M.I.A. looks totally gorgeous in the freshly dropped video for 'XXXO'. Like proper. Super well groomed, immaculately made up, hair expertly teased (or is girl rocking a wig?) and coolly blinged out in a video that woulda been the envy of new rave - as well as the epitome of what might be called 'classy new rave' style, if that isn't a total paradox in itself.

It's a total moving dream photo with plenty of gif-fy elements, so obviously, we here being totally gif friendly had to give this a post. Nicely done Maya, werk them lips.

‘XXXO’ is already one of the most remixed tracks of this year; Riton, Blaqstarr, SBTRKT, Jay Z amongst others have tried to turn M.I.A.‘s poppiest moment into something more danceable and less cheesy. Riton’s re-rub almost delivered the killer of the package, but the annoying part where he reverses the sample and makes it go out of sync got stressed us out every time.

And just as we had almost stopped believing, in the last 45 minutes of the second half (sorry, we're still not over the World Cup), DJ Mujava releases his remix with DJ Qness. The track ain’t no ‘Township Funk’ (honestly, few tracks are), but it’s super fun and doesn't have any trace of trance-alike synths; which, in our opinion, is the biggest problem in the original. It might still sound cheesy, but at least it doesn’t sound like something Ke$ha would release.

Check this still from the upcoming video of 'XXXO', where Maya rocks some threads from Aussie Nadia Napreychikov's grad collection. It kinda looks like the ubiquitous Chloe for Opening Ceremony buckle boot manifest as a dress (?); which is, totally bad ass:

Yoi Girl

Whether you buy into her 'shtick' or not, M.I.A. has that indefinable diva quality in everything she does (from getting ghetto and 3rd world to eating dem truffle fries) that is hard to deny. We dig that she's leaking all these tracks off the album herself too; the latest of which is 'Teqkilla', which a remix has already been unleashed too, entitled the 'Lost My Fone Out Wiv Nicki minaj Remix'.

'Teqkilla' sounds like the next logical step onwards from Kala, totally sick, tribal percussion boom out a heavily bangin' beat, with enough electronics in the production to keep it deep in proper M.I.A. territory. The remix kicks it more hip hop, less 'world' and go-to-booty of the moment, Nicki Minaj contributes a verse in the middle. Ccccheck it:

Sleigh Bells

Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss are the duo that is Sleigh Bells, who came ringing on in late last year, coming outta nowhere to slay (ho ho *snort* ha) the critics at CMJ with a handful of tracks and a helluva live show, leaving me frothing to find their demos so I could play them REALLY LOUD.

With guitar on overdrive, some hip hop heavy bang in their beats, fuzz and crackle turned wayyy up to filter an atomic kitten cute flavored vocal, Sleigh Bells kick it harrrd. They're infectious and dynamic, and when their tracks drop in, you're immediately drawn by the energy and scuzzy simplicity of it all.

It was never destined to be too long before Sleigh Bells released something more official than the tin shed tracks they've unleashed. That very same tin shed, ramshackle frucked-up-ness being a really big part of the charisma of their sound; I'm praying real hard it won't be glossed out of their forthcoming release...Yes, that's rii-iight! It's entitled Treats and last year's claims of talks with Mamma M.I.A. came good, as Treats is coming out via N.E.E.T; with the whole bloody website currently dedicated to the duo.

So let's take a closer look at why everyone at CMJ - including the Bamboo Banger herself - was abuzz and prepare you for the 11th of May release date.

Responsible for production and guitar is former hardcore rocker Derek Miller, and that occasionally Alice Glassy vocal belongs to Alexis Krauss; who not only used to be a school teacher in the Bronx, but a teenybopper in a band called RubyBlue. Their powers combine with shudderingly good effects, like knocking back a strong black coffee with loads of sugar.

There ain't nothing like those infinity guitars snarling alongside that stomping beat to put a swagger in your step. Yet not forgetting her wannabe teen pop star roots, Alexis takes her own fairy floss sweetness in hand and sucks all the air out to make a sticky, crunchy hot mess - girl sure can work the shit out these tracks.

Somehow, despite all that could go wrong, the atmosphere of Sleigh Bells is just so right. Fun, boisterous, rowdy and yes, sweet too, more obviously so in 'Ring Ring' which takes a sample from Funkadelic.

Rather a subtle use of interpretive dance - I mean, how can you resist it when the vocalist acts out the lyrics they're singing?

The fusion of mad beats and super sweets has had me thoroughly entrenched in these demos, so I'll be waiting with bated breath for Treats to come to light, which was produced by Derek himself (who also did some work on M.I.A.'s own upcoming 3rd LP). Keep your ears peeled for when Sleigh Bells ring - are you listening?

Afrikan Boy, innit

Olushola Ajose is better known as Afrikan Boy. I first got a taste of him on ‘Hussel’, one of my most beloved tracks on M.I.A.’s  ‘Kala’, where he made a feature appearance. He talks it out in a reassuringly authentic sounding rolling gait about how “If you think it’s tough now // Come to Africa”. Word.

I knew I missed a flight to Brazil for a reason – to hang out with Shola on yet another Central London rooftop. He is the perfect study in cross cultural contexts; situationally and of course musically. And being under the wing of M(ummy).I.A. is also another fascinating aspect to this kid wonder who's crossing all kinds of boundaries. There’s no indication that the owner of the savvy, world-weary spit is barely out of his teens; his lyrics totally re-contextualise his African origins into an ever so international yet inherently London vernacular.

Self assured and confident in his ideas of the world and his place in it, this 20 year old's head is screwed firmly on facing forward, yet the weight of where he comes from is there too; and neither does he forget the weight of where he’s going – Afrikan Boy (“eh eh, you know I’m big in Mozambique” as M.I.A. says) is going global.

Interview after the jump + mp3s!