†FROM DJ PAUL V. Last week, a new song caught absolute fire on the interwebs - the sassy, soulful, rump-shaking new single from Cee Lo Green (singer from Gnarls Barkley). Out of nowhere, a video appeared that featured the song, using only its lyrics as a visual. Which, as you know, is an ultimate FML, ex-lover kiss-off called Fuck You. And it begged the question: Can one of the most instantly infectious songs of 2010 even get played on the radio? We can ponder that later, 'cuz today we present a hot new mashup with Cee Lo that's an EXCLUSIVE to Popbytes - DJ Tripp's Fuck Romance. Yeah, it's another Lady Gaga boot, but honey: if your romance gets that bad, maybe ya just gotta ditch the polite niceties and say, ____ ___! Well, you get the idea! Now go run 'n tell your little boyfriend!
† Download DJ Tripp's Fuck Romance† [.mp3 / 12.6mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: Come to Bootie LA this Saturday, Sept. 4th and hear the guy who created this week's mashup! Yup, Santa Cruz's DJ Tripp is in the house, with a special set for all you tech-geeks: multi-touch displays on a pair of iPads to control, manipulate, and play mashups! I'll be DJing as well, and our dance troupe R.A.I.D. will wow you on stage with their eye-popping dance routines. It's all going down at The Echoplex. As always, discount $5 admission till 10pm, plus a free Bootie CD to the first 100 of ya!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. This week's fabulous mashup features a song that never fails to get my hips swiveling: Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walkin'. It continues to be one of the most ultra-cool - and female empowered - hits from the swingin' 60's. But imagine my joy when I heard it using one of my favorite new artists, Janelle Monáe. If there ever was a breath of fresh air out there in the land of prefab pop tarts and autotuned messes, it's Ms. Monáe! I've been dying to hear a mash of her fantastic Tightrope forever, so leave it to the always eclectic Party Ben to put together this glee-inducing smash! Are you ready, boots?
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Today as I was getting read to post this week's mash, I went to my files thinking - Find a great bangin' dance mashup for the weekend. 'Cuz that's what I do - I love making people dance! But then I remembered another new track I'd just gotten, re-listened, and knew I had to share it with y'all. Not only that, the video nearly had me tearing up (see below). The track's maker, Phil Retrospector, specializes in working with classic soul and rock tracks, and completely re-envisioning them, which is exactly what we have going on. He chose the poignant vocals from Jimmy Ruffin's 1966 hit What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted, and superbly blended him with Snow Patrol's equally-moving Chasing Cars. In a few short days, it's been wowing everyone, including P Diddy who blogged it. To say it's swoon worthy is an understatement. And who can resist the Peanuts gang starring in the video? Bootie LA, be prepared to slow-dance to this at the end of Saturday night!
† Download Phil Retrospector's Chasing The Broken Hearted† [.mp3 / 10.6mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: This Saturday August 21st, Bootie LA is back at The Echoplex, and we'll be featuring Brazil's DJ Faroff with a tasty video mashup set at Midnight. Plus, our drance troupe R.A.I.D. have an extra-special performance planned for all the lovers who are celebrating the repeal of the hideous Prop 8! I'll be DJing too, so come and dance!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. This week's mashup is so hot off the presses, I burned my fingers opening my email this morning! LA's own DJ Axel zipped this off to me as soon as he finished it, and I sure love it. And before ya go hatin' on me 'cuz it's another boot featuring Lady Gaga and Ke$ha, plug in an amplifier and crank it to 11, 'cuz this one's a rockin' banger, featuring the 80's metal clowns from Quiet Riot and mainly the vocals from Flo Rida's You Spin Me 'Round. Axel also added some chunky beats to the whole thing, just to make sure it's dancefloor worthy. So grab the Aquanet, JD, and sci-fi shades - it's a party!
PS to my LA peeps:This Friday, August 13 - ooh, scary! - come join us at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip for TRANZKONTINENTAL live! Imagine a super bitchin' rock band playing all your favorite glam & electropop songs, sung live by the fiercest queens you'll find in LA! They also suprise the crowd by mashing up everything, too. I'll be DJing with Keith 2.0, and you can get more info here. Doors are at 10pm, and the band goes on at Midnight.
