Cover Story

U2 Live From Outer Space

As U2's massive rock show — featuring a four-clawed sci-fi cathedral — hits the States, the biggest band in the world seeks to prove it's also the best. By Brian Hiatt

Album Guide: Rolling Stone's guide to U2's best recordings.
Photos: Pics tracing the rockers' path to megastardom.
Q&A: More from Brian Hiatt's interview — the band on their next album, Spider-Man music and U2 haters.
Video: Exclusive video from the U2360° Tour kickoff of the U.S. leg in Chicago.
Report: On the scene in Chicago.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Wall Street's Naked Swindle

A scheme to sell fake stocks helped kill Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers — exposing the counterfeit nature of our entire economy. By Matt Taibbi

Video: Matt Taibbi breaks down his argument.

CLOSE-UP

Miranda Lambert,
Redneck Diva

Country music's toughest — and hottest — chick channels Fox News and Dolly Parton on her rootsy, rocking Revolution. By Melissa Maerz

Video: Behind the scenes at Lambert's Nashville photo shoot.

FEATURES

James Ellroy's Apocalypse

He calls himself the "Demon Dog" of American fiction. And he nearly lost his mind finishing his masterwork, a secret history of the 1960s. By Sean Woods

Q&A: Ellroy on why fiction should be vulgar and why he's not a fan of Raymond Chandler.

Rock & Roll

Muse Take America

British prog-rock trio — and U2's tour openers — finally find U.S. success.

Update Soundtrack to Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' film include hits and five new tunes.

Industry Bands battle for sequel after 'Twilight' soundtrack scores.

In the Studio Norah Jones crafts LP of heartbreak anthems after splitting with her man and her band.
Plus: Hemingway, Old Testament inspire Blitzen Trapper CD.

Q&A Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne on his band's new double album.

On the Town Along for the ride as brat-rappers 3OH!3 storm the VMAs.

Archives Latest 'Nuggets' compilation collects hippie jams and raw-power anthems.

Breaking Country-rock's new crop: the Avett Brothers, Cory Chisel, Dawes, J. Tillman, the Duke and the King and Phosphorescent.

Hall of Fame Run-DMC bring rap to the masses with the tough rhymes and big riffs of their third LP.

Tributes Mary Travers, Jim Carroll.

TV

Freaky 'Fringe'

The return of the loopiest, trippiest sci-fi drama ever.
By Rob Sheffield

SPORTS

Cowboy Crackup

Mallball is in Texas and other notes from the NFL.
By Matt Taibbi

RECORDS

Monsters of Folk

Jim James, Bright Eyes and M. Ward form a true super-group.

PLUS: Mariah Carey, the Flaming Lips, Harper Simon, Raekwon, Gossip, The Very Best, the Entrance Band, David Gray, Toddla T, Built to Spill, Boys Like Girls, Drummer, Kris Kristofferson, Air, Wale, Porcupine Tree, Tokio Hotel and The Best Is Yet to Come: The Songs of Cy Coleman.

Fricke's Picks: Tim Buckley, the Pines and Raks Raks Raks — 27 Golden Garage Psych Nuggets from the Iranian 60s Scene

MOVIES

'An Education'

Virginal schoolgirl and older charmer have an affair to remember in 1960s England.

PLUS: Whip It, A Serious Man, Zombieland and Capitalism: A Love Story.

Off the Cuff with John Krasinski: The star of The Office stops by our office to discuss his screen adaptation of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.

The Travers Take: More movie news and reviews from our movie critic

Travers Hits Twitter: Tap in for daily Twitter updates — juicy interview tidbits and knee-jerk reviews — from our film critic

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

Classic Rock Photos: Legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall tells the stories of his iconic images — and clears up the mystery behind his 1963 picture of Bob Dylan rolling a tire down a New York street.

Get Connected: A guide to RS editors' Twitter pages, where you'll find everything from random musings to info on the hottest new tunes.

Live at Rolling Stone: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs duet on Neil Young and Yes tunes — from their covers albums — in our studio.

Behind 'New Moon': A breakdown of the soundtrack from the latest Twilight flick.

U2: Bono and the Edge photographed on August 13th, 2009, in the living room of their villa in Eze, France.
Photograph by Sam Jones
Digital imaging and logo treatment by Splashlight.