THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with the HIGH NUMBERS!  Actually, this mod quartet had changed its name before they hit French TV's Music Hall for a truly live set on March 30, 1966, but the Tuber you posted this set is rightly concerned about copyright holders.  Part 1 features "Substitute," plus covers of the Everlys' "The Man with the Money" and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas'"Dancing in the Streets".  Part 2 includes a cover of "Barbara Ann" and "My Generation."  Plenty of Moon shining in both clips.

CAT POWER stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set from her Jukebox you can stream on demand via NPR.

BOB MOULD talks to the Cleveland Scene about his electronica period: "(Dance music) was more punk rock than anything that was going on in punk rock and alternative at the time..."  Plus more.

SxSW PREVIEW:  All Songs Considered fires folks up for the festival next week with selections from Bon Iver, Evangelicals, Times New Viking, Tift Merritt, Thurston Moore, Black Mountain, Vampire Weekend and more...

WILCO frontman Jeff Tweedy spoke to the NYT about how migraines and mood disorders impacted his childhood, his musical career and his creative and personal life.

LOS CAMPESINOS! have a clip for "Death to Los Campesinos!" that is more upbeat than its title and not quite the "in-studio video" it seems at first glance.

26 TEMPTING BUT INAPPROPRIATE FUNERAL SONGS, courtesy of The A.V. Club,with plenty of A/V.  Frankly, I wouldn't have a problem with the Jim Carroll or the Hank Williams.

BEIRUT frontman Zach Condon talks to Australia's The Age about his long, strage trip to indie semi-stardom: "The one big shocking thing, to me," says the now 22-year-old Condon, "is that my parents never put up a big shock about the way I've led my life. The fact that I dropped out of high school, that I've done nothing but travelling and recording ... they never tried to intervene, to save me from myself."

VAN HALEN:  The reunion tour is paused so Eddie can get medical treatment, but his ex Valerie Bertinelli says he's okay: "He's just being very pro-active. It's not as awful as people think it is. I'm so proud of him right now. He sounded terrific, and hopefully they'll start back up again on the 11th."

THE 50 GAYEST SONGS OF ALL TIME: NTTAWWT.

CUTOUT BIN:  From The Adele to The Zombies, from Buzzcocks to Booker T, from Urge Overkill to Kenny Rogers to OK Go covering Rick Springfield, this Friday's fortuitous finds can be jukeboxed or streamed individually on the Pate page at the ol' HM.

PATRICK SWAYZE tells people not to write him off just yet, after news of his pancreatic cancer became public.  The Dirty Dancer's doctor says Swayze "has a very limited amount of disease, and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far."  The A.V. Club can hook you up with the 1991 unauthorized Swayze bio-comic and more...

NOW SHOWING:  This weekend's wide releases are 10000 B.C., which is currently scoring 14 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; College Road Trip, which currently scores the goose egg; and The Bank Job, which is scoring 75 percent.

BRADGELINA has reportedly moved into a sprawling 270-acre ranch just outside of Smithville, TX -- a small, rural town about 29 miles southeast of Austin -- where they don't have to worry about being hounded by paparazzi.  It looks like the couple's new baby could be the first Jolie-Pitt to be born on American soil.

ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. is in blackface for hin Tropic Thunder, an epic action comedy co-starring Ben Stiller and Jack Black.  Pic at th link.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA pays homage to Hitchcock's icy blondes in a new campaign for the Stephen Webster jewellery line.  Pics at the link.

BRITNEY SPEARS' bulging belly fueled pregnancy rumors again, as paparazzo Adnan Ghalib was spotted again on the Spears property.  Meanwhile, the L.A. county court commissioner has ruled that Jamie Spears can draw $2,500 a week from Britney's accounts as conservator of her affairs.

SAM ROCKWELL, a highly underrated actor (imho)  talks to The A.V. Club about his new director's eccentric style, the pleasures and perils of improvisation, and what it would take for him to agree to be in a zombie movie.

