Bootie Top 10 - March 2010

We're pressed for time this month, as we've got Bootie Berlin's DJ Morgoth here in California for the week, so we're just going to cut the blather and do a quick intro instead. Besides, does anyone even bother to even read our blurbs, or do you guys just skip it and get straight to the downloads? (Leave comments below to let us know!)

UPDATE: Okay, so you guys let us know, and it seems that at least a few of you appreciate the blurbs. So we've updated this Bootie Top 10 with our comments for each track. 

Anyway, we've actually got twelve (count 'em, 12!) tracks for you, due to having two "Double Shots," the first featuring Kate Bush (including an interesting hybrid mashup/cover from UK artist Dan Black) and the second featuring Chicago's The Hood Internet (we couldn't decide between STV SLV and ABX, so we just picked both!) We've also got a couple of "Bootie Exclusives" for you -- mashups you won't find anywhere else -- as well as a bunch of other gems, including tracks both brand-new and a couple months old (which gives us enough time to determine that they're fantastic Bootie party tracks!

Enjoy, and start right-clickin'! – A+D

DOUBLE SHOT: Kate Bush
Apollo Zero - I'm Ready & Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush vs. Kano) - New Orleans
Dan Black - Get Into Cloudbusting (Kate Bush vs. Dan Black covering Madonna) - UK
We're both big fans of Kate Bush, so we when had the opportunity to do a "double shot" of mashups that feature the iconic '80s British songstress, we couldn't resist. The first gives her biggest hit, "Running Up That Hill," a nice disco backbeat, while the second is an inspired mashup/cover hybrid from Dan Black, who sings Madonna's "Get Into The Groove" over a remixed version of "Cloudbusting."

Bassnectar - Where Is My Mind? (Bassnectar Remix) (The Pixies vs. Bassnectar) - San Francisco
This starts off innocuously enough, womming and throbbing away before mutating into the most heavy electro breakbeat version of the Pixies you've ever heard. Seeing as that Bassnectar is probably the "biggest name DJ" to come out of the Burning Man scene, we can't help but imagine this blasting out of a ginormous sound system out on the playa at dawn. "Where is my mind?" ... indeed!

DJ BC - Could You Be Love Gamed? (Bob Marley vs. Lady Gaga) - Boston BOOTIE EXCLUSIVE!
There haven't been very many killer mashups of "Love Game," but here, Bootie Boston's DJ BC rectifies that situation, making an unlikely lyrical connection between Lady Gaga and Bob Marley. Could this be love?

Copycat - I Was Made For A Heavy Cross (Kiss vs. The Gossip) - Sweden
Kiss is a rock band that dabbled in disco back when it was originally popular in the '70s. The Gossip are quite a different rock band that -- like many of their indie-rock contemporaries -- are also currently dabbling in disco. So why NOT put these two together? Apparently, disco is NOT dead!

The Face Melters - Ice Ice Tik Tok (Vanilla Ice vs. Ke$ha) - San Francisco BOOTIE EXCLUSIVE!
The debut track from The Face Melters, a collaboration between frequent Bootie Top 10 contributor DJ Fox and his accomplice Kool Karlo. What can we say that Pop Wrap's Ryan Brockington at the New York Post hasn't already said? "The dollar store version of Lady Gaga, both in name spelling and song yelling, has recently been pureed with one of the '80s most quintessential bleach-tipped rappers ... take a moment to accept the fact that Ke$ha may just be the Vanilla Ice of our era. Yikes."

DOUBLE SHOT: The Hood Internet
ABX of The Hood Internet - Ignition (Keep It Remixing Louder) (R. Kelly vs. Major Lazer) - Chicago
STV SLV of The Hood Internet - I Ain't That Earthquake (Wallpaper. vs. Little Boots) - Chicago
We couldn't pick just one! Besides, we didn't want to play favorites between The Hood Internet's ABX and STV SLV, so they get one each here ... and when both tracks are this good, why not? R. Kelly gets some hipster cred mashed-up with Major Lazer, and speaking of hipster cred, you get a double dose of both with STV SLV's combo of two very-now "bands of the moment."

