The Cold Cut

So, same old, same old. I will now be enjoying my last day of Barcelona. I've never done this before, but here's a little role play of what I believe my Sunday in Barca will be like:

"Ooh, it's sunny here. 30 degrees, in fact (Celsius, people!). Let's go grab some chocolate con churros. Ooh, Sagrada Familia/Park Guell. Lovely. More food. More drink. It's baking hot now. Walking down to the Olympic Port. Chilled afternoon. Wait until 9.30. Finally grab more food. More drink. Flight Home. End."

As you can see, it should be fun. Anyway, short on time to create this post, (my flight to Barcelona leaves in a few hours and I'm not ready yet) so a few more tracks to keep you busy.

Coldplay Vs. Nas- If I Viva La Vida (Starters Remix) (Link 2)
Justice Vs. Wu-Tang Clan- C.R.E.A.M. Your Friends (Link 2)
Britney Spears Vs. Justin Timberlake- Break The Ice (Raza Remix) (Link 2)
Yoav Yoav- Adore Adore (modwheelmood remix) (Link 2)
Black Kids- Partie Traumatic (Link 2)

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.

Britney Spears- Toy Soldier
Britney Spears- Gimme More
Britney Spears (ft. Pharrell)- Why Should I Be Sad?

When you spend a lot of time on the Hype Machine it's hard not to notice who's popular, and who isn't. One name I didn't ever expect to see on their front-page was Britney Spears, a woman who has been to hell and back. As the last bastion of consistently great music, I found myself laughing when I saw Gimme More on the Hype Machine popular page. Imagine my surprise, then, when I reluctantly opened my ears on the first listen and found myself thinking: "Hey, this isn't too bad!".

You would struggle to find someone who has been more persecuted over the last year or so, and not without fault on Spears' part. First she was too thin, then she divorced, then she shaved her head, then she was too fat, then she couldn't sing, then she couldn't dance, finally she was a bad mother etc etc...

Given this, Blackout (her latest album), comes as a bit of a kick in the teeth. Not only can she actually sing, but this album suggests that there may be a person under that newly bloated skin. She comes out with her fists raised, and amiably talks about her problems, ultimately winning some sort of victory. Blackout is a triumph, both for her in order to reclaim her place in the music industry and to talk about her own issues (K-Fed, child custody, body-weight and more). Admittedly, I've never been a real fan of hers: in her 'Hit Me' days, Britney was a bit more of an object than a musician, a distinction which she is obviously unhappy with, and one that is destroyed with this album. Guilty-pleasures abound, Blackout is a solid-pop album if nothing more, but I see it as Britney proudly flicking off the world and proving that she's famous for a reason. Check the tracks out (by following the links), and please tell me what you think: are you a fan of the hip-hop tilted songs? Do you like 'Gimme More'? What did you think of her (IMO Terrible) VMA's performance? Finally, 'Toy Soldier': potentially a brilliant single? You decide...