KEVIN SMITH is shooting Zack & Miri Make a Porno in western Pennsylvania, in which Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as broke friends who uncover romantic feelings for each other while making their own X-rated tape to pay off their debts.  Some question the title, but industry analyst Jeff Bock probably nails it: "I don't think anything is too risqué for Kevin Smith fans."

WATCHMEN:  The classic graphic novel is a year away from your local cinema, but director Zach Snyder (300) has released pictures of some of the cast in costume.

SPEED RACER will be simultaneously released to IMAX and conventional theatres on May 9, 2008.  There's a bit of the plot there, too -- though nothing you coud not have guessed from the trailer.

STAR WARS vs. SAUL BASS:  How the credits to the classic space opera might have looked in the 60s style of the master of movie titles.

TERROR in NYC:  Police officers and firefighters cordoned off much of Times Square for more than two hours Thursday after a small explosion - set off, the authorities said, by an "improvised explosive device" - damaged the front of the Armed Forces Career Center on the traffic island bounded by 43rd and 44th Streets, Seventh Avenue and Broadway at 3:43 a.m.  Police said the device was "roughly similar" to those used in earlier bombings at foreign consulates in Manhattan, in 2005 and 2007.  Members of the US House of Representatives were mailed a letter and photo of the recruiting station before it was bombed, according to House insiders and law-enforcement officials.  One source described the letter as a "20-page rambling rant," and the AP reported the envelopes included a "holiday greeting card" with the message "Happy New Year, We Did It" on the cards.

ISLAMISM in the UK has caused the House of Lords to abolish the laws on blasphemy after a wrenching, two-hour debate: "It is crystal-clear that the offenses of blasphemy and blasphemous libel are unworkable in today's society," Kay Andrews said in introducing the government-backed amendment, adding that "as long as this law remains on the statute books, it hinders the UK's ability to challenge oppressive blasphemy laws in other jurisdictions."

THE NETHERLANDS: The Dutch government has raised its terror threat level, and the Taliban has threatened revenge killings against Dutch troops in Afghanistan following controversy over the anti-Koran film "Fitna." Dutch television stations have refused to air it.  During a meeting in Paris, French Pres. Sarkozy told Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende that he will support the Netherlands if it comes under attack because of the film.

IRAQ:  Two bombs went off within minutes of each other in a crowded shopping district in the capital Thursday, killing at least 53 people and wounding 130 - a reminder that deadly attacks are a daily threat even though violence is down.  US and Iraqi forces killed 11 suspected insurgents and detained 44 others in a number of raids targeting AQI in central and northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.  Iraqi forces fighting oil theft have been working to recruit young men from tribes that long have been aiding the smugglers, the country's oil minister told CNN.

HUGO, the Cat of 1000 Faces!

MONKEY & CROC THIEF becomes a hero down under.

HIGH-JUMPING COW absolves farmers in lawsuit.

PETS can now get restraining orders in Wisconsin.  Farm animals still vulnerable.

DEXTER the LABRADOR plunged over the edge of a 115ft cliff and landed unharmed in the sea below.

DEAN & BRITTA are premiering the video for "You Turn My Head Around" at the 'Gum.

GNARLS BARKLEY: The new video for "Run," which ran here on Tuesday is barred from MTV for the moment, because parts of the clip have strobe effects, which caused the clip to fail the Harding Test -- a guideline established to prevent TV images from triggering epileptic seizures.  Danger Mouse tells Billboard he's hopeful the situation can be resolved shortly.

BIG DIPPER:  The 3-CD anthology blurbed here in November is streaming now via Merge Records.

THE OLD 97s will release a new album Blame It On Gravity in May -- the band's first LP in four years.  You can stream the single via 97sSpace.

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck talks to Filter about the band's live mentality, where they're going on the new record, and why he's so excited for us to hear it.  SPIN's review claims that "Accelerate will be rightfully championed as the defibrillator that shocked a once-great band back to its senses."