The Kleptones - Welcome Back (Guns N' Roses vs. Chemical Brothers vs. LFO vs. Basement Jaxx vs. Missy Elliott) - Brighton, UK
The Chemical Brothers always approached dance music with very big, rock 'n' roll beats (hence the term "big beat") so it actually makes kinda perverse sense that The Kleptones would mash them (and several others) up with some classic Guns 'N Roses. This is a special unmixed, "single" version - the original appears on their new mashup album Upside/Downside.

MadMixMustang - Take Me On The Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne vs. a-ha) - The Netherlands
We gotta admit -- the first time we played this at Bootie, we weren't really sure how it was gonna go over. But we shouldn't have worried -- this is the classic sort of A+B mind-fuck mashup that made Bootie's reputation. In fact, it's mashups like this that originally made us fall in love with the genre to begin with.

DJ Tripp - How Low In The House (Ludacris vs. Steve Aoki) - Santa Cruz, CA
We're loving the new Ludacris single, and it's even better coupled with some bangin' electro dance-floor beats, mashed together courtesy of Bootie regular, DJ Tripp, whose output has been nothing but quality as of late.

The White Panda - Fireflies Goin' Down (Yung Joc vs. Owl City) – Chicago/Los Angeles
The White Panda mixtape amply proves that you can pretty much plop a rap vocal over just about ANYTHING, which unfortunately makes most hip-hop mashups sound a bit trite and uninspired ... and not really all that edgy. This track however, is a notable exception, adding some much-needed dirty street-cred to the overly-precious sicky-sweet sounds of that damn "Fireflies" song. Catchy as all get out. Meet me at Bootie ... it's goin' down!

Stop the war on fun in San Francisco!

We've been meaning to write about this for a while, but then we just came across the following blog post from Nightlifewars that puts it all in perspective quite well. We've re-posted it here in its entirety:

This one night at the DNA Lounge...

Last Saturday my hubby and I decided to drop in on Bootie SF's triumphant return to the DNA Lounge. We got dropped off by a friend, and noticed two odd things: first, several police cars parked in front of Butter, and lots of officers on the street. The next thing I noticed was that there was no line at the DNA, even though it was midnight, prime time for people to show up for Bootie. Knowing what I know is going on with SF nightlife, I just chalked it up to some SFPD BS. Sure enough, a quick check of the DNA Lounge blog told me the whole ugly story. The DNA is in for weekly harassment, Butter got shut down, and the cops also pestered the patrons of Mist down the street. Officer Larry Bertrand waved his proverbial nightstick around, and evidently intends to keep doing so till all the clubs on 11th Street are driven out of business.

I've testified in front of the board of supervisors on this issue, and now I have written to the mayor as well. Mayor Newsom calls San Francisco an event-positive city. Evidently, Larry Bertrand and the SFPD are attempting to prove him wrong. Here is what I said to Mayor Newsom. If you are reading this, please write to him as well.

"Hi Mayor Newsom,
I will get to the point quickly. Why are the SFPD officers conducting Gestapo tactics at some of the best-run nightclubs and bars in San Francisco? What on Earth is happening in South of Market? Is there anything you can do to reign in Officer Larry Bertrand's one-man campaign to kill nightlife in San Francisco? How do tourists who have heard of Bootie, or other world-class nightclub entertainment in SF, react when the see a police mob? NOT SPEND MONEY is what. What's more, why do I even know Officer Bertrand's name? The horror stories I have heard of his tromping on the Constitutional rights of both patrons and club owners is chilling. And where the hell was Officer Bertrand during the Suede club killing? No doubt harassing clubs South of Market.

Are you powerless in the situation, or do you simply not care? Do you really want the death-knell of nightlife in San Francisco to be your lasting legacy to the city as mayor? Don't talk to me about Suede. Badly-run clubs that tolerate thugs are going to have such problems.  But the DNA? Slim's? Butter? What is particularly fiendish about the targeting of the DNA is that they are a very gay-friendly nightclub and provide a safe and fun environment to dance and have fun after 10pm. If this is the way a place like DNA gets treated, (i.e., police harassment and weekly "sidewalk-blocking" tickets that get thrown out by a judge), what hope is there for the other legitimate nightlife businesses in San Francisco?

Please do something. We need leadership from the Mayor's office on this. 

Sincerely,"

A+D interviewed in SF Weekly's "Hey DJ!" column

 Bootie's creators and DJs Adrian & Mysterious D got a nice little interview in this week's SF Weekly "Hey DJ!" column.

