Mr Blennd Re-releases The Clash/OutKast "Rock The Roses" Mash-up As Part of Pub Classics: Last Orders Rhythm'n'Booze Comp. (Bandcamp-only)

The Clash - Combat Rock "Punk Note" Cover By: John Yates for Stealworks (@stealworks)

I've, admittedly, been on a Clash kick lately during quarantine... well, pretty much all things even remotely Clash-related: I've recently re-visited 1977's The Clash, as well as Combat Rock, Big Audio Dynamite/Big Audio Dynamite II's sample-laden discography, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros' early 2000's Hellcat Records albums, 2018 career-spanning comp. Joe Strummer 001, and, of course, Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer's "Redemption Song" cover/duet from CASH UNEARTHED. It's pretty amazing to me, while primarily Punk Rock/New Wave-based, how much sampling exists within The Clash and its members related projects' music. For example: "Rock The Casbah" features an electronic sound effect beginning at the 1:52-minute point of the song. This noise is a monophonic version of the song "Dixie." The sound effect source was generated by the alarm from a digital wristwatch that Mick Jones owned and was intentionally added to the recording by Jones.

After parting ways with The Clash in 1983, Mick Jones went on to form Big Audio Dynamite, also known as both Big Audio Dynamite II/Big Audio and often, abbreviated as "B.A.D." Most people know, or at least recognize, B.A.D. II's 1991 single, "Rush," if nothing else, from its use within Adam Sandler's 1999 film Big Daddy. "Rush" alone samples or interpolates easily-recognizable elements from The Who's "Baba O'Riley," Pigmeat Markham's "Here Comes The Judge," Deep Purple's Child In Time," Peter Sellers Feat. Fred Flange's "You Keep Me Swingin,'" Tommy Roe's "Sweet Pea," and Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight." Anyways, amidst my recent obsession with The Clash, I stumbled upon an interesting mash-up entitled "Rock The Roses" credited to a mysterious remixer/mash-up artists going by the name of Mr Blennd, which, yes, blends together The Clash's "Rock The Casbah" from Combat Rock (1982) and OutKast's "Roses" from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003.)

It appears as though "Rock The Roses" was originally released around 2009-10, but Discogs lists it as an "Unofficial Release" and does not contain a year as to when it was unleashed. Said listing appears to be for a white label/bootleg 12-inch and contains Vanilla Scoop's "Howler monkey mash," a mash-up of Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and Fatman Scoop's "Hands Up... Now Get Your Hands Up" across Side B. Oddly enough, "Rock The Roses" was recently re-released as part of Mr Blennd's Bandcamp-only comp. Pub Classics: Last Orders. Its Bandcamp listing explains, "Another collection of red hot hip-shakers from the Rhythm'n'Booze archives! All previously unreleased (apart from "Rock The Roses,") and all guaranteed to bring the bounce and swagger to whatever scenario you choose to unleash them... made to make you fall over." Mr Blennd's Pub Classics: Last Orders is now available on Bandcamp and if you're looking for the aforementioned "Rock The Roses" white label 12-inch, trust us, it can be found online, if you look hard enough.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of...

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra...

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel...

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