PAVEMENT:  Reunion quite possible, but not imminent.

METRO ditching Ticketmaster even made Brooklyn Vegan.

BON IVER has posted a video for "The Wolves (Act I and II)."  Not my favorite track from the album, but a nice wintry clip.

STATE of the INDUSTRY:  For the first time last year, nearly half of all teenagers bought no compact discs, a dramatic increase from 2006, according to a new report.  The illegal sharing of music online continued to soar in 2007, but legal downloading also seems to be picking up steam.  Meanwhile, a US District Court in Connecticut ruled last month that making copyrighted works available on the Internet does not, by itself, constitute copyright infringement.

TAPES 'N' TAPES is streaming their upcoming album from their website until noon today.  Good buzz for it at Stereogum

WHITE HINTERLAND:  Singer-songwriter Casey Dienel stopped by the Bryant Park Project for an audio and video segment, playing and talking about making the transition from solo artist to bandleader, struggling with nerves as a performer, and watching people disassemble a giant whale that had washed up on the beach near her hometown.

ST. VINCENT:  Annie Clark talks to Pitchfork about touring, blogging, shooting video for La Blogotheque, her time in the Polyphonic Spree, the making of Marry Me, and what's next on her docket.  She tells the Boston Globe that she "got a taste for experimental awesomeness."

LILY ALLEN is undergoing treatment for depression at a top private clinic.

PATRICK SWAYZE has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and might only have weeks to live, a rep for the star said Wednesday.  The average life expectancy is six to nine months, with only 4 percent of patients living more than five years.

BRITNEY SPEARS' conservatorship has been extended through July 31, 2008.

KEANU REEVES & PARKER POSEY were spotted looking very cozy at swanky L.A. hotel the Chateau Marmont.  A source tells OK! magazine: "It was probably the oddest couple I've ever seen."  That part I could believe.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & JESSICA BIEL were spotted together in the Big Easy, so she must not buy those infidelity rumors.

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY, rarely seen wearing a shirt, is developing his own line of swim apparel.

LINDSAY LOHAN is getting ready to start shooting the comedy Ye Olde Times with Jack Black and David Arquette -- and recording for Motown?

HARRY POTTER actor Daniel Radcliffe is being protected by four former SAS bodyguards after he received a death threat from a stalker.

WHITNEY HOUSTON is set to earn £1.4 million ($3 million) to perform at a London charity event.

STEVEN SPIELBERG is reportedly developing a new social network where people can talk about their encounters with the paranormal and extraterrestrial.  I thought that was the Art Bell show, but maybe it will be viral marketing for some new movie project.

BRAD BIRD, director of The Incredibles and the Oscar-winning Ratatuille, is directing Pixar's first live-action flick -- 1906, based on the book about the legendary San Francisco earthquake.

JACK NICHOLSON talked to MTV about his viral Hillary Clinton endorsement clip, a mash-up of memorable moments from the three-time Oscar winner's career.  EQUAL TIME:  A Barack Obama backer also mashes Jack. (NSFW)

THE UNITED NATIONS blasts the lenient treatment of cocaine-abusing celebrities, who are glamorizing the use of narcotics and encouraging more young people to use illegal substances.  The report also expressed concerns on rising opium production in Afghanistan.

IRAN:  The US challenged Iran to end its state of nuclear denial and explain why it had diagrams showing how to shape fissile uranium into the shape of warheads and other experiments linked to atomic arms research.  Britain, France and Germany - the three European nations at the forefront of attempts to engage Iran on its nuclear program - also urged Iran to bow to international demands, or face more penalties.  The British government said yesterday that Tehran could still be developing a nuclear weapon, and called into question a key US intelligence finding that work on building a bomb had stopped in 2003.  Pres. Ahmadinejad said Iran will only talk to the IAEA about its nuclear program, a statement that could rule out new negotiations with Europe.

