THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with T.REX!  Been a while since I featured Marc Bolan & Co, so here's a few items off the beaten path, like this working version of "Get It On (Bang A Gong)," which is a little nsfw toward the end.  French TV is the source for live clips of "Hot Love," "Cadillac," "Telegram Sam" and "Jeepster" circa 1972, as well as "Ride A White Swan" from 1970. The band's "Baby Strange" later found its way into Big Star's setlists.  Still, "20th Century Boy" may be my favorite track from the band. Wanna go deeper? Check out the documentary, The Story Of Marc Bolan & T.Rex.

J MASCIS is advance streaming Several Shades of Why.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART are advance streaming Belong.

THE JAYHAWKS palyed a session with bonus tracks at KEXP. Listening to this one now and digging it muchly.

DeVotchKa stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

STEVE RILEY & THE MAMOU PLAYBOYS played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.

MAC McCAUGHAN (Superchunk) covers Springsteen's "Bobby Jean."

TODD RUNDGREN: "Bang the Drum All Day." Because it's Friday.

COLOR ME OBSESSED: A Replacements documetary will feature commentary from members of Husker Du and Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn, make appearances, as do the Decemberists's Colin Meloy, Titus Andronicus' Patrick Stickles, Superchunk's Mac McCaughan and Jesse Malin. Trailer at the link.

BEADY EYE: Liam Gallagher and Gem Archer talks to The A.V. Club about the post-Oasis project.

THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN: Travis Morrison talks to Glide about the band's reunion, reissues and future plans...

MARNIE STERN talks to Westword about guitar-tapping and songwriting.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Smiths to Stevie Wonder, from the Minutemen to Tom Jones, from the Hold Steady to the Chi-Lites, plus the Beatles, Art Brut, Rod Stewart, Boomtown Rats and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are now streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases are the alien invasion flick Battle: Los Angeles, which is currently scoring 36 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; the animated alien invasion flick (of sorts) Mars Needs Moms, currently scoring 44 percent; and the reimagined Little Red Riding Hood, which is scoring 06 percent.

CHARLIE SHEEN: The LAPD and other law enforcement converged at Sheen's house in a pre-planned raid, because of a possible violation of the temporary restraining order obtained by Brooke Mueller; reportedly the alleged violation involves weapons.  Sheen tweeted that the situation was "all good." Earlier, Sheen filed a 100 million dollar lawsuit against Warner Bros. and Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre, not only demanding he get paid for the 8 scrapped episodes of the show, but also claiming to sue on behalf of the cast and crew. Sheen angered the production staff and crew of Two and a Half Men with his recent vitriolic attack on co-star Jon Cryer, according to RadarOnline, which may explain the half-apology Sheen delivered the other day. Parks and Recreation executive producer Michael Schur shot down the idea that Rob Lowe would be leaving the NBC comedy to replace Sheen on CBS, noting Lowe is under a multi-year contract. Kelly Preston is backing Sheen, despite the fact that he shot her in the arm during their engagement in 1990. In contrast, ex-wife Denise Richards wants to keep their son Sam away from Sheen this weekend. And for your moment of zen, watch Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes. Tickets for his live tour go on sale this weekend.

LINDSAY LOHAN got more time to mull over a plea deal in her theft case which positively involves jail time. The judge is reportedly miffed that TMZ got that story.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & JESSICA BIEL are dunzo.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA got tipsy at Osteria Mozza three days after a wine-drenched feast there led to her public intoxication bust.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON & SEAN PENN have reunited, this time for a late, cozy dinner at Hollywood's celebrated Chateau Marmont.

RYAN REYNOLDS has his first post-ScarJo galpal.

TONY DANZA: Who's The Divorced?

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY has joined the cast of Syfy's four-hour miniseries Neverland -- a live-action prequel to J.M. Barrie's classic Peter Pan -- as the voice of Tinker Bell.

CARS 2 has a new trailer online.

TERROR in the USA: Jamie Paulin Ramirez, a US citizen and accomplice of "Jihad Jane" Colleen LaRose, pled guilty in US federal court to a terrorism charge related to a plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist; LaRose pled guilty to similar charges last month. The two women had traveled overseas "to participate in and in support of violent jihad."

IRAN: The US State Department is concerned over reports of Chinese firms aiding Iran's nuclear weapons program.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS opened fire on several hundred protesters marching in the city of Qatif.

LIBYA: France became the first country to formally recognize the Libyan opposition - the Interim Transitional National Council - as legitimate representatives of the Libyan people on Thursday. Heavy airstrikes have driven the rebels from the strategic oil town of Ras Lanuf. Gaddafi's forces appear to be gaining momentum, with vastly superior air power, weaponry, and cash reserves.

