REST IN PEACE, ALEX CHILTON:

Pop hitmaker, cult hero, and Memphis rock iconoclast Alex Chilton has died, reportedly of a heart attack, at 59.  To many, Chilton is best known as the 16-year-old lead vocalist of the Box Tops, which scored hits with "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Cry Like a Baby,"  "Turn On a Dream" and "Soul Deep." But he was far more influential as a chief singer and songwriter in Big Star, which was perhaps "The Unluckiest Band In America."  Chilton dropped out of music in the 1980's, but interest from indie bands including R.E.M. and The Replacements brought him back to the stage, and ultimately to reform Big Star with original drummer Jody Stephens, plus Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies.  That lineup brought the should-be classic "In The Street" to a national TV audience, and should-be classics like "September Gurls," "Ballad of El Goodo," "Feel," "Thirteen," and "Back Of A Car" to audiences around the world.  Original members Chris Bell and Andy Hummel shot the footage that appears in this all-too-apt clip for "Thank You Friends." BONUS: The Replacements' "Alex Chilton," natch:  "Children by the million / Sing for Alex Chilton / When he comes 'round / They sing, ‘I'm in love / What's that song? / I'm in love with that song.'"

THE WEAKERTHANS are streaming Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre via Exclaim, which also interviews John K. Samson.

LAURA MARLING is advance streaming the Brit-Folk of I Speak Because I Can.

DEATH gets a feature plus tracks via NPR's Morning Edition.

SxSW: You can stream sets live from IFC.

DEVENDRA BANHART dropped the cameo-laden video for "Baby" at Spinner.

THE RUNAWAYS: Promoting the biopic, Joan Jett talks to Interview and Cherie Currie talks to Shockhound. (Thx LHB.)

JAMIE LIDELL talks to Paste about his cameo-laden upcoming album.

FREELANCE WHALES: Chuck Criss talks to Chicagoist about the band's album, heading from Pigeon Forge to SxSW, and more...

A RARE LED ZEPPELIN BOOTLEG was found in a car trunk and sold for two or three pounds.

SANDRA BULLOCK: A tattoo model claims Jesse James is cheating on the Oscar winner.  Bullock has abruptly pulled out of the London premiere of The Blind Side, "due to unforeseen personal reasons." That might have been just to avoid the media feeding frenzy that would certainly ensue from the story, true or not.  But Bullock has reportedly moved out of the house.

KATE WINSLET had grown increasingly frustrated with her husband Sam Mendes's friendship with the young actress Rebecca Hall, friends claimed to the ever-reliable Daily Mail.

TIGER WOODS: Elin Nordegren had a marathon session with her lawyer earlier this week, according to RadarOnline.

AMY POEHLER and WILL ARNETT are expecting a second child.

KEVIN COSTNER and wife Christine Baumgartner are expecting their third child in June. It'll be his seventh child in total.

DANICA McKELLAR (a/k/a/ the Wonder Years' Winnie Cooper and a notable mathemetician) is pregnant.

COREY HAIM: Corey Feldman did not attend the funeral, but posted a eulogy online.

BRITNEY SPEARS and her talent-agent boyfriend reprotedly called it quits at the end of February.

JESSICA SIMPSON's new VH1 reality show was beaten in the ratings by the History Channel's Pawn Stars. 

AMANDA SEYFRIED has forbidden her dad from seeing her new movie "Chloe," in which she has a love scene with Julianne Moore.

CONAN O'BRIEN's comedy tour may spawn a documentary.

ISLAM ONLINE was on the brink of collapse yesterday after a mass walkout and strike provoked by religious pressure from the Islamic Message Society, which funds the news site.

IRAN: US officials said progress in Iran's nuclear program has slowed, leaving room for continued pressure. Of course, they've thought that before.

PISCO, the Surfing Alpaca. Let's go to the video.

ALASKAN WOLVES suspected of fatally mauling a school teacher were killed outside Anchorage.

SEVEN NEW CAT SPECIES found in one forest. That's a record.

BABY OTTER hitches a ride on its mom. Aw.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS play "This F***ing Job" from their new LP at the Ed Sullivan Theater. You can stream The Big To Do via Spinner.

