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56 M.I.A.

With a little help from Pineapple Express, her “Paper Planes” flew into the mainstream and became one of the year’s biggest singles. Now with a baby on the way, M.I.A. looks to the future. BY LORRAINE ALI

64 F--ked Up

With 19-minute songs and a 300-pound growler who doesn’t always take his meds, they may be the most ambitious, and least stable, act in punk. PLUS: How to tell those fucking bands apart. BY BRIAN RAFTERY

70 The Spin Interview:
Elvis Costello

As he makes the transition to TV talk-show host, punk’s erstwhile Angry Young Nerd reflects on running off his mouth, getting booted from NBC, and learning to love James Taylor. BY CHRIS NORRIS

78 New York
Underground

A journey into the bowels of Brooklyn and Queens, where DIY clubs host some of the best new bands on the planet. PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEIRON O’CONNOR

86 Echo & the
Bunnymen

They were Liverpool’s finest, until egos, arrogance, and tragedy cut short their path to superstardom. Now post-punk’s brooding romantics are out to prove they’re no nostalgia act. BY MARC SPI TZ

“It’s not a war between the mainstream
and underground to me.”M.I.A., PAGE 56

8 MONTH 2007 WWW.SPIN.COM

ON THE COVER Photographed for Spin by Greg Kadel Styling by Anastasia Marano. Hair by Diego Da Silva for Tim Howard Management. Makeup by Mariel Barrera for Joe Management. On M.I.A.: Jen Kao jacket, jenkao.com; Armani Exchange tank, armaniexchange.com; Deborah Marquit bra, deborahmarquit.com; Burberry necklace, burberry.com; Bess hat, bess-nyc.com; LaCrasia gloves, lacrasia.com.