PAKISTAN: An anti-Taliban tribal leader threatened to stop supporting the government after a suicide attack in Peshawar. Some Pakistani drivers for NATO supplies have refused to ship materials to Afghanistan.

PUPPEH vs ICE CUBE: Who you got?

A WATCHGATOR guarding almost 2,300 marijuana plants valued at least 1.5 million was seized by Department of Justice agents.

ROGUE CHICKENS flock through a Phoenix neighborhood.

SERVICE SNAKE: A man from Shelton who uses a snake as a service animal traveled to Olympia, WA, on Tuesday to lobby against a bill that would narrow the definition of an aid animal.

A SEEING-EYE DOG for the seeing-eye dog.

THE NATIONAL bring on John Slattery and Kristen Schaal for "Conversation 16."

TELEKINESIS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

MARGOT & THE NUCLEAR SO AND SO'S did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

HOT CHIP stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic. Not really my bag, but maybe yours.

DR. JOHN is profiled by Morning Edition in advance of his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

OKKERVIL RIVER drops "Wake and Be Fine" in advance of I Am Very Far, while Will Scheff talks on video with Rolling Stone.

ALELA DIANE drops "To Begin" as a freebie from Alela Diane & Wild Divine.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN breaks out a 12-string to cover Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk in the Room," which was also a hit for The Searchers.

DeVotchKa is profiled by the National Post.

EXENE CERVENKA talks to Heard Mentality about punk rock and her new album. (Thx, LHB.)

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: Josh Homme recalls the inspiration behind the band's hard-to-find (before the reissue) debut album.

PHIL COLLINS: On third thought... why, yes, I am retiring. To spend more time with my family.

CHARLIE SHEEN took his fans for another ride on his ever accelerating crazy train Tuesday night, in what could be his most bizarre appearance yet. However, those who tuned in early know it was totally scripted. In another round of radio call-ins, Sheen apologized to fmr co-star Jon Cryer and endorsed Rob Lowe as a replacement on Two and a Half Men. Would we be surprised if Sheen is "cash poor" and desperately needs the money to maintain his vast, complicated estate? Nope.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson reportedly struck a plea deal in his looming criminal domestic violence case that will keep him out of jail.

CHRIS BROWN calls his assault on Rhianna a "mishap."

LINDSAY LOHAN: The store with the allegedly purloined necklace is auctioning it off.

ASHLEE SIMPSON & PETE WENTZ are or are not having a child custody fight. Pick 'em.

BRITNEY SPEARS is showing off her crotch tattoos. Klassy.

SIENNA MILLER says she and ex-fiance Jude Law were nowhere near marriage when they split up for the second time last month.

MARY STUART MASTERSON and husband Jeremy Davidson are expecting twins this summer.

IRAN: World powers reiterated their willingness to negotiate, watering down a joint statement even as the Islamic theocracy's nuclear program races ahead. NATO troops found a major shipment of Iranian-supplied munitions in the Afghan province of Nimruz. Iran and Syria announced plans to establish a joint bank.

LIBYA: Government forces continued to press rebels in the towns of Zawiyah and Ras Lanuf in an effort to recapture key oil towns on the east coast.

PAKISTAN's Islamist political parties are uniting behind their hatred of the US, emboldened by a weak government that looks increasingly reluctant to stand up to extremism and a society where radicalism is widely tolerated.

WHEN CATERPILLARS INVADE: Let's go to the video.

MILLIONS OF DEAD ANCHOVIES swamped Redondo Beach, California.

"GOOSE PULLING" draws an animal cruelty complaint, despite the geese already being dead.

HOW TO SURVIVE A Bear Attack. You're welcome.

THE RAVEONETTES drop a video for "Recharge and Revolt," while Sharin Foo talks about the duo's darker new approach with Spinner.

THE JOY FORMIDABLE is advance streaming The Big Roar.

LYKKE LI stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

MARDI GRAS: A Blog Supreme streams songs by a few of New Orleans' finest musicians.

MAN MAN drops "Knuckle Down" in advance of Life Fantastic. Ever more accessible, in a good way.

LOVE: Download or stream "Skid," from the band's lost (but soon to be found) 1973 Black Beauty album.

ALBERT LEE covers Jimmy Webb's "If You See Me Getting Smaller," one of my favorite Webb tunes, though (afaik) never a hit for anyone.

OKKERVIL RIVER: Will Sheff talks to Austinist about the frustrations of finding new directions, the levity of chance and experimentation, car problems, and how even bad music seems to be less bad these days.

SLEIGH BELLS talk to State about touring ireland, stylistic diversity and more... (Thx, LHB.)

DAMIEN JURADO talks to Seattle Weekly about ABBA, the Butthole Surfers, clean socks and more...