IRAQ:  The government is refusing to execute the Saddam Hussein henchman and cousin known as "Chemical Ali" unless the executions of two other Saddam associates also are approved.  The Washington Times covers the thousands of military transition teams teaching Iraqi army units combat tactics, operational planning and logistics.  The top two US officials in Iraq said this week that Iran was still training Iraqi Shiite Muslim militias, in violation of its promises to Iraqi leaders.

DO NOT waive bait at the passing crocodile, moron.

EVE the ONE-LEGGED CHCKEN is getting surgery and radiotherapy to try to save the remaining drumstick.

A 150-LB TORTOISE found wandering around a residential neighborhood in Tracy, CA is claimed by its owner.

COWS stare unamazed as they become California's most alternative new energy source.  Meanwhile, in Rogers, Arkansas, the police are investigating whether a cow was udderly stunned by one of their taser-wielding officers.

BRENDAN BENSON is the sound of the new iPod Touch commercial.  It put me in the mood for  "Tiny Spark," "Metarie," "Spit It Out" and "Cold Hands, Warm Heart."

ON THE PITCHFORK:  I want my Pitchfork.tv!  The beta of the online, on-demand indie-music channel will include original mini-documentaries, secret rooftop and basement sessions, full concerts, exclusive interviews, and a carefully curated selection of music videos.

GARY LOURIS stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set you can stream on demand via NPR.  Louris is also interviewed by Luftmensch at MOKB.

ROCK OF PAGES:  Still turning.  Bullz-eye lists 45 books for the literate music fan (including, yes, Cash by Johnny Cash).  There is also a celebrity list in which Michael Azerrad (author of the excellent Our Band Could Be Your Life) picks the equally excellent Rock and the Pop Narcotic, by Joe Carducci.

DESTROYER:  You can stream the upcoming Trouble In Dreams LP in advance via Merge Records.

LED ZEPPELIN:  Robert Plant has turned down an extra £100 million fortune to get the Led out on a world tour, in favor of touring with Alison Krauss.  Folks think this may scotch all hope of a tour, but I wouldn't be too sure about that.

KATE NASH & BILLY BRAGG played a medley of her "Foundation" and (mostly) his classic "New England" at the 2008 Shockwaves NME Awards.  There is some Profanity.

BAUHAUS:  Twenty-five years after their last record, the Godfathers of Goth are releasing a new album, Go Away White. You can stream a Day to Day segment, plus songs from the LP, on demand via NPR.

BEATLE BOB, the gangly, 55-year-old overgrown adolescent who be the world's only full-time concertgoer, is profiled by the Associated Press.  His current streak dates to Christmas Eve 1996;.that's more than 4,075 shows.  The story mentions both the online petition and website imploring Beatle Bob to sit down, and the upcoming documentary "Superfan: The Lies, Legend and Life of Beatle Bob."

THE FELICE BROTHERS:  Wilmington, NC's Star News reports that "the reason these boys are starting to get so much attention ain't because they kind of sound like Dylan sometimes. Rather, it's because they play a familiar and traditional style of music in a way that's fresh and exhilaratingly new."  You can stream a few tracks from their debut at FeliceSpace.

KEITH RICHARDS, LORD of the UNDEAD, is the "new" face of Louis Vuitton.  Past subjects include Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, Catherine Deneuve, and former USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

BRITNEY SPEARS has again ignited pregnancy rumors after she was spotted leaving a medical centre with her father Jamie in LA yesterday.  Meanwhile, former pal Osama "Sam" Lutfi is fighting the restraining order against him and may be trying to get the pop wreck to testify on his behalf, according to the uber-reliable News of the World.

THE SIMPSONS:  Ashlee was sounding even more dazed and confused than usual during a radio interview yesterday, though her rep claims she was just "tired."  Meanwhile, at Monday's Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Male of the Year Awards, Tony Romo was honored alongside Jessica Simpson's ex John Mayer and rumored former boyfriend Dane Cook.  The Dallas QB quipped: "I guess you date Jessica Simpson, that makes you fearless!"

