Posterity Post: I wrote thousands of articles while on staff at SPIN and blogged none of them.

Animal Instinct: The Return of Soundgarden — After 16 years of studio silence, the grunge gods return, hungry, with their triumphant King Animal. I meet Chris Cornell and his pretty blue eyes.

How Are Passion Pit Playing Madison Square Garden? — An honest question with a pretty interesting answer. This is Led Zeppelin territory. MJ. The Boss. Ali and Frazier. And now…

Ghost Town Social Media’d Their Way to Success — A sound that evokes a bubble-goth Linkin Park. A social-media strategy that’s part-savvy, part-kismet. They’re stars in an ephemeral world.

COACHELLA 2010: Reporting from Day One

April 19, 2010April 19, 20101 Comment

Jay-Z at Coachella, shot by Erik Voake

Jay-Z may run this town (or that town), but Spin Magazine staked its claim on Coachella coverage this past weekend in no uncertain terms. I was fortunate enough to be part of that journalistic wrecking crew, and on Friday, I devoted most of my otherwise fragmented attention to Jay-Z’s incredible set, which included a loving recreation of the New York skyline, and a duet with the wifey that brought down the house. Read about the 30-song set here.

I also covered Street Sweeper Social Club, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen and the Specials for the mag’s “Best and Worst Moments” roundup. Additional text by my old Filter colleague Liam Gowing, Spin Online Editor William Goodman and Deputy Editor Steve Kandell.

Photos by Andrew Herrold, Erik Voake and Matt Kiser.