CRAIG FINN & TAD KUBLER (The Hold Steady)  PATRICK STICKLES (Titus Andronicus), TOMMY RAMONE and more pay tribute to The Replacements.

BLITZEN TRAPPER stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

MATES OF STATE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

BLIND PILOT also stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

JOE HENRY played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.

LEONARD COHEN drops "Show Me The Place" in advance of Old Ideas, his first LP in seven years.

ANDREA TRUE: Dead Dead Dead. Too soon?

DARLENE LOVE talks to NPR's Linda Holmes about Christmas, Phil Spector and more...

OKKERVIL RIVER's Will Scheff talks to Spoonfed about the new LP, hip-hop and such. (Thx, LHB.)

GILLIAN WELCH talks to Scotland On Sunday about the road trip that led to a plentiful harvest of new songs. (Thx again, LHB.)

JON WURSTER (Superchunk, Mountaingoats, etc.) recommends seven rock documentaries at The A.V. Club.

27 CLASSIC SONGS You Didn't Know Were Covers (though I suspect Pate regulars knew some of them).

THE TOP TEN Replacement Lead Singers.

NOW SHOWING: The Thanksgiving weekend's wide releases include The Muppets reboot, which is currently scoring 100 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Arthur Christmas, which is scoing 93 percent; and Martin Scorsese's family film, Hugo, also scoring 94 percent.

JASON SEGEL talks to Moviefone about hosting SNL with the Muppets.

KIM KARDASHIAN'S friends claim future-ex Kris Humphries called her fat and stupid.

NATALIE WOOD:  Sources in the L.A. County District Attorney's Office are scratching their heads over the reopening of the Natalie Wood death investigation, because they say there's no way the D.A. is going to prosecute Robert Wagner or anyone else.

KATY PERRY denies pregnancy rumors.

ANGELINA JOLIE on 600 calories a day?

JEREMY RENNER is profiled at Details.

THE TOP 10 HORROR MOVIES of the Last Decade, according to Glamzzle. (So who can argue?)

TEN BEST SHOWS-WITHIN-SHOWS in TV History.

SYRIA plans to use Russia, Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon to counter economic sanctions. Attacks by army defectors are transforming the Syrian uprising into an armed insurgency that threatens to spiral into civil war.

EGYPT: The ruling generals have offered to transfer power to a civilian president by July instead of late 2012 or early 2013, protesters rejected the generals' offer.

IRAN: Canada and the European Union announced further sanctions on Iran. France called for sanctions on an "unprecedented scale," and urged a halt to purchases of Iranian oil and a freeze on its central bank assets. Russia called the sanctions "unacceptable." Iran said the sanctions "will have no impact."

IRAQ: The US has transferred all detainees, save Hezbollah leader Musa Ali Daqduq, over to Iraqi control.

LILY the TERRIER was filmed by owner Ross Downard running through Utah's Wasatch hills at super-fast speeds, and at times even seemed like she was flying.

A TWO-HEADED ALBINO SNAKE can be yours for a mere 25K.

PIG SLAUGHTER is not a good breakup prank.

SURFIN' DOGS: Everybody's heard about the dogs; now you can get the calendar.

JOHN FOGERTY medleys "Green River" and "Fortunate Son" in time for Twofer Tuesday.  He also did an interview at WNYC.

NEW RELEASES from Kate Bush, Rhett Miller, Calexico, Wooden Wand, Sunbears! and more are streaming this week at Spinner.

WILD FLAG stopped by Sound Opinions for a video session.

CAVEMAN stopped by WNYC Soundcheck for a live performance.

CHRIS ISSAK also stopped by WNYC Soundcheck to talks about the legendary Sun studios and play classic songs he recorded there.

RADIOHEAD: Two pre-Jonny Greenwood demos -- under the name On A Friday -- have surfaced.

OF MONTREAL posted "Wintered Debts" on their website, a trippy, 7-minute track which may or may not be on their next LP.

ELLIOT SMITH: The WaPo has a previously unreleased track, "Misery Let Me Down."

FLEET FOXES released an animated video for "The Shrine/An Argument."

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND are getting back on the road, without Clarence Clemons, unless it's a Weekend at Bernie's scenario.

ST. VINCENT: Annie Clark talks to the New Zealand Herald about her organic approach on Strange Mercies. (Thx, LHB.)

LOS CAMPESINOS! Rob talks to Interview about the art behind breakups, the hardships of creating an album title, and having the best job ever.

KATE BUSH - and her unconventional seasonal new LP - are essayed at The Observer.  She talks to the WaPo about both of the LPs she issued this year.

A.A. BONDY talks about the evolution from Verbena to folk-rock on All Things Considered.

