Get Some Girl Talk

Photo by Christos

Girl Talk is the stage name of Pittsburgh DJ Greg Gillis. Girl Talk is also some of the funnest, fly-est dance music mash-up stuff out right now, in my humble opinion. Squeezing rap, alternative, seventies rock and everything in between into the songs he mixes, Girl Talk fuses subcultural music together like a sculptor spins clay. The result is music that is both sentimentally identifiable and new to the ear, audially beautiful and mentally intriguing. Music that brings mixing to a whole new level: Mix 2.0. It's also amusing as hell to hear some of the stuff he puts together.

I think in a way, Girl Talk's music sums up our generation. With the availability of style, culture and genre blown open by the interactive environment, barriers have broken down between subcultures in a way that has never been experienced before. Parents and children can enjoy the same music, there's less need or reason to identify with a specific culture for acceptance - whether hip-hop, alt-rock, reggaeton or klesmer - if it's cool, it's cool. 'nuff said.

Girl Talk's new album, "Feed The Animals," is out now - and the best part is that YOU can pick the price.


"Feed the Animals" by Girl Talk

Download it here. And don't forget to drop a few bucks in the hat, kiddos. Support the music you love.

Andrew Bird in the Studio

photo by Michael Maly

Andrew Bird is a Chicago singer-songwriter, violinist, guitarist, and self-proclaimed professional whistler. If you haven't heard his latest album, Armchair Aprocrypha, I suggest you do, as I consider it a personal favorite from last year. Bird has this warm, holistic sound that I think can only be the result of someone who has a thorough knowledge of every piece going into a song.

Andrew Bird has an article in the New York Times this week on life inside the studio. As someone who has never been inherently musical, and extremely jealous of those who are, I found this a great read. It really shows the amount of care that goes into creating a fine piece of music.

"In the studio, a number of things can conspire to turn the natural act of making music into an awkward dance. First there is no audience, no one to impress. Second is the temptation to be too careful, to isolate every sound and not let it mingle with other sounds. The third deals with the voice, the most personal and vulnerable instrument. Recording vocals can be fraught with aural illusions akin to the weirdness of hearing your own voice on your answering machine. 'That’s not me, is it?'"

Read the article here.

And for those new to Andrew, here's the video to his song, "Imitosis"...