M.I.A. (Musician)

Rock the Bells Day 2 - NOS Events Center - 8/19/12

See Also: *Rock the Bells Day 1 - NOS Events Center -8/19/12*Top Five Acts You Can't Miss at Rock the Bells*Juicy J, Smoke DZA, Joey Badass, Fat Trel - The Observatory - 8/4/12Rock the Bells Day 2NOS Events Center8/19/12Rock the Bells 2012 has come and gone, and with sunken, swollen eyes and sleep-d ... More >>

Madonna's Halftime Show The Best Ever: Five Reasons Why

​Maybe you're the one person in the world who didn't like Madonna's gladiator-inspired, star-studded halftime show at Superbowl XLVI. Let me convince you otherwise.  

M.I.A. Enters the New Year With Free "ViCKi LEEKX" Mixtape

​While MTV was dropping Jersey Shore's Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi from a ridiculous ball on New Year's Eve, musical provocateur M.I.A. ended 2010 by subversively releasing an audacious and free mixtape entitled ViCKi LEEKX. Making good on a promise to her fans, the rapper/singer unleashed the th ... More >>

Ten Most WTF Music Stories of 2010

​We twittered, shared and reposted all these stories ad nauseum in 2010--for a good reason. This year, trashy viral videos made more of an impact than the Grammys, and Antoine Dodson was more memorable than Beatles songs finally getting on iTunes. So the line  blurring of talent and fame is m ... More >>

Which Came First? Lady Gaga or La Tigresa Del Oriente?

​Like Peaches, M.I.A., Roisin Murphy and Madonna, Peruvian singer Judith Bustos (a.k.a. La Tigresa del Oriente) claims that Lady Gaga cribbed her style. Famous for her leopard garb, makeup and appearance--and a viral video for her single "Nuevo Amanecer," which got more than 10 million hits in 20 ... More >>

Five Rock Stars Who Should Be 'American Idol' Judges

Now that both Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell are leaving American Idol, rumors abound over who's going to be the next arbiter of taste on the Fox show. J Lo's supposedly signed a deal. Allegedly, Steven Tyler's been asked to join the show. P Diddy's thrown his hat into the ring. Elton John, Jessic ... More >>

The Henry Clay People and Local Natives to Play Austin City Limits

The Henry Clay People in sepia.​The Henry Clay People and Local Natives have both been tapped to perform at Austin City Limits--otherwise known as yet another music festival better than Coachella--October 8-10. The bands will be playing amongst a line-up with the likes of Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips ... More >>

Friday Night: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Glass House

Jami Dwyer via Wikimedia CommonsDon't be fooled! This picture of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is from 2007 in Seattle.​Friday Night: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Glass House, Pomona; March 26, 2010.Better Than: Whichever sad-but-true murder of the week profiled on Dateline that night. Nearby ... More >>

Foo Fighters to Record with 'Nevermind' Producer, M.I.A. New Album Update, Green Day Musical Movie(?), Lady Gaga and Elton John Reunite for Benefit

Foo Fighters to record with Nevermind producer Butch Vig. M.I.A.'s new album is "weird and heavy"--sounds good to us!

Release the Sounds: Vampire Weekend, 'Contra'

​There are a few basic reasons why fans will gravitate toward Vampire Weekend's slightly evolved sophomore release, Contra (out today in the U.S. on XL Recordings). Besides retaining their white-knuckle grip on Afro-pop imitations and sugar-coated existentialism, they're still as bouncy ... More >>

Show Announcement: Coachella 2010 Dates Confirmed

Beth StirnamanCoachella 2009: Day Two​The 2010 Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival will take place Friday, April 16, Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 2010 at the Empire Polo Club, Indio, Calif. Pre-sale and layaway plans go on sale today at coachella.com. Three-day passes start at $ ... More >>

[Sound Guy] Making a Street Scene

What You Missed: Street Scene, Los Cojolites, OC Beer Fest

Beth StirnamanBadass gramps.​We had quite possibly the shittiest weather for a weekend full of outdoor activities--with temperatures reaching into the triple digits, we spent our weekend, well, kind of constantly moist. But that's okay: We trudged on. For you, our readers. For. You.First up, on Fr ... More >>

12 Things I'll Always Remember About Street Scene '09

Beth Stirnaman​It's Monday morning and another Street Scene is officially in the books. And while it's important to note that this parking lot extravaganza of fog-filled stages, oddly eclectic line-ups, mind-altering drugs and festival food has reached it's 25th year, it's also worth mentioning th ... More >>

Street Scene: Like a More Comfortable Coachella

​ After attending Street Scene, the two-day downtown San Diego music festival that took place on August 28 and 29, I was left with this impression: it's better than Coachella.

Heard Mentality: Headed to Street Scene!

