THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

... with THE ANIMALS! I may have been quite remiss in not featuring them so let's dive in with their signature cover of "House of the Rising Sun" and "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" from Top Gear, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" from Shindig, a creepy clip for  "It's My Life" from Hullabaloo, and "Don't Bring Me Down" on the Ed Sullivan Show.

THE RAVEONETTES stopped by WFUV's Studio A> for a chat and mini-set

THE KOOKS stopped by WFUV's Studio A for a mini-set.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD performs live in the KEXP Studio for your listening pleasure. 

TEMPLES treats KEXP VIP Donors to a neo-psych concert at The Triple Door. 

THE FLAMING LIPS & YOKO ONO perform "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". 

SOUNDGARDEN drops the previously unreleased “Kristi” from the mid-90s. 

EASYBEATS: The fish, the barrel, the smoking gun!

DWIGHT TWILLEY talks to Aquarium Drunkard about his history and making records in 2014. 

BILLY BRAGG apologizes to Taylor Swift for saying she 'sold her soul to Google'.

JIMMY PAGE finds a whole lotta love on his book tour. 

FLAVORWIRE lists music's most misogynistic and misandrist songs. 

CUTOUT BIN: I'm streaming a little more nostalgia via the Pate page at the ol' HM.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 is this weekend's sole wide release, currently scoring 68 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.

MIKE NICHOLS, innovative comic and one of America’s most celebrated directors (“The Graduate,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, “Catch-22”, "Working Girl", "Charlie Wilson's War'), died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday in Manhattan. He was 83.

BILL COSBY and his attorney are working to scuttle coverage of rape allegations against him. 

IGGY AZALEA & JENNIFER LOPEZ are stressing ABC censors who will have their hot little fingers on the button during Sunday's American Music Awards.

KHLOE KARDASIAN & LAMAR ODOM's divorce is lingering. 

ASHLEE SIMPSON and Evan Ross are already trying to get pregnant.   

AN ISLAMIC STATE leader has been killed in an air strike in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, residents and a local medical source said. 

EGYPT arrested a Muslim Brotherhood leader who had conducted negotiations with the government.

LIBYA: The UN has added Ansar al Sharia to its list of terrorist organizations and imposed sanctions on the Islamist group. US officials said they are "concerned" about the Islamic State's expansion to Derna.

A GIANT PANDA enjoys the snow in Toronto.

A RAMPAGING WOODCHUCK is terrorizing a New Hampshire neighborhood.

A PIT BULL PARADE is planned for Providence to celebrate after a superior court judge threw out a 10-year-old ban on the breed in a Rhode Island city. 

SCARED MONKEY FOREST: It's all cute until someone dies. 

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

... with THE ANIMALS! I may have been quite remiss in not featuring them so let's dive in with their signature cover of "House of the Rising Sun" and "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" from Top Gear, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" from Shindig, a creepy clip for  "It's My Life" from Hullabaloo, and "Don't Bring Me Down" on the Ed Sullivan Show.

THE RAVEONETTES stopped by WFUV's Studio A> for a chat and mini-set

THE KOOKS stopped by WFUV's Studio A for a mini-set.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD performs live in the KEXP Studio for your listening pleasure. 

TEMPLES treats KEXP VIP Donors to a neo-psych concert at The Triple Door. 

THE FLAMING LIPS & YOKO ONO perform "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". 

SOUNDGARDEN drops the previously unreleased “Kristi” from the mid-90s. 

EASYBEATS: The fish, the barrel, the smoking gun!

DWIGHT TWILLEY talks to Aquarium Drunkard about his history and making records in 2014. 

BILLY BRAGG apologizes to Taylor Swift for saying she 'sold her soul to Google'.

JIMMY PAGE finds a whole lotta love on his book tour. 

FLAVORWIRE lists music's most misogynistic and misandrist songs. 

CUTOUT BIN: I'm streaming a little more nostalgia via the Pate page at the ol' HM.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 is this weekend's sole wide release, currently scoring 68 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.

MIKE NICHOLS, innovative comic and one of America’s most celebrated directors (“The Graduate,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, “Catch-22”, "Working Girl", "Charlie Wilson's War'), died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday in Manhattan. He was 83.

BILL COSBY and his attorney are working to scuttle coverage of rape allegations against him. 

IGGY AZALEA & JENNIFER LOPEZ are stressing ABC censors who will have their hot little fingers on the button during Sunday's American Music Awards.

KHLOE KARDASIAN & LAMAR ODOM's divorce is lingering. 

