Former Blender editor Craig Marks soft-launched a new pop criticism site, Popdust, today, featuring the Sasha Frere-Jones-beloved music critic Maura Johnston, according to her Twitter. Johnston founded, wrote and edited the blog Idolator for three years, leaving six months after Gawker sold it to Buzznet. Her departure was publicly mourned.

Since then she's written for The Daily Beast, the Village Voice, and The Awl, among others.

So far Johnston's done a commendable job keeping the alter egos of Nicki Minaj straight. We look forward to reading more.

kstoeffel@observer.com :: @kstoeffel