P.F. SLOAN, the songwriting great behind classic singles like Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" (written at age 19) and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," as well as the member of the Wrecking Crew who played the guitar into to "California Dreamin'", and a founding member of The Grass Roots, passed away Monday night after a short bout with pancreatic cancer, the musician's representative confirmed to Rolling Stone. Sloan, who was born Philip Schlein, was 70.  Weekend Edition caught up with Sloan in 2006.

SHOVELS & ROPE streams their cameo-laden covers LP, Busted Jukebox Vol. I.

LUCERO  stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

WALT MINK's John Kimbrough stopped by The Current before the band's Mpls. reunion show.

CHRISTOPHER PAUL STELLING stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEARE: The psychedelic front group for XTC play "The Mole From the Ministry" and "You're A Good Man, Albert Brown" for Twofer Tuesday.

THE NATIONAL and their future plans get the cover story treatment from Stereogum.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS' John Darnielle talks pro wrestling (a subject of the band's latest LP) with The Argus. (Thx, LHB.)

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS is profiled by Noisey.

THE 12 BEST NEKO CASE SONGS, according to Paste.

CHARLIE SHEEN reportedly is going on the Today show to discuss being HIV-positive, though he reportedly also claims the virus has been "undetectable" in his system.

KATE HUDSON is profiled at Harper's Bazaar.

KIM KARDASHIAN talks about her pregnancy complications.

MEMENTO: Christopher Nolan's pre-Batman classic is getting remade. I keep trying to forget it.

FRANCE has listed more than 10000 people suspected of being radicalised or potential security threats, including homegrown assailant Omar Ismail Mostefai who killed scores of people at Paris's Bataclan music on Friday.

A MASSIVE SCHOOL OF FISH fights off predators. (NSFW language; it's New Jersey)

A BLACK BEAR was rescued from a Winnie-the-Pooh scenario.

SHEEP GOO will be stinking up an Oregon town.

HOW LOST PETS navigate their way home.

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL were caught in the middle of the Paris terror attacks on Friday. Indeed, I had the sad task of informing a member of the Continental Drifters of this fact on social media.  Among the victims was Nick Alexander, from London, who had been hired to work on the tour. If you didn't know, they aren't death metal; the name is a goof, as are a number of their songs. Their latest single is "Complexity." (some NSFW language)

KURT COBAIN: Montage of Heck is streaming on Spotify.

BLITZEN TRAPPER stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

ALBERT HAMMOND JR stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

MAC DeMARCO stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

DANGER MOUSE has two new tracks included in the latest All Songs Considered.

FLEETWOOD MAC: "Go Your Own Way," live circa 1979. Sounded great, fellas, but I coulda used a little More Cowbell.

IAM MacKAYE & STEVE ALBINI interviewed each other about the history of American punk rock.

PRINCE summoned The Guardian for an interview that was as Princely as ever.

YACHT gets a profile from SPIN.

THE FEMALE ROCK MEMOIR is everywhere this Autumn, and changing some people's perceptions of Rock/Punk.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Spectre repeats atop the chart with 35.4MM, in large part because most films didn't want to launch between James Bond and The Hunger Games finale this weekend.  The latest Bond dropped 449 percent in its second weekend, less than Skyfall, which probably relieves the studios a bit (though Skyfall's second weekend was up against the last Twilight and Spielberg's Lincoln).  Worldwide, Spectre sits at 543MM; it may need 700MM to profit on the big screen.  The Peanuts Movie placed again with 24.2MM;its 45 percent drop may reflect front-loading from nolstalgic adults without kids seeing it last weekend.  The debut of Love the Coopers showed with 8.4MM, which may not be enough to give the holiday-themed flick momentum to stick around through the holiday season.  The Martian dropped to the fourth slot with 6.7MM, but still looks leggy.  Scott & Damon are well in the black already, though this hasn't been the smash Gravity was.  The 5.8MM debut of The 33 rounded out the Top Five, and will need foreign receipts to profit.

PAULEY PERRETTE (NCIS) took to Twitter to tell the story of how she got attacked near her Hollywood home by a homeless man on Thursday night.

LAMAR ODOM is having a tough time with communication and mobility.

DAVID HASSELHOFF has dropped the "Hassel" from his last name and will now go by David Hoff. 

LINDSAY LOHAN dressed up as murdered actress Sharon Tate — on Charles Manson's birthday. 

RHONDA ROUSEY is “depressed” and “bummed out” after losing her UFC title to Holly Holm, but UFC Prez Dana White tells TMZ Sports there will absolutely be a rematch.

THE HUNGER GAMES: Citing the attacks in Paris, Lionsgate has announced the suspension of interviews by press on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2 set to take place Monday afternoon.

