INSIDE SPIN EDITOR’S LETTER
This is what
it feels like to
be Fucked Up.
Initial Reactions

FOR A YEAR IN WHICH unlikely “narratives” became a ubiquitous part of the public discourse, this month’s cover subject might have the unlikeliest narrative of them all. Maya Arulpragasam (otherwise known as the rebel-rousing multihyphenate M. I. A.) released her second album to much critical acclaim in 2007, but it wasn’t until spring 2008 that Kala’s polyglot agit-pop made her into a bona fide star—thanks to the appearance of her Clash-sampling “Paper Planes” in the trailer for Pineapple Express. Since then she’s announced her retirement, gotten pregnant, unretired, sold more than a million singles, and racked up the No. 1 ringtone in the country…. What? In “M.I.A. POW!” Lorraine Ali, a senior writer for Newsweek, tells the globe-spanning tale of M.I.A.’s slow-burning ascent.

For rebellion of a louder kind, Brian Raftery contributes the compelling story of Toronto punk sensations Fucked Up, whose ambitious new The Chemistry of Common Life has quickly become one of my iPod staples. Marrying throat-shredding vocals to textured, melodic guitar squall, the band have managed to transcend their hardcore-punk origins and forged an expansive sound that suggests a hybrid of two of my favorite groups …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Hüsker Dü, as fronted by a bald and bloodied Cujo. Plus, they’re certifiably bonkers live. Raftery (whose new book, Don’t Stop Believin’, BTW, is a delightful and ultimately moving read about his obsession with karaoke) traveled to Canada to find out what makes them ticked off.

This month, we also check in with other musicians who never fit in the categories assigned to them: Elvis Costello and Echo & the Bunnymen, whose recent projects—hosting a TV talk show and performing with an orchestra, respectively— have added some drama and color to their own narratives.

I hope you enjoy the issue.

Doug Brod

Editor

FROM TOP: KENNE TH CAPPELLO; ERIC NO WELS