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

FIELD MUSIC stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming on demand via MPR.

MEAGHAN SMITH (and her "modern vintage" sound) get a feature plus tracks from All Things Considered.

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED previews SxSW in the latest installment of the long-running NPR series.

TED LEO talked to the Mpls City Pages about karaoke, politics, and joining the Matador roster. But the real news is his cover of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," which launches The A.V. Undercover.

GIRLS frontman Christopher Owens talks to Drowned in Sound about the UK tour, Internet buzz, and (inevitably for now) his upbringing as a member of the Children Of God cult.

SURFER BLOOD does an SxSW interview with Spinner.

TITUS ANDRONICUS mastermind Patrick Stickles is unironically patriotic.

FLAMING LIPS frontman Wayne Coyne turned up on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

MICHAEL JACKSON's estate has signed one of the biggest recording contracts in history, giving Sony, Mr. Jackson's longtime label, the rights to sell his back catalog and draw on a large vault of unheard recordings.  One of the first releases from the 250 million dollar deal will be an album of unreleased material culled from Jackson's personal musical vaults. The L.A. Times compares the deal - which dwarfs Springsteen's 110 million deal in 2005 -  to the posthumous earnings of Elvis and the Beatles.

TIGER WOODS is returning for the Masters. His wife still seems to have another subject on her mind, the price tag for which is estimated at 50 million annually.

CHARLIE SHEEN's legal and personal problems may end up shortening the season for "Two and a Half Men."

PAULA ABDUL is finalizing a deal to headline an updated version of Star Search.

ANGELINA JOLIE is funding a school that benefits girls in eastern Afghanistan.

JASON SEGEL will star as the human lead in Disney's upcoming Muppets movie.

ERIN ANDREWS's peephole stalker was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison.

YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE CARS: Where Are They Now?

AFGHANISTAN: Gen. McChrystal has brought most American Special Operations forces under his direct control for the first time, out of concern over continued civilian casualties and disorganization among units in the field. Many Afghan women say they still feel voiceless eight years into a war-torn democracy, and they point to government plans to forge peace with the Taliban as a prime example.

COULD PARACHUTE-WEARING BEARS sniff out Osama bin Laden?

A LYREBIRD imitates a construction site.

DETERMINED BULLDOG foils police speed trap.

BRACKEN the LABRADOR has recovered from emergency surgery after swallowing a whole toy football.

MICHIGAN'S ONLY WILD WOLVERINE is found dead.

REAR GEAR is a decorative cover for your dog's, cat's (or ferret's) um, anus.

TRANSLATOR is "Everywhere That I'm Not," including the "Where Are They Now?" file.

NEW RELEASES: The Drive-By truckers, White Stripes, Wakey! Wakey!, Dropkick Murphys, and more are streaming this week via Spinner.

SHE & HIM are advance streaming Volume 2 via NPR. The duo talks to Pitchfork about Master P, Joni Mitchell's beret, and playing mouth trumpet.

THE ANTLERS played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.

THE ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT is advance streaming their Coconut via NPR.

THE PS22 CHORUS covers Phoenix's "Liztomania" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" for Twofer Tuesday.

THE STOOGES, ABBA, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis and the Hollies were officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as were songwriters Jesse Stone, Mort Shuman, Otis Blackwell and the teams of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry.

THE ROLLING STONES: Mick Jagger talks to Rolling Stone about the reviously unreleased tracks coming to the remnastered Exile on Main Street.

JOANNA NEWSOM: Gonna need a bigger boat?

RYAN ADAMS: has ended his musical hiatus by announcing a new album, described as his "most legit metal record."

ROKY ERICKSON is the poster boy for survival, and his story should give hope to those and the family of those who are fighting mental impairment.

KATE WINSLET and her director husband Sam Mendes are getting a divorce.

CHARLIE SHEEN pleaded not guilty in Aspen to domestic violence charges related to a Christmas Day incident in which he allegedly threatened his wife with a knife.

COREY HAIM: Corey Feldman is not going to the funeral today? Boo.

JUDE LAW has agreed to meet his lovechild twice a year, according to the uber-reliable News of the World.

DAVID SCHWIMMER got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, photographer Zoe Buckman.