KIRSTEN DUNST becomes the latest celeb to hook up with some dude in rehab.

THE FRENCH HOTEL:  The "Guru" that has supposedly changed her life is actually a Hollywood actor.  I'm shocked.

REESE WITHERSPOON has lent her star power to the UN global campaign to end violence against women, pitching a fund-raising drive by US cosmetics giant Avon for that purpose.  Gyllenspoon reportedly enjoyed a romantic evening out with friends at New York City restaurant Prune Sunday night.

FUNNY GIRLS:  Vanity Fair's new cover story asks, "Who Says Women Aren't Funny?" (A: It was Christopher Hitchens, writing in Vanity Fair last year.)  The mag also has a behind-the-scenes video for the Annie Leibovitz photo shoot.

MARY-KATE OLSEN is getting death threats from fans of the late Heath Ledger, as well as some awful plastic surgery.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH IS STILL DEAD, but her 18-month-old daughter Dannielynn finally was declared the sole heir to the former Playmate's estate.

LISA MARIE PRESLEY looks to be entering her own jumpsuit phase.

ELIZABETH HURLEY was accused of working her maid almost 'round the clock for as little as 2.50/hr.  The maid withdrew her claims after she was given a five-figure settlement.

HORTON HEARS A WHO:  You can watch the trailer and clips from the Dr. Seuss adaptation at Yahoo! Movies.

GHOSTBUSTERS:  Who you gonna call?

WAR in SOUTH AMERICA?  Colombia said on Tuesday that FARC rebels had been planning to make a "dirty bomb" with radioactive material, threatening the entire Latin American region.  Bogota has already accused Venezuelan Pres. Hugo Chavez of funding the FARC guerrillas, after Colombian forces crossed into Ecuador and killed a senior rebel commander on Saturday, sparking troop movements and warnings of war.  Hundreds of Venezuelan troops deployed for the Colombian border on Tuesday under orders from President Hugo Chavez, who is sending about 9,000 soldiers to the frontier.

THE NETHERLANDS:  Protesters already have torched Dutch flags in Afghanistan ahead of a new Dutch film portraying Islam's holy book as a "fascist" text that incites violence and preaches the oppression of women and homosexuals.  A Dutch Cabinet minister postponed his trip to Somalia on Friday due to "specific threats" linked to the film, and the Dutch government has urged lawmaker Geert Wilders to scrap his film for the safety of its citizens abroad.

IRAQ:  A three-judge panel dropped charges against two former high-ranking Shiite government officials accused of using the Health Ministry to run death squads and enrich themselves  - a decision that shook up Sunnis and troubled some Shiites as well.  Feeding doubt about the trial's fairness, many of the prosecution's witnesses had been intimidated and ultimately refused to appear in court.  Michael J. Totten blogs continuing mop-up and clean-up operations in Fallujah.  Entifadh Qanbar, an Iraqi politician and ex-spokesman of the Iraqi National Congress, takes you on a tour of AQI torture facilities, replete with blowtorches, saws, drills, knives, weapons, masks, and handcuffs.

MINIATURE PIGS: Pets of the Future!  More awww...some pics at the link.

TREACLE the TAWNY OWL loves to hop on the handlebars of a bike and go for rides with Staffordshire wildlife center owner Jenny Smith.  Pic at the link.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:  British marine experts have found what they claim is a world first -- a six-legged octopus, or "hexapus," whom they have christened Henry.

DO NOT taunt the rhino!  The San Francisco Zoo has stepped up its warnings against harassment of animals after the Christmas Day tiger attack that left one young man dead and two others injured.

