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>EXCLUSIVE PARAMORE
FOOTAGE

We sent our video crew down to Nashville to trail Paramore during their Spin photo shoot. Tag along with us as the band members visit record stores and talk about guns. spin.com/paramore-video

Best of the West After seeing your Best of 2007 issue [“Kanye West and Daft Punk,” January], I could not have asked for a better cover. Daft Punk and Kanye were without a doubt the entertainers of the year! The articles on these performers were pure excellence.

PATTY ORTIZ

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS

THEBESTOF2007 KANYE WEST DAFTPUNK FEIST 40BESTALBUMS JUKEBOXJURY

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STRONGER? TRY !

STRONGEST

KANYE WEST

DAFT PUNK

HOW THEY MADE THE SONG OF THE YEAR

^SPIN.COM GO BE^HIND THE ^SCENES ^OF THISP^HO TO SH^OOT

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>SXSW MUSIC FESTIVAL They are probably the five most important days in rock each year, and we’ve got them covered from all angles. Check out performance videos, interviews, and editors’ blogs from Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest (March 12– 16). spin.com/sxsw08

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I don’t see how Kanye West plans to become the “No. 1” artist when he continues to isolate himself with his use of labels and stereotypes. A real artist should not think only in terms of skin color.

JD DALY
NEW YORK CI TY

I was very disappointed after
reading the interview with Kanye
West. He is going to have a hard time
being mentioned alongside artists
like U2 and the Rolling Stones, as he
hopes in the article, if he continues
to act no better than my 12-year-old
students in the middle of a sugar fit.
I’ll give him some of the same advice
I would give them: Stop whining.
Put in a little more time, act like an
adult once or twice, and be respectful
of your peers.
MARIEL STOTTS
AUSTIN, TEXAS

For or Against Me? At first I was hesitant to see Against Me!’s New Wave as the album of the year [“The 40 Best Albums of 2007,” January], considering the minimal attention it got from its own scene. But as I went back and listened, it occurred to me that Against Me! isn’t the problem—the scene is.

MAT T SUTHERLAND
BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA

Rhythm Nation Just wanted to let you know that the percussion rhythms in M.I.A.’s song “Bird Flu” [“ 20 Best Songs,” January] are not African, but Tamil from southern India. M.I.A. herself is of Tamil descent from Sri Lanka. Even though I’m not Tamil myself, I’ve watched dozens of Tamil (Kollywood) movies and recognized the music immediately.

AN THON Y MOUTHON
MOUN T VERNON, NEW YORK

>BREAKING OUT

Watch exclusive performance videos from two of this month’s Breaking Out artists: Switches and Laura Marling (who covers Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done”). spin.com/switches-video spin.com/marling-video

>MORE MOBY

Read an extended version of his Inquisition Q&A and check out highlights from his own blog. spin.com/moby-interview

The SPIN.com Poll

Glow Shtick
How dare you not put Klaxons on your
best-albums list? They started new rave!
Don’t say it was just an “England thing.”
I was at their first gig in L.A., and every
store I go to sells Klaxonified outfits
now. How could you fail to include the
band that started a whole scene?
DEB VASQUEZ
LOS ANGELES

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Online buzz helped propel Vampire Weekend onto our cover. How much new music do you discover via websites and blogs?

A Every single note

B The majority of my collection

C A decent amount

D An MP3 here and there

F The Internet is the Devil’s network

Cast your vote at SPIN.com!

ALAN CLARKE