​Seeing as how we're the closest Village Voice Media paper to San Diego, we feel a profound sense of obligation to cover this weekend's Street Scene festival. Yes, that's right, obligation--not the opportunity to hang out in the Gaslamp District checking out awesome bands. It's all about obligatio ... More >>

San Diego Street Scene Lineup Announced

Tired of the Black Eyed Peas yet? No? Great! Well, they're headlining the 25th installment of San Diego's Street Scene, happening on August 28 and 29 (three weeks after playing the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on August 7). Also playing: M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, Modest Mouse, the Dead Wea ... More >>

Tomorrow: Mike Conley tribute

There's a show at Fitzgeralds in HB tomorrow night that is billed as a "tribute to Mike Conley." Conley was the former lead singer of M.I.A. and owner of Avalon in Costa Mesa. He passed away Feb. 28, 2008 in Chicago.   The lineup includes the aforementioned M.I.A., Love Canal, CH3, th ... More >>

[Sound Guy] The Indio Index: Coachella By the Numbers

(Definitely Not) Live From Coachella: Good times, but no new finds

Well, here we are again. Monday....ew. But for those of you who came along for the ride at Coachella 2009, the memories are probably still cycling around in your brain somewhere. Otherwise, you'd probably be getting some work done instead of trolling the internet looking for the next Albert Ching bl ... More >>

Live(ish) from Coachella: Sunday Morning Coming Down

I'm in the Motel 6, a.k.a. the COMMAND CENTER, but my WiFi expired (24 hours) so I'm iPhoning it in. Pay another $2.99? Heck no! Let's talk about Saturday for a bit, no?- TV on the Radio were real good. I saw them a few years ago and was kind of "eh" on it, though I always dug their recorded materi ... More >>

Live from Coachella: Is There a Band Cooler than the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Honestly?

Yeah Yeah Yeahs. So great. Right now they're doing "Maps." You know, from that video game Rock Band! That picture is from them doing "Cheated Hearts." They were just on Saturday Night Live eight days ago (with host Zac Efron! OMG!) and here they are at Coachella. Pretty cool. I raved about their new ... More >>

(One Day Ago) Live from Coachella: Day Two Pictures!

Thank goodness for Beth Stirnaman. If not for her, our Coachella coverage would consist of my blah blahing and iPhone pictures of stages from the crowd, many yards away. Thankfully, she's got a bundle of great images from day two here, so you can put a face to my inspid ramblings. Remember me raving ... More >>

[Coachella 2009] Everything New Is Old Again--and Vice Versa

Before It Gets Old: 'I'm On a Boat'

The best televised musical thing to happen this weekend, other than maybe a (very) pregnant M.I.A. performing at the Grammys. The Lonely Island's Incredibad album comes out tomorrow!

L.A. Weekly's Top Ten Dance Collections of 2008, Both Mixed and Unmixed

Any knucklehead with DSL and a laptop can now make an electronic track. With a half hour of clicking and fiddling, you can sample enough cheesy beats and mashups to clog arteries from here to Berlin. Simple dropdown mouse maneuvers can transform electro tracks into progressive house tracks (from dr ... More >>

The Year in Music: 2008's Top Ten Pop Songs

BY ANNIE ZALESKIPop music often gets a bad rap for being disposable or vapid, and in many cases that's true. (Katy Perry, Danity Kane and the Pussycat Dolls, step right up!) But every year, a few irresistible bits of innovative ear candy rocket up the charts and seep into our subconscious. The foll ... More >>

Japanese Motors Reviewed in Spin

The December issue of Spin--featuring fetching (and pregnant!) freshly minted Grammy nominee M.I.A. on the cover--sports a write-up of the self-titled debut from Costa Mesa's Japanese Motors, in the mag's micro-mini album review section.It's a positive (if not a bit cheeky; the band is dubbed "board ... More >>

Sandy Jams

Arabian Prince

Gold Standard

Santogold

Last Night: Benefit for Mike Conley @ House of Blues in Anaheim 4/28

There aren't too many guys in recent years that had as big of an impact on the Orange County punk scene as Mike Conley, ex M.I.A. front man and owner of Avalon Bar in Costa Mesa. Given that statement, I should have been more prepared for the overwhelmingly packed scene that awaited me behind the ent ... More >>

To Do Tonight 4/28

Beautiful Noise: A Benefit for the Family of Mike Conley, 7 p.m. Join Mike’s friends, family and fans for a night of remembrance at the House of Blues with performances by M.I.A., Jello Biafra, Kevin Seconds (of 7 Seconds), a special acoustic set by Social Distortion, and more. Proceeds will help ... More >>

Coachella, Day 2

Recovering from yesterday’s illness forced me to miss 120 Days, MGMT, Little Brother and Boys Noize. Bah. But I arrived in time to see some Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks. Their loose rock jams slash sea shanties were adorned with much proggy filigree. It was nice big-sky music for a big-sky setting ... More >>

Coachella, Day 1

Celebrity Fave-Raves Edition

The year in music

Photos: Lollapalooza 2007

The Daft Punk mothership lands in Chicago. Click the image for photos of Blonde Redhead, M.I.A. and other bands at the festival:

A Little Peek Into The World Of M.I.A.

Although M.I.A.'s new album Kala (Interscope) wont come out in the U.S. until August 21, here is a little clip of her collaborating with Diplo on an early rendition of "Paper Planes".

But What About the Hip-hop, Tom?

Saul Williams

Stop Lying

GWEN STEFANI AND M.I.A.; ARROWHEAD POND, ANAHEIM

Dead Hot Crazy

NOV. 24 DEC. 1

OC's 31 Scariest People

Now 25 percent more terrifying!

Swamp and Overflow

Nightlife and more:
Sept. 29 - Oct. 6

Piracy Funds Superstardom

Missing In Action

OC punk band in legal smackdown with
Sri Lankan dance diva!

Diary of a Mad County

By Steve Lowery

DESERT STORM

Stinkstock!

Coachella is part festival, part endurance test