Jun 22 2012

New M.I.A. – Bad Girls (Switch Remix) (featuring Missy Elliott and Rye Rye)

The picture above is a repurposed MIA/BMW logo USB necklace, which the artist plans to release on July 6th. What’s on the USB necklace? Other than behind the scenes photos from the “Bad Girls” video shoot, a remix EP of the track, with new versions from Danja, Leo Justi, and the one presented here from Switch, featuring Rye Rye and Missy Elliott. Azealia Banks also drops rhymes on the remix EP.

Listen to the track here.


Feb 5 2012

Sunday Night Videos 2/5/12


Feb 4 2012

Culture Greyhound Podcast 2/4/12

Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

MIA – Bad Girls
Busdriver feat. Aesop Rock – Superhand’s Mantra
Mirel Wagner – No Death
John Talabot feat. Pional – Destiny


Nov 21 2011

The Top 50 Albums of the 2000s – Arular

Today I continue a series of posts dedicated to the best albums of the last decade, posting analysis of one album at a time.

33. MIA – Arular

There were two albums I purchased in high school while attending Dale Carnegie courses. Before going to class, I stopped by the ol’ CD store (remember those?) and snagged Weezer’s Make Believe and this, the debut LP from MIA. Needless to say, I was immensely impressed with one of them and the other, well, it got shelved. It seems now that MIA and Weezer might have more in common than we previously thought. Perhaps they both were destined to make two widely acclaimed works and then proceed to be hit or miss for all eternity. Only time will tell.

Still, we always have Arular, an album as exotic, engaging, and flat-out bizarre as its album cover reveals. From the horn hook of “Bucky Done Gun” to Maya’s still-infectious half-croon on “Galang,” the debut certainly is more minimalist and tribal than its sister album Kala, which was certainly a step forward in accessibility and Western dance music. The charm of Arular still remains, even though our protagonist later showed the world her lack of education on the actual political issues she was rapping about.

Listen to Arular on Spotify.


Jan 17 2011

Five MP3s You Must Grab 1/17/10

Wiz Khalifa – Black and Yellow

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Millionyoung – Replicants

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Nicki Minaj – Moment 4 Life (Star Slinger Remix)

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Wavves – Mutant

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M.I.A. – Internet Connection (Huoratron Rum Aid Rmx)

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Aug 1 2010

Random Web Findings: Happy Birthday to Me

Last Words Of The Executed

The Unemployment Chronicles — Ten College Grads, Ten Stories

Script Surfaces for Lost SNL Movie Co-Written by Conan O’Brien

The Web Means the End of Forgetting

The 8 Sexiest Subway Systems in the World

The Top 20 Gayest Cities

Top 10 Celebrity Music-Video Cameos

How To Find A Job NOW: 7 Crucial Tips From A Career Expert

The 10 Most Sacrilegious Music Videos of All Time

The 15 Most Annoying Ringtones You Can Get

9 Amazing Attempts To Live Off the Electricity Grid

Nine Movie Pitches Based On Facebook Apps

Nine Nostalgic Nintendo Games to Secretly Play at Work

Moogy Blues: Ten Quintessential Moog Songs

10 Ways Darth Vader Might Be Spending the Money He Stole

10 Great Movie Plot Twists (And Five We Totally Saw Coming)

10 Books That Will Help You Improve Your Writing (Or Your Sanity)

Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Indie Film

Minimalist Album Covers

Crap At My Parents’ House: An Homage To Mom & Dad’s Terrifying Belongings

The Celestial Jukebox: Unlimited Music Services Face Off

The 25 Greatest Boot Camp Clik Songs Of All Time

13 Of The Most Ridiculous Things Overheard In Bookstores

The Most Obvious Headlines Of All Time

The Coolest Minimalist Websites Ever

10 Moments of Cynical Sincerity in Adam Sandler Comedies

Racist, Racy, ‘Derogatory’: 13 Facebook Posts That Got People CANNED

The Funniest Notes Left For Thieves Ever Written

Colleges NOT Worth Their Cost

Is M.I.A.’s 2010 Cursed?

The Most Expensive P.R. Bait Restaurant Dish Gimmicks

9 of the Most Amazing Bookstores in the World

15 Films the Geek Crowd Really Wants to See

The BEST Colleges to Work For

Bizarre Magazine’s 31 Geekiest Places

The 19 Most Regrettable Pop Culture Tattoos

The 15 BEST iPad Apps Every User Should Try

10 Reasons To Label Genetically Engineered Foods

Austin: Top Ten Things Newbies Should Know

11 Of The Best MFA Writing Programs

Top 30 Cable News Programs

The Top Ten Rap Supergroups That Never Happened

Top 10 States With The SLOWEST Internet Speeds

10 Weirdest Sites To See In America

Top 10 TV Theme Songs

40 Comics That Should Be TV Shows

The Best Tweets of Kanye West’s First 24 Hours on Twitter

The World’s 15 Best Countries For End-Of-Life Care

The Definitive Beastie Boys Sample Source Collection

The 15 Biggest Bestsellers EVER After The Bible

Overly Distracting Actors

20 Overrated Classic Films

The Funniest Facebook Page Suggestions Ever

2010 Is the Worst Year for Movies Ever, Just Like Every Year Before It


Jul 21 2010

Review: M.I.A. – /\/\ /\ Y /\ (MAYA)

/\/\ /\ Y /\ by M.I.A. (2010, Interscope)

MIA has always declared she has something to say, but the message is usually convoluted and indirect.  When the Internet propelled her to international notoriety, the political standpoint and unverified past were always interesting stories, yes, but the music was always the focus.

After the entertaining introduction (Arular), the follow-up that made her a superstar (Kala), and numerous polarizing interviews, MIA only verified the hunch many had – she was a great artist and entertainer, and the politics were a gimmicky footnote to the whole package.  Still, it didn’t matter.  Innovative production, machine-gun sound effects, and infectious hooks always helped make up for the odd public spectacles or general lack of knowledge MIA was delivering at the time.

Sadly, this is not the case with /\/\ /\ Y /\ (or MAYA).  Whatever confusing message or peculiar declaration she is trying to convey this time around, it’s not going to take, because the accompanying score is her first giant misstep.  Though not entirely flawed, it’s a scrambled, spotty soundtrack with few memorable tunes and occasionally as tacky and lazy as its album artwork and cringe-worthy title.

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