FRANCE bombed the Syrian city of Raqqa on Sunday night, its most aggressive strike against the Islamic State group it blames for killing 129 people in a string of terrorist attacks across Paris only two days before. The Paris terror attacks are likely to galvanize a stronger global military response to Islamic State, after a U.S.-led air war that has lasted more than a year has failed to contain a group now proving itself to be a growing worldwide threat.  The number of “watchable” suspects, meaning potential terrorists who need monitoring by the security services, in France alone exceeds 5,000, according to Paris.

THE ISLAMIC STATE's military losses may have contributed to a shift toward promoting terror attacks in other countries. OTOH, it seems like ISIS is also following the path blazed by Al Qaeda: Seize control of land in a failed state (or two), use it as a base to train jihadis for foreign operations. 

BELGIUM's  home affairs minister said that the government does not “have control of the situation in Molenbeek,” a working-class neighborhood of Brussels that has been linked to several terrorism plots in recent years.

SYRIA: US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Sunday on the need for UN-sponsored peace talks and a ceasefire to resolve years of war in Syria, a White House official said.

TWO ZEBRAS escaped from a circus in West Philadelphia on Sunday, leading police on a wild chase for miles through the city.

A ROGUE EMU whose escape more than 60 days ago prompted lockdowns at two Delaware elementary schools has been captured.

A GATOR bit a Florida Man doing yard work.

THE CAT MUSEUM in Singapore isn't much of a museum, tbh.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

... with NEIL YOUNG! The Canadian singer-songwriter turned 70 yesterday (prompting loads of trivia), so here he is, Live on the Beeb, circa '71. Your setlist includes: "Out on the Weekend," "Old Man," "Journey Thru the Past," "Heart of Gold," "Don't Let It Bring You Down," "A Man Needs A Maid," "Love in Mind," and "Dance, Dance, Dance."

NEKO CASE is streaming 40 tracks from her box set, Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule.

THE GRATEFUL DEAD advance streams Fare Thee Well.

THE MAX LEVINE ENSEMBLE streams Backlash, Baby.

SHYE BEN TZUR, JONNY GREENWOOD & THE RAJASTHAN EXPRESS advance stream Junun.

JEFF BUCKLEY covered Sly Stone's "Everyday People," which will appear on a posthumous LP of unreleased tracks.

ASTROPOL: Members of Peter Bjorn And John and Shout Out Louds drop “Make Love Stay” ahead of The Spin We’re In.

WE ARE SCIENTISTS; "After Hours." For the weekend.

JOANNA NEWSOM talks to Magnet about the themes, characters and influences on Divers.

TOM PETTY Warren Zanes talks to The Artery about his unautorized biography of the classic rocker. (Thx, LHB.)

SAM PHILLIPS: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll is excerpted by Pitchfork.

THE CURE: Ten of Their Best.

ANDY WHITE, a session musician who played drums on the first Beatles hit but spent his life on the edges of fame, has died aged 85.

NOW SHOWING:This weekend's wide releases are Love the Coopers, which is currently scoring 26 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; The 33, which is currently scoring 31 percent; and My All American, scoring 42 percent. Projections are very close for the first two of these.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE talks to Vogue about the Hunger Games finale, Amy Schumer, Hollywood's pay equity aand more.

AMBER HEARD talks to Marie Claire about being a stepmom to Johnny Depp's kids, and more.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - Don't call Leia "Princess," sweetheart.

SHIA LeBEOUF has been live-streaming himself watching all of his movies.

LEBANON: Two suicide bombers carried out a coordinated attack Thursday in a crowded residential area of southern Beirut controlled by the Hezbollah militia, and the Lebanese Health Ministry said at least 43 people had been killed and more than 200 wounded. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

SAUDI ARABIA & PAKISTAN are resetting their relationship, which was dealt a major setback earlier this year when Islamabad refused to join the Saudi war in Yemen. 

TWO RUSSIAN state-run TV stations "accidentally" aired an image of plans for a long-range nuclear torpedo while showing a meeting between president Vladimir Putin and military generals in Sochi.

OTTO THE BULLDOG set a record for skateboarding through the longest human tunnel.

DACHSHUND vs BEAR: Who you got?

CAT CAFES: The Bag O' Nails is more like a cat pub.

A SLEEPY KANGAROO's bedtime ritual.

TOM JONES sings the "Elvis Presley Blues," written by Gillian Welch.

DEERHUNTER stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

AURORA plays a Tiny Desk Concert.

VAL HOLLIE streams his self-titled debut EP.

ANNA von HAUSSWORTH streams The Miraculous.

THE BIG PINK returns after a three year absence with “Hightimes.”

THE WHO: "I'm A Boy."

