Girl Talk: Feed the Animals

So, how is it that a 26-year-old Pittsburgher named Greg Gillis, a former biomedical engineer (?!) turned DJ-musician also known as Girl Talk, has become a national sensation without hardly any media coverage in his hometown?

Today, Greg Girl Talk was featured in a major article in The New York Times, including the following excerpt:

"Mr. Gillis declined to say how many copies of “Feed the Animals” had been downloaded or what fans had paid for them. But, he said, he makes enough money performing that he quit his day job as a biomedical engineer last year. One major expense for him is computers; his live show takes such a toll on them that he went through three reinforced Toughbook laptops last year."

The NYT article followed extensive coverage of his recent appearance at Lollapalooza in Chicago, which prompted the following coverage and interview at the always worthy Chicagoist.

Chicagoist Interview: Girl Talk at Lollapalooza:

"Radiohead Shmaediohead. If there’s one act we’re pumped to see at Lollapalooza this year, it’s the sweatfest dance party stylings of Pittsburgh mash-up artist Gregg “Girl Talk” Gillis. Riding high on the recent release of Feed the Animals, Girl Talk takes the stage in Grant Park on Sunday for a live sample-based set certain to spark a raucous party and rip the festival a new one."

It's probably no surprise Girl Talk receives so little mainstream coverage in his hometown of Pittsburgh. As Mark Twain said, "When I die, I want it to happen in Pittsburgh. It'll take 20 years to catch up to me."

Links:

DrewReviews: Feed the Animals

HaveYouHeardReview: Feed the Animals

Wikipedia Entry

"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way ... "

Brett Favre goes to the New York Jets. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, as they sang in West Side Story …

When you're a Jet, You're a Jet all the way

From your first cigarette To your last dyin' day.

When you're a Jet, If the spit hits the fan,

You got brothers around, You're a family man!

You're never alone, You're never disconnected!

You're home with your own: When company's expected,

You're well protected!

Then you are set With a capital J,

Which you'll never forget Till they cart you away.

When you're a Jet, You stay a Jet!"

Of course, that's what they said about being a Packer, but it didn't have the same ring to it.

Links:

Excellent write-up by MJD over at Shutdown Corner: "Who Won the War on 4?" ...

plus MJD's write-up on reckless, idiotic antics today of the Steelers own resident dumbkopf, safety Anthony Smith, who apparently is even dumber than he looks: "Anthony Smith Is Just Begging to Be Steve Smith-ed"

On second thought ...

Maybe the trade the Pirates made with the Yanks wasn't so bad, after all.

Pitcher Jeff Karstens has done his part: 15 scoreless innings in two starts against two good teams (the Cubs and Diamondbacks), including yesterday's near-perfect gem. He pitched a perfect game -- no hits, no walks -- until Arizona outfielder Chris Young doubled with two out in the eighth inning.

Karstens recovered to finish with a complete-game shutout, the Pirates' first of the year. Karstens was so good, nobody in the over-worked bullpen even had to warm up.

Karstens even had a couple hits and scored the team's second run, in the top of the eighth. The Bucs' announcers lamented that had he not done that, third baseman Chris Gomez would likely have been better positioned, deeper and closer to the third-base line, to field Young's line drive that went past him for a double. Gomez likely would have been positioned nearer third base to protect the line and a one-run lead.

Although the D-Backs hit the ball hard a number of times, including several long drives to the outfield wall, outfielder Jason Michaels and the other fielders caught everything until Young's double in the bottom of the eighth. Several D-Backs players said their scouting reports on Karstens' had them expecting lots of change-ups. Instead, he threw lots of fastballs, especially early in the count. And, apparently, his fastballs were plenty fast enough, and he maintained good velocity all the way through the game, along with good control and command of the strike zone.

Yeah, maybe this Karstens guy will work out. Imagine that. Good starting pitching ... just what the Pirates need, too, and it's about time.

Now, if pitchers Ross Ohlendorf (who pitched well recently for Altoona) and Dan McCutchen are promoted and pitch well, and if highly touted outfield prospect Jose Tabata (who had two home runs in a Gulf Coast League game the other day during an injury rehab start), progress, I will happily take back everything I said about the Bucs-Yanks trade being a bad deal for the Pirates.

Granted, they lost offensive production with the departures of Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. Their replacements yesterday, Brandon Moss and Steve Pearce, combined to strike out seven times. Ouch. But you can overcome that when your starting pitcher throws a complete game shutout and near-perfect game.

Maybe general manager Neil Huntington knows what he's doing, after all.