Girl Talk's Feed The Animals Is Out Today
When we posted "I" on Monday, I later spoke to Gregg who told me, "It's not on the album but i wanted to give people something special this week." He wasn't kidding: Feed The Animals has popped up on the Illegal Art website today, which makes "I" a great start-of-the-week hype song for the collection. As we reported a couple weeks ago, you can pay what you want for the collection. Fair warning, though: If you decide to pay 0.00, you'll have to answer some questions first...
- I may donate later
- I can't afford to pay
- I don't really like Girl Talk
- I don't believe in paying for music
- I have already purchased this album
- I don't value music made from sampling
- I am part of the press, radio, or music industry
- Other reasons
Which one is it, cheap-o? If "other reasons," specifics are appreciated. And, if you do want Feed The Animals, head here and start clicking. Just in time for the weekend. This is what the tracklist for your next party will look like:
01 "Play Your Part (Pt. 1)"
02 "Shut The Club Down"
03 "Still Here"
04 "What It's All About"
05 "Set It Off"
06 "No Pause"
07 "Like This"
08 "Give Me A Beat"
09 "Hands In The Air"
10 "In Step"
11 "Let Me See You"
12 "Here's The Thing"
13 "Don't Stop"
14 "Play Your Part (Pt. 2)"
Also, if you're into tangible things, you can get Feed The Animals on CD via
Illegal Art on 9/23 and on vinyl (a double 12") via Wham City Records in the fall. You can also see Gregg take his shirt off:
06/26 - Hattiesburg, MS @ Thirsty Hippo
06/27 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
06/28 - Tulsa, OK @ Cains Ballroom
07/11 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
07/12 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
07/23 - Victoria, BC @ Sugar
07/24 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
07/25 - Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
07/26 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
08/03 - Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza (Citi Stage)
08/08 - Jersey City, NJ @ All Points West Festival
Posted at 10:03 AM by brandon in Tour Dates
Tags: Girl Talk
i paid $3 for it this a.m. & nothing happened -- no email w/link, etc., like In Rainbows. what's the deal?
Score = 0
There's no e-mail link, it downloads direct from the site. You obviously did something wrong.
Score = 1
The album is INCREDIBLE.
Score = 5
So, I suppose the fact that you got this message means you paid nothing? Cheap-o.
Score = 1
I paid. I put in 0.00 to see what would happen. I go to all lengths to bring you the news.
Score = 1
if you put in any figure OVER $50k - you get links to a secret site with animated videos for every song - PLUS the bonus track "A Milly Snare".
example: http://scats.com/BLAIR/GT.jpg
Score = 3
its good but the ADD Night Ripper stuff is better its more impressive, original, and a more fun listen. one of the best mixes i thought was no diggity over kanye flashing lights hearing Velvet underground was cool too
Score = 1
Night Ripper and FTA are pretty equal to me. Though FTA has higher energy peaks .
Score = 1
Downloaded this morning (paid $0, I'm a cheap-o), listened in the car on the way to work. I think this album is better than Night Ripper. It's f-ing amazing.
Score = 1
It's seriously the best mash ups ever. Radiohead, I can't believe it. I paid 10 dollars because his shows are just as amazing... aww welll
Score = 1
I paid $5 this morning (4am on the west coast) and got the one track album... definitely worth it. I don't know if it's better than NR, it's kind of parallel. My Favorite part is Ray-J over Young Turks.
Score = 0
I paid zero because I plan on getting the vinyl. Sounds great so far.
Score = 1
look, it's pretty nice (so far) but once again, i ask, why is a white kid with a laptop being so overpraised for doing what DJs have been doing for decades? it's fun, and all, but hardly novel. you'd think greggy invented this shit, which just goes to prove that his fanbase isn't exactly, um, educated on these matters. again, still fun, though.
Score = -8
yeah man. if anything, it's because he's white
Score = 4
I'm going to pay as much for this album as Greg Gillis and Illegal Art paid to all the musicians sampled.
0.00.
