DJ Earworm’s Love and Wonder is a mash-up of several Maroon 5 songs taken from their Pro Tools recording sessions. “”She Will Be Loved,”” “”Makes Me Wonder”” and “”This Love”” feature prominently with samples also taken from “”Goodnight, Goodnight.”” The club bass throbbing behind the a cappella version of “”She Will Be Loved,”” erases the melancholy nature of the song, revealing an exciting dance hook typically associated with Maroon 5’s other songs. The vocals are layered over twittering fuzz and staccato keyboard, with the end result not nearly as overwhelming as might be expected.

DJ Lobsterdust’s Jessie 79 combines The Smashing Pumpkins with Rick Springfield to completely shift the mood of Springfield’s “”Jessie’s Girl.”” What was once a lighthearted karaoke favorite about a pretty girl becomes a heavily introspective ode to a lonely heart. The ambient hisses of The Smashing Pumpkins'””1979″” project across Springfield’s now-haunting words: “”Why can’t I find a woman?””

DJ Overdub has a lot of singles, with Five Step, a mash-up of Dave Brubeck and Radiohead, being the most inventive. The songs do not perfectly mesh, with the sax bars of “”Take Five”” clashing slightly against the guitar work of “”15 Step.”” However, the song is still impressive, as the dual drum cadences maximize the songwriting of two highly influential groups. Pay attention to how the saxophone complements Thom Yorke’s wraithlike vocals.

DJ Squints is a local DJ with skill. The sky is the limit for the sophomore here at the Univeristy of Arizona. Mixing Jay-Z with Brand New and Passion Pit with 50 Cent your ears will be left wanting more. His debut mixtape is due out in April. In the meantime you can listen to the mash-ups on his myspace page. Be sure to check out Hip Hop of 1901 (Phoenix vs. Dead Prez).

The Kleptones’ Yoshimi Battles The Hip-Hop Robots places The Flaming Lips’ instrumentals behind rap virtuosos such as Eric B & Rakim, Q-Tip and Blackalicious. The Lips were always a great pop band with a penchant for experimentation. Without vocalist Wayne Coyne’s soothing hum, the backing melodies show an intimidating bite. “”Chess Game at the Gates of Hell”” best exemplifies this dichotomy, as Busta Rhymes’ “”Woo Hah!”” transforms the churning piano work from “”Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell”” into a hard-hitting rhythm.

Max Tannone’s Jaydiohead merges Jay-Z with Radiohead to great success. The biggest fault in Jay-Z’s music is that he constantly tries to be the hardest guy alive. His hubristic production erodes any emotional connection. With Radiohead’s depth behind his words, however, Jay-Z becomes a respectable force. If you take one listen to “”Song and Cry,”” a mash-up of Jay’s “”Song Cry”” and Radiohead’s “”High and Dry,”” you might find yourself feeling bad for Jay-Z — a rare occurence.

Party Ben’s Boulevard of Broken Songs (Version 2) features Green Day, Oasis, Travis and Aerosmith, while “”Live Your Life Punk”” takes Vampire Weekend and smothers it with T.I. and Rihanna. One of the greatest strengths of the mash-up is its ability to turn an unlistenable song into your new favorite song. Green Day’s “”Boulevard of Broken Dreams”” and Rihanna’s “”Live Your Life”” are not good songs, but the additions of Oasis, Travis and Vampire Weekend overshadow the original faults of the songs. “”Boulevard”” is especially clever, with the inclusion of Travis’ “”Writing to Reach You,”” a sly criticism of Oasis’ “”Wonderwall”” — the other a cappella featured on the track.

Ratatat Remixes Vol. I & 2 have the electronic pop act backing Biggie, Z-Ro, Kanye, T.I. and others. Southern rap is one of the most diluted genres currently in action. The depth of its production barely rivals that of a kiddie pool. Enter Ratatat. The duo has a strong sense of electronic manipulation, layering synthesizer, drum machines, guitar and bass over some of the filthiest Southern lyrics ever written. Volume 2’s “”The Mule”” succeeds because the song’s shameless hypersexuality belongs over upstrokes and grooving bass lines.

*All tracks are available for download from the band/DJ’s own Web site.