As the writer succinctly puts it: "On the eve of their red-themed Valentine's Day party, A Plus D teach us about making the perfect mashup, crafting a successful club night, and falling in love with classic rock through freshly mashed singles."

Check it out here!

Bootie Top 10 - February 2010

We skipped the month of January, since we had just put out the Best of Bootie 2009 CD. But damn, there was such an abundance of good material these past two months, that we easily could have put together a Top 20 instead of a Top 10! But we're just gonna save the rest for March... Right-click to download!

A Plus D - Don't You Want My Bad Romance (Lady Gaga vs. Human League) - San Francisco
We knew we were taking a gamble when we went ahead and put this on the "Best of Bootie 2009" CD -- barely a week before the end of year! Sure, call us biased ... but fortunately, we've been getting tons of great feedback and reports of hearing this track in clubs and at parties everywhere! Lady Gaga goes New Wave! And it sounds like both artists need some serious relationship counselling. :-)

DJ Jay-R of C.H.A.O.S. Productions - Ke$ha Just Wants To Have Fun (Ke$ha vs. Cyndi Lauper) - Oakland
Just listen to the lyrics of Ke$ha's "Tik Tok," and really, isn't is basically just a raunchier, more updated version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" anyway? This track is fun, flirty, and ready to rock the party. A much-welcome comeback for Oakland's own DJ Jay-R.

Jeff Jones - Party In The Empire State (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys vs. Miley Cyrus) - Boston
For our first Bootie NYC party in three months, we just KNEW we had to drop a mashup of the instantly-iconic "Empire State of Mind." Only one problem ... there weren't that many out there! But mere minutes before we left for the party, we found this simple-yet-effective A+B. And let's face it, with Miley name-dropping Jay-Z, coupled with the whole "hands up" vibe of both songs, these two were obviously meant to be together!
NEW YORK CITY BONUS TRACK!
Purple Crush - NYC Bad Girl Lovegame (Purple Crush vs. Lady Gaga) - Los Angeles
We're feeling the love with New York lately, perhaps due to the fact that we unexpectedly had our biggest Bootie party ever there -- over 840 people! It was crazy, so we're throwing in an NYC-inspired bonus track, created by Purple Crush, a Brooklyn-based electro duo who recently moved to LA. We love it when artists mash up their own tunes!

The Kleptones - Cubikini (Bikini Kill vs. 808 State) - Brighton, UK
From the album Upside/Downtime
This is the soundtrack of our lives back in the early '90s, where a typical weekend might consist of going to see a Riot Grrrl girl band play at some trashy punk club down the street, before heading out to an all-night rave in a warehouse on the outskirts of town. Did The Kleptones do the same thing? We love hearing surprising and rarely (if ever) used source material in a mashup, such as Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl."

DJ Le Clown - Billie Bootie Lazer (Michael Jackson vs. Major Lazer) - Paris
For the record, Adrian HATES Major Lazer, finding its bloops and bleets incredibly annoying. D, on the other hand, loves the crazy sampling sounds and ridiculous rhythms. But here, we find some middle ground, as MJ gives a jolt of familiar melodicism to the modern, oh-so-hipster, "lazer" sound.

MadMixMustang - Is This Digital Love? (Bob Marley vs. Daft Punk) - The Netherlands
Here's another mashup that we like, in spite of its source material. Neither one of us are especially big fans of reggae -- but Daft Punk sounds so shockingly well-suited paired up with Bob Marley, taking an electronic jam and turning it into anthem of love and unity. It's the dance floor equivalent of "warm fuzzies."

Marc Johnce - Mr. Crowley Might Like It Louder (Ozzy Osbourne vs. Dada, Obernik & Harris vs. Amanda Blank vs. Major Lazer) - Germany
We love it when hard rock artists from the '80s get the electro-dance bootleg treatment, especially when they sound as bangin' as this. How awesome is Ozzy's "Mr. Crowley" for a dark Electro-Bootie set? Dude, it rocks.

Mashup-Germany - Sexy Bitch In Memphis (Akon vs. Justin Timberlake vs. Robyn vs. The Eagles vs. Cher vs. David Guetta) - Germany
Can rap lyrics get any more shallow and ridiculous? What's left to do but take them and mash them up with other artists, both probable (Hi, Justin!) and highly unlikely (OMG, the Eagles!). A nice multi-mash from hot newcomer Mashup-Germany.

