M.I.A. has come out with another song, Bird Flu, if you haven't already heard the awesome news.  Check it out on her MySpace site now.  I've been eagerly awaiting something since Arular and Piracy Funds Terrorism - her first two albums. (If you don't already know I'm *obsessed* with this kick-ass Londoner by Sri Lanka -"educated but a refugee still am"- female artist, whose full name is Maya Arulpragasam).  

For those of you non-fans out there, she wasn't allowed into the U.S. when she was scheduled to come and work with Timberland - not sure if it was visa problems or her lyrics (which include "George Bush doin takeover" - probably one of her less controversial lines)  and politics (her father was a Tamil Tiger). 

She quickly gained a South Asian and indie cult-like following after Galang became famous (though I don't think it's her best) and her collabs with then-boyfriend Diplo (yeah, they just broke up, in late '06) have added funk.  In Bird Flu, she knocks critics, major record labels and alludes to her breakup with Diplo.

This post isn't about anything superpolitical, except to alert the masses that M.I.A. is back.  Bird Flu features some amazing dhol (Indian drum) beats, and she's posted the video on her MySpace page, via YouTube. (If you're having problems loading, like I was, try her website).  The video is a crazy mix of my favorite sights and sounds of South Asia - the nitty-gritty - and make me miss it like whoa.  And if you haven't already heard XR2 Turbo, it'll make you want to start dancing as soon as you hit play, in a weird, entranced sort of way.

Today, I got an email asking about artists that have become famous through MySpace.  And I interviewed Talib with some other CP colleagues - he referred to using the web as a way to get your music out (look out for the 5 Minutes With coming out soon!).  Do you think there will ever be a time when giant media moguls like Clear Channel, BET, and MTV are eventually shoved out by independent artists using the web as a great promotional tool?