M.I.A. -- "Galang" on XL

I quite like it, but then the fact that I know fuck-all about dancehall, grime or ragga, live in the US, and was eleven when the "Connection"/"Three Girl Rhumba" debacle happened and have no opinion one way or the other re: Justine Frischmann might have something to do with it...

Stelfox, thanks for the clarification on "galang"- was wondering about that.

I like it.
Then again, I like this Hatcha vs Benny Ill ep I just bought.
Then again, I also like merzbow.

weird.

Fuck a backlash. I think M.I.A. is great, and that Piracy Funds Terrorism is full of really great songs - 'Fire Fire', 'Lady Killer', 'Bucky Done Gun Song', 'You're Good', 'URAQT', 'Amazon', to name a few. There are certainly some interesting things to be said about the way in which her music is self-conscious about her background - "my dad's a freedom fighter, dog", etc - but the joyless, kneejerk "she is fashionable, that's bad, also the filthy taint of Britpop is upon her" isn't one of them.

Hmm - Galang's a good pop song, easily one of the best from this year but the mixtape struck me as a let down and pretty dull - too many pointless bootlegs (tho admittedly the big pimpin' ones pretty cool).
I'm amazed that people can still be bothered to get indignant about someones marketting spin (in the Music Industry?! God, No!) but whatever....

Tyrone had it playing in his car in Corrie the other week!

I just fall for the record as great pop. I don't ask for the artist's application form and CV every time I listen. Doesn't bother me whether it's "real" or not. Real is overrated. Anyway if we got rid of all slumming middle-class fakers, then that would mean no Beatles, no Stones, no Who, no Pistols and no Clash. And no records by drug dealers? Wow there go all my Miles Davis records and 70% of my hip hop collection right out the window! Never mind! There's always Tracy Chapman!