Part 2
As I mentioned before, I'm ignoring Craig's album rule a bit on the second disc because I think it fails to take into account the most significant musical fad of this decade. The Aughts will, for better or worse, be remembered for the mashup phenomenon. As such, my second disc is 1/3 mashups and/or Internet plunderphony. Since the “Artist” in a mashup is the DJ, some musicians appear in more than one mashup. However, the same song is not mashed twice, nor do any of the featured mashups include any of the non-mashed artists.


Improper Dancing - Electric Six (2002) 3:14
As if the niche of arena rock melded with disco wasn’t compelling enough, this song has one perfect moment that, when I heard if the first time, made me rush out and buy the album at the first opportunity.

Oh! - Sleater-Kinney (2002) 3:44
Here’s the other of the three voices. You either love Corin Tucker’s voice or you think she sounds like Goat Boy. My wife’s in the latter camp and even she loves this song, so that’s gotta say something.

Do You Realize? - Flaming Lips (2002) 3:32
When they aren’t being plushy-loving weirdos, the Lips are masters of turning out terribly sad music that’s uplifting in its beauty. I don’t have my own story to illustrate this, so I’ll borrow this one

Power Lunch - Har Mar Superstar 2002 2:49
Har Mar Mall is a sad little strip mall outside of St. Paul. Har Mar Superstar is a low-rent pudgy white breakdancing R&B crooner whose shows often end with him performing in tidy-whities. A pathetic joke? Sure, about as much as R. Kelly or old school Prince.

All for Swinging You Around - New Pornographers (2003) 3:42
If you’ve heard it, you know why it’s here.

We Will Become Silhouettes - The Postal Service (2003) 5:00
Hey, remember the 80s?

Get Your Hands off My Woman - The Darkness (2003) 2:46
Some of the best uses of profanity in music.

Valley Winter Song - Fountains of Wayne (2003) 3:34
So while you bought the album for “Stacy’s Mom,” I hope you stuck around for the album’s true gem, this ode to Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Y Control - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, (2003) 3:39
In the first draft of this, “Maps” was the selection. I listened to the album again today and was reminded that this was the far superior song.

She Wants to Move - N.E.R.D. (2004) 3:34
I can’t stop twitching my head like they do in the video.

Narc - Interpol (2004) 4:09
Almost too serious for their own good. The guitar puts this song on the list.

Fix Up Look Sharp - Dizzee Rascal (2004) 3:45
It’s the Billy Squier sample that makes this one.

Blinded by the Lights - The Streets (2004) 4:44
A Grand Don’t Come for Free is perhaps the only concept album where the concept holds together completely, and as such the songs shouldn’t be broken up. This track perfectly sums up why I hate nightclubs. I like the finale, “Empty Cans,” more than this song, but it’s 8-plus minutes long.

On the Verge - Le Tigre (2004) 3:31
Feminist dance-punk. What’s not to love?

No One Takes Your Freedom (Scissor Sisters v. Beatles v. George Michael v. Aretha Franklin) 5:16 (DJ Earworm)
The Beatles are frequent mashup fodder; no doubt because it’s easy to separate the vocal tracks from the instrumentals.

Dirty Bootle (Sonic Youth v. Christina Aguilera ) 3:32 (Dsico)
Speeding up Xtina’s tempo in places doesn’t work as well as one would hope, but overall it’s a fine effort.

Sunday Bloody Sunday - (George W. Bush). 3:09 (ThePartyParty.com)
My opinions on W and U2 are well-known, but in this case, two wrongs make a right. If only the rest of the stuff on this site were as good.

The Ghost that Feeds (Nine Inch Nails v. Ray Parker Jr.) 3:20 (Nathanchase.com)
Somehow I don’t think this is what Trent had in mind when he released GarageBand files of the new album.

The Morning Glory I Love (REM v. Oasis) 3:51 (faultside)
One of the last REM songs I liked coupled with the only Oasis song I can bear.

Sunshine a Go-Go (Beatles v. Dee-Lite v. The Who v. The Byrds) 4:42 (ccc)
Still more Beatles. This is from a project called Revolved, in which the Revolver album is mashed with various things. There are a few clunkers in the project, but when it’s good, it’s great. Here we have Good Day Sunshine meeting Groove is in the Heart, Eight Miles High and I Can See For Miles, as well as too other beatles songs. The end result is something trippier than John ever came up with for Sgt. Pepper.