ASHTON KUTCHER & DEMI MOORE's marriage fell apart because of issues that had long fueled skepticism about their relationship.

JUSTIN BIEBER took a DNA test on Friday night at a lab under "very controlled circumstances."

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & JESSICA BIEL looked affectionate at Chateau Marmont.

JENNIFER LOPEZ & MARC ANTHONY hooked up in Puerto Rico?

JESSICA SIMPSON won't give birth until next spring, but she's already planning to cash in on her postbaby slimdown.

KRISTIN CAVALLARI denies being re-engaged to Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (a/k/a Jerkface).

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: Director Christopher Nolan gives away a few tidbits on the film's plot and setting, and Tom Hardy talks about Bane at Empire.

YEMEN: Tribesmen captured 400 soldiers from President Saleh's 63rd Republican Guard Brigade and took control of the unit's base near Arhab.

EGYPT: Demonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square turned deadly as 33 protestors where killed. Egypt's interim civilian government submitted its resignation to the country's ruling military council.

IRAN: In a new round of sanctions, the UK ordered its financial institutions to stop doing business with Iranian banks, including the central bank. The US plans to name Iran a "primary money laundering concern". The Iranian foreign minister said sanctions were hurting the economy. Iranian intelligence agents discovered a secret internet communication method used by CIA agents in Iran.

EAGLE vs PARAGLIDER: Who you got?

A CROCODILE was given a bikini wax and pedicure in a dubious PR stunt.

A DOG drives a double-decker bus... in Darwin.

THE SWARM: Upscale hotels are using on-site beehives to bring locally sourced honey to guests and to save dwindling colonies of honeybees.

A RARE ORANGE LOBSTER who survived a boiling pot of water is celebrated in death.

AMY WINEHOUSE: Here's the posthumous video for "Our Day Will Come," originally by Ruby & the Romantics.

PAUL SIMON stops by World Cafe for a session.

NOAH WALL is streaming Why Lie, I'm 35.

OLABELLE stopped by the WFUV studios for a session.

MICHAEL JACKSON: IMMORTAL, the soundtrack to the new Cirque du Soleil production, is advance streaming via NPR.

ADELE: All Songs Considered has a preview of the Live at the Royal Albert Hall DVD.

MARSHALL CRENSHAW played "Someday, Someway" for his network TV debut in 1982. (Thx, Juanito Cabrone)

BOB MOULD talks to Rolling Stone about tonight's Hüsker Dü tribute show in L.A., his future musical plans and much more.

GILLIAN WELCH & DAVE RAWLINGS talk to The Observer about authenticity, Nashville, and why there's nothing 'old' about their music.

LOS CAMPESINOS! bassist Ellen gives Nerve the awful truth about the sex lives of touring bands.

WILCO: This is CNN.

235 INDIE LABELS abandon streaming services including Spotify, Napster, Simfy, and Rdio. STHoldings said the decision was prompted by a study conducted by NPD Group and NARM which claimed that Spotify and similar streaming services were detrimental to music sales.

ROBIN GIBB is battling liver cancer, and it's not looking good.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: To the surprise of no one, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 dominated the cineplex with 139.5 million dollars, a bit more than predicted, but a smidge behind Twilight: New Moon, the other entry in the series opening at Thanksgiving.  It's the 5th biggest weekend gross ever, behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 3, and New Moon.  The budget for Breaking Dawn was 110 million -- and if past is prologue, it will make that much in DVD sales alone (which is probably why Part 2 is being saved for next Thanksgiving instead of next Summer).  Happy Feet Two debutes at No. 2 with 22 million, about half of the original's opening frame and less than gurus predicted.  The penguins are really going to have to dance to recoup a 135 million budget.  Immortals looks pretty mortal in the third slot, dropping 62 percent to make 12.3 million; even so worldwide grosses total over 90 million against a 75 million budget.  Jack & Jill tumble 52 percent to being in 12 million at No. 4, and may not recoup its 80 million budget domestically (not to fret; Sandler travels well).  Puss in Boots rounds out the Top 5 with 10.3 million, finally skidding 57 percent after three good weekends, likely due to competition from Happy Feet Two.

DEMI MOORE & ASHTON KUTCHER: The pre-divorce fighting was intense.  The ever-reliable Star magazine claims his cheating on his wife was the straw that broke the camel's back but it was the "open marriage" they had that was the downfall in their marriage.

MILA KUNIS accompanied Sgt. Scott Moore to the Marine Corps Ball on Friday night in Greenville, NC.

NATALIE WOOD: Robert Wagner is not a suspect in the 30-year-old drowning of his actress wife, and there is nothing to indicate a crime, even though the investigation has been re-opened, a sheriff's detective said Friday.