Score = 7
I suppose you selected "I don't value music made from sampling" on the survey, which is bullshit, since Greg Gillis' work here is obviously transformative, creative and individual. Just because he's using other artists as a jumpboard for his own creativity doesn't make his work meaningless. In fact, other artists do it all the time --- though perhaps not directly cut-and-paste like Girl Talk. The drums on Radiohead's "Nude" clearly rip off of David Bowie's "Five Years", and Nirvana/Spoon/Modest Mouse all offer subtle variations on the Pixies formula, and many hip-hop songs are based off samples, but you know what? It's all great music.
Score = 2
"I suppose you selected "I don't value music made from sampling" on the survey, which is bullshit, since Greg Gillis' work here is obviously transformative, creative and individual."
Incorrect. Sample-based music is a-ok in my book, so long as the artists sampled are aware and compensated for their contribution. Since Gillis doesn't pay ANY of these artists for the use of their art, I don't see why he should be compensated.
Score = 1
I think it's naive and idealistic to expect Gillis to pay all the artists here. Is it really feasible for him to pay the 300+ artists that he samples here? Absolutely not. He doesn't earn that kind of money.
So does that mean that he just shouldn't make something like this? Er, I don't want to say that either. As I expressed, I think this is an original, creative piece of work (just like his last album). Doesn't this mean he should have a right to make it?
Today, all "legitimate" music acts must "clear" every sample that they use, which generally involves paying an up-front fee and guaranteeing the sample owner hefty royalties. Therefore, sampling becomes an incredibly restrictive industry. Artists on independent labels never have enough money to invest in the clearing of samples, and the immense amount of legal red tape is enough to dissuade any artist without a legal team behind them. Obviously, this makes sampling an incredibly restrictive art form, and puts upcoming artists at a gigantic disadvantage. Bigger artists such as Eminem and Kanye West can get their labels to cover sampling costs, but small-time artists like Girl Talk have absolutely no means of legally sampling their work in today's culture.
I actually wrote a long article about this here: http://mr-ethanboy.livejournal.com/96299.html
Score = 6
"So does that mean that he just shouldn't make something like this?"
Not exactly. It's one thing to repurpose other peoples' art into something of your own, it's another thing to attempt to profit from it. Gillis is making money off of this, yet nobody who wrote, played, recorded or released the original songs are seeing a cent, and to me, that's wrong.
Score = -2
I don't really see it as a big deal, but I'm obviously a little more liberal with my copyright views than most. Nirvana made loads of money after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" took off, and even Kurt Cobain admitted it was a Pixies rip-off (still a great song, to be sure). But the Pixies didn't see any of that money.
Is that wrong to you too? Admittedly, Girl Talk is more direct, but it's a slippery slope, I think. Music is all about building on other people's ideas and creating something your own, something that Greg Gillis has done with his music, I think.
Score = -1
"...obviously transformative, creative and individual?" please to explain. how is this not just hyperkinetic mash-ups of other people's work? what, exactly, about his work transcends? look, it's fun, as DJ cut-ups have ALWAYS been, for the last 20-30 years. but why must we overstate the case regarding this guy? seriously, i'd love someone to explain.
Score = -5
it doesn't transcend but the thing that sets it apart is the quality of the production on this album. a lot of people hate overproduced things, but i like it here since i love the source material, which gillis doesn't diminish as he puts them in great, funky mix
Score = 4
First off, I didn't call his work "transcendent." That's extraordinarily high praise for music, and I save the adjective for a select few bands. I think Gillis is great, but he hasn't reached that level for me.
Secondly, yes, this stuff has been around for a while. It's not even that different from such indie mainstay albums as DJ Shadow's "Entroducing....." or The Avalanche's "Since I Left You" (both of which are massively better than anything he's ever done). However, he is still talented, and his work stands on its own legs, which is the important issue here.
Yes, it's a hyperkenetic mash up of songs, but it's very well done. His layers and transitions are great, and it's thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Not a classic album. Not revolutionary. But it's pretty darn great, and deserves recognition as its own creative entity (as opposed to untalented schlock that's completely derivative of Top 40 radio, which I hear a lot of people say).