OUR BAND COULD BE YOUR LIFE: The Concert. Should be teh awesome.

PHIL COLLINS: Rumors of my retirement are greatly exaggerated.

CHARLIIE SHEEN was wielding that machete on the roof of Live Nation's offices because he's talking about taking his crazy train on tour. Sheen also lashed out at fmr co-star Jon Cryer, apparently for not publicly backing him. Cryer could end up working with Rob Lowe. But why not Molly Ringwald?

GARY BUSEY, apparently jealous that Sheen is passing him on the crazy chart, hit the stripper pole during a "Celebrity Apprentice" cast party in Vegas Sunday night and nearly lost his pants in the process.

LINDSAY LOHAN: Entertainment Tonight has the surveillance video of her alleged necklace theft, for which ET is rumored to have paid 35K.

GWYNETH PALTROW has signed with Atlantic Records, for a deal believed to be worth 900K.

LILY ALLEN opened up about her second miscarriage during a revealing Channel 4 documentary Riches To Rags.

LADY GAGA is threatening to sue The Icecreamists, the Central London ice cream parlor, for naming their human breast milk-derived frozen treat "Baby Gaga."

MEGAN FOX is not anorexic and struggles to gain weight, according to her trainer.

AMANDA SEYFRIED admits she's been dating Ryan Phillippe for a while.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS party like infidels, and the religious police stay away when the royals are involved.

IRAN: Fmr Pres. Rasfanjani was dismissed as head of the Assembly of Experts. Iran rejected recent IAEA claims about its nuclear program (Shocka!). Tehran announced there is no need for OPEC to increase oil production amid the Middle Eastern crises.

BAHRAIN: The outcome of demonstrations there may be more significant than Libya for the region and the world.

EGYPT: About a thousand women protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square Tuesday, battling hecklers from opposition to get fair representation in the new constitution. It got worse than heckling, according to Twitter here, here, here, and here. Meanwhile, Coptic demonstrators blocked a main road in central Cairo to protest the burning of a church south of the capital. The church was set ablaze by a group of Muslims on Saturday reportedly following a dispute between two families over the romance between their Muslim daughter and Christian son.

DOG. On a bike. Leading a Conga line. Let's go to the video.

IF YOUR SPIDER BITE lasts more than four hours, consult a doctor.

A LAME TIGER CUB is back on her feet - thanks to water therapy sessions.

GREAT TITS have age-related defects.

ARCTIC MONKEYS dropped a video for "Brick by Brick" from their upcoming LP.

NEW RELEASES from Beady Eye, Buffalo Tom, Parts & Labor, Bruce Cockburn, Beth Ditto, Neil Diamond and more are streaming this week at Spinner.

LOS LOBOS did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

TRAP THEM is advance streaming Darker Handcraft.

THOSE DARLINS drop "Screws Get Loose," the title track to their upcoming LP.

ANNA CALVI gets a feature plus tracks from Weekend Edition.

GUIDED BY VOICES: Technically, the clip for "Auditorium" and "Motor Away" is Twofer Tuesday, but since it runs just about 3 minutes, I'll toss in "My Valuable Hunting Knife" as a bonus.

THE STROKES talk to Pitchfork about the myths around the band, and their new LP.

TELEKINESIS is deemed a Band to Watch by Rolling Stone, but don't hold it against Michael Benjamin Lerner.

DeVotchKa frontman Nick Urata, talks to American Songwriter about songwriting (duh), soundtrack work, and happy accidents. The video for "100 Lovers" is embedded. (Thx, LHB.)

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS: A Beginner's Guide.

CHARLIE SHEEN was fired from Two and a Half Men, reportedly for committing a felony involving "moral turpitude." In response, Sheen brandished a machete and called it "good news," because he's planning on a breach of contract claim.  On the home front, Sheen and Brooke Mueller negotiated all weekend, trying to hammer out a custody settlement, but sources tell TMZ it didn't happen and now everyone's getting ready for court. Meanwhile, the NYT covers the degree to which Hollywood has enabled Sheen's behavior for economic reasons.

GWYNETH PALTROW, who's been shopping for a music deal, is in advanced talks with Atlantic Records.

LINDSAY LOHAN's lawyer believes she now has a better chance for getting Lindsay an even shorter sentence in jail for her alleged probation violation -- and perhaps even having her felony theft charge reduced to a misdemeanor -- because the owner of the jewelry store sold the surveillance video to a media outlet. Implied in that bit of bravado is that there will be a jail sentence for the probation violation and that the theft charge isn't going away entirely, even if her lawyer is right.

BRITNEY SPEARS' former bodyguard is to release a series of embarrassing nude pictures he claims the singer sent him from her mobile phone.

EMMA WATSON will be dialing back on her schoolwork to focus on her career.

