Were LeBron James to skip town, Gregg Gillis would have a shot at being the most popular guy in either Pittsburgh or Cleveland. Gillis, for whom an appropriated stage name (Girl Talk = TLC song, board game, YA novels, etc) is the only appropriate stage name, is a soft-spoken, charming dude who just happened to live across the hall from me in college at Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University. He's also managed to create a ridiculous oeuvre of mash-up that screams GENRE-DEFINER so loudly that you almost said it out loud and sounded like an asshole.
The first time I spoke to Gregg, he was walking across campus clad in the black-framed glasses he still occasionally sports and an Elephant 6 t-shirt he doesn't. I figured he might wanna talk about the Olivia Tremor Control or some shit. Instead, he told me he wasn't into that so much anymore. "I'm doing this electronic shit now," he mumbled. Now that Girl Talk wears Pitchfork's hallowed BEST NEW MUSIC laurels, it may be safe to say that my initial disappointment was misinformed. When Unstoppable dropped a couple years back, complete with a video for "Touch 2 Feel" showcasing Gillis' gifts for choreography, basketball, and posing for countless photographs, it became clear that Girl Talk was on the cusp of owning the party. Now that the long-awaited Night Ripper (Gregg: "Do you think people will think this is about farting in bed?") is here, Gillis has officially made your summer party his bitch.
The world is perfectly ripe for Night Ripper, a 42-minute cum fiesta of mashed-up pop, rock, and rap with original beats by Gillis. Since the minor commotion caused by Danger Mouse's Beatles vs. Jay-Z experiment The Grey Album, everyone's been waiting for this sort of masterstroke. Sure, Britney plus Biggie would be cool (they're both here, of course), but wouldn't it be tight to have Pixies, Pavement, and Neutral Milk Hotel in there for our own little gee-whiz moments? Thank you, Girl Talk. Here, Gillis takes the best parts of every song you ever liked and strings them together to create the hottest party mix you can fathom. Yeah, I know you downloaded it as soon as our friends at Pitchfork told you to, but I know this motherfucker – throw some change at his shit.
1. Once Again
2. That's My DJ
3. Hold Up
4. Too Deep
5. Smash Your Head
6. Minute By Minute
7. Ask About Me
8. Summer Smoke
9. Friday Night
10. Hand Clap
11. Give and Go
12. Bounce That
13. Warm It Up
14. Double Pump
15. Overtime
16. Peak Out