ANTI-SHARK DEVICE eaten by a Great White.  What say you, Police Chief Brody? (nsfw)

GNARLS BARKLEY drops the video for "Run," which features a cameo from Justin Timberlake and seems inspired in part by the 80s TV show Graffiti Rock.  BONUS:  It looks like ?uestlove has leaked another track from the upcoming Gnarls LP.

NEW RELEASES: The Gutter Twins, What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Acorn and more are streaming in full via Spinner this week.  Kathleen Edwards releases Asking For Flowers.  The Felice Brothers make their Dylanesque, rootsy debut.  White Hinterland is streaming demos from an album recommended by LHB.

THE GUTTER TWINS, a/k/a Mark Lanegan + Greg Dulli, are profiled in the Seattle P-I, calling them "the Beast and the Beast."

KATHLEEN EDWARDS talks to the NYDN, Country Standard Time and the Seattle Times about her new album and hockey. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

RAY DAVIES:  Fresh Air mashes up a 1995 interview with Terry Gross about The Kinks and more with tracks from Ray's new solo LP, put together by Dave Davies (from the Philly Daily News, not Ray's brother), streaming on demand via NPR.

VAN HALEN:  The tour has hit a bump.  Eddie Van Halen is undergoing a battery of comprehensive medical tests to determine a defined diagnosis and recommended medical procedures.  I'm pretty sure that is deliberatley vague.

WILCO played "Hate It Here" and "Walken" on the Peacock Saturday night, so you can stream them via RedLasso for your Twofer Tuesday.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND's tour of the UK was highlighted by gastric distress and a hit-and-run incident.

THE ZOMBIES are touring behind their 1968 album Odessey & Oracle, for the first time.

SHELBY LYNNE pays tribute to the late Dusty Springfield with nine covers on her new LP, which earned a feature on Weekend Edition, streaming on demand via NPR.  The idea was suggested by... wait for it... Barry Manilow.

JEFF HEALEY, the blind Canadian rock and jazz musician, died Sunday after a battle with cancer, friends said. He was 41.

AMY WINEHOUSE has been diagnosed with impetigo, a highly contagious bacterial skin infection that causes pimple-like lumps.

WINONA RYDER & BLAKE SENNETT (of Rilo Kiley, The Elected) engaged?  Denied, unverified...

KATE HUDSON with a baby bump (and Owen Wilson) in Miami?  The bikini pics say otherwise.  What we do know is that Hudson has no idea who Katherine Heigl is.  It's tempting to say catty, but it is more likely flaky.

DREW BARRYMORE announced on Monday's Oprah Winfrey Show that she is donating a million bucks to the World Food Programme to help feed children in Africa.  Frolicking on the beach with bf Justin Long must agree with her.

JOHNNY DEPP helped David Hasselhoff resolve his divorce by presenting him with the barbers chair used in his movie Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.

THE FRENCH HOTEL hit the town with... a Buddhist monk?

BRITNEY SPEARS:  Paparazzo Adnan Ghalib has been seen with another woman - fueling rumors his romance with the pop wreck is over for good.  He has been getting cosy with LA waitress Amanda Pagel.  Maybe dating the crazy woman seemed less compelling once her dad got control of her money.  Or maybe dad had him checked.

JAMIE LYNN SPEARS, the knocked-up 16-year-old sister, went shopping for baby clothes in light blue.

ELLEN PAGE: The infamous SNL lesbian sketch is online, and the rumors dissected at Wired's Underwired blog.

JERI RYAN and her husband, chef Christophe Eme, are the parents of a baby girl.  I just hope Barack Obama sent her a nice gift basket.

VICTORIA'S SECRET has gotten "too sexy?"  Cue Vader.  And Right Said Fred.

MARION COTILLARD is "in shock" over the reaction to her 9/11 conspiracy theorizing.  Her rep claims the comments -- which included doubts about the 1969 moon landing -- were taken out of context.  Well, she is French.

TURKEY is "clarifying" prior reports that scholars from 23 Turkish universities were working on a 'reform" version of the Hadith.

