By NEIL STRAUSS, NYT
The song may sound familiar at first, thanks to the unmistakable guitar riff from Nirvana's classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
But, suddenly, the recording changes course when, instead of the gravelly voice of Kurt Cobain, the smooth R&B harmonies of a Destiny's Child hit appear on top of the grunge music. As the recording moves on, it is clear that the song is neither fish nor fowl; it is a crossbreed that neither band ever intended, or even dreamed of.
It is something that is completely different, often illegal and, thanks to the Internet, becoming explosively popular.
Songs like this one, which combine different hits without adding any original music, may represent the first significant new musical genre to be lifted out of the underground, developed and then spread, mostly via the Web. The songs, called mash-ups or bootlegs, typically match the rhythm, melody and underlying spirit of the instrumentals of one song with the a cappella vocals of another. And the more odd the pairing the better.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/09/ar...t&position=top
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