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Sometimes I wonder to myself: Is there any song from the 80's that wouldn't make for a great mashup? The decade that oft-times gets poked fun at for its music was actually one of the most fertile and original, in my opinion. Sure, some of those one-hit wonders have lost their sheen over the years - while some still just make us grin inside - and that's why I love the reinvention element a great mashup brings. This week, we prove it! Here, the vagabond misfits from England's Dexy's Midnight Runners (who got their name from the then-popular drug, dextroamphetamine) put their #1 hit Come On Eileen in the ring with LL Cool J. And DJ Lobsterdust, yet again, drops one hell of a dancefloor knock-out!
† Download DJ Lobsterdust's Knock Out Eileen† [.mp3 / 5mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: Are you ready for another duel, this time with two of your favorite dance divas? That's right: This Saturday, August 7th at Bootie LA, we present the ultimate showdown with Lady Gaga vs. Madonna Mashup Night! DJ's A+D and Shyboy will feature both pop tarts mashed up with everyone! And our dance crew R.A.I.D. will offer up another gold-certified Midnight Mashup Show. It's all going down at The Echoplex.
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Since we're smack dab in the middle of Summer 2010, we might as well keep the beach party going, with the song that has ruled since it came out. Yes, Katy Perry (love her or hate her) is still scorching hot with California Gurls, which has registered a whopping 3 million downloads and has been #1 on the pop radio chart for seven weeks. But also completely on fire is Italy's DJs From Mars. Their Lady Gaga vs. Metallica mash from a few months ago is still a monster, and here they slather on their golden electro juice by mashing Miss Perry with Van Halen's Jump. With their signature throbbing megabeats and that smile-inducing VH keyboard riff, you'll be shakin' that ass in your speedo or bikini. West coast represent, now put ya hands up!
† Download DJ's From Mars' California Gurls Jump† [.mp3 / 10.2mb / right click, save link as ...]
†FROM DJ PAUL V. As I was enjoying a seriously gorgeous day here in Los Angeles, I got turned on to a new mashup that just seemed to match it perfectly. The vocals reminded me how much said band were synonymous with sunshine and Southern California, back in the 70's. And the music only added another seductive layer to the whole thing. The band is The Eagles, who had their second #1 single with One Of These Nights, 35 years ago in July 1975. Now, the music is a little tricky, as it's The Police's Every Breath You Take, as it was sampled by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans on 1997's I'll Be Missing You. Thus, big props to the OC's Voicedude for this taste of the 70's, 80's and 90's in one lovely, easy breezy mashup.
PS to my LA peeps: If you're going to see Robyn with Kelis (along with Dan Black and Far East Movement) this Friday, July 23rd, I have the distinct honor of being the DJ on this spectacular bill! I'm playing from the start of the night and between all acts, until when Robyn comes on - which is when I leave the DJ balcony to come dance with YOU! :)
†FROM DJ PAUL V. I went searching through the mashup archives here, and to my astonishment, I've only posted mashups by the UK's Dunproofin' two times in the past. Which is just insane, because he is consistently one of the top notch bootleg producers around! In fact, the last mash from him was a year ago this week, so - the timing is perfect. As is this mashup! I've been waiting for some really good boots from the new Kylie Minogue disc (which is most excellent, by the way!), and there's been very few so far. Mainly because producer Stuart Price is very protective of her acapella tracks leaking out. Hello, duh? Well that didn't stop our little Dun' from getting busy, and creating this mysteriously sexy mash with a new-romantic electro classic: Visage's Fade To Grey. You might want to rent some lasers and a smoke machine before you crank this and show off your shadow-dancing moves!
PS to my LA peeps: It's that time again, for Bootie LA at The Echoplex, this Saturday night July 17th. Come join me spinning the mashes along with special guest DJ Shyboy. And at 11pm, you can WIN the new Scissor Sisters CD Nightwork! Plus, as always, our flashy go-go dancers called R.A.I.D. will entertain you on stage. Be sure to get there early for discount admission & FREE Bootie CD. AND, if you bring your ticket or printout for the canceled HARD Summer Fest, we're offering you $5 admission +1 until 12 Midnight!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. I think I wanna move to Sweden. Not only is the crime rate next to nil, the fair people of Sweden sure know their way around making the best pop music in history! I have been a fan-boy-geek over Robyn for a long time now, and I am so loving her new Bodytalk Pt. 1 CD (which means Part II and Part III are on the way this year too - whew!). I've been waiting with baited breath for some new mashups with her to appear, and lo and behold, my prayers have been answered. But making this week's blend even more bitchin' is that it uses a track forever in my iPod: AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. Austria's DJ Schmolli strikes gold, whipping Dancing On My Own into a rock 'n roll frenzy!
