“I want my song
to haunt them
a little bit,
wake them up
in the middle
of the night.”

IDA MARIA, PAGE 46

NOVEMBER 2008

DEPARTMENTS

14 Contributors
18 Editor’s Letter
20 Soundcheck
26 The Spin Mix
28 Feedback
31 Noise

The Rock-afire Explosion’s animatronic animals get reignited; the Sleeveface phenomenon; the Spin 20; T-Pain withstands the Inquisition; Eagles of Death Metal’s Jesse Hughes shows off his room; collectors obsess over cassette tapes—blank cassette tapes; Kelly Slater on Ms. Pac-Man, conspiracy theories, and Flavor of Love; the Honor Roll. PLUS: Ida Maria, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, and Lenka are Breaking Out.

110 Rock City

It’s home to bourbon and the Kentucky Derby—clearly, these Southerners know how to rock. My Morning Jacket’s Jim James helps out with Spin’s guide to Louisville.

112 The Hidden Track An obscure British band has threatened a rock writer’s life—in song. But why? BY MICHAEL AZERRAD

REVIEWS

87 CDs

AC/DC’s Black Ice, Bloc Party’s Intimacy, Lucinda Williams’ Little Honey, the Streets’ Everything Is Borrowed, Kaiser Chiefs’ Off With Their Heads, Metallica’s Death Magnetic, Snow Patrol’s A Hundred Million Suns, Fucked Up’s The Chemistry of Common Life, and dozens more! PLUS: Reissues and essential boogie rock.

106 Movies

Zack and Miri Make a Porno; Synecdoche, New York; The Brothers Bloom; and Fear(s) of the Dark

108 Live

Johnny Depp celebrates his power-pop roots at a South Florida benefit concert.

JOHN LINDQUIST