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M.I.A., "Born Free"
Pop provocateur M.I.A. has been throwing elbows lately, so it probably isn't too surprising that her new single "Born Free" (warning: nausea-inducing animated GIF at link) is a pretty aggressive affair once it gets going, with her reverbed-out proclamations cut and pasted over a loop nicked from Suicide's "Ghost Rider." The overall vibe is very similar to the blown-out giddiness put forth by the awesome New York duo Sleigh Bells, whom M.I.A. has been speaking very highly of when she hasn't been bitching over GaGa's 1-D Grace Jones-biting. (The Sleigh Bells love, by the way, is not undeserved, if only for the rapturous "AB Machines.")
"… over a loop nicked from Suicide's 'Ghost Rider.'"
So, uh, she basically stole the entire song?
So, does she have to pay Rev and Vega for the sample? Cuz uh they could probably use the money.
Wow, Alan Vega is 71 years old. That's … damn.
brb, listening to '23 Minutes Over Brussels' to atone
Not sure how I did not know Sleigh Bells and now I wish I was driving somewhere so I could break off the knob on this ish.
Sadly, I haven't been able to find a downloadable version of Sleigh Bells yet. Anyway, Sleigh Bells are on MIA's label, so here's hoping for them touring together when MIA's new album hits (the Sleigh Bells EP is out pretty soon, presumably it will just be their myspace.)
http://hypem.com/search/sleigh%20bells/1/
A new low in "music."
I can wail unintelligibly over "Ghost Rider" too!
Boy, the way Glen Miller played. Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us, we had it made. Those were the days.
Didn't need no welfare state. Everybody pulled his weight.
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great. Those were the days.
And you know who you were then, girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content. Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent. Those were the days.
Take a little Sunday spin, go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin.
Hair was short and skirts were long. Kate Smith really sold a song.
I don't know just what went wrong. Those Were The Days.
why isn't there a play button on the link anymore? damn. first i miss that video with the empire state of mind cover and now this. what the f?
I do like MIA's assessment of Lady GaGa:
"…but the music sounds like 20-year-old Ibiza music…"
Here's the funny thing…I like Lady Gaga's whole shtick, but I hate her music. I hate MIA's half-assed agit-prop shtick, but I love her music.
It's a conundrum.
I'm feeling you. I am.
Though it's getting tougher with MIA for me. I feel like her music's taken a couple steps back. This new track sounds like something that would've really blown my mind five years ago.
there are a lot of (ok like three) hilarious old dude strawmen circa 1989 arguments up in this comments thread. (are they attracted by the comfortably small size of the comments box?)
YOU CALL THIS MUSIC SHE DID NOT SIT DOWN AND COMPOSE THE LOOP HERSELF IN HER MOLESKINE BUT IT WAS DIFFERENT WHEN BROOCE SPRINGSTEEN DID THAT MR STATE TROOPER SONG BECAUSE HE USED A GUITAR
pareene, love you and all but maybe I should have told you (and everyone else) to focus on the "wail unintelligibly" part of my comment.
M.I.A. is an untalented cow.
Now I'm feeling like a codger, because UGH SLEIGH BELLS UGH UGH UGH.
What I'm saying is, my gripes with her have nothing to do with genre.
OH MY GOD. So I was playing the 20 questions game at a party in Richmond last weekend (the Inglourious Basterds game)and I put "Chuck D" on dude's head, thinking one of the greatest MCs of all time might be a good shared cultural touchstone. And when the musician question came up, after it had already pretty much been established that we were talking about "a rapper," bro actually asked, "Am I a musician — heh — well, if you can call it that?" And I almost stopped the game to be all Really, dog? In 2010? But it was mixed company so I was POLITE.
hahaha more like CRAP MUSIC
The same kind of people hated Suicide in 1975. Maybe "Ghost Rider" is a transgenerational litmus test for Losing Your Edge.
"I was there. At the first MIA practice sessions…"
Nope, bassknives, I'm pretty sure this is just garbage. (I protest too much, I know.)
To be fair alex, I misread the title. I thought it was going to sample that Boston Pops classic by Leroy Anderson, Sleigh Ride.
So, for those scoring at home, hating MIA = hating rap music.
'kay.
yep, that was my point. complaining that because a track uses a sample or recreation of an Olde Punke Rocke Classick that it is somehow completely Stolen, and putting "music" in scare quotes because it's not as melodic as, uh SUICIDE, are perfectly legimitate criticisms of MIA and not at all evidence of being a BORING OLD PERSON.
that's right i'm spending my time off TROLLING THE AWL COMMENTS SECTION
Let's continue. Questioning rap = being old.
This is fun.
(Honestly, I don't have much of a problem with the track. But if someone wants to question the, um, borrowed minimalism of this or, GOD HELP ME, "A/B Machines"–which sounds like something you'd buy with a belt at H & M–I'm not gonna yell at them for being a hopeless fogey.)
By the way, MIA track's pulled off YouTube, can be found here:
http://limelinx.com/files/f426a82cafdb0ac54ec64ef20f4596e8
I didn't mind the sample. It was the, uh, other stuff. My approach to music is, if it has to be explained to me I start to question the artistic merit of it.
(Please note: I used no scare quotes!)
Don't get me wrong, I like the earlier leak (Space Odyssey) better, but I don't understand the virulence of the hate here.
Pareene, I don't think you're a troll!
If I remember correctly, she and Sleigh Bells collaborated on at least one track for her upcoming album.
Also, this is the first pop song I've ever heard that begins with a drum rudiment. Takes me back to 11th grade!
anyway this song is pretty awesome and i have only had one (1) daytime beer today
KEEP YOUR DREAMS
You can download the new track here:
http://tumblr.com/x6j8zskpy
So the beginning drum breakdown (breakup? whatever) reminds me of Silver Apples, specifically the song Cockroach Noodle, so maybe she's been listening to a lot of crazy twiddly dials duos from the 70s lately in general?
Also … Choire and I at the Observer had wanted to start a gossip column about noncelebrity year-rounders in the Hamptons over the winter co-written by anonymous middle aged women who called themselves "Sleigh Belles." But it never really quite came off.
Drums–doubling in tempo every measure–reminded me of the score to TAXI DRIVER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx4aK-YsPeU