IRAN:  The United Nations Security Council has escalated the pressure over Iran's nuclear program by imposing more economic sanctions on Teheran.  It was immediately dismissed by Iran as illegal and illegitimate.   The sense of a diplomatic win was tempered. "The Iranians have beat the international community back so hard," said a US official. "The snail's pace (of diplomacy) is letting them enrich uranium. They're playing us all."  But at the Counterterrorism Blog, Victor Comras writes that the new sanctions appear to go well beyond previous resolutions, and for the first time may actually have some bite.

IRAQ should build on a recent string of economic and budgetary successes by strengthening its oil and banking industries, the US Treasury's top international adviser said.  US News reports on "Baghdad's New Normal."  After almost five years of war, many young Iraqis, exhausted by constant firsthand exposure to the violence of religious extremism, say they have grown disillusioned with religious leaders and skeptical of the faith that they preach.  The US military claims to have proof that armed groups supported by Iran are trying to sabotage Iraq's US-backed Awakening Councils.

KNUT UPDATE:  Now weighing 22 stone, with six-inch claws, the polar bear is a little less cute than he was as a cub.

CHARLIE BROWN, a black-and-white cat, is down to seven lives after surviving a tornado and a fire in Clinton, Ark.

WARNING:  A Chinese restaurant diner has been paid compensation after a fat cat fell through the roof and landed on him.

MOCHA the ELEPHANT has been fitted with an artificial limb after stepping on a landmine at the Thai-Burma border.

A RAT named TONY BLAIR has launched a career as an artist, causing a stir in art circles with his latest masterpiece sculpted entirely out of avocado.

THE RUTLES will get together to celebrate its 30th anniversary of All You Need Is Cash at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on March 17.  Organizers say it will be the first time Dirk, Barry, Stig and Nasty have appeared together since the program was made.  If you don't have time to watch the whole thing, you can spare a few minutes for "Hold My Hand" (from the Ed Sullivan Show) and "Cheese and Onions" from the Yellow Submarine Sandwich soundtrack.

AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set you can stream on demand via NPR.  Or you can stream the new album via Merge.

BOB MOULD is interviewed by Reveille about albums as documents, the Twin Cities and more.  Plus, the video press kit for the new album is embedded at the link.

STEPHEN MALKMUS is not just an indie icon; he's also a master of Scrabble.

STEVE EARLE & ALLISON MOORER stopped by WFUV for a chat and mini-set you can stream on demand via NPR.  It was recorded last October, but it was new to me.  Earle also talks to Canada's Hour about prison, Iraq and more.

THE BLUEGRASSS SCENE in NYC?  The New York Times is all over it.

THE BLACK CAB SESSIONS:  The Guardian's Tom Templeman finds the smallest, quickest and hippest gig in town in the back of a London black cab, where he held the boom mike for Spoon's Britt Daniel, who plays "I Summon You."  That's in glorious Quicktime, but you can see it on YouTube also.

DUFFY offers a track-by-track breakdown of her debut album, not yet available in the States.  You can, however, stream a few tracks from DuffySpace.

ROLLING STONES singer Mick Jagger escaped an assassination plot hatched in 1969 by the Hells Angels, a new BBC documentary has claimed.

ACE FREHLEY says he's laid down the law, forbidding booze or drugs among all band and crew members along for his solo tour.

PETE DOHERTY is reportedly working with his former Libertine bandmate Carl Barat on a musical.

AMY WINEHOUSE is being paid £500,000 by a top fashion house for a single appearance.  On other good news, police will be taking no further action against the troubled siger in connection with their ongoing investigation into an allegation of an attempt to pervert the course of justice that has her husband incarcerated.

