November 22, 2010

Girl Talk’s Personal Mixtape

Courtesy Girl Talk

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Gregg Gillis, better known by his DJ alias Girl Talk, has been a long-time favorite of hipsters and hip-hop enthusiasts. In performance, he hunches over his laptop, sweating and rocking rhythmically. By the end of his set, he’s invariably shirtless and surrounded by fans who are equally sweaty from all their booty popping, arm waving, and moshing. Girl Talk’s distinctive style relies on the irreverent juxtaposition of pop sweethearts and public enemies—or new dogs and OGs—and the resulting mixes are are fresher than the sum of their parts. For example, his brand new CD, All Day, pits “Party in the USA” against “Robbin’ Hoodz” to create a softer M.O.P. and a bad-ass version of Miley Cyrus. The album, now available for download, has thus far earned excellent accolades. We recently asked Gillis to reveal a few of his personal faves.

Mother Jones: What’s your favorite release this year?

Girl Talk: Rick Ross’ Teflon Don—it’s heavy in many different ways.

MJ: What’s the latest song, good or bad, that super-glued itself in your brain?

GT: Diamond, “Lotta Money”

MJ: Shuffle your iPod (or equivalent) and name the first five songs that pop up.

GT: I don’t use an iPod and have about 30 total mp3s on my computer right now. First five that pop up on Windows Media Player shuffle:

1. Bobby Byrd, “Hot Pants”
2. That Dog, “Never Say Never”
3. JT Money, “Who Dat”
4. 10cc, “I’m Not In Love”
5. Mandrill, “Honey Butt”

MJ: Name a guilty pleasure—something you like to listen to but don’t like to admit it.

GT: I don’t like things secretly.

MJ: Three records you never get sick of listening to?

GT: 1. Nirvana, Bleach
2. Nirvana, Nevermind
3. Nirvana, Incesticide
4. Nirvana, In Utero

MJ: Favorite holiday-related song or album?

GT: Paul McCartney, “Wonderful Christmastime”

MJ: Favorite politically themed song?

GT: Ice Cube, “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted”

MJ: Favorite song written pre-1980?

GT: That is an impossible question! My favorite song of 1980 might be Robbie Dupree’s “Steal Away.”

 

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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