This has been around the Internet a little based on its 900,000+ YouTube views, but when I saw it today it was new to me and there was no question that it’s Blogadilla material.

I’m a big fan of mashups, but this is a mashup of a different style: music mashed with video. In 2006, Atlanta DJ and rap artist Unk released the addictive track “Walk It Out.” Shortly after, someone took a video clip from a 1960s TV show featuring Gwen Verdon (third wife of Bob Fosse and one of the best dancers of her time) dancing to a song called “Mexican Breakfast,” and had the idea to lay the rap track over the video. I can’t tell you what spurred the idea in the first place, but I can tell you is that the mix works out amazingly well. Check it out for yourself, and then for reference afterward, see the original.

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Having just posted a mashup I made of a songs by Moby and Timbaland, I have been looking around the Internet for material on both artists. This issue surfaced back in January of this year, but I just became aware of it and had to post about it because I’m just blown away.

Apparently in the song “Do It” by Nelly Furtado (which Timbaland “wrote” and produced), Tim lifted a significant portion of a “Acidjazzed Evening,” written and produced in 2000 by a little-known Finnish musician named Janne Suni AKA “Tempest.” Timbaland didn’t ask Suni for permission, nor did he clear the sample prior to making this song. Sure, sampling happens all the time, but it is legitimate and this simply is not.  What Timbaland has done is blatantly plagiarize, taking credit for creating something that someone else created.

I’ll be fair: “Do It” is a hot track in its own right, but Timbaland’s theft is so blatant, it’s amazing. Check out a YouTube video comparing the songs, as well as a ringtone that Timbaland “wrote” in 2005, also ripping off “Acidjazzed Evening”:

Apparently both sides have lawyers and are talking, so perhaps a settlement is in the works.  Timbaland, however, has publicly scoffed at this issue, saying that this happens all the time and isn’t something anyone should be worrying about.  Still, though, the music sounds identical.

For more specific, continuously updated information, check out the wikipedia page on this controversy.

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That’s right folks, it’s time for another Monthly Mashup. This time, I took Timbaland’s “The Way I Are” and crossed it with Moby’s “Hymn. ” Enjoy!

The Hymn I Are - Mashup by Johnny Haze, 2007

(Right-click the link to save the mp3.)

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It’s no doubt that Web 2.0 can often be categorized by sites with pastel colors and rounded edges, but there’s a ton of cool technology that has developed amongst all the pretty designs. Some of the coolest new stuff profiles you as a user and compares it to all sorts of data (including your friends and random strangers) to come up with a breakdown of stuff you know you like, as well as stuff you didn’t know you’d like (or at least, that’s the point). Here’s a few of my favorite music-oriented sites I’ve discovered:

- This site used to be known as “AudioScrobbler”, but changed it’s name and then was sold to CBS. You run a small program (for all OS’s) on your computer, and it watches the music you listen to. It compares your music listening habits to those of all the other users on the site, then provides internet radio (free!) of not only your music, but other artists that you’ll probably like. Here’s my profile (for a sample of what it looks like).

- This site pools together all the mp3’s posted on various music blogs across the web. Do a search for one of your favorite artists and you’re bound to find some new tracks - covers and live versions in particular. You can also snag the RSS feed for an artist, import it into iTunes, and voila - instant free downloads of those tracks.

LivePlasma - Utilizes the Amazon database of “User’s who bought this, also bought…” to give you a map of artists related to your entered artist. This one works for movies as well - be warned that it’s not very forgiving of misspellings, and a lot of the more obscure artists don’t show up at all. Definitely fun to play with, though.

- This is for the lucky iPhone owners out there, although it works on a normal browser as well. Similar to HypeMachine, this pools together all the mp3’s it can find on the web and offers full listens through the interface. The iPhone version looks amazing on the phones with an interface emulating the iPhone iTunes almost exactly.

Please feel free to share your favorite Web 2.0 music sites in the comments section!

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This is an interactive post, sort of a musical S.L.A.M book. Instead of trying to review some new music, I thought I’d list a few new ones I like, and find out what everyone else is listening to lately. So please respond in the “comments” (or ‘Dillas, as a post if you’ve got a big list!). Maybe we can broaden our collective musical taste (I need to help mine). I didn’t want to write about music that sucks, but if there are any CDs you’ve bought lately that you wish you hadn’t, feel free to warn us (ya know, Pirates of the Caribbean 3 style).

