Feed the Animals
{{Infobox album
| name = Feed the Animals
| type = studio
| artist = Girl Talk
| cover = Feed the Animals.jpg
| alt =
| released = June 19, 2008
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Mashup, plunderphonics
| length = 53:53
| label = Illegal Art
| producer = Gregg Gillis
| prev_title = Bone Hard Zaggin'
| prev_year = 2006
| next_title = All Day
| next_year = 2010
}}
Feed the Animals is the fourth studio album by American musician Gregg Gillis, released under his stage name Girl Talk by Illegal Art on June 19, 2008. Illegal Art originally released the album as a digital download through their website using a "pay what you want" pricing system. Like much of his previous work, Gillis composed Feed the Animals almost entirely using samples of other artists' music and minor elements of his own original instrumentation.
Background
Gillis stated that with Feed the Animals, he wanted to produce an album "you can sit down, relax, and listen to over and over again, finding out new things", in contrast with the fast-paced, frenetic nature of his live performances.{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/7522-girl-talk/ |title=Interviews: Girl Talk |work=Pitchfork |date=October 6, 2008 |access-date=August 12, 2016 |last=Richardson |first=Mark}} Feed the Animals builds on the mashup format of previous Girl Talk albums, with Gillis using over 300 samples of music by other artists to compose the album's fourteen tracks.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/special_multimedia/2008/pl_music_1609 |title=Mashup DJ Girl Talk Deconstructs Samples From Feed the Animals |magazine=Wired |date=August 18, 2008 |access-date=May 2, 2010 |last=Watercutter |first=Angela}} He produced the album as one long piece of music, which was then subsequently broken into individual songs.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/07/16/DI2008071601445.html |title=Girl Talk/Gregg Gillis On New Album, Music Industry |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 29, 2008 |access-date=May 2, 2010}} Gillis felt that the album "works towards a bigger whole" and initially considered releasing the album as a single piece without track divisions, but ultimately decided against the idea, as he felt that "the end of the album would get so neglected, and if your favorite moment was a 30-second bit at the 40-minute mark, it would be really annoying to have that."
Release
On June 19, 2008, Feed the Animals was made available for download by Girl Talk's record label, Illegal Art, sells Feed the Animals using a "pay what you want" system for non-seamless MP3 files.{{cite web |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/51389-girl-talks-ifeed-the-animalsi-available-now |title=Girl Talk's Feed the Animals Available Now! |work=Pitchfork |date=June 19, 2008 |access-date=June 23, 2008 |last=Thompson |first=Paul |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620035327/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/51389-girl-talks-ifeed-the-animalsi-available-now |archive-date=June 20, 2008}} Gillis explained that the goal behind the special payment system was to "make it easier for people to get their hands on the music", which he described as his "number one priority."{{cite web |url=http://www.metrowize.com/girl-talk-feed-the-animals-interview |title=Girl Talk Feeds the Animals |publisher=MetroWize |date=June 23, 2008 |access-date=June 23, 2008 |last=Toben |first=Graham |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120201050/http://www.metrowize.com/girl-talk-feed-the-animals-interview |archive-date=November 20, 2008}} Additional content was made available to paying users, including FLAC files and a one-file seamless MP3 version of the album for those paying at least $5.00, and a CD copy for those paying at least $10.00. Non-paying users have to select a reason for doing so from a list of provided options: "I may donate later"; "I can't afford to pay"; "I don't really like Girl Talk"; "I don't believe in paying for music"; "I have already purchased this album"; "I don't value music made from sampling"; "I am part of the press, radio, or music industry", or "other reasons".{{cite web |url=http://74.124.198.47/illegal-art.net/__girl__talk___feed__the__anima.ls___/no_dollars_no_cents/ |title=Girl talk – feed the animals – illegal art |publisher=Illegal Art |access-date=June 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20081205041454/http://74.124.198.47/illegal-art.net/__girl__talk___feed__the__anima.ls___/no_dollars_no_cents/ |archive-date=December 5, 2008}}
The physical CD release of Feed the Animals was announced by Illegal Art with a slated release date of September 23, 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1589448/20080617/girl_talk.jhtml? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929004020/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1589448/20080617/girl_talk.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 29, 2008 |title=Girl Talk's Just Completed New LP Coming Out Thursday |publisher=MTV News |date=June 17, 2008 |access-date=June 23, 2008 |last=Montgomery |first=James}} Manufacturing issues involving the production of the CDs, however, forced the release to be pushed back to a final release date of November 11, 2008.{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/33755-girl-talk-video-blogs-from-tour-animals-cd-delayed/ |title=Pitchfork: Girl Talk Video Blogs From Tour, Animals CD Delayed |work=Pitchfork |date=October 15, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |last=Thompson |first=Paul}} A vinyl LP release of Feed the Animals was released in 2020.
