Jim asked, so I figured I’d try to collect my favorite mash-up sites. For the uninitiated, mash-ups are, musically, a combination of two or more musical works into a new whole. Mostly done by DJ’s (or at least, the ones I’ve found), music editing technology has progressed to a point of simplicity (ie: Garageband) that the “normal human” can create mash-ups with some patience and willingness to learn.\
They’re dubiously legal at the moment, and the debate is ongoing as to whether mash-ups fall under the “fair use” provisions of copyright, or they’re really really infringing. Personally, I think they’re great. They’re a fun look at a known quantity. It’s amazing to see the combinations that people come up with, and some of them are pulled off with amazing skill.\
Enough explanation, here are my favorites:

• The Kleptones – One of my first experiences with mash-ups was their unreal combination of Queen and classic hip-hop: A Night At The Hiphopera. It’s seamless in all the right ways, and done an unbelievable job at combining two genres.
• dj BC Presents The Beastles – The Beatles vs. The Beastie Boys. Need I say more?
• The Party Party – Some of the most amazing voice remixing you’ll ever hear. They make W sing Sunday Bloody Sunday, and many more. Their efforts are kind of uneven, but when they succeed, they’re not only great musically, but hysterical. My faves are the song I mentioned above, Dick Is A Killer, Imagine, and My Name Is Rx
• Pheugoo – Mashes from all over the spectrum, with an emphasis on hip-hop/divas mixed with classic rock. Very good stuff.
• Mash-ups.co.uk – A lot of dance mashed up with trip hop (which you know makes me happy). Slow Angel (Kylie vs. Massive Attack) and Leave It Dirty (Christina Aguilera vs. Living Colour – so much greater than the sum of its parts) are highlights.
• ccc – Revolved – Mashes The Beatles’ Revolver with a lot of different stuff. Other than the less-than-awesome Eleanor Ciccone, the rest are excellent.
• CCMixter – Totally legal, provides a forum for folks to create and mash-up Creative Commons licensed music. Some really good stuff. And, if you don’t have it already, you can get the Wired/Creative Commons remix CD.\
  To get a lot of the whole albums, you’ll need to be proficient with BitTorrent, but that’s a subject for another post. I have to go get my Typhoid shot now.

Someone at work has some of the best mash-ups I’ve ever heard, and they have no idea where they came from. Google doesn’t know anything about them. I’m turning to you, dear interweb, to help me track down the creators of these little masterpieces. They are:

• Fatboy’s Love Shack – A fun mix of Funk Soul Brother and Love Shack.
• 3000 Gonna Rock You – We Will Rock You mixed with a bunch of stuff I don’t think I’ve heard before, but it’s awesome. Some fun acoustic guitar over Freddie’s vocals. Might be Black Eyed Peas, but I really don’t know.
• Twist & Sex Laws – Beck and the Beatles. This one’s not as good as the first two, but still solid.
• Hella Good Mash – No Doubt and some disco-y number. Good stuff.
• Elvis Conversation – No idea, but it’s awesome. A little Elvis, a little backbeat, some bass, some amazing sprinkle of something else. May be my favorite of the bunch.
• Feeling Satisfaction – Annie Lennox (the song with “take these wings and fly” in it), and Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. Sounds goofy, but it’s SWEET.
• It Wasn’t Me, Let It Be – Let It Be and some guy with a kind of high voice singing about a girl, a Jamaican rapper, and Lennon and McCartney. Yeah, baby.
• Are You Gonna Be My Dirrty -I don’t know why, but I can only stand Christina Aguilera when she’s been mashed up. Mixed up with a great guitar stunner that I can’t place, but I’m sure I’ve heard before.
• Hate To Say I Milkshake – I’m pretty sure that’s Boston in the background, but I can’t say which song. And, of course the “my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard” song that EVERYONE mashes, remixes and kanoodles with. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard the original.
• Get Your Music Runnin’ – Steppenwolf vs. Can’t Stop The Rock (or is it Don’t Stop The Rock?) vs. some other stuff I’ve never heard before. This one will blow your headphones off.\
  Please help, oh internet. These mash-ups deserve the respect of having them associated with their creator. They’re excellent.