M.I.A.

If you are of a slightly sensitive nature you may wish to carry on in blissful ignorance and not watch this very amazing video.

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Romain Gavras is a pretty awesome video director. Certainly a man who does not do anything by halves and I imagine is quite intense. Also responsible for the Justice - Stress video - which I found made me not want to go to London for a while - he is a man of great talents.

On a different note... YEY! M.I.A. is back! I properly think she is a role model.

New M.I.A. Album Coming This Summer

Some time last year I reported that M.I.A., the Queen of impromptu stage concert dance parties (see: Sasquatch 2008), had retired. Which was sad.

Now she said she's not only unretired, but is releasing a new album this summer, much to my excitement. Not only that but Diplo said in the past that this album sounds "like Gucci Mane meets Animal Collective." How could that not be awesome?

It will also be quite eclectic, even for the the ever surprising M.I.A. Apparently she has a track on the album titled "I'm Down Like Your Internet Connection" in which she samples the voices of Verizon employees. Really.

No final date, but I can tell you I'm excited. Anything new from M.I.A. is a moment of celebration in my book.

M.I.A.

I'm still on it.

"Hi, excuse me, hello, sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to ask what CD the track that is playing now is from.."
"Oh yes. That'll be The Brits 2009 compilation."
"I don't mean to be rude, but its not. I'm not questioning you, but I'm just telling you, it isn't from that CD. This is why I was asking, as its not on any of your Now Playing displayed CD's."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Oh," frantic looking around, "Errm."
"Its just The Brits CD doesn't do remixes, and this is a remix of a track by M.I.A. called Paper Planes. I just wasn't sure what remix it was."
"Are you sure it isn't on The Brits CD?" Looks at the tracklisting.
"I'm certain."
"Oh," picking up a Motown compilation, "It might be one of the others."
"No, it isn't. Its definately not considered a Motown classic and is not from the latest Take That album... I know who it is by and what the track is --"
Interrupting, "So what was it you wanted to know then?"
"It is a remix and I just wanted to know who by and it isn't on any of the CD's that I can see."
"Oh, well, errm... I'm not sure what to suggest."
"Nevermind, it is okay, thanks for your help anyway, thanks, bye, thanks." Under breath, "I don't even care... Or have the will to live."

It was the DFA remix.

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (DFA remix) [via YouSendIt for 7 days]

M.I.A. retires

M.I.A.

Musical It Girl and all around Queen of booty shakin' jams M.I.A. officially called it quits today in an article from Paste Magazine. She announced at Bonnaroo that she was retiring, but she confirmed it claiming that she will no longer tour or produce music in any way. If she ends up staying retired, this is a big loss for the musical community as she is an extremely innovative and fun talent, but I'm thankful that we have two albums from her still and that I got to see her at least the once (and what a performance!)

Of course, musicians stay retired as often as comic book characters stay dead, so don't expect her to stay retired for too long. Look at Jay Z...how many times has he retired? 3? 15? 47? Even dead musicians don't retire, they just dig deeper in their catalog. I say expect more music from her, but she's never exactly been traditional. She may actually stay retired, if only to be different.

Depleted energy..

The general consensus is that I'm running myself into the ground. Very characteristic of myself, I feel. Catching this fucking awful cold is a sign of that. I don't get ill. Getting ill is for fannies.

So I thought I'd share (if it works) the song that makes me beam inside with a glorious stream of happiness.

Fucking yes!

M.I.A. - Paper Planes [via YouSendIt for 7 days]

This is dedicated first and foremost to my useless friend. May he find me a chair so I don't give quite as bad a dead arm as usual. Everything will work out. Or it better. Make it happen. I'm beginning to think I truly am cursed.

And secondly it is for my cold. Or is the soundtrack to my battle with my cold. Or something. I've lost it, haven't I? Did I ever have it?

I suppose something has got to give...

M.I.A.

It's probably well late to be commenting. You know months down the line. But I absolutely bloody adore the most recent M.I.A. album. Indulging in this has been something quite brilliant to be honest. Many tracks I had stumbled across before hearing the album. And due to those La Grève Générale boys that I am so affectionate of I was already singing Bird Flu rather frequently.

But turning my ears to Kala, M.I.A.'s 2007 musical gem, has been horizon expanding even for myself. Always partial to, well, a bit of everything, this album certainly satisfies a part of me that had been feeling decidedly underwhelmed of late. Pushing the boundries of everything that sits nicely within a genre, M.I.A. might as well be spitting in the face of musicians all over the world. Giving face and much deserved respect to the so many types of music that she journey's through it truly is something that needs to be.. experienced. Even the shy-retiring-folk-lovers need to sit and be open-minded and think about the comfort zones that M.I.A. is getting rid of from the mainstream with this.

She is to be respected.



Here is a little treat.

M.I.A. - XR2 [via zShare]

When you inevitably do enjoy this please go and buy it. Click click.