The Cold Cut

Be afraid... very afraid. Maxl Rackson

I love mash-ups. Its two for one. Buy one get one free. Whatever you want to call it. That is, when you are lucky enough to find a good one.

Either way, when executed well, a mash-up is elevated a level above the original songs. Generally, you have to search long and hard for a truly brilliant combo, but I've done the work for you. Enjoy, and think of the possibilities. In order of brilliance:

Rihanna/New Order- Shut Up On A Blue Monday (ComaR) (Link 2) (Link 3)
Simply genius. Whoever put two and two together should really quit their day job. This is one of the rare occasions where the songs fit perfectly together. Seamless. Rihanna becomes bearable- it must be a miracle. Listen, NOW!

Nirvana/Michael Jackson- Smells Like Billie Jean (Link 2) (Link 3)
Imagine: this is what MJ would sound like if his voice was a bit lower, and he wrote brilliant grunge music instead of sickly pop gems. And stopped screeching. Cha-mon-e.

Crystal Castles/Bloc Party- Hunting For Witches (Link 2) (Link 3)
A remix and a mash-up, this is good enough for a coveted spot in the list. Once again proving that Crystal Castles are 'so hot right now'.

Jackson 5/Guns N' Roses- Illiterate City (Divide And Kreate) (Link 2) (Link 3)
A five part harmony is a definite improvement over Axl's screeching. Chinese Democracy that, bitch.

Eurythmics/The White Stripes- Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Seven Nation Army (DJ Poly) (Link 2) (Link 3)
Yep. Another perfect combination. I personally would have put Jack a little bit higher in the mix, but its beautiful, regardless.

Britney Spears/Amy Winehouse- Detox (King Of Pants) (Link 2) (Link 3)
At times verging into discordant territory, this just about pulls it off. Its the combo of that baritone sax and the 'Toxic' beat.

Tell me when the links go down- I'll upload them again. Oh, and keep checking back- I'll be updating again today.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas- what new music did you get, if any?

It must bring some hope to Amy Winehouse, that, amongst all her personal issues, her music is still soldiering on. I was quite shocked to find out that 'Back To Black' is officially the highest selling album in the UK this year. She even beat Leona Lewis, whose debut 'Spirit', sold an annoying 1 million albums in a month. Amy, on the other hand, sold 1.5 million over the whole year. Still impressive, but Lewis' figures make her album the fastest selling UK debut, ever. Okay, her voice is great, but she's an X-Factor winner. Aren't people starting to get bored of the whole formula?

I must admit, whenever I see Amy on TV I find myself shouting, pleading that she would sort herself out before she becomes the next Pete Doherty. Regardless, 'Back To Black' is great, and her voice is definitely special. If she could stay of the sauce and sort her live shows out, she'd be back on track. Good luck with it, Amy, and I hope album number 3 is coming along soon. Get your shit together!

Amy Winehouse- Rehab (Ah- the irony!)
Amy Winehouse- You Know I'm No Good
Amy Winehouse- Valerie (Not The Ronson Version)

Last night's EMA Performance of 'Back To Black' was an obvious sign that things still aren't right with Amy Winehouse. Throughout the song she looked bewildered, as if she didn't know were she was. Whilst not being a particularly demanding song, Winehouse struggled to find the notes, and seemed to have lost 'that voice' which everyone used to talk about. Oh, and don't forget the moment earlier when she went up to receive her 'Artist's Choice' award, only to walk off the stage without any speech whatsoever. Great one, Amy. Way to win over the fans... Looks like the beehive, booze and drugs program isn't going so well for you.