M.I.A. - KALA

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5qk2q_mia-uraqt-lip-dub_shortfilms

...huh

Oh yeah. Hammer and Puffy.

yeah, first three songs are so good that i don't really care about the rest of the record.

Naturally the songs from Kala that people are hating on here are the ones that I actually like.

time for a worst-song poll...

(ducks)

worst outfit would probably make a lot more sense here, no?

best outfit was pregnant-rapper duds on the grammys.

yep.

god that was so awesome

otm

"Jimmy" got played at my wedding.

ftr I like "Jimmy" a lot more now than I did when I first got the album but I'm still very likely to skip it and blast "Hussel" instead.

Loved Kala when it came out, gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, I think, but did tend to skip over what struck me as less hooky tracks like "Mango Pickle" and "Hussel" (I also never liked "Boys").

Pleasantly surprised to re-listen all the way through recently and now adore most of the stuff I didn't care for initially. There's something offhand and, I don't know, visual (?) about "Mango Pickle" that I just didn't get initially. It feels more like a little scene from a movie than a song or something? Whatever, it really grabbed me this time. Also, the synth riff in "Hussel" kind of rules. "Jimmy" was the one that didn't hold up for me so great, though it's fine. Only one that still annoyed me for some reason (the vocals, I think) was "XR2." But overall the thing blows away the debut, from which I still love three or four tracks and can live without the rest.

the deadpan vocals on "XR2" are kind of my favorite thing about it

the one with the kids is fucking awesome and most of them are better rappers than she is

If there's a better one-line summary of "Kala", then I've yet to read it.

Funny how all the biggest MIA fans don't care much for "Mango Pickle", and vice versa.

i'm a huge m.i.a. fan and i love that track.

so there.

(and talking about whether she's a "good rapper" misses the point by so large a margin that it's not worth discussing.)

true. who gives a shit whether she can rap or not? what's important here is that she's a credible performer/creates an exciting persona/etc. ultimately, what matters is the artifact(s), imo. prioritizing skillz, beats, flow, and all that shit is so '70s prog/fusion-minded it isn't even funny. she's not competing with Nas or Jay-Z, guys.

http://www.soulstrut.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Fuck this, I love "Jimmy," especially the part where she strains her voice trying to hit those high notes.

yeah, "Jimmy" was my favorite track when i first heard it. still sounds great too.

Listening to Arular right now and it still sounds great, not tinny or thin at all.

So just to be clear, I do still love Arular; I just love Kala more.

the one with the kids is fucking awesome and most of them are better rappers than she is

never heard the MIA version, did she keep the original beat or just drop the kids vocals onto some Diplo track?

It's the original beat with a couple of extra flourishes dropped on it.

put this on in the studio tonight after hours of mixing etc and it felt really good

lol @ at the studio awkwardness, and timbaland taking m.i.a. to task for not being able to sing harmony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbE4-TfN82c

also:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOBhrnOzwXw

lol @ this ~ diplo: "Been in the studio with M.I.A. working on her new record. It's like Gucci Mane meets Animal Collective"

Roche brothers Roche brothers, Roche brothers Roche brothers

http://villageatriversedge.net/the_community/imgaes/roche_bros.jpg

No idea why anyone feels the need to make an album that sounds like Gucci meets AC, but so be it. Maya's instincts aren't usually wrong. So long as it doesn't end up sounding something like this: Gucci Collective.

You fuckin’ with a leaf house, I’m fuckin’ with a trap house, goofy motherfuckers too fruity like Mickey Mouse

^ this is the only good one imo

don't know what the fuss, stuff like 'Lion In A Coma' isn't that far off previous MIA anyway (aside from the singing).

pretty sure its not like a cover album r anything, soundz like yr typical "like radiohead ON ACID" record hype rhetoric tbh

pretty sure its not like a cover album r anything

Clearly. But the rhetoric is silly! And also, it doesn't sound particularly appealing!

it sounds like diplo is just using two in-vogue acts as signposts

but for what

is she gonna start rapping?

inquiring minds

New track with Rusko. I like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqYdWNVyLiU

Sounds good. She needs to learn not to fill up every space on the song with her voice, tho.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2010/01/mia_fuck_the_ne.php

interesting. that's going to take a couple listens for me to wrap my head around

it's amazing

Beautiful video.

part of me is waiting for reasons not to love her, and that part keeps getting disappointed. good song.

is this her verizon tech support song?

That one's called “I’m Down Like Your Internet Connection" apparently

Anyone at/going to her album playback in Soho? It's starting right now if you're in town.