Score = 1
for the record, i never said "transcendent," just that it doesn't transcend what others have done and are doing, as we speak. i am glad you admit that Shadow and Avalanches are far superior, and that's my only point. people heap praise on this guy like he's doing something original, innovative, and brilliant. i admit it's fun stuff, i just don't get why people wet their shorts over it. and, honestly, more than 10 minutes starts to give me a headache. "Not a classic album. Not revolutionary." exaclty, so why can't we just admit it's a happy, fun, of-the-moment lark? better we should check the Steinski retrospective, also out on illegal arts. that stuff really has had lasting impact on the world of music. not sure we will ever be able to say the same of Girl Talk. that's my only point.
Score = 2
Fair enough. Then I suppose we mostly agree --- which is a rare thing on the internet these days.
Score = 3
Did anyone else notice the leaked version and the version released officially on Illegal Art are two completely different albums? Now I've got two new Girl Talk albums =D
Score = -11
The "leaked" version wasn't actually Girl Talk.
Score = 5
the leaked version is by speaky. speaky is very similar to girl talk and almost as much fun to hear.
Score = 0
except that speaky uses low-quality samples, makes uninspired choices regarding which samples he mashes together, and manipulates the pitches of his vocal samples in really tacky ways, not to mention piggybacks on girltalk's fame by "leaking" a fake album with his name on it. anyone who honestly believed speaky's album was "feed the animals" is insulting gillis' skill as a musician/producer/dj/whatever.
Score = 5
Yeah Speakys samples blow compared to GT. His songs more trailer park then GT too.
Score = 0
If you've been to Girl Talk live you'll recognize a lot of these clips. I love the album though. I don't think Gregg is doing anything brand new just doing great mash-ups with amazing transitions, creative blends and tracks that bring out the party feeling of his live shows. Take it at face value and enjoy.
Score = 3
I paid $9.00, and think its a great album. I've been lisening to it all morning. I downloaded the seamless and individual tracks. Better than Night Ripper for sure.
Score = 0
I paid $9.00, and think its a great album. I've been lisening to it all morning. I downloaded the seamless and individual tracks. Better than Night Ripper for sure
Score = 0
They left out the absolute biggest reason not to pay for it: because they don't give ANY information about who is taking your credit card information. After clicking through the bunches of questions, I find that it's Paypal, but by then, I was kind of annoyed that they don't say right up front that it's Paypal doing the credit card processing.
I'm all for people paying what they want and donating to artists (which I did with the Radiohead album), but these artists need to stop being so cavalier about where they're asking people to plug credit card info into.
Score = -1
You must've missed it because it does say up front that PayPal does the credit card processing.
Score = 1
The page that Stereogum doesn't say anything about PayPal:
"any price grants the download of the entire album as high-quality 320kbps mp3s
$5 or more adds the options of FLAC files, plus a one-file seamless mix of the album
$10 or more includes all of the above + a packaged CD (when it becomes available)"
Score = -1
If you know any obscure samples help fill the Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_The_Animals
I keep trying to figure out what sample is at the 4 min mark on "here's the thing"
Score = 4
I'm pretty sure the last sample is by Scroobius Pip but I can't find which song!
Score = 0
right after the cheap trick sample in no pause, there's a sample of the beat from pied piper by run DMC
Score = 0
I paid 5 bucks, and so far, it's alright. The Paranoid Android / Rock Boys mash is pretty cool. I also liked when he dropped Ace of Bass. But it's a bit… gimmicky I guess.
Score = 1
Ok, I just heard the Yo La Tengo bit... I'm sold.
Score = 1
Score = 1
I didn't pay. I don't have a job right now and I can't afford to. =(
Score = 1
oh so now we're going ahead with this radiohead thing? i wonder if it'll work the same way for girl talk, the same way it did for radiohead.
Score = 0
Ultimately, I don't think it matters too much... He makes most of his money from live shows anyway.