PS to my LA peeps: Tomorrow night, Friday July 9th, we're presenting a very special night at The Roxy in West Hollywood. I'll be DJing the dance tunes along with Keith 2.0, and the band TRANZKUNTINENTAL will be playing live at Midnight. TRANZ-K is group of grungy rock 'n roll dudes, fronted by fierce draq queens who sing live and mash up all your favorite rock and electropop songs! Think Ru Paul's Drag Race meets Rocky Horror! Click here for more info plus there's a Facebook event page. Here's hostess Kelly Mantle mashing Muse vs. Depeche Mode + Gary Glitter:
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Seeing as it's July 4th weekend, and the beach and barbecues are gonna be in full effect, what better track to feature than Katy Perry's California Gurls. I was gonna post a mash that basically proves how flagrantly identical it is to Ke$ha's Tik Tok, but I found something I love even more (but you can listen to that proof here if you want). Nope, this one comes courtesy of DJ Maggie, and uses Supernova from Mr. Hudson featuring Kanye West. This jam might not have whipped cream spurting from a candy-coated bra, but it'll get you dancing and smiling. Be sure to crank this one loud on your boombox wherever you are this long holiday weekend. And be safe out there, no matter what you have planned!
† Download DJ Maggie's California Supernova† [.mp3 / 7mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: Speaking of cranking the tunes and celebrating the holiday, we're doing just that, Bootie LA mashup style! This Saturday night July 3rd, join myself and special guest DJ Axel on the CD decks at The Echoplex, as we make the dance floor explode with some mashup fireworks. Along with our patriotic go-go dancers in R.A.I.D. Be sure to get there early for discount admission and your FREE Bootie CD, too!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Man, time sure flies as life goes on. It's unbelievable a year has passed since we lost Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009. Are we any closer to knowing exactly what happened to him in that bedroom? Not really. Yet the drama and the accusations keep flying, as now his despicable father is blaming his sweet mother for his drug problems. Me, I prefer to remember Michael for that pure voice and the the influence he had on so many artists. LA's DJ Sleeper actually dropped this gorgeous blend a year ago, but it just feels like the right time - and the perfect vibe - to pay tribute. It's one of Michael's sweetest songs - Remember The Time - and a hushed gem from 2001: Télépopmusik's Just Breathe. MJ's yearning vocals breeze along effortlessly to these muted electronica beats.
†FROM DJ PAUL V. A few weeks ago, we celebrated the return of Mark Vidler (aka Go Home Productions) back into the world of making mashups. As one of the genius original pioneers of the bootleg scene, we hope he never decides to retire again! So it's with much excitement we present another new gem from GHP, and as is his usual style, he's able to take two songs from disparate genres and make them sound like a marriage made in heaven. And I'm thrilled he decided to use Destiny's Child's Independent Women, a song that got mashed many times upon its release, and was pretty much the song that sent Beyoncé and the group into the pop stratosphere. On the other end, he uses one of most iconic songs of the early 80's - The Smiths' How Soon Is Now. Throw in some extra funky beats, and ya'll be throwin' your hands up at me - and him! This comes from his brand spanking new Berlin EP, which you can grab here.
† Download Go Home Production' How Soon Is Independence?† [.mp3 / 8.3mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: It's time for Bootie LA again this Saturday, June 19th - as we're now popping twice a month at The Echoplex. I'll be gettin' ya dancing on the CD decks, and we've got special guest DJ's The Face Melters coming down from SF. Plus, our glitzy fabulous dancers from R.A.I.D. entertaining you on stage. And if you've still not come to experience the insane fun of Bootie LA, watch this fantastic feature on the club that ran on Fox 11 News last night. Methinks even those news anchors wanna come dance, too!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. It was quite a week for television, and the pop charts. On the boob tube, we said goodbye to the amazing kids of Glee for the summer, as they wowed us with their Journey mega-medley. And admit it - you shed a tear during To Sir With Love, right? On the pop charts, our latest fave UK synthpop duo La Roux are sitting pretty in the Top 10 with the fabulous Bulletproof, battling it out with Eminem, Usher, and Katy Perry for dominance. So it's with great pleasure that this week's mashup is a nod to both pop stars and TV stars. Here, Titus Jones works his magic with La Roux, Black Eyed Peas, Ke$ha, and the Glee Cast, whose cover of Don't Stop Believing ignited the huge buzz for the show. If this ain't a roll-the-windows-down-'n-crank-it summer (s)mash, then I dunno know what is!
