There could not have been a more apt ID3 than that of Freelance Hellraiser’s “Stroke Of Genius,” the MP3 that launched this decade’s most fitting musical legacy. Parts of two or three or thirty tracks mixed into one supersong? What better than mashups to soundtrack a generation of smartphone-wielding Adderall chompers coming of age in a world where all music is free. In the years since Freelance Hellraiser (and 2 Many DJs, Go Home Productions, DJ Earworm, Party Ben, et al) raised the bar for bastard pop, we’ve seen bootlegging go mainstream in the hands of Girl Talk and Danger Mouse, not to mention 2004′s chart-topping Collision Course and the dozen questionable Jigga x [rock band] torrents in its wake. This year, bands like Passion Pit and Phoenix distributed stems of their hits as blogbaiting publicity stunts. (It worked!) Still, when it comes to remixes, few are more thrilling than hearing the vocals of one song over the instrumental of another and have it absolutely work. Which is why we’ve again collaborated with our favorite mashup artist, Australian producer Neil Mason aka team9, to mix our favorite tracks of 2009 with familiar oldies, creating something more than the sum of their parts. The process — Stereogum acquiring exclusive audio and making playlists, Neil working his ACID Pro magic (i.e., the hard part) — started months ago, with an eye on this holiday deadline. It’s our fourth annual Christmas present to you, and we think it’s the best MySplice yet. Enjoy…

Read More...

For the third year in a row, we’ve turned to master bootlegger team9 to take some of our favorite songs of the year and mash them together. On Stereogum & team9 Present… MySplice III you’ll hear familiar blog hits from artists like Lykke Li, of Montreal, the Breeders, Bloc Party, Crystal Castles, and Beck remixed with beats and vocals borrowed from some of the year’s most inescapable pop hits. (There are some oldies thrown in, too.)

As always with our original compilations, you may download all the tracks for free, as individual MP3s, ZIP or torrent. There is no better way to celebrate 2008 for no money.

One hitch: we need an album cover! You’re creative, will you make one for us?

Read More...

In what is fast becoming a Stereogum tradition, we’ve once again conspired with master bootlegger team9 for a celebration of the year in singles. Of course “the year in singles” is a loaded term coming from us — relatively massive as they are, Arcade Fire, M.I.A. and Band Of Horses aren’t exactly Hot 100 fare — so we opened the door to OneRepublic and Sean Kingston. It’s not a time capsule look-back without a dash of some ubiquitous pop tracks, anyway. All free and just for you, presented on this day made for remembering and rejoicing and drinking. If you’re DJing tonight for an indie-friendly crowd, add these to your playlist and thank us tomorrow.

Read More...

UPDATE: Since this post was published, we’ve made MySplice an annual tradition. Listen to and download all editions here.

//

Do albums matter as much as singles anymore? We like to think so. But 2006 was a great year for indie acts representing with a hot track. We wanted to figure a way to celebrate the year in music with you guys, and thank y’all for being a part of the Stereogum family. (Aww, emo hugs all around.) Everybody argues, everybody laughs, but you’re here ’cause you love music! Or you Googled “lindsay lohan crotch”?

Anyway, we got together with our favorite mash-up artist, team9, and concocted a Year In Review bastard pop mix featuring 2006′s most notable ear candy. You’ll hear blog faves mashed for the first time, and a bit of classic rock thrown in for good measure. Our friend Steve made this nifty cover:

Read More...