KELSEY GRAMMER: Already fighting with his brand-new fourth wife?

AL PACINO was slapped with a tax lien by the IRS, which claims the actor slighted the US out of more than 163K in 2008.

IRAN: An official with Iran's Revolutionary Guard has said that Iran welcomes hackers who are willing to work for the Islamic Republic.

LIBYA: Gaddafi's inner circle is debating whether he should remain in power or relinquish his role, as his government invited rebels and tribal leaders to negotiate a political solution and Western nations took steps to prepare for a possible military intervention. However, the rebels are having an ever-tougher fight against Gaddafi's forces.

EGYPT: The Muslim Brotherhood wants to delay elections.

DOGS teleconference.

CAT BURGLAR to lead pet parade.

A BABY SPIDER MONKEY rejected by its mother clings sadly and adorably to stuffed animals.

SNAKE-LICKING STUNT goes predictably wrong.

THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND denies concealing a beaver.

R.E.M. dropped a video for "ÜBerlin," starring Aaron Johnson. Michael Stipe talsk to The Guardian about 'the massive insecurity of not being articulate', 30 years with REM, and why he's driven to remake his world in birch plywood.

SMITH WESTERNS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

NICOLE ATKINS also stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

LISSIE did a chat and mini-set at the World Cafe.

WILD NOTHING did a session at Morning Becomes Eclectic.

CYNDI LAUPER takes the mic at for a bit of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" to soothe delayed travelers at Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires.

JONNY GREENWOOD of Radiohead talks to The Independent and BBC6 about his film composing.

J RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS, seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard (with a bit of Led Zeppelin thrown in) are profiled by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

JOHN VANDERSLICE talks to Spinner about SXSW and a disastrous high school talent-show experience. Free MP3 at the link.

THE CHARLATANS: Frontman Tim Burgess talks to Drowned in Sound about the reissue of Us and Us Only, the band's most recent LP, and future plans.

PHIL COLLINS intends to end his rock career after learning that health problems will prevent him playing the drums again.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Rango tops this weekend's chart, with an estimated 38 million.  That's not bad, but with a 135 million production budget, George Lucas may have to hope that Johnny Depp can help sell an animated Western in overseas markets. The Adjustment Bureau placed with 20.1 million, which is pretty good, given that Paramount paid about 62 million for it. Beastly showed better than expected with 10.1 million against a 17 million budget. Hall Pass dropped to the fourth slot with 9 million, having taken in 27 million against a 36 million budget. Gnomeo and Juliet drops 48 percent to round out the Top Five with 6.9 million -- a clear victim of Rango, although I doubt Buena Vista is weeping over its 83.7 million total to date.

CHARLIE SHEEN and "goddess" No. 1 Bree Olson are doing A-OK ... this after Sheen tweeted she had left him and he was now taking applications. Ex-wife Denise Richards will not let her two kids near Sheen because she thinks it's just too risky, while Sheen has been threatening to strip her of child custody. Those unfamiliar with Sheen's track record ought to review this NYT piece. Sheen also believes Two and a Half Men will return, "with a few adjustments.

LINDSAY LOHAN: The jewelry store surveillance tape that could be make-or-break in the felony theft case against Lindsay Lohan has been sold to a TV show, which may have really messed up the prosecutor's case.

DAVID ARQUETTE was dinged up in a head-on collision. Arquette later tweeted that he refused pain medication afterward.

MIKE MYERS secretly married his longtime girlfriend, Kelly Tisdale, in a private ceremony five months ago.

COURTNEY LOVE will pony up 430K to settle a defamation case originating on Twitter.

WONDER WOMAN: The pilot beefs up its cast with Cary Elwes and Liz Hurley.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS said Saturday they would ban all protests and marches after minority Shiites staged small protests in the oil-producing eastern province.

LIBYA found a new way to halt Internet traffic.

IRAN: Ahmadinejad said US and European firms are bypassing export sanctions. The IAEA is unlikely to take action against Iran and Syria's nuclear programs. Shocka.

TURKEY is looking less like a futuristic role model and increasingly more enamored of the authoritarianism others in the region are so passionately trying to shrug off.

IRAQ: Government officials and regional experts see increasing signs that Prime Minister al-Maliki is expanding his power, undermining the fragile democracy struggling to take hold here.

PAKISTAN apologized for shelling Afghanistan six times over the past month.

MARU the BOX CAT tries out new hairstyles.

FUNKY WORMS cause ants to mimic fruit. And tear the roof off the sucka. But maybe not that last bit.

100 LIVE PIGS were stolen from a truck by armed robbers in Malaysia.

SPIDERS force a recall of about 65000 Mazda6s.

BABY GIRAFFE: Awww.