HEATH LEDGER:  DEA agents have ruled out a pair of doctors from Los Angeles and Houston as the sources of the OxyContin and Vicodin found in the bloodstream of late movie star.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE:  Will Farrell's Semi-Pro won the top slot with 15.2 million dollars -- a figure that qualifies as a flop for Farrell and an ignominious end to New Line Studios.  It is about half of what most predicted it would mke.  Vantage Point slips to second and has now grossed a 41 million total, exceeding the production budget.  The Spiderwick Chronicles fell a respectible 33.3 percent, but has made only 55 million on a 90 million budget.  The Other Boleyn Girl snuck into fourth place with a mere 8.3 million -- a high per screen average, but it remains to be seen if it will have legs.  That put Jumper in fifth place, having made 66 million on an 85 million budget.  Step Up 2 and Fool's Gold also dropped two slots.  Penelope debuted in eighth with four million.  No Country For Old Men rode the Oscar back into the Top Ten, placing just behind Penelope.  The adorable Juno rounds out the Top Ten, having cleared over 135 million here and over 179 million worldwide to date.

ELLEN PAGE, who played the adorable Juno, poked fun at rumors she is a lesbian in a SNL sketch.  NTTAWWT.

BRITNEY SPEARS had her personal shrink, and a court appointed doctor chauffeured to her house for a personal visit, which is evidence the pop wreck is complying with court orders and treatment schedules.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON is up for auction on eBay today.  If you get that date, just don't call her a grungy teenager.

COLIN FARRELL has a new addiction -- taking Russian-style steam baths while covered in honey.

MARILYN MANSON & EVAN RACHEL WOOD engaged?  The 20-year-old actress is sporting a rock...

JENNIFER LOPEZ & MARC ANTONY have named their kids after cartoon characters.

COURTNEY COX is looking like Demi Moore these days.

MILEY CYRUS, a/k/a Hannah Montana, has an open invitation for Ryan Cabrera.

MARION COTILLARD, who received an Oscar last month for her performance as singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist.  She's not too sure about the moon landing, either.

PRINCE HARRY returned home to Britain Saturday after a top secret layover in the desert and a debriefing at a Nato base.  US magazine also has a video of the prince in Afghanistan discussing his service, what Princess Diana would think, and corresponding with his father.

ISLAMIST TERROR in IRELAND?  Three Afghan men remain in Garda custody in Co Kerry on suspicion of terrorist activity.  BTW, Ireland is not involved in Afghanistan or Iraq.  But plenty of infidels live there.

IRAQ:  A US military helicopter fired a guided missile to kill a wanted AQI leader from Saudi Arabia who was responsible for the bombing deaths of five American soldiers, a spokesman said Sunday.  The strike was based on intelligence gathered in the Mosul area -- one of the last areas where AQI has a sizable presence.  Even so, gunmen on Friday kidnapped Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho in Mosul, police and the church said.  The US military also announced the capture of an insurgent leader in Diyala province who was recruiting and training women, including his wife, to wrap themselves in explosives and blow themselves up - the latest sign that AQI plans to keep using women to carry out homicide attacks.  The military also said Saturday it had captured a sniper instructor in Baghdad who had been trained by Iranians.  US casualties dropped in February, while Iraqi casualties rose slightly.  The Bush administration believes a halt in troop reductions in Iraq after July is needed in part to ensure a large enough force is present to provide security for local elections, a senior administration official said Friday.  And what I had suspected last Tues/Wed.

WILBEAR completes the cute polar bear cub trifecta, though this time the mom has not been a threat to the cub.  Let's go to the video.

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS:  The Daily Mail has incredible pics of thousands of king penguins instinctively herding their recently born young into giant huddles to stop them freezing to death on South Georgia, a British territory close to the Falklands.

A HUMPBACK WHALE startles two kayakers on the calm Pacific waters of Hawaii, before it is beamed aboard the Enterprise.  Pics at the link.

A FUGITIVE MACAQUE MONKEY bites three people in Spokane, WA.  Video at the link.

A PARAGLIDING CHIHUAHUA was rescued from a tree more than 100 feet above the ground after a joy flight went horribly wrong down under.  Video at the link.