GUNS N' ROSES are reportedly ​​”days away” from announcing ​a​ world​ reunion tour ​next year.

SURFER BLOOD guitarist Thomas Fekete, diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, is getting help from Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Julianna Barwick, Cults, and many more bands that are auctioning unreleased tracks as a fundraiser.

CHILLY GONZALES explains the timeless appeal of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."  I highly recommend this.

SHEARWATER: Michael Azerrad (author of Our Band Could Be Your Life) spoke with Jonathan Meiburg to discuss New York music, PiL, and the band's forthcoming album Jet Plane and Oxbow.

JEFF LYNNE talks ELO's return at Paste.

GWEN STEFANI got cheated on by Gavin Rossdale? With the nanny? Maybe this is leaked because of all those stories about Blake Shelton?

LAMAR ODOM has a lot of questions about Khloé Kardashian's new man.

TOM CRUISE is reportedly furious at Leah Remini's claims about him and Scientology.

HILARY DUFF: Packing Heat.

KATE WINSLET finds talk about gender pay equity vulgar.

IRAN: United Nations human rights investigators called on Iran on Wednesday to cease arresting, harassing and prosecuting journalists and other activists to pave the way for free debate ahead of parliamentary elections in February.

IRAQI forces appear better positioned than ever to launch an offensive against Islamic State militants controlling Ramadi, now that months-long efforts to cut off supply lines to the city are having an effect, but plenty of risks remain.

A LABRADOR steals a pizza, nearly burns down the house.

A 9-FT BURMESE PYTHON was removed from under a front porch in Miami.

CROCODILES may guard Indonesian prisons.

PACIFIC COD may have learned to hunt seabirds.

ALLEN TOUSSAINT, the versatile producer, songwriter, pianist and singer who was a fixture of New Orleans R&B, died after appearing in concert in Madrid on Monday. He was 77.  The Rolling Stones, Levon Helm, Billy Bragg, J.D. McPherson, and Robbie Robertson were among the musicians offering tribute. The Guardian rounds up seven of his best songs, performed by himself and others. NPR reposted a 2009 concert at the Village Vanguard.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD advance streams a double-LP titled Global Chakra Rhythms.

A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW advance streams a double-EP titled Planning Weed Like It’s Acid / Life Is Loss.

SNUFF REDUX advance streams their nifty Besides You EP.

SWINGS advance streams their debut, Sugarwater. 

MARK McGUIRE (Emeralds) advance streams Beyond Belief.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART unleash "Hell" from an upcoming EP of the same name.

HINDS drop "San Diego" ahead of Leave Me Alone.

THE MEKONS & ROBBIE FULKS team up on the British folk standard, "Go From My Window."

QUEEN: The video for "Bohemian Rhapsody" was shot 40 years ago yesterday. Guitarist Brian May recently talked to Newsweek about the song...and Wayne's World.

MAC McCAUGHAN talks to Drowned In Sound about the 80s UK vive of Non-Believers.

LANA DEL REY talks to The Current about paranoia, Father John Misty, Nina Simone and her fourth LP, Honeymoon.

AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler has launched Janie’s Fund to support abused and neglected girls.

ROY HARPER had sex abuse charges dropped against him, following an earlier jury acquittal on some charges and a hung jury on others.

MORENA BACCARIN's estranged husband changed his mind about co-parenting after learning her Gotham cos-tar Ben McKenzie was in the picture. Shocka.

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY isn't answering questions about marrying John Mellencamp.

GISELLE BUNDCHEN almost ditched TOM BRADY after he impregnanted his ex-gf Bridget Moynihan.

KHLOE KARDASHIAN says she's not married to lamar Odom for "intimacy."  Dude has issues to work out, you know.

PATRICK DEMPSEY and his estranged wife Jillian are “working on their relationship” nearly 11 months after filing for divorce.

VETERANS' DAY: Today is the observation of the anniversary of the end of WWI; thank a vet today, and read the excellent 2009 piece by the WaPo's David Ignatius that may be more true today.

IRAN stopped dismantling centrifuges in two uranium enrichment plants, state media reported on Tuesday, days after conservative lawmakers complained to President Hassan Rouhani that the process was too rushed.

SYRIAN soldiers fought their way into an airbase in northern Syria on Tuesday, state television said, breaking a nearly two-year siege by Islamic State insurgents at the facility and freeing military personnel holed up inside.

A LABRADOR, rescued by a sailing club in the Gulf of Naples. And apparently returned to its owner.

A KANGAROO at Hervey Bay Golf Course chases some lads in a golf cart. Meaning the lads, not the roo.

AN ALLIGATOR fought A PYTHON on a Florida golf course.

FOSSILS OF ANCIENT FANGED EELS were discovered in Brazil.