Reception
{{Album ratings
| MC = 76/100{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/feed-the-animals/girl-talk |title=Reviews for Feed The Animals by Girl Talk |website=Metacritic |access-date=August 6, 2012}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/feed-the-animals-mw0000792607 |title=Feed the Animals – Girl Talk |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 6, 2012 |last=Lymangrover |first=Jason}}
| rev2 = The A.V. Club
| rev2Score = B+{{cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/girl-talk-feed-the-animals,6992/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091102064449/http://www.avclub.com/articles/girl-talk-feed-the-animals%2C6992/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 2, 2009 |title=Girl Talk: Feed The Animals |work=The A.V. Club |date=June 30, 2008 |access-date=August 6, 2012 |last=Matos |first=Michaelangelo}}
| rev3 = Blender
| rev3Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Girl Talk: Feed the Animals |journal=Blender |issue=73 |date=September 2008 |page=78}}
| rev4 = Chicago Sun-Times
| rev4Score = {{rating|3.5|4}}{{cite news |url=http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2008/07/girl_talk_feed_the_animals_ill.html |title=Girl Talk, "Feed the Animals" (Illegal Art) |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=July 17, 2008 |access-date=December 28, 2015 |last=DeRogatis |first=Jim |author-link=Jim DeRogatis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219014543/http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2008/07/girl_talk_feed_the_animals_ill.html |archive-date=December 19, 2008}}
| rev5 = MSN Music (Consumer Guide)
| rev5Score = A{{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg2008-10.php |title=Consumer Guide |work=MSN Music |date=October 2008 |access-date=December 27, 2015 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}
| rev6 = Paste
| rev6Score = 8.0/10{{cite web |url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/06/feed-the-animals.html |title=Girl Talk: Feed the Animals |work=Paste |date=June 26, 2008 |access-date=August 6, 2012 |last=Howe |first=Brian}}
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev7Score = 8.0/10{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11937-feed-the-animals/ |title=Girl Talk: Feed the Animals |work=Pitchfork |date=June 27, 2008 |access-date=August 6, 2012 |last=Dombal |first=Ryan}}
| rev8 = Rolling Stone
| rev8Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/21457036/review/21463543/feed_the_animals |title=Feed The Animals : Girl Talk |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=July 10, 2008 |access-date=August 6, 2012 |last=Hoard |first=Christian |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626154650/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/21457036/review/21463543/feed_the_animals |archive-date=June 26, 2008}}
| rev9 = Slant Magazine
| rev9Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/girl-talk-feed-the-animals |title=Girl Talk: Feed the Animals |work=Slant Magazine |date=June 26, 2008 |access-date=August 6, 2012 |last=Rivera |first=Daniel}}
| rev10 = Spin
| rev10Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BpE-C2vX2LcC&pg=PA116 |title=Girl Talk: Feed the Animals |journal=Spin |volume=24 |issue=9 |date=September 2008 |access-date=December 27, 2015 |last=Beta |first=Andy |page=116}}
}}
In their December 2008 issue, Blender magazine named Feed the Animals as the second best album of 2008, behind only Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III. In Australia, the album debuted at number 83 on the ARIA Albums Chart in February 2009.
Track listing
- "Play Your Part (Pt. 1)" – 4:45
- "Shut the Club Down" – 3:07
- "Still Here" – 3:57
- "What It's All About" – 4:15
- "Set It Off" – 3:42
- "No Pause" – 3:12
- "Like This" – 3:21
- "Give Me a Beat" – 4:12
- "Hands in the Air" – 4:20
- "In Step" – 3:23
- "Let Me See You" – 4:04
- "Here's the Thing" – 4:46
- "Don't Stop" – 2:58
- "Play Your Part (Pt. 2)" – 3:25
Charts
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://illegalart.net/girltalk/shop/index.html Feed the Animals] at Illegal Art
- {{Discogs master|85443|Feed the Animals|type=album}}
- {{MusicBrainz release group|name=Feed the Animals|id=16b03d20-c452-3306-a086-f64f317a93dc}}
- [http://waxy.org/2008/09/girl_turk/ Analysis regarding songs sampled in the album] at Waxy.org
{{Girl Talk}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Girl Talk (musician) albums