ASHLEE SIMPSON and Evan Ross are already trying to get pregnant.   

AN ISLAMIC STATE leader has been killed in an air strike in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, residents and a local medical source said. 

EGYPT arrested a Muslim Brotherhood leader who had conducted negotiations with the government.

LIBYA: The UN has added Ansar al Sharia to its list of terrorist organizations and imposed sanctions on the Islamist group. US officials said they are "concerned" about the Islamic State's expansion to Derna.

A GIANT PANDA enjoys the snow in Toronto.

A RAMPAGING WOODCHUCK is terrorizing a New Hampshire neighborhood.

A PIT BULL PARADE is planned for Providence to celebrate after a superior court judge threw out a 10-year-old ban on the breed in a Rhode Island city. 

SCARED MONKEY FOREST: It's all cute until someone dies. 

JIMMY RUFFIN, who had hits with "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold On (To My Love)," died Monday in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 78. No details were immediately available about the cause of death.

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

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

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

SEPTEMBER GIRLS advance stream their Veneer EP. It does not sound like Big Star.

FAITH NO MORE's first new track since 1997 has a family-unfriendly title.

SUSAN drops “Pancake,” from their new Just Call It 7″.

PLIMSOULS: "A Million Miles Away." Classic power-pop.

BILLY BRAGG takes on Taylor Swift, explains his presence on Spotify.

CHERRY GLAZERR: The fast-rising rock trio fronted by two 17-year-old students gets profiled by the L.A. Times.

DIRTY BEACHES: Alex Zhang Hungtai talks to Pitchfork about the soundtrack to his life.

JASON ISBELL was asked to audition for The Voice. Really.

CHRIS HEMSWORTH is People magazine's “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2014.

RYAN GOSLING has repeatedly turned down People magazine's annual “Sexiest Man Alive” issue.

BILL COSBY: NBC and Netflix shelve projects with the comedian after rape allegations resurfaced. His concerts continue.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE was compared to Joan of Arc or Jesus Christ by Donald Sutherland.

TAMRYN MANNING was arrested for making criminal threats against a former close friend, but the DA has already declined to prosecute.

THR's ACTRESS ROUNDTABLE talks about everything from Jennifer Lawrence's hacked photos to the recent attention on Renee Zellweger's face.

X-MEN APOCALYPSE searches for young Jean Grey and Cyclops.

THE ISLAMIC STATE: CENTCOM said that between Nov. 17 and Nov. 19, US and partner nations carried out 24 airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State and six airstrikes against the group in Syria; the US also conducted one airstrike near Haram in northwest Syria against al Qaeda's "Khorasan Group." US military records show that the US Air Force has carried out about two-thirds of the 956 airstrikes against the Islamic State between Aug. 8 and Nov. 16. The Islamic State killed five people in a suicide attack in Irbil and 10 more Iraqis in three separate bombings in Baghdad. The Iraqi military claimed it killed the Islamic State's war minister and three aides in Mosul, 13 Islamic State fighters in northern Babil, and 10 more in Tikrit.

AFGHANISTAN: John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, called the US' 3-billion dollar nation-building effort in Afghanistan "an abysmal failure."

CATS: Can they be trusted?

A GREAT DANE gave bith to 19 puppies. That's a lot of litter.

A GAY BULL was saved from the slaughterhouse by charity donations, including from Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons.

PETA stole a family dog and killed it. The fruit basket will make it all better.

JIMMY FALLON & THE ROOTS filled in for U2 with "Desire" after Bono was injured in a cyclling accident.

ARIEL PINK advance streams the polarizing pom pom via Spotify. 

HANNAH LOU CLARK advance streams her Silent Type EP. 

CYMBALS EAT GUITARS performs a mini-set at KEXP. 

STARS performs in the WNYC Soundcheck studio.

LIZ PHAIR drops the seasonal "Ho Ho Ho"  from the upcoming Amazon comp All Is Bright.

GRUFF RHYS drops “Set Fire To The Stars”, also the title of a Dylan Thomas biopic. 

UNWED TEENAGE MOTHERS drop the poppy "Whose Girl Are You" ahead of their debut LP. 

NITE FIELDS drop “You I Never Knew” aheead of Depersonalisation. 

HUSKER DU: "The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill" and "I Apologize," live at First Ave, circa 1985.

TV ON THE RADIO is profiled by SPIN. 

BEDHEAD: The best 90s band you never heard? 

THE SHAZAM EFFECT: Data science has been good for the industry...but is it good for music? 