JEREMY LONDON is wanted for questioning by police following a Friday phone call from his girlfriend saying he assaulted her.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT will return...on Netflix?

OPRAH WINFREY will return to her cable channel in an effor to get it off life support.

THE GREAT GATSBY: An early look at Leo DiCaprio, Cery Mulligan and Tobey Maguire on set.

THE TOP FIVE BAD MOVIE SONGS, according to Joshua Leonard, who needed one.

TERROR in UZBEKISTAN? A suspected bombing took place on a rail line in southern Uzbekistan used to transport supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan.

SYRIAN troops continued attacks despite Arab League's demand to end the "bloody repression". France and Turkey called for more pressure on Syria while Russia and China feared a slide towards civil war and called for more talks.

AFGHANISTAN: The US ambassador in Kabul cast doubt on whether US forces would be able to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan by President Barack Obama's 2014 deadline, saying key issues are far from being agreed, including how many troops, if any, will remain and on what terms.

FRED the CAT answers the phone.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: Annick Richardson could serve up to 60 days in jail and be forced to pay a hefty fine for turning her neighborhood into a squirrel buffet.

THE COCKROACH HALL OF FAME: It may be the quirkiest little museum in all of Texas.

CAT vs SNAKE: A Perth family paid 27500 dollars in veterinary bills to keep their cat alive after it was bitten by a tiger snake.

MAYBE THE TIGER ate your piglets.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with THE ROLLING STONES! The film that must not be named is online, in glorious Super 8. You may have to hit the pause/play button more than once to jog it into action. Content warning, of course. BONUS: Keith Richards, Lord of the Undead, talks to Spinner about the band's future, jamming with Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, his memories of recording 'Some Girls,' his well-publicized heroin addiction, his 1977 arrest in Toronto for drug trafficking, the inspiration for 'Beast of Burden' and his award-winning memoir.

WHITE DENIM performed live at WXPN in Philadelphia; you can stream the gig on demand.

FRUIT BATS stopped by Oregon Public Broadcasting for a chat and mini-set.

BLACK BOX REVELATION dropped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

TELEKINESIS did an Epitonic saki Session.

SMASHING PUMPKINS: Hear demo versions of songs appearing as bonus tracks on the upcoming reissues of Gish and Siamese Dream.

JOAN JETT joins FOO FIGHTERS on her "Bad Reputation."

THE REPLACEMENTS: Gorman Bechard talks to the Village Voice about his documentary, Color Me Obsessed.  Tommy Stinson talks to Punknews about his new album, his charitable endeavors, and, of course, The 'Mats and G N'R.

R.E.M. Stipe and Mills talk to All Things Considered about the breakup.  Stipe plays Password with the Muppets on Fallon.

JOHN WESLEY HARDING talks to PopMatters about a variety of topics, including his collaboration with the Decemberists, his recording process, rock journalism, and his beloved Arsenal.

BRADFORD COX: The outspoken Deerhunter frontman and reluctant indie idol talks to Pitchfork about radical honesty, his thorny relationship with chillwave, self-loathing, and his excellent new Atlas Sound album, Parallax.

NEIL YOUNG's Top 10 Greatest Guitar Tracks, according to Gibson.

33.3.2: An exhibition reimagining album cover art art.

SLEEVAGE: A blog devoted to album and sleeve art.

CUTOUT BIN: From Mason Williams to the Go-Gos, from Ray Charles to guided by Voices, from the Byrds to That Petrol Emotion, plus Robert Palmer, Small Faces, the Decemberists, the Who -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW PLAYING: This weekend's wide releases are: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Pt. 1), opening on a massive 4000+ screens and scoring 29 percent on the ol' Tomatometer (as if it matters); and Happy Feet Two, which is scoring 37 percent.

SPARKLY VAMPIRES on the cover of Entertainment Weekly.

DEMI MOORE is divorcing ASHTON KUTCHER, she tells the AP.

JUSTIN BIEBER's alleged baby mama sent a text Wednesday to a friend, begging him to erase an incriminating text in which her mom says someone other than Justin Bieber is the baby daddy, and then promising to give him a cut of the action when she scores a payday.

KRISTIN CAVALLARI denies having an affair with Scott Disick, who has been in a committed relationship with Kourtney Kardashian since 2007. And she's mad at Disick and the Kardashians for not issuing a denial.

OLIVIA WILDE defends Kim Kardashian.

BETTY WHITE will get a 90th birthday party on NBC.

NATALIE WOOD: The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reopens the investigation of her death.

WOODY WOODPECKER may be headed to the big screen.

THE MUNSTERS may be headed back to TV.

