THE DECEMBERISTS have released an animated video for "The Rake's Song," created and directed by art students in Moscow, complete with refs to Russian folklore.

NEW RELEASES: School of Seven Bells, Josh Rouse, Erin McKeon, the Blakes and more are streaming in full this week via Spinner.

JOE HENRY stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a chat and mini-set streaming via KCRW.

STEVE EARLE stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a chat and mini-set streaming via KCRW.

CHRIS WALLA and J. ROBBINS write a song in two days, having never even met before they stepped into NPR's performance studio.

REGINA SPEKTOR played "Eet" and "The Calculation" live in NYC on Saturday night.

FANFARLO drummer Amos Memon tells the Yorkshire Evening Post and bassist Justin Finch tells Wales Online that they can't wait to get back to the US of A. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

GLEN HANSARD (The Frames, The Swell Season) talks to Billboard about the latter's upcoming Swift Joy LP, "which sounds more like Van Morrison than the delicately melancholy acoustic songs that first made the duo famous."

OKKERVIL RIVER: Will Scheff talks to the Golden Gate X-Press about life on tour and his experience playing at this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

AMY MILLAN talks to NOW about keeping the wheels turning, and waiting for the right stories to present themselves.

TOY STORY 3 now has a trailer online.

OPRAH WINFREY is sued for sex discrimination in a mile-high scandal.

MICHAEL JACKSON's mother will benefit from, but not inherit, any of Jacko's estate.

BILL HADER and his wife welcome a daughter, their first.

ANGELINA JOLIE may take over for Charlize Theron on The Tourist.

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS (Mad Men) married fiancé Geoffrey Arend at Il Buco restaurant in New York on Sunday.

X-MEN: Bryan Singer says he's interested in making another installment and has discussed the possibility with Twentieth Century Fox. And after Superman Returns and Valkyrie, who is surprised by that?

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX was directed by e-mail?

NORTH KOREA fired five short-range missiles off its east coast on Monday, news reports said, even as South Korea proposed working-level talks with its communist neighbor.

AFGHANISTAN: The Obama administration is considering outbidding the Taliban to persuade Afghan villagers to lay down arms. Meanwhile, Mullah Omar is mounting a comeback of sorts.

CONAN the SCAREDY CAT: What's he afraid of?

A PLUCKY PIGEON has visited a Kingston golf club every day without fail since his friend, a pro