THE HUNDRED BEST TRACKS OF THE DECADE (So Far), according to FACT. 

KIM KARDASHIAN's nude photoshoot made her feel confident in herself...and renewed interest in her sex tape. 

CHARLES MANSON plans to marry a 26-year-old woman who left her Midwestern home and spent the past nine years trying to help exonerate him. 

DWIGHT HOWARD is under criminal investigation for child abuse.

MILEY CYRUS & PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER are falling in love? 

TRACY MORGAN was in a coma for days with a traumatic brain injury after a highway crash in which his van was struck from behind by a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. truck five months ago, according to his lawyer.

BILL COSBY: What we do and don't know about the rape allegations against him.

CHANNING TATUM is profiled in the December Esquire. 

GLOBAL TERROR ATTACK DEATHS rose sharply in 2013. 

LIBYA: The black flag of ISIS flies over government buildings in the city of Derna, population of about 100,000, not far from the Egyptian border.

SYRIA: A regime airstrike killed at least 13 people and wounded 20 in Aleppo, according to SOHR. Kurdish forces captured six buildings used by the Islamic State and significant weapons and ammunition near Kobane; the US-led coalition conducted seven airstrikes overnight near the embattled city. Jihadists and US-backed rebels have reportedly aligned in the battle for Aleppo; meanwhile "a ranking Turkish source" claims that the Free Syrian Army has abandoned its bid for Aleppo.

A UNITED NATIONS PANEL has urged the Security Council to order all countries to seize oil trucks coming in and out of territory controlled by jihadists in Iraq and Syria and to impose a global moratorium on the sale of antiquities from the two countries. 

QUESO THE PIT BULL is afraid of going through doorways. 

EROTICALLY-ENTWINED EAGLES crash-landed in a Seattle park. 

DRUNKEN BIRDS are nursed to sobriety in the Yukon. 

AVIAN FLU been confirmed at a duck breeding farm in East Yorkshire .

SONNY & THE SUNSETS drop a video for "Cheap Extensions" ahead of Talent Night at the Ashram.

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

KAREN O  stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

GALA DROP advance streams II. Electro-psych isn't really my bag, but it's interesting.

LOU REED, Guest DJing on WPIX, circa 1979.

LOS CAMPESINOS! drops "When Christmas Comes,” ahead of A Los Campesinos! Christmas EP.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS drop the new-wavey "Tiberius" ahead of Monuments To An Elegy.

CAVE PEOPLE drop "Cluster" ahead of their Older EP.

AC/DC goes "Rock Or Bust."

BOTH SIDES NOW: Joni Mitchell performs her 1968 song in 1970 and in 2000, for a reflective Twofer Tuesday.

STEVE ALBINI spoke in Melbourne about the advantages of the internet, the death of the major label system, copyright law and that ‘purple dwarf in assless chaps'.

IDLEWILD frontman Roddy Woomble ranks the indie band's albums.

DROPKICK MURPHYS scrapped the last date on their US tour after a man threw himself in front of their bus in a suspected suicide.

U2: Bono injured his arm in a Central Park cycling accident and requires surgery. Between thta an the airplane mishap, not a good week for ol' Paul.

CHRIS PRATT is profiled by GQ and is one of the mag's Men of the Year.

AMY ADAMS is profiled by Vogue.

TILA TEQUILA gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, on Sunday.

JADEN & WILLOW SMITH talked to the New York Times Magazine, and Will & Jada likely wish they had not.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE talks about shopping at IKEA, among other things.

AMANDA BYNES apologized for making death threats against her father.

SOLANGE KNOWLES released wedding pics that are very Solange.

UKRAINE: As fighting increases in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is vowing that Moscow will not allow pro-Russian rebels in the region to be defeated while Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is threatening "total war."

YEMENI tribes say they will resist Houthi takeover of oil facilities.

IRAN: The United States is disappointed with Iran's failure to engage with a U.N. nuclear agency investigation into suspected atomic bomb research.

THE ISLAMIC STATE: CENTCOM reported that since Nov. 14, US forces have conducted 11 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, and US and partner forces have carried out 20 airstrikes in Iraq against the group. A US intelligence official indicated that US targeting in Syria and Iraq is hampered by insufficient intelligence on the ground.

A SEAL sexually harrasses a penguin. And the other penguins just watch. The BBC is on it.

A TEXAS DOG jumped on the back of an ambulance to ride on the bumper after his 85-year-old owner was taken to the hospital. 

A SNAKE appears to have committed suicide.

DO LABRADORS bite the most?