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SPIN.com’s Best of the Week, October 27-November 2

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For ages, rock’n’roll has been considered the devil’s music. And this Halloween week, the connection is obvious — some of the oldest, scariest, and most colossal rock acts have returned to the headlines: AC/DC kicked off their tour and topped the album charts, and Led Zeppelin searched for a new singer. Hell, Joaquin Phoenix, the actor who portrayed the devil-plagued Man in Black, Johnny Cash, even ditched the drama to devote himself to rock full-time.

Below, check out these stories plus the week’s best MP3s, reviews, and more.

Highlights

  • AC/DC Top Charts with New Album
    Using an exclusive sales strategy, the Australian rockers’ Black Ice sets new industry standards. Click here for details! Read >>
  • AC/DC Are Back! Live Concert Review
    SPIN’s Abigail Everdell catches a VIP bus from Manhattan to rural Pennsylvania to write about the band’s exclusive first gig. Read >>
  • Led Zeppelin: “Plant Doesn’t Want to Play Loud Music, But We Do!”
    Bassist John Paul Jones says the hard rock titans may finally reunite without singer Robert Plant. Click here for details! Read >>
  • Joaquin Phoenix Quits Acting to Pursue Music
    Spacehog’s Antony Langdon has joined the ex-actor’s project. Their first release: A collection of Johnny Cash covers. Just joking! Read >>

News

  • Michael Not Joining Jackson 5 Reunion
    The legendary R&B group announces plans to reform — but the King of Pop appears to have other projects in mind. Click here for details! Read >>
  • 5 Thoughts About Animal Collective’s New Album
    Oh, it’s different from their last release, that’s for sure. Click here to read all about it! Read >>
  • Mastodon Unveil New Album Details
    The Atlanta shredders’ conceptual follow-up to 2006’s Blood Mountain is nearly ready. Click here for more! Read >>
  • Hives Sued for Alleged Plagirism
    Were the Swedish quintet’s garage rock riffs lifted from a song by L.A. band the Roofies? Listen and decide for yourself! Read >>
  • Noel Gallagher: “I Hope Liam Gets Arrested”
    The Britpop singer/songwriter on the band’s next album, his solo plans, and getting his pesky brother out of the way. Read >>

Editors’ Blog

  • A Halloween Tale of the Musical Macabre
    Does a bewitched iPod and a mysterious All Hallows Eve computer message bode well — or ill — for SPIN editor David Marchese? Read >>
  • Skip It: ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’
    Seth Rogen, didn’t anyone tell you director Kevin Smith is no Judd Apatow? SPIN’s Phoebe Reilly on Smith’s latest disaster. Read >>
  • Britney. Naked. Why?
    Nudity is so 2004, says SPIN’s Ellen Carpenter. It’s time to move on, Brit-Brit. Read >>
  • Five Music Videos That’ll Make You Smile
    Tough times got you down? SPIN editor Doug Brod picks his latest mood-elevating faves. Read >>

Audio/Video

  • Wilco Debut New Song on ‘Colbert Report’
    VIDEO! Click here to watch Jeff Tweedy and Co. unveil a rockin’ new track that pays tribute to their host and themselves. Read >>
  • First Look: Paramore’s ‘Twilight’ Music Video
    Click here for a sneak peek at the video for “Decode,” the pop-punk band’s contribution to the soundtrack for the blockbuster vampire movie! Read >>
  • Gogol Bordello, Live in Brazil!
    Watch as the gypsy punks entertain South American crowds. Plus, see an interview with Madonna’s leading man, Eugene Hutz.Read >>
  • Exclusive Video and MP3 from Illinois!
    SPIN-approved Pennsylvania rockers launch their ambitious multimedia series Kid Catastrophe with a clever but kooky clip and a new single. Read >>

Reviews

  • Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Cardinology (Lost Highway) Read >>
  • The Cure, 4:13 Dream (Suretone/Geffen) Read >>
  • John Legend, Evolver (G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia) Read >>
  • AC/DC, Black Ice (Columbia) Read >>
  • Pink, Funhouse (Laface/Zomba) Read >
  • Tom Gabel, Heart Burns (Sire) Read >>
  • School of Seven Bells, Alpinisms (Ghostly International) Read >>
  • Bloc Party, Intimacy (Capitol) Read >>
  • Kaiser Chiefs, Off With Their Heads (Universal/Motown) Read >>
  • Snow Patrol, A Hundred Million Suns (Geffen) Read >>
  • Eagles of Death Metal, Heart On (Downtown) Read >>