Feed the Animals: Better Than a Cup of Coffee

I owe a big thank you to my former classmate MH and NPR’s All Songs Considered for introducing me to Girl Talk. I’m no music critic, but I can play one on my blog, and right now I’m obsessed with his latest album, Feed the Animals.

Gregg Gillis, the man behind the stage name, creates his music by stitching together samples of popular songs, and a surprising assortment of artists make their appearances amidst the driving beat of this seemless collection. While the album has a hip-hop flavor, the layers are so rich and eclectic that there’s bound to be something refreshing for people of diverse musical tastes. With the exception of one grating section involving M.I.A. and the Cranberries (to no fault of their own), I spend the entire album vacillating between not wanting the current mix to end and not being able to wait for what’s coming up next. Where else can you hear such an interesting blend of Huey Lewis, Unk, Ludacris, Rage Against the Machine, Sinead O’Connor, Rod Stewart, Kanye West, Radiohead, Queen, The Cure, The Jackson 5, Aerosmith, Bubba Sparxxx, Jimi Hendrix, Yael Naim, The Beach Boys, Nine Inch Nails, The Carpenters, Metallica, The Steve Miller Band, Tom Petty, Prince, Tag Team, The Cardiagans, Flo Rida, Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, MC Hammer, Elvis Costello, Chris Brown, Nelly Furtado, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and AC/DC?--to name only a few.

As a fair warning, the explicit lyrics are not something I’d listen to with my grandmother, but for some reason the mixture of songs seems more benign than a lot of the hardcore rap that occasionally turns me off in isolation. I can’t help but snicker, for instance, at the contagious fun Gillis has when he follows Rick Springfield’s “I wish that I had Jessie’s girl” with Three 6 Mafia’s “but I’d rather have some head.”

In brief, Feed the Animals is 53 minutes of inspiration and entertainment. This album actually had me sprinting and smiling on the treadmill. If you’re not easily offended and you want some music to keep you moving, go buy this album right now—you can even name your own price!