Mash-ups!

In 2004, the artist known as Danger Mouse, released a record called "The Grey Album." What he did was layer Jay-Z's rapping on top of Beatles music (and mixing Jay-Z's "Black Album" with The Beatles "White Album" to get a "Grey Album"). Although he didn't mean to cause a stir, all the copyright police got their panties in a twist while the album blew-up online. He also started a trend (or at least popularized the trend) of "mashing-up" popular songs, oftentimes between seemingly completely different genres. While "The Grey Album" is decent and some of Girl Talk's music is fun (& vulgar), most of the mash-ups produced since then have been disposable at best.

What I have been thinking about recently is the mash-up of music with outside mediums. Certain albums commonly remind me of a specific time, place, or person simply because of personal experience. But sometimes albums seem to fit so perfectly with an outside medium that it surpasses a personal "moment" and legitimately mashes up with the outside piece.

My classic example is Mario Kart 64 and The Cool Kids' "The Bake Sale."

The two are inseparably linked. Go ahead, try it.

Or, try Jose Gonzalez's "Veneer" with Waking Up in the Morning

Once again, try it out.

The "mash-up" experience also happens to me while reading or driving or (fill in the blank). There's a moment where I stop and think, these two were made for each other.

Ever experience that? Examples welcomed.