DJ Morgoth - Any Way You Want My Woman (Journey vs. Wolfmother vs. MSTRKRFT) - Berlin
Wherein, Bootie Berlin's own DJ Morgoth discovers the awesomeness of a classic American arena rock band from the '80s by mashing up a song of theirs that came out before he was even born! See? Journey's music really is the new Great American Songbook! And it sounds hot mashed-up with the Aussie retro-rock of Wolfmother remixed into a sexy groove by hipster heroes MSTRKRFT. Both these bands love the ladies ... it's oh-so-rock-n-roll!

Winkar Lopez - Shots (Hands Up Bootleg) (LMFAO feat. Lil Jon vs. Winkar Lopez) - Mexico City
As unapologetic and unironic fans of MTV's "Jersey Shore," we have a soft spot for LMFAO, who not only did the show's theme song, but whose commercial for "Shots" practically became the show's OTHER theme song. Winkar Lopez's bootleg remix will have you "beating up the beat" and fist-pumping like a true guido! "Shotshotshotsshotshots... EVERYBODY!!!"

AND IN CASE YOU'VE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK:
DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It On The Pop) (Mashup of the Top 25 Hit Songs of 2009 According to Billboard Magazine) - San Francisco
What can we say that we haven't already? Mashup of the year, literally. This should be put in a time capsule for 2009. It's got over 10 million views on YouTube, it was listed as #1 on the "Must List" in Entertainment Weekly, and Earworm was profiled on CNN.com. It's an epic tour de force that, with its widespread mainstream attention, doesn't just elevate the mashup artform -- it takes it to a new level of legitimacy. Bravo!

DJ Earworm's "United State of Pop 2009" on CNN.com ... and Bootie gets name-dropped!

Hopefully by now, you're already familiar with DJ Earworm's utterly epic United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It On The Pop), his year-end masterpiece that mashes together the top 25 songs of 2009 (as ranked by Billboard magazine) into one insanely brilliant, 4-1/2-minute pop creation. This is now Earworm's third year in a row doing this, and it's by far his best yet.

For one thing, he doesn't simply mash up unrelated bits and pieces of songs together into a big sonic stew. Instead he has taken individual words and phrases from the lyrics and has intricately crafted entirely new verses and choruses. In effect, he has created a NEW SONG, one that carries a message of hope and perseverance in tough times -- "No need to worry, just pick back up when you’re tumbling down, down, down (down, " It's uplifting and beautiful, and we'd be lying if we didn't say that we actually get a little choked up sometimes when we hear it!

Earworm recently posted a color-coded lyric sheet, so you can see just how cut up and manipulated his work really is. It's seriously Type-A!

The video he posted to YouTube went viral within a few days -- which probably explains the extensive FAQ in the "more info" section of the video's page -- and right now it's fast approaching 10 million views. He's been written up by major media outlets the world over, and two days ago, CNN.com ran a major interview with him.  

Check out the DJ Earworm interview here -- and notice that Adrian from Bootie gets name-dropped in the fourth paragraph, answering the "how did you get started" question! Thanks, Jordan! :-) We vividly remember meeting him for the first time at Bootie, back in April 2004 when we were just a monthly Wednesday at the tiny Cherry Bar in San Francisco. We became fast friends and introduced him to the wider world of mashup culture on the internet ... and the rest, as they say, is history!

Needless to say, we are incredibly proud of Earworm, and his newfound wider popularity is much deserved and long overdue! And yes, he'll be playing feature sets at Bootie SF and Bootie LA very soon!

"NirGaga" forced to be removed from Best of Bootie 2009 CD

Bootie just received its first "cease-and-desist" letter, for DJ Lobsterdust's "NirGaga" (Nirvana vs. Lady Gaga) track on the Best of Bootie 2009 CD:

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To Whom It May Concern:
EMI Entertainment World, Inc. ('EMI") is the owner and/or administrator of certain copyrighted content which is currently being reproduced, displayed, transmitted and distributed without authorization on www.bootiemashup.com (the "Site"), including, without limitation, a sample and download of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana (the "Copyrighted Work"). The unauthorized reproduction, display, transmission and distribution via the Internet of the Copyrighted Work without our express permission constitutes copyright infringement in violation of Title 17 U.S. Code, Section 106(a) of the Copyright Act of 1976, and other international copyright laws.
http://www.bootiemashup.com/bestofbootie2009/
This e-mail shall serve as EMI's good faith notice to you that you are to immediately remove the Copyrighted Work, “Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana as well as any other unauthorized EMI material. Once the Copyrighted Work, has been removed from the Site, please send us written confirmation of the same.
This notice is written without prejudice to the rights and remedies of EMI and its songwriters at law or at equity, all of which we hereby expressly reserve. Thank you.