New-ish Stuff:

• Shapes and Sizes, “Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner” – sounds like The Thinking Fellers Local Union 282 mixed with, uhm, I-have-no-freaking-idea, it’s unique (thank god)

• Ex-Boyfriends, “Dear John” – fun sing-along pop, a la Weezer style! Super cute S.F. boys, got a song on HBO’s “Big Love”

• Broken Social Scene, “Beehives” – I can’t get enough of them

New Stuff From the Old School:

• Sonic Youth, “Rather Ripped” – the ‘pop’ album their daughter dared them to make, I love “Incinerate”

• White Stripes, “Icky Thump” - I like guys masturbating with guitars, what can I say

• Bjork, “Volta” – I told you that bitch was crazy!…crazy-cool

• Beastie Boys, “The Mix Up” – instrumental=sweet, now this would have been a great soundtrack for Ocean’s 13 instead of that regurgitated mess they used

• Paula Frazer and Tarnation, “Now It’s Time” – alt-country songstress, it’s real purty

• The Fucking Champs, “VI” – (this one’s for my husband) instrumental, flying V guitar sound, 70’s metal, hesh, guys really masturbating with guitars

Old-Old School:

• Elvis Costello and the Attractions, “The Best of Elvis Costello: the First 10 Years” – you can’t go wrong here

• Dee Dee Sharp, “The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966” – good summer music, gotta love “Mash Potatoes” and it’s b-side “Gravy”

(gracias al Timbotron por el cuadro)

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We captured on video one of our clients licensing the first song ever on an iPhone. He does it in three minutes using MusicLicensingStore.com, which is our online tool for licensing music. Pretty sweet. Check it!

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SteveB sent this to me on Thursday, and I immediately thought we should post it. In fact, I assumed he would have already done so, because it’s that cool. But because more than 24 hours have gone by since Stevo shared it with me and it’s still not up, this video is fair game upon which I am going to sieze.

And behold….The Amazing Singing Tesla Coil!  That’s right, a Tesla coil that ‘plays’ along with some pretty solid music.

Ya gotta love the Nintendo throwback.

(For the full story and a bit of science, head over to HauntedFrog)

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Take a step back in time, way back. The day’s of sore shoulder’s are long gone with growing weeds of nasty small personal “music” players taking over our world. What happened to the day’s when you could walk around with a small house on your shoulder making sure everyone knew what music you wanted everyone to hear.

My weapon of choice for music shoulder weaponry was the Panasonic RX5500 (sounds sexy huh, and it was!).

It had it all, including two LED meters, sweeeeeet!

To get your boom on, head over to the Boom Box Museum

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“There’s a picture opposite me of my primitive ancestry, which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free. Though I respect that a lot, I’d be fired if that were my job - after killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts.”

- They Might Be Giants “Birdhouse in Your Soul”

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What do you get when you cross The Eagles with Eamon with Linkin Park? Click below to find out.

California In Stereo - Mashup by Johnny Haze, 2007

(Right-click the link to save the mp3.)

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Summer is here and the sound of ice cream trucks is in the air. For the last two Summers, WFMU has been posting ice cream truck music mp3s on their blog. They make great ringtones (I currently have “Hello” on my phone playlist).

Here are a few of my favorites from their site:

•Mr. Softee
•Hello
•Pink Panther Pops
•And something that sounds like a crippled version of “Popeye the Sailor”

Here’s a nice article on how and why ice cream truck music sounds the way it does.

(via WFMU; awesome CC photo by Brodie Shade Tree)

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I manage to fall in love with catchy music used in TV commercials, but not the actual products being advertised. The most recent example of this being the music for a new Toyota Prius commercial.

With a little hunting, I found the band and the song:
•The (Swedish) band: Suburban Kids with Biblical Names
•The song: “Rent a Wreck” (an ironic choice for a car commercial).

Here is the song (just click the “play” arrow):

Some other catchy songs on the TV commercial playlist:
•”La Breeze” by Simian (Peugeot commercial)
•”The Whistle Song” by P.J. Olsson (Starburst Fruit Chews commercial)
•”This is the Day (Disinfected Remix)” by The The (Dockers commercial)
•”Beautiful World” by Devo (Target commercial)
•”Zoom Zoom Zoom” by Only the Strong (Mazda commercial)
•”Factor Miedo” by Cartel de Santa (Axe Body Spray commercial)
•”Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra (Volkswagon commercial)

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It’s hard to find music boxes that play “Punk Rock Girl” or “Iron Man.”
So . . . make your own.
The “Make Your Own Music Box” kit comes with hole punch and blank music strips.
$15.
From The Afternoon.

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I love Lily Allen. I know, I’m kind of late on the Lily Allen train, but here’s why I love her music and you should too. A shit-talking British accent, blown out dance hall beats, horns (in case you miss the Specials), Holly-Golightly-meets-Pink ensembles, and she has the most annoying background ever on MySpace.

Anyone who’s not a rapper and says fuc$ing in the first stanza, on the first song, of their first album, is my new best friend. Who doesn’t want to sic a bunch of British dirt bags on their ex-boyfriend and then “Smile” about it? She’s vicious and adorable. Oh, and who doesn’t love that “old school” cd loading sound that seems to be so popular now.

Here’s the downside. Listening to her gives me hopeful chicken skin just like Liz Phair used to. Ah, I loved Liz Phair. Scary loved. Liz Phair had those two excellent albums and then, she got happy, or married, or whatever, and started to SUCK. I was lost. Whenever a new, talented, smart-mouthed, female artist comes along I fall in love all over again, BUT now, I can’t help but think, “Just don’t disappoint me bitch.”

Anywho, there are some cool little mp3’s at the bottom of this Pitchfork interview where you can also read more about how supremely awesome she is.

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