JOSEPH FIENNES is a dad.

MICHEL GONDRY talks to the Austin American-Statesman about The Green Hornet and his documentary about his aunt.

SHREK FOREVER AFTER has a trailer online.

TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE gets a sneak peek on the New Moon DVD.

YEMEN: The Yemeni military claims to have killed two al Qaeda commanders during an airstrike in the South.

IRAN: China has become Iran's number one economic trading partner, surpassing the West. France announces that it is considering unilateral sanctions against Iran.

PAKINSTAN's intell agency has demanded tighter control of the Afghan border by NATO troops to stop Taliban fighters escaping its operations in the North West Frontier.

IRAQ: The US military handed over a 107 million dollar prison and nearly 3000 inmates to the Iraqi government on Monday.

HUMMINGBIRD NEST CAM: Let's go to the video.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: A cow with six legs.

MAN'S BEST FRIEND eats girl's best friend. 

A ZEBRA cleaning a hippo's teeth...

OF MONTREAL performed "Bananas Rice Applesauce Toast" on Yo Gabba Gabba. 

FREE ENERGY stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming via MPR.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT gets a segment plus tracks on All Things Considered.

CITIZEN COPE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming via MPR.

THROW ME THE STATUE did a free twofer at Daytrotter.

PORT O'BRIEN drops a video for "Leap Year" at Spinner.

THE RUNAWAYS -- and their biopic -- are essayed by the L.A. Times.

SxSW: Pop & Hiss lists stories to watch, including... Cheap Trick.

TED LEO & TITUS ANDRONICUS: Two bands from Jersey are profiled in the New York Times.

MGMT half-apologizes for "Flash Delerium," the advance track to their upcoming LP.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Alice in Wonderland repeats atop the box office with another 62 million.  Its 46 percent drop is likely bigger than Disney hoped for, but it recoups the 200 million production budget in 10 days and likely makes 300 million before it's all over.  It should have at least one more big weekend before How to Train Your Dragon opens.  Green Zone comes in second, but a 14.5 million total against a 100 million dollar budget looks painful.  Apparently, Americans are still not busting to see an anti-Iraq war movie -- who'da thunkit?  She's Out of My League came in third with 9.6 million, which is probably alright, given that it likely had a bargain budget. Remember Me debuted in the fourth slot with 8.3 million, suggesting Robert Pattinson can't bring out the Twilight fans en amsse for a poorly-reviewed movie.  Shutter Island rounds out the Top Five with 8.1 million, breaking the 100 million barrier.  Below the fold, Our Family Wedding opened in sixth place with 7.6 million.

PETER GRAVES, the cool spymaster of television's "Mission Impossible" and the dignified host of the "Biography" series, who successfully spoofed his own gravitas in the "Airplane" movie farces, died Sunday. He was 83. It's Oveur.

COREY HAIM's death is now under investigation - and has been linked to an "illegal and massive prescription drug ring."

TIGER WOODS made it a whole week living under the same roof as his wife Elin Noredgren and their two kids.

JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT and Jamie Kennedy are dunzo.

ED NORTON is acting as a mediator between Courtney Love and her estranged daughter, Frances.

24 could move to NBC if Fox decides not to renew it for another season.

THE GREATEST FILM SCENES EVER SHOT, according to The Observer.

IRAN: The European Union may consider unilateral sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. UN sanctions against Iran may not be ready until June. Security forces detained more than 30 people claimed to be linked to a cyber network providing support for the Iranian opposition.

PAKISTAN: The undeclared wars within the war.

IRAQ: Prime Minister Maliki's State of Law Alliance has taken the early vote lead in Baghdad, Basrah, Babil, Najaf, Karbala, and Muthanna, while Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya party leads in Ninewa, Diyala, Anbar, and Salahadin, and has a slim lead in Kirkuk over the Kurdish party. The Iraqi National Alliance only leads in Maysan and Diwaniyah. The final results will not be announced until the end of March.

HORSE and CATS, playing together...

THE LARGEST MEAT-EATING PLANT in the world actually prefers small animal poo.

A 9-FOOT PYTHON was nabbed by an undercover officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

DOG GROWLS mean things to other dogs.

