While Girl Talk didn’t invent the mash-up, he certainly brought it to the party. And since he did, they’ve been all the rage—particularly those that blend unlikely bedfellows hip-hop and indie rock. Here are a couple must-haves for any mash-heads.
The Hood Internet: A Chicago-based team of two (Aaron Brink & Steve Reidell) who take cutting-edge indie rock acts and mix it with hip-hop (underground or mainstream). All tracks are available for free at their website.
Rainy Dayz: AmpLive’s take on Radiohead’s In Rainbows, complete with appearances by Too $hort, Zion-I, Charli2na of Jurassic 5, and Del the Funky Homosapien. AmpLive is a master—even the songs without accompaniment shine. Album available for free at One Seven Seven Six.
Illinoize: Tor, a producer from Montreal, mixes Sufjan songs from several albums with hip-hop heavies like Brother Ali, Grand Puba, Gift of Gab of Blackalicious, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, OutKast, DJ Premier, and Aesop Rock. Album available for free download here.
Girl Talk: Well, duh. As of today, Illegal Art is releasing all GT albums for pay-what-you-want.