† Download Titus Jones' Imma Stop Loving Drugs† [.mp3 / 8.2mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: It's LA Gay Pride weekend, and I'm offering up an alternative dance party on the east side, SPUNK - this Saturday June 12th at The Echoplex in Echo Park. And speaking of La Roux, we're giving away tickets to see them and Empire Of The Sun! Plus we have a really bitchin' band called The G80s live at 11pm, who play all your fave new wave hits of the 80s! I'll be DJing with my best buddy Tommy Rocker - we'd love to have you all come hang out 'n dance with us!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. This is a big week in mashup history, folks. Our little club baby called Bootie LA is turning 5 years old on Saturday! And that baby didn't crawl, it sprinted into being the epicenter for mashups in Southern Cali, and on its way to growing up as big as its sister - or is that its original momma? - up in San Francisco. And in that blink-of-an-eye time, 1000's of people have danced hard to 1000's of great mashups, ever ready to make some noise with us. When we find those special bootlegs with just the right iconic song, yet made twice as popping with another iconic song? It's dancefloor bliss! That's what's going on right here: It's Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit vs. Blur's Song 2. Personally, I say folks should retire from making any new boots with the Nirvana vocal, 'cuz The Kleptones have hit a pinnacle. Kurt Cobain's wail meeting Blur's manic grungebeats leaves me speechless. Except for two words: WOO HOO! Wants some proof how the dance floor erupts? Watch below. It's also on our free CD at the club on Saturday, and the Top 25 on the Bootie blog.
† Download The Kleptone's This Song Smells† [.mp3 / 9.8mb / right click, save link as ...]
It's a jamming night with Smash-Up Derby (SF's amazing live mashup rock band) at 11pm our nearly-pulsating dance crew R.A.I.D. with a Midnight Mashup routine, plus yours truly on the CD decks, and welcoming back from their world tour - Bootie creator/DJs Adrian & Mysterious D! We are all so raring to go on Saturday and get you all throbbing with us! Get there early for discount admission and the exclusive 20-track Bootie CD. It's all going down at The Echoplex in Echo Park. Hugs to Popbytes and all our patrons!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Hot pop & rock music is all about the riffs we can remember in our sleep. From The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction to Van Halen's Jump to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit - we can all immediately name that tune in about three notes, maybe less. Back in the mid 80's - when Eddie Murphy had a career and synthpop was everywhere - a little ditty of an instrumental from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack called Axel F by Harold Faltemeyer got stuck in our heads, and whose opening synth notes are (for better or for worse) lodged in our skulls. Now imagine it tweaked and messed around with the squiggly blips and bloops from Major Lazer (aka DJs Diplo & Switch), and you've got yourself a whole new jam! All hail LA's Ludachrist for twisting the knobs to full effect on this.
† Download Ludachrist's Pon De Foley† [.mp3 / 9.2mb / right click, save link as ...]