TERROR in SCOTLAND: Prosecutors said Nasserdine Menni was telephoned by Stockholm suicide bomber Taimour Abdulwahab the day of the bombing. Menni is accused of helping finance the 2010 attack.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS may require women to cover... their eyes.

YEMEN: Pres. Saleh claims he will step down in 90 days.

IRAN: Major powers closed ranks on Thursday to increase pressure on Iran to address fears about its atomic ambitions, and the UN nuclear chief said it was his duty to "alert the world" about suspected Iranian efforts to develop atom bombs.

IRAQ executed a Tunisian al Qaeda operative who was involved in the 2006 bombing of the Golden mosques in Samarra; one Egyptian and nine Iraqis were also executed for terrorism charges. Muqtada al Sadr said he supports Syrian President Bashir al Assad.

NINJA CAT PARKOUR: Let's go to the video. Because Lalo Schifrin makes it all better.

GAVIN, the world's most sarcastic gorilla.

MAGNETIC COW Finding Causes Research Row.

PET GOAT stolen and served as dinner in Lakeway, TX.

THOUSANDS OF FLESH-EATING PIRANHAS have infested a river beach popular with tourists in western Brazil and have bitten at least 15 unwary swimmers.

AN ELECTRIC BLUE LOBSTER was snapped up by fishmonger Rex Goldsmith at a London market and handed to the Natural History Museum.

SONIC YOUTH: This could be the band's final concert.

MIKE DOUGHTY (ex-Soul Coughing) stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

DAVID VANDERVELDE and his band deliver psych-pop live from the KEXP studios.

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Tracks from the Black Keys, Real Estate, The Antlers and more in the latest edition of the long-running series.

RICHARD BUCKNER, Live at the Kirkland Cafe, Somerville, MA, May 31, 1996.

SHE & HIM drop "Christmas Day" from A Very She & Him Christmas.

DAMIEN JURADO drops  "Nothing Is The News" from the forthcoming Richard Swift-produced Maraqopa.

GLEN CAMPBELL, essayed and interviewed by Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan. (Thx, LHB.)  Among the may great parts of the article, Ira praises "Guess I'm Dumb" (co-written by Brian Wilson and Russ Titelman), which appeared on my Summer Mix this year.

CRAIG FINN (Hold Steady) talks to Slate about his upcoming solo LP, religion, and Friday Night Lights.

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS: Benjamin Curtis opens up to Stereogum about the band's forthcoming spring release, Ghostory.

R.E.M.: Mike Mills talks to Spinner about the band's first rehearsal, what he'll miss after the breakup, Big Star tributes, and Michael Stipe's penis picture.

JOANNA NEWSOM recently shot a fashion spread and video interview for Bullett.

THE TEN HEAVIEST ALBUMS EVER, according to the editors at Kerranng!

KIM KARDASHIAN & KRIS HUMPHRIES: His side of the breakup story. Allegedly.

ASHTON KUTCHER & DEMI MOORE worked on their marriage at Bruce Willis' vacation home in Turks and Caicos. Reportedly.

JUSTIN BEIBER: Contra some reports, the 20-year-old California woman who claims Bieber is the father of her baby is moving forward with her action against the pop star.

MAD MEL UPDATE: The kid is not Gibson's son.

BRADLEY COOPER is People's Sexiest Man Alive.

DIANE KEATON talks to Morning Edition about the memoir she wrote for herself and her mother. BONUS: A list of top Diane Keaton movie moments.

CONNIE BRITTON (Friday Night Lights, American Horror Story) adopted a baby boy.

CAMERON DIAZ & P-DIDDY spotted lunching together.

MICHAEL JACKSON: The late pop icon's estate is in discussions with producer Ivan Reitman to nudge a biopic forward.

RICKY GERVAIS will host the Golden Globes again in January, which was far from a sure thing.

YEMEN: Troops killed seven AQAP fighters, including an Iranian, a Pakistani, and two Somali nationals, during fighting in Zinjibar. AQAP remains in control of the provincial capital.

SYRIA: Iranian officials have held talks with Syrian opposition leaders, in a dramatic sign of the growing isolation of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

IRAN: A massive explosion that killed 17 troops -- including an officer regarded as the architect of Iran's missile defenses -- took place last week during research on weapons that could strike Israel, the Islamic Republic's military chief said on Wednesday.

AFGHANISTAN: Pres. Karzai told a national assembly America must stop night raids and house searches and close its military prisons in return for keeping troops in the country after 2014.

CAT ON A CLOTHESLINE: Let's go to the video.

A BLIND PUPPY rescued from a manhole has been reuinted with a happy young girl.

MONKEY MOMS help their sons find the right mate.

GIRAFFE gives paparazzo a tongue-lashing.