A RAMPAGING COW terrorized a Colorado community, kicked the crap out of a police car.

KITTEH RESCUED by the Mayor of Auckland, New Zealand.

THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with JOE STRUMMER and THE POGUES!  There will be much parading and drinking this weekend, so enjoy Joe, Shane and the band putting a Celtic spin on "London Calling" and "I Fought The Law" for St. Patrick's Day, 1988. Follow that up with the Dropkick Murphys' videos for "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" (which you may have heard in Martin Scorsese's The Departed) and "The Wild Rover."  Round it out with an Old Grey Whistle Test of my Fave Pogues songs, "Sally MacLennane" and a Shamrock Shake.

SWEET APPLE: A new combo led by Dinosaur Jr's J. Mascis drops "I Got a Feeling (That Won't Change)" as an advance track to their debut LP. Yum.

THE SOFT PACK played a mini-set at the World Cafe.

THE BIRD & BEE: Filter rounds up all the streams from the band's Hall & Oates tribute LP.

SERENA-MANEESH are advance streaming S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor (and premiering the video for "I Just Want To See Your Face") at the 'Gum. 

WILL SCHEFF interviews ROKY ERICKSON to promote their collaboration.

THE NATIONAL debuted "Terrible Love" on Late Night TV.

FANFARLO arrives for SxSW and talks to the Daily Texan and Spinner. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

THE HOLD STEADY will advance release their next album on vinyl, for Record Store Day. And "Sequestered in Memphis" is now available on Rock Band. (Thx, television's Andy Levy.)

OK GO leaves EMI after long-running disputes over their video promotion.

PINK FLOYD stops EMI from selling their songs individually online.

BILLY CORGAN Has No Love for Courtney.

THE CUTOUT BIN: From Red Kross to Bob Dylan, from Dusty Springfield to Faith No More, from the Isley Bros to Men Without Hats, plus Spoon, That Petrol Emotion, the Cars, Joe Cocker, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich and more -- this weekend's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases include: Green Zone, which is currently scoring 50 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; She's Out of My League, currently scoring 47 percent; Remember Me, scoring 31 percent; and Our Family Wedding at 05 percent.

COREY HAIM had pulmonary congestion, an enlarged heart and water in his lungs, according to the L.A. County Coroner's Office, but the Coroner has not determined that any of those conditions caused Haim's death.  Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the pill bottles retrieved in the apartment of Haim's mother are hydrocodone (Vicodin), diazepam (Valium), haloperidol (an antipsychotic med) and Soma (a muscle relaxer).

SEAN PENN was thanked by Hugo Chavez for defending him in the media. And by 'defending," he means ranting on HBO that Chavez's critics should be jailed.

CHARLIE SHEEN's defense in the domestic violence case against him in Colorado will be: It never happened.

CONAN O'BRIEN isn't making a single cent off his upcoming 30 city comedy tour, but is employing his former "Tonight Show" staff.

RICHARD BELZER denies chokng an Apple Store employee.

HEIDI MONTAG has dumped husband Spencer Pratt... as her business manager.

MERLIN OLSEN, who starred with the old Los Angeles Rams and later became a broadcaster and actor ("Little House on the Prairie" and "Father Murphy"), has died at age 69 in Los Angeles. He had mesothelioma, a form of cancer.

PAKISTAN: How Not to Wage a Counter-Insurgency. Meanwhile, Pakistan's spy chief has been granted an unusual one-year extension in his job, a move that may also pave the way for a longer term for the head of the army, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who is scheduled to step down this year.

AFGHANISTAN: US and Afghan officials are beginning a major overhaul of the Afghan police with the goal of cleaning up a force whose recent history of corruption has undermined confidence in the Afghan government and fueled the insurgency.

CAT & DOG, living uneasily together... Mass hysteria!

A ZOMBIE ELEPHANT CALF believed to have died during a nine-day labor is feeding itself and has earned the nickname "Mr. Shuffles" since learning to stand.

A NEWLY DISCOVERED WASP enslaves spiders, then eats them.

HOW CAN I help my dog age gracefully?

GIANT SNAILS illegally smuggled into Florida for religious rituals.

CHIHUAHUA escapes after being carried away by large bird. Aw. (Thx, Duchess.)