†FROM DJ PAUL V. This week's pick is dedicated to everyone who got to see Massive Attack play here in Los Angeles this week. If all the feedback I've seen posted online is any indication, the shows have been spectacular - and thought provoking. I have to say, hearing their 1991 debut breakout, Unfinished Sympathy, was pretty unforgettable to me. Not only was the groove something to get people moving, those gorgeous strings and that beautiful melody just felt so deep and so powerful. It was dance music at its emotional finest, and it helped to herald in the British trip-hop genre. Nearly 20 years later, we have another deep single - You Got The Love from the UK's Florence and The Machine (which is a cover, made most famous by The Source featuring Candi Staton, also released in 1991 - and itself a proto-mashup). Props to one of the UK's original mashmakers, Thriftshop XL, for this seamless marriage of two such soul-stirring tracks
† Download Thriftshop XL's You Got The Sympathy† [.mp3 / 11.3mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: Hey, great news for you Bootie LA fans: We're now happening twice a month, and our next event is this Saturday, May 22nd at The Echoplex! I'm gonna be spinning on the CD decks, and DJ Shyboy has a feature set, too. Plus, our pals in the glittery-gold suits - R.A.I.D. - have an amazing dance routine planned for the Midnight Mashup Show. Get their early for discount admission and free Bootie CD!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. So today is my birthday, and after about a bajillion nice messages on Facebook, I'm sure feeling fine! And I wanted to pick a mashup this week that would make me smile and wanna shake my ass (birthday suit optional, of course). You might never wanna hear Black Eyed Peas' I Got A Feeling again, but lemme tell ya: Add in a super-sassy vocal from Mary J. Blige and it all starts to feel brand new again. Even Will.I.Am got an earful of this and loved it. So pump up the volume on this mash, courtesy of DJ Dylan Vasey, and let the sunshine and positivity flow through your speakers!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Oh, how I love the internet. For many things, of course. But mainly 'cuz once in awhile, you stumble upon something you just gotta have. And that's what we have going on this week. Who woulda thunk, that the twee theme from NBC's The Office would sound twice as infectious with some edits and hip hop beats? But more astoundingly, would you ever imagine Lil' Wayne rapping over that? LA's Clockwork did, and put together this smile-inducing blend, featuring Weezy's Hustler Musik, while the oddball himself - Dwight K. Shrute - makes a brief appearance in the intro. Now, while you should play this loudly and often, don't do that in your own office, as it's quite NSFW.
† Download Clockwork's Office Musik† [.mp3 / 9.3mb / right click, save link as ...]
†FROM DJ PAUL V. Why does the right wing in America take such glee in mocking the French? Anyone remember 'freedom fries' when France didn't support the war in Iraq? Dumb politics aside, we should celebrate the French, who we can thank for wine & cheese, baguettes, crepes, Christian Dior, the Statue Of Liberty, the Louvre, and yes, Gilles Marini. But another fact is that some of the best mashup creators are also French, and Loo & Placido are two of the best known from the scene. Lately, they've been making absolutely banging, multi-layered electro-based bootlegs, and their Electronic Popstar Killers mix is essential. But I decided to go grab one of their classic mashes this week, which is still my favorite of theirs. This blend of Mousse T. and Dandy Warhols is so spot-on perfect, it actually got an official release in Europe back in 2006. So get on your dancin' shoes 'cuz ooh la la - c'est si bon!
† Download Loo & Placido's Horny As A Dandy† [.mp3 / 3.8mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: Come catch Loo & Placido in action, rocking the dance floor hard at Bootie LA at The Echoplex this Saturday, May 1st. They'll hit the stage at 12-Midnight, and yours truly and DJ Shyboy will be also get your bums shakin' through the night!
†FROM DJ PAUL V. I have to say I'm really digging How Low from Ludacris. It's not like we should call this his comeback, 'cuz he's been putting out stuff regularly. But this one is the the jam, it's blowing up, and trust me, there's already uncountable great mashups using it. What those other mashups don't feature, however, is music from a new Irish band on Kitsuné with a massive buzz. They're called Two Door Cinema Club, and conversely, this phenomenal track of theirs (What You Know) is a favorite choice out in the mash world, too. It's easy to hear why: it's a bucket load of shimmery, indie-dance awesomeness that's equal parts Deathcab For Cutie and Phoenix. While it might seem like a simple rap meets rock concept, just one spin elevates it to big-room status. Bravo to London's DeeJay Fen!
† Download DeeJay Fen's You Know How Low† [.mp3 / 3.7mb / right click, save link as ...]
PS to my LA peeps: I've got two sweet events going on this weekend. Tomorrow night (Friday 4/23), I'm part of presenting Tranzkuntinental at The Roxy. This Midnight show will be 4 parts bitchin' rock band and 5 parts fierce draq queens, singing all your favorite pop / rock / dance tracks live. Think "Hedwig" + "Rocky Horror" + Courtney Love! And on Sunday we relaunch Swagger - an eclectic Sunday hangout for "the boys" - happening in our new space at Rockwell in Los Feliz. Get there early: It's open bar from 4-5pm!
