I don't need no MIA no more

I rarely feel the need to throw in my two cents on the music blog issue du jour, which is why there wasn't a single word written here about MIA in the leadup to/uberhype about her new album "Arular". I didnt' write anything because I don't think her music is all that good. She's got a few killer beats, I'll give her that, but her vocals don't interest me in the slightest. As for her politics, I'll offer two words and that's it. Sensationalism. Contradictory.

Nonetheless, I adore the Richard X remix of "Goodies" by Ciara featuring MIA, far more so than the original. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the 4/4 stomper. And now that I have been led to cry.on.my.console's mashup "Superlangalang" ("Galang" + sounds from the original Super Mario Bros video game), I have no further use for MIA. Her best role is as the off-kilter sideshow freak, which is a role she plays to perfection on both these tracks. The Ciara vocal was recorded especially for the remix and it doesn't require much technique other than drawling "ain't no nookie for you here" over and over again. She's like the slightly unstable older sister who is keeping an eye out for baby Ciara. Of course, the recasting of the "Galang" vocal is all a matter of context. Using it to soundtrack a pinball machine melody makes all the difference between rave-up and full-on batty.