Blender July 2008

<b>FEATURES</b><br>
42 LEONA LEWIS<br>
She's got the makings of the new Mariah&#8212;she's biracial, has killer vocals
and a worldwide smash debut&#8212;but the year's biggest new star is trying
out a fresh archetype: the Nice Diva.<br>
48 THREE 6 MAFIA<br>
An intrepid <em>Blender</em> writer goes undercover as the Memphis rappers'
personal assistant for a day, a job that entails getting drunk before noon and
(literally) kissing a porn star's ass.<br>
52 COACHELLA<br>
For three days in late April, indie rock (and Prince) reigned at this annual
fest in the SoCal desert. A look back in pictures, starring Vampire Weekend,
M.I.A. and Gogol Bordello.<br>
58 SUB POP ORAL HISTORY<br>
An inside look at how the small, hype-happy Seattle label that brought the world
Nirvana survived constant money crises and grunge-era madness.<br>
64 SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW<br>
It's <em>Blender's</em> salute to the season's biggest flicks, featuring <em>The
Rocker's</em> Rainn Wilson, Batman's pimped-out new ride and more.<br>
<b>REGULARS</b><br>
7 BLENDER BIBLE<br>
14 LETTERS<br>
17 BURNER<br>
Pop stars: We know who you hooked up with this summer.<br>
21 USEFUL TIPS: MY MORNING JACKET<br>
The Louisville, Kentucky, roots rockers reveal how to win at HORSE.<br>
24 ALMOST FAMOUS: THE TING TINGS<br>
British boy-girl duo excel at off-kilter electro-pop.<br>
28 TOP 33 CHART<br>
30 DEAR SUPERSTAR: NEIL DIAMOND<br>
The 67-year-old hitmaker shares his hair-care tips, reveals his underwear preferences and talks about the time he got shot in the face.<br>
36 GREATEST SONGS EVER: &quot;GENIE IN A BOTTLE&quot;<br>
She fought against it being her debut single, but Christina Aguilera's Lolita-pop classic made her a star.<br>
39 STATION TO STATION<br>
He's been in all the bands in the holy trinity of U.K. synth-pop: Yaz, Depeche
Mode and Erasure. We catch up with Vince Clarke on the eve of Yaz's U.S. reunion
tour.<br>
96 WHO DOES PEREZ HILTON THINK HE IS?<br>
The self-proclaimed Queen of All Media's life goal? To become &quot;the gay
Angelina Jolie.&quot;<br>
<b>THE GUIDE</b><br>
69 NEW RELEASES<br>
Coldplay, Weezer, Usher, My Morning Jacket, Alanis Morissette and more<br>
78 REISSUES<br>
Liz Phair. George Jones, Toby Keith and more<br>
80 BACK CATALOGUE: TOM PETTY<br>
From classics like &quot;American Girl&quot; and &quot;The Waiting&quot; to
a forgettable Ed Burns movie soundtrack: a look back at the man who has kept
the '60s flame burning for 30 years<br>
82 GAMES<br>
<em>Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots</em>, <em>Guitar Hero: Aerosmith</em> and more<br>
<b>ARTIST INDEX</b><br>
AGUILERA, CHRISTINA 36<br>
ARM, MARK (of no relation to Blender associate editor Mark Yarm) 58<br>
COLDPLAY 69<br>
COOL KIDS, THE 20 DIAMOND, NEIL 30 GAHAN, DAVE 40 GOGOL BORDELLO 52 HILTON,
PEREZ (on shaving his nether region) 46. 96 MY MORNING JACKET 27. 71<br>
NINE INCH NAILS 74 NIRVANA 58<br>
PETTY, TOM 80<br>
PHAIR, LIZ 78<br>
SHINS, THE 63 SLIPKNOT 26 STILLWATER 65<br>
THREE 6 MAFIA (want to father Amy Winehouse's crack babes) 48<br>
TING TINGS, THE 24, 76<br>
<b>ON THE COVER</b><br>
LEONA LEWIS PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKO LIM<br>
Styling by Young-Ah Kim. Hair by Ben Cooke. Makeup by Jane Bradley. Too Twelfth
Street by Cynthia Vincent. Jeans: Earnest Sewn. Silver bracelet: stylist's own.
Black bangle, tie bracelets and ring: artist's own.