THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with ELTON JOHN! Half of a live show captured by the OGWT on Christmas Eve, 1974.  Your setlist includes: "Bennie And The Jets," "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," "I Saw Her Standing There," "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," "Honky Cat," "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," "Crocodile Rock," "The B^tch Is Back," "Your Song," and "White Christmas" (with Rod Stewart and pervert Gary Glitter).

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS stopoed by KUT's Studio 1a to record a live session.

GARY CLARK JR recently performed for a small audience at Apogee's Berkeley St. Studios on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

MATTHEW DEAR performed for WNYC Soundcheck.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND, Live at the Bottom Line, Aug. 15, 1975.

PATSY CLINE & FERLIN HUSKY: "Let It Snow!"

TRACEY THORN talks holiday tunes and drops a mixtape on The A.V. Club.

MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER talks to The Line of Best Fit about the recording of her debut LP.

PATRICK WATSON talks to TLOBF about the blur of touring, his pard-back sond and more.

RA RA RIOT returned to Syracuse University to do a week-long residency, teaching classes and capping it off with a sold-out, student-promoted concert.

CUTOUT BIN:  From Husker Du to Barry Manilow, from Johnny Marr to the Isley Bros, from the Gun Club to the Rascals, plus GbV, Green On Eed, The Who, Eddie Kendricks and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's only wide release is the rom-com Playing For Keeps, which is currently getting a zero at Rotten Tomatoes.  This is called fearing The Hobbit.

LINDSAY LOHAN is pretty much a groupie for The Wanted.

DEMI MOORE was... wait for it... caught canoodling with her rumored young boy-toy in Miami.

KATE MIDDLETON left the hospital after four days of intense morning sickness.

JESSICA SIMPSON's Weight Watchers deal is in jeopardy.

FREAKS AND GEEKS: An Oral History.

BROOKE BURKE-CHARVET is doing well after undergoing thyroid surgery on Wednesday.

STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS has a teaser trailer online.

DECEMBER 7, 1941: A "date which will live in infamy." I'll be watching Tora! Tora! Tora! on tonight. BTW, the first nation invaded by the US after entering WWII was Morocco, then Algeria, iirc.

SYRIA: US officials reported that Syrian government forces were preparing to use chemical weapons. Top US, Russian, and UN diplomats held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. The US and European nations rushed to fund the newly-formed Syrian opposition coalition. Fighting intensified around Damascus.

LIBYA: Judiciary police facilitated the escape of some 200 detainees at Sebha prison on Tuesday in Libya's volatile south.

EGYPT: A night of widespread street fighting between supporters and opponents of President Morsi left six dead and hundreds wounded. The Army was brought in to separate the groups. Morsi said he would stand by his decree.

AFGHANISTAN: A Taliban suicide bomber wounded the Afghan intelligence chief and two others in an assassination attempt in Kabul.

CATS & DOGS, the supercut...Mass hysteria!

THE LANSING TRAFFIC TURKEY that caused a series of road tie-ups in Michigan in recent weeks is off the streets.

A MEAN OLD GOAT threatened students and other pedestrians in Houston.

WOMAN rescued from corocodile's jaws in western Australia.

THE MARY ONE ETTES drop a video for "Evil Coast."

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

WANDA JACKSON stopped by KUT's Studio 1a before a set at Antoine's.

PINBACK discusses theivery and plays three songs from their latest album, Information Retrieved, live at WNYC Soundcheck.

MACLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS play a Tiny Desk Concert at the NPR offices.

THE KINKS, with the evergreen "Father Christmas."

PAUL BANKS talks to City Pages about his new solo LP, why he's done away with the Julian Plenti moniker, and how he feels about the 10th Anniversary of Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights.

GLASVEGAS talks to the Daily Record about their new album and why they chose to record it in their home town.

KELLY HOGAN talks to the Boston Globe about her solo LP, filled with songs gioven to her by writers like Robyn Hitchcock.

YO LA TENGO: Ira Kaplan talks to Eater about the band's "Elvis moments" eating on tour. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

DAVE BRUBECK: A giant of jazz passes away at 91, of heart failure, on his way to the cardiologist.

MEL GIBSON plans to reach out to LINDSAY LOHAN.  What could go wrong?

THE ROYAL PREGNANCY: Palace fury as Australian radio pranksters pretending to be the Queen dupe nurse at Kate's hospital into giving out intimate medical details.