Infringement Compliance Unit │ EMI Music Publishing
a: 75 Ninth Avenue │ 4th Floor │ New York, NY 10011
www.emimusicpub.com
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We find it interesting that while "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is probably one of the most mashed-up songs out there, it took someone using Kurt Cobain's vocals and lyrics rather than the iconic instrumentation to bring about a "Copyright Infringement Notice."

We have complied with the request and have since replaced the track with one of the bonus tracks, DJ Moule's "Hey, C La Vie," which just narrowly missed the original cut of the album.

This now means that the original version of the Best of Bootie 2009 CD is now a collector's item!

This also allowed us to add DJ Schmolli's "The Trooper Believer" (Iron Maiden vs. The Monkees) as an additional bonus track.

To read or post comments, click here.

Party & Bullshit (In The USA) on FuckAdvocacy.com

Hathbanger - Party & Bullshit (In The USA) (Notorious B.I.G. vs. Miley Cyrus

So many people get it wrong, that it's awesome when someone gets it right.

Below is a copy of a blog post from Cyle Gage at FuckAdvocacy.com, wherein he explains eloquently not just why mashups are awesome, but why Hathbanger's Bootie hit, Party & Bullshit (In The USA) is particularly awesome.

What’s Wrong, And How To Do It Right
by Cyle Cage

Listen to the motherfucking awesome song. Party & Bullshit (In the USA) (Notorious B.I.G. vs Miley Cyrus) For those fools who are unfamiliar, this is from Best of Bootie 2009, an annual album comprised entirely of amazing bootleg mashups. Why is it especially awesome? Because through their music, they transform culture. Really, they take normally earsplitting mainstream shit, smash it together like they do in the goddamn LHC, and transmute it into danceable, art-worthy brilliance.

But I’m singling out “Party & Bullshit (In the USA)” for a reason. The reason is simple and fairly obvious, but I want to explain it for those who don’t pick up on it immediately. This song is taking something that’s doing it wrong and making it right. I like to complain about what’s wrong, but some things deserve a break to be commended. Especially if it’s transformative. So what’s wrong? Miley Fucking Cyrus, that’s what. Honestly, I had never listened (or known that I was listening) to a Miley Cyrus song before this one, mostly because I figured she’d sound just like those other girls. I was wrong. She’s worse.

What I love about this mashup is the contrast, and it’s that satire which makes the music work so well. The song opens with big’s amazingly harsh, thick rap, which I love for its rough honesty. But there’s a nice, light dance beat (like most bootie songs). Talking about smoking blunts at 13 and getting shot at. Then from nowhere, some autotuned 12-year-old’s grating high-pitched voice slices the song up with some bullshit about a Jay-Z song? Putting your hands up? Butterflies? Moving your hips? Aren’t you illegal in most countries, little girl? Party in the USA? This is fucking bullshit, I can’t think of worse lyrics. (And I lived through Staind, Nickleback, and Evanescence.)

And then more of big’s fucking killer lyrics. You read this shit? Compared to modern music, this is Hemingway. NWA might as well be Longfellow, Thoreau, and Emerson. I’m not the biggest fan of rap in the world, but I have a lot of respect for a guy who can stick to a rhyming scheme like it’s nothing. (Yes, biggie rhymes “out” with itself, but Dylan Thomas did that too sometimes.) I have a great deal more respect for motherfuckers like Snoop and Ice-T who rhyme about killing people than anybody who writes a pop love ballad. Poetic conventions in such violent situations? Brilliant. Scare kids into thinking poetry is cool, it works.

The killer, and my favorite part of the song, is big’s swaying jive in the background of Miley’s chorus. Turn it up and listen to it. Party… and bullshit. Party… and bullshit. Fuck Miley Cyrus and her fucking voice. She is what’s wrong. But biggie, even though he’s fucking dead, is making it right.