Score = 3
oh so we're doing this radiohead thing? i wonder if it'll be as successful for girl talk as it was for radiohead, my guess is probly not. anybody wanna guess what the highest price will be?
Score = -1
a dime was already ruled out.. .
Score = 0
Definitely worth dropping five dollars on. Part of me wishes Greg would release the songs in a garageband-y NINish way, so his fans could take a shot at remixing them,
but then again, Hype Machine and Elbows would be flooded with bad remixes for weeks. Still though, great album.
Score = 2
How would you remix it? It's all samples, and the samples have been around much longer than the album.
Score = 2
I paid nothing, but only because I'm absolutely broke right now. When this comes out in a tangible release I'm buying this REAL fast. So much fuckin' fun.
Score = 0
He took the time to make it, and it pleases me and makes my car rides a lot funner. I don't mind paying for it. Especially since I only paid $5
Ace of Base is on this!
Score = 1
Guys, it doesn't matter if the "Radiohead thing" works as well as it did for Radiohead. Not the point. Point is to get it to everyone at the same time and give people the option to pay, not give people the option to not pay. There's a difference. It's money being made that wouldn't have been made otherwise and is a great idea.
Hate to say it, but, DUH.
Score = 1
What It's All About it my jam.
Score = 0
To the douches to whom the legality of the sample can get in the way of enjoying the music. Any sample that plays for shorter than 30 seconds is technically legal to use.
Also, this is by far a better album than Night Ripper. I don't know how the guy who said it wasn't ADD enough could legally be allowed that about this album but to each his own.
Girl Talk rightfully proves himself the king of the Mashup.
Score = -1
The 30-second rule is a complete myth, do your homework.
Score = 3
I'm pretty sure there's more than 30 seconds of Paranoid Android and Roc Boys in there...
Score = 1
soulja boy and thin lizzy
i never thought i'd see the day
Score = 2
Yeah, I'd been waiting a long time for that, too.
Score = 1
This is really impressive. This guy has a lot of creativity. I agree wit hthe fact that he doesn't pay any of the artists money, and that is wrong. But you have to accept the fact that this is very creative and well done.
Score = 2
"Not exactly. It's one thing to repurpose other peoples' art into something of your own, it's another thing to attempt to profit from it. Gillis is making money off of this, yet nobody who wrote, played, recorded or released the original songs are seeing a cent, and to me, that's wrong."
He's not trying to profit off the albums, per se, and it's unlikely he will. If you've read interviews, he's said that one of the major reasons Night Ripper was released on CD was to help Illegal Art break even. How many artists like this profit? And why shouldn't he profit? Just because he's not distorting the samples beyond recognition or getting clearance for them does not mean he hasn't done a tremendous amount of work in creating this album. He quit his job to work on Girl Talk full time, Feed the Animals took 2 years to make. Its very naive and uninformed of you to imply that the work and creativity required to make an album such as this was any less than astounding, and to say that it isn't on par or above the more traditional artists who profit without qualms from the community at large, when they so obviously directly steal from their influences.
Score = 2
This is the ultimate. All other mash-up artists should really just pack up their equipment and go work at Best Buy, because this album is absolutely incredible.
Score = 2
Not listened to it yet, but somehow I severely doubt that - most of the people I know could've done a better mix than Nightripper. I hope it's better than that key-clash nightmare.
Score = -6
well tim, although i highly doubt that "most of the people" you know would spend two years creating an album devoted to complex, intertwining and highly-involved mashups...you know what, no need for the although, that's it. gimme a call when one of your buddies throws down 14 songs that can be played seamlessly and rock your face off. to end with a quote from the girl talk/grizzly bear remix "Bitch, don't just stand there with your nose up."
Score = 0
Wow. This is effin' stellar.
Score = 0
BEST ALBUM! VERY INNOVATIVE!
Score = -1
They left out the option for:
'I don't want to pay any money for this until I work out if it's as bad as Nightripper which was badly mixed shite'
:-P
for the record I like Unstoppable, I have it on the original Spasticated 2003 CD. But I don't understand why people loved Nightripper, so much better mixed/mashup and cutup work out there...I guess being picked up by the blogger/hipster scene made it another Grey Album, which was merely 'Ok'.