KATE HUDSON is planning a surprise wedding.

GABRIEL AUBRY was clearly the instigator of the Thanksgiving Day brawl at Halle Berry's house, but won't be prosecuted.

JAY-Z took the subway to a concert, and chatted up this 67-year-old woman.

RHIANNA: Looking to get knocked up?

LEBANON: Fighting continued between pro-Assad Alawites and anti-Assad Sunni groups in Tripoli.

SYRIA: Rebel groups attempted to restructure their leadership across the country. US Secretary of State Clinton warned that the Assad regime might use chemical weapons.

EGYPT: Supporters and opponents of President Morsi fought each other outside the presidential palace. Three of Morsi's advisers resigned in protest.

AFGHANISTAN: The Afghan National Army assumed security responsibility for seven eastern provinces: Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan, Kapisa, Parwan, and Panjshir.

DOG & KANGAROO, smooching... Mass hysteria!

PET HOARDING: An animal 'lover' keeps a grisly collection of 100 dead cats in her fridge.

LOBSTERS' CANNIBALISM Caught on Camera.

DEER SEASON in IOWA: Hunters 60K, Deer 5.

OF MONTREAL dropped a video for "Feminine Effects" featuring Rebecca Cash on lead vox.

DIVINE FITS stopped by Sound Opinions for a mini-set.

TAKEN BY TREES plays a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.

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

THE HELIO SEQUENCE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

THE RAVEONETTES' 2011 video for 2001's "The Christmas Song."

SCOTT WALKER: The reclusive artist talks to Pitchfork about his new LP, Bish Bosch, influences ranging from modern composers to avant-garde film, and the place of aging in relation to his work.

THE JOY FORMIDABLE: Ritzy Bryan talks to PureVolume about recording Wolf's Law in rural Maine. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

FIRST AID KIT is profiled by the Daily Telegraph.

BIKINI KILL gives SPIN an oral history of their self-titled EP.

LINDSAY LOHAN is "out of control," says a source, which narrows it dwn to everyone.

FRANKIE MUNIZ suffered a mini-stroke last week -- and docs are as baffled as you are.

ANGELINA JOLIE will retire to spend more time with her kids. Someday.

JESSICA SIMPSON skipped her nephew's b-day party to avoid her creepy Dad.

KRISTEN STEWART gets support from, er, Stevie Nicks.

ASHLEY JUDD is thinking about a US Senate run.

EDDIE MURPHY tops the Forbes' list of Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors.

KATE UPTON does a video shoot for German Vogue, just in time for Gratuitous Wednesday.

TURKEY: NATO approved Turkey's request for Patriot missiles to protect against Syrian bombardments.

IRAN: The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps claimed it captured another US drone. The US denied the claim.

SYRIA: Heavy fighting continued in southern Damascus near the international airport.

EGYPT: Thousands of protesters clashed with police outside the presidential palace in Cairo. Egyptian newspapers went on strike.

THREE RESCUE DOGS are learning to drive.

RAM ON THE LAM was captured by Des Moines police.

THE CHRISTMAS GOAT is already under threat of arson again this year.

A MONKEY TRAINER'S WIFE breastfeeds his simian students.

R.E.M. drops a posthumous video for "That Someone Is You," directed by and featuring James Franco.

NEW RELEASES from Blur, Smashing Pumpkins, Vassals and more are streaming this week via Spinner.

THE JAM: Made In Britain.

PEARL JAM, Live at Metro, March 28, 1992.

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, Live at Metro, March 28, 2007.

GLAM XMAS:  Wizzard's awesome "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" and Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody" (1973's UK Xmas No. 1) are your Twofer Tuesday.

THE EVENS: Ian McKay and Amy Farina discuss their lives at home and on the road with All Things Considered.

MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle talks to the Nashville Scene about parenthood, suffering, songwriting, etc.

PETE TOWNSHEND talks books with The New York Times.

23 SONGS that use fruit as sexual metaphor.

LINDSAY LOHAN's bank accounts heve been seized by the IRS to pay outstanding taxes.

PRINCE WILLIAM & KATE MIDDLETON confirmed they are expecting their first child. 

JOHN TRAVOLTA is being sued by a former gay lover, who denies having signed a confidentiality agreement. Meanwhile, Travolta claims he helped a car-crash survivor who was suffering from pain from a broken ankle, by using a Scientology procedure called "an assist."

