Soikatron's Blog

On the heels of some suggestive-photo controversy you might've heard about, Miley Cyrus is set to release her new album, Breakout, on July 22. More.

On July 20, Rogers Picnic will take place at historic Fort York, and you can look forward to sharing your packed lunch with Vampire Weekend, Cat Power, Chromeo and more. Get the scoop.

For a lot of diehard Radiohead fans, only an act of God could keep them from seeing Thom Yorke and company live. Unfortunately for the fans in and around Bristow, Virginia, it may have come to that this past weekend. What happened?

Madonna has come to the defense of Britney Spears, saying the singer's erratic behavior is a result of "being under a microscope since [she was] a teenager." More!

On the heels of their massively downloaded new single, "Violet Hill," Coldplay will make an appearance at the MTV Movie Awards on June 1. Get the 411.

Twin sisters Tegan and Sara, who are currently touring and are set to perform as part of this year's True Colors Tour starting May 31, have even more on their plate: a new album. Get the deets.

The most – and probably only – indie-rock show for little kids, "Pancake Mountain," is releasing its fifth DVD. M.I.A., Jenny Lewis and Built to Spill are just a few of the names guesting on the disc, which contains episodes nine and 10. Who else is on it?

Following Coachella and many other multiple-day extravaganzas, Vampire Weekend are set to play Sweden's Accelerator Festival on June 24-25. They'll be joined by Band of Horses, MGMT, F--- Buttons and Stars.  More, yo. 

Cartoon Network's late-night hit "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" is leaving your television and coming to your stereo — and it's taking indie-rock all-stars The Shins and Built to Spill along for the ride. Toon in to more news about the soundtrack.

Prince, Portishead, and Roger Waters may have grabbed the most headlines at this year's Coachella, but M.I.A.'s politically charged set was one of the most memorable.

Amping up her already over-the-top live show, the Sri Lankan-born artist nearly brought the crowd to a riot. Crowdgoers had packed tight into the Sahara tent, but there were loads more outside who were trying to cram inside. A flurry of police responded, along with ambulances.

M.I.A. described the intense experience in a recent interview with Spinner: "The cops tried to shut [my show] down," she said. "They were on the back side of the stage, and they were trying to shut me down, and I was singing, 'Cops don't work, they just make it worse.' I was really thinking about the situation in New York."

The situation M.I.A. was referring to was reportedly that of Sean Bell, the unarmed 23-year-old black man who was gunned down by officers outside a New York strip club in 2006 the night before his wedding. The accused cops were acquitted of criminal charges the day before M.I.A.'s set at Coachella.

But the singer, who was banned from MTV for her controversial lyrics and artwork, also said that performances like the one she held at Coachella is allowing her to more closely connect with fans.

"Playing right now in America, during the election times, I feel more and more connected with my fans," M.I.A. added. "They cheer when sh-- happens or boo when they don't agree. It's amazing, getting people to be interactive."

You can get in on the action if you're lucky enough to catch one of the shows on her current tour:

5.8: Detroit, MI @ Fillmore
5.9: Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
5.12: Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
5.13: Myth Maplewood, MN
5.14: Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
5.17: Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
5.18: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
5.23: Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
5.27: Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Centre
5.28: Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
5.30: Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
6.2: Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
6.3: Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
6.6: Brooklyn, NY @ McCarren Park Pool
6.14: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo

[Click on the image to see pics of M.I.A. at Coachella.]

Did you miss Coachella? Check out Buzznet's coverage of day one, day two and day three.

- Soikatron