Score = -4
Uh...examples maybe?
Score = 0
I really like Unstoppable, but I feel like Night Ripper is much more accessible, if not danceable. I think that from certain angles Unstoppable is a better album, but for wide appeal, you can't really beat Night Ripper - and now Feed the Animals.
Also, to add on to my earlier comment, the money that people will donate won't be that much. Anyone with a realistic world view knows that the majority of downloaders won't pony up any cash, and its not like Girl Talk is going to garner anything of Radiohead proportions. The money will likely allow Illegal Art to break even from the massive bandwidth spent to DD a 120mb file (for the free one, lets not even mention the size of a $5+ donation, which would require a DD of hundreds of MB due to the size of FLAC files). Personally, I did not donate any more, but only because I plan to purchase the vinyl when it is released in a few months, but to say that Gillis and Illegal Art don't deserve to gain back some of the funds spent on this album is insane.
Score = 0
The Cranberries vs MIA moment is incredible
Score = 0
I like Eminem here (in a way) est, which is funny 'cause I usually don't:
http://songsaboutknives.com/2008/06/20/day-ripper/
Score = 0
fantastic release!
Score = 0
It's a lot of fun ... sure, same formula as Night Ripper, but he could put one of these out every year and people would buy it. Creative juxtaposition, great transitions, helluva party album. (I'd say "workout album" too, but that would be lame of me.)
My big question is : how in bloody hell has he not been sued into the ground for this? I understand he has a "fair use" argument just in case, but ... that hasn't worked for countless other artists. He even threw in the "Bittersweet Symphony" sample on Night Ripper for a cheeky joke (look up the story of what happened to the Verve.)
I notice he hasn't touched the Beatles yet, so he is being somewhat careful...
Score = 0
...but he did use a few Michael Jackson samples, which is basically the same as sampling the Beatles. not to mention Prince... I mean, remember Youtube? Coachella? Radiohead cover? didn't that just happen? Not exactly the same situation, but I'm surprised Prince's people aren't all over this already.
Score = 0
I'm wondering the same things. How can he benefit monetarily from other people's work? The legality of the whole situation is very unclear to me.
However, he does make a very good case in this documentary, worth watching:
http://www.goodcopybadcopy.net/
Score = 0
Making Kelly Clarkson sound nasty good . . . Priceless!
For real.
Score = 0
Yeeah I thought so too! For like 20 seconds. That was good enough. I bet GT plays that part out longer live.
Score = 0
it's just such a kick ... i can't stop listening to it. Night ripper was ace too and I'll be bombarding all my mates with its delights henceforth.
Score = 0
I'm generally not one for shameless self-promotion, but check out the music videos I'm making for the album. Got two done so far:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VKqkcHvJN9k
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VMyyg3G1bt4
Score = 1
ok i didn't pay for the girl talk album but i don't feel bad (since i've paid to see him live twice) also gregg didn't pay for in rainbows.... he says so in the second video on this mtv interview. http://newsroom.mtv.com/2008/06/25/girl-talks-gregg-gillis-goes-through-new-lp-feed-the-animals-track-by-track/
Score = 0
If I play a great record to my friends and they like it, does it make me a great dj/artist? Or is it just because the music in it sounds so great?
Fun record though...
Score = 0
http://noosic.wordpress.com/
^^^Here is my real long in depth almost scientific review of Girl Talks "Feed The Animals" . I say scientific because I go into siting many samples in my song reviews. I high light my favorite parts in each song. Also there are lots of videos of Girl Talk interviews I snagged from YoutTube. Lots of analysis going on in the review.
Latron!
IASIIS
Score = 0
I originally paid nothing because I actually was broke
but the day I got paid I immediately went and paid 13
I would happily play for new art like this to be supported
Score = 0
and what do you think about energo problem in Rsusia?
Score = 0
I'ts hard to understand..
Score = 0
usch a nice story..
Score = 0