KRISTEN STEWART is getting increasingly frustrated by Robert Pattinson's reluctance to fully forgive her and re-commit to their realtionship.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH is dating former Bachelor Jake Pavelka.

STAR WARS: George Lucas claims he doesn't have much to do as consultant on Ep. 7.

NORTH KOREA: Russia and China urged North Korea not to go ahead with a planned launch of a long-range rocket.

SYRIA: The government continued its attack on rebel positions around Damascus. The UN said it was pulling out all its non-essential staff.

LIBYA: Assassins opened fire on Naji Hamad, the organizer of a Sept. 21 anti-militia demonstration in Benghazi, killing his brother-in-law but missing Hamad.

EGYPT: The supreme court joined other judges in protest against President Morsi by declaring a strike. The media and the tourism industry also planned protest measures.

DOLPHIN Bites Girl.

BIOLOGISTS DISGUISE THEMSELVES to attract cranes, and it looks like a Monty Python sketch.

MYSTERY MONKEY moved Monday.

AN ACTIVE BABY ELEPHANT was born at the Oregon Zoo.

TEAGAN & SARA finally drop a video for the 80s-ish "Closer."

YEASAYER discusses and performs songs from Fragrant World at World Cafe.

FREELANCE WHALES also stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

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

ALLEN TOUSSAINT plays live in Studio 1a at KUT.

U2 cover "Merry Christmas, Baby (Please Come Home)," ripped from the premiere, for extra retro goodness.

RECORD EXEC JOE SMITH recorded interviews with many of the popular music figures of the 20th century, including Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Garcia, Tony Bennett, Bo Diddley, Mick Jagger, Little Richard, Dick Clark, Burt Bacharach, Ruth Brown, and David Bowie, which are now streaming from the Library of Congress.

GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR: Their reunion is profiled in the New York Times, with a cameo from director Judd Apatow.

LED ZEPPELIN will be on Letterman tonight, but may not play.

THE PITCHFORK READERS' POLL: Voting is open.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 threepeats with 17.4 million on a 60 percent drop; that's marginally better than Part 1, but lagging Eclipse in the series.  Skyfall places again  (but could possibly lead when actuals come in) with 17 million on a 52 percent drop, with a 246 million domestic haul against a 200 million budget (and over 600 million elsewhere).  Lincoln shows again with just over 13.5 million on a 47 percent drop, with an 83.6 million total against a 65 million budget.  Rise of the Guardians holds the fourth slot with 13.5 million (and could beat Lincoln ultimately) with 13.5 million, with a ~49 million domestic total against a 145 million budget.  Life of Pi again rounds out the Top 5 with 12 million on a 47 percent drop, with a 48 million total against a 120 million budget.  Below the fold, Killing Them Softly opened in seventh place with 7 million against a 15 million budget, and the Collection opened in tenth with 3.4 million.

GABRIEL AUBRY drops his restraining order against Olivier Martinez.

KRISTEN STEWART & ROBERT PATTINSON: Still on rocky ground.

HUGH HEFNER & CRYSTAL HARRIS are engaged (again).

LINDSAY LOHAN hired a priviate investigator to dig in to the life of the woman who accused her of assault.

DENNIS QUAID has filed for divorce from his wife Kimberly, six weeks after she got the ball rolling by filing for separation.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN and Georgina Chapman are expecting a baby in early spring.

THE UNITED STATES: The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency plans to dispatch hundreds more spies overseas, bringing the total to 1600 over the next five years.

SYRIA: Government forces continued to bombard rebel strongholds in the outskirts of Damascus.

EGYPT's  supreme court suspended work after Islamist demonstrators blocked judges from entering their chambers. Opposition groups called for demonstrations on Tuesday to protest a referendum on a draft constitution.

IRAQI security officials have claimed that Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the head of al Qaeda in Iraq and its Islamic State of Iraq, has been captured. The reports of Baghdadi's arrest have not been confirmed.

PARROT, Gangnam Style.

PERLA the CAT repeatedly saves her owner's life when the girl suffers chest pain attacks.

A TINY CHAMELEON is the first of its kind born in a British zoo.

BRITAIN'S SMALLEST DOG embarked on her first walk - despite being too tiny to fit the littlest of leads.