Editor's letter
OMM is the first music magazine published by a British newspaper. Each month we will bring you the best in music from around the world - from the past and looking into the future.

Broom broom, bling bling
Funkmaster Flex, doyen of New York's DJs, runs a celebrity car show that is the ultimate in hip hop excess: it's got bikini-clad girls, a jeep with a shark tank - and 50 Cent with his exceedingly large entourage. By Johnny Davis.

It's easy to find the world's oldest form of music
Just cross the snake - infested African river, avoid the cannibal militia and watch out for the killer bees. By Peter Culshaw.

Back to reality
Hear'Say were the starry product of the first music reality TV show and enjoyed the biggest-selling debut single ever. After that, things went rapidly downhill. Harriet Lane discovers the true cost of the new fame game.

Special relationships
After the chaos of Britpop, Blur threatened to fall apart, lost a member and are still bitching at each other. But against all the odds, Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree are sounding better than ever. Garry Mulholland meets the band in America.
Win a trip to see Blur live in Barcelona

My life as a pop chick
There aren't many better ways of making a living than hanging out with pop stars and writing about them, says Miranda Sawyer. Just make sure that you don't end up snogging the manager.

Total respect
Dizzee Rascal, the 18-year-old winner of this month's Mercury Music Prize, owes his explosive career to one man above all: Tim Smith, the music teacher at his school in London's East End. Here, the former pupil and his former master share their story.

Bringing it all back home
In the first of a regular series looking at the emotional effect music has on our lives, Hannah Griffiths tells how an early aversion to her Dad's Dylan collection turned into a love of Bob, and how one gig finally brought father and daughter together.

... Britney Spears
The full low-down on the corruptible schoolgirl turned grown-up tease. With an 'edgier' album imminent and that public sapphic snog, it's got to be, like, Justin who?

... Siberia
Western rock stars rarely make it to Shushenskoye. But Simon Broughton discovered that there are few better places for throat-singing, clubbed-out horse-head fiddle improvisation and shamanist chanting.

Billie Holiday
Her 1948 comeback concert after a drugs bust was the highest point of the singer's career.

Jade Jagger
Each month, our Record Doctor takes her stethoscope, checks out a new patient's record collection, offers a diagnosis - and prescribes a cure.
Win Jade Jagger's musical prescription

The goths
In part one of an epic investigation into the lost pop tribes of Britain, Tom Cox travels to Leeds to meet fans of magick, Max Factor and cats.

The Distillers
Scary punk rockers with the new Courtney Love - Kitty Empire picks this month's most-likely-to act.

The 10 greatest publicity stunts
Pop music has always lived off hype and spin - and often no good has come of it. But certain stunts are so outrageous or strange that they deserve celebrating in their own right.
Have your say: what do you think of our selection?

David Bowie and Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais, creator of The Office and stand-up comedian, interviews pop icon David Bowie, covering what it means to be a fan, the difference between Iggy Pop and Will Young ('about seven inches'), the nature of reality and the prospect of 'buggering off to Tibet'.

Song of the month: Peaches, Kick It
The perfect rock duet is Garry Mulholland's pick of the September pops. Hear it on: the album Fatherfucker (XL).

Worst album of the month: Limp Bizkit, Results May Vary
David Sue sees Fred Durst's nu-metal behemoths turn serious, stupidly.

The 10 best albums of the month
From The Strokes to Swedish jazz. By the best critics (and pop stars).

More reviews
Including the next 15 best September releases, the classic album of the month, and Paul Morley on music on TV.

The fives
Norman Jay picks five tunes for the autumn, while Mark Rae picks his five fave fishy rappers.

Barometer
Up & down.

What I'm listening to
Lauren Laverne, TV presenter.

What i'm listening to
Peter Blake, pop artist.