus the theme song from The Office? Don’t mind if I do.

The frat boy in you will lose your head.

MP3: Clockwork – “Office Musik (Dwight K. Schrute vs. Weezy)”

God bless the internetz,
Zack

In Regards to My Paper, Now They Guessin’ My Weight

Anyone who knows me is aware of the face that i am a complete nork (nerd+dork). I can tell you Cal Ripken Jr.’s on-base percentage and RBI total in 1991 (.374 and 114, if you’re wondering). I played eight seasons of Dynasty mode in NCAA Football 2009 (EIGHT! 8!). I have played every single Final Fantasy game dating back to FF3 on my Super Nintendo. You get the picture.

So imagine my excitement when I stumbled across Team Teamwork a few months back. The RPG-mashup artist who has created the nork’s wet dream; mixtapes splicing legendary video game music with hip hop bangers from the past few years. The last two mixtapes have featured songs from two of the most popular video games of all time; Final Fantasy VII and The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. The aptly titled Vinyl Fantasy VII and The Ocarina of Rhyme (respectively) are shamelessly entertaining, simultaneously balancing the nork’s (or derd’s) desire to feel cool (the hip hop) and love for nerdy RPG jams (the music from Hyrule Market, eg.). Check out “Virginia (Lost Woods)” from Ocarina of Rhyme and “Ante Up (Battle!),” both of which feature the most recognizable songs from both games and credible artists (Clipse and M.O.P.).

MP3: Team Teamwork – “Clipse – Virginia (Lost Woods)”
MP3: Team Teamwork – “M.O.P. – Ante Up (Battle!)”

If you like what you heard, grab the full mixtapes over at Team Teamwork’s website.

Love,
Zack

Is It In You Now?

UPDATE: Link fixed.

I didn’t know people still made mash-ups.  I was never a huge fan of them, aside from the wonderful collection crafted by the Legion of Doom.  Well earlier today ap.net pointed to one combining Brand New’s “Sowing Season (Yeah)” with P.O.S.’ “Optimist (We Are Not For Them)”, courtesy of a man who goes by the name of Hawkins.  Although it’s nothing more than Jesse Lacey’s vocals laid onto certain portions of “Optimist”, it works out surprisingly well.  How were these two kept apart for so long?  Kudos sir, keep up the good work.

MP3: Hawkins – “Optimist (Yeah)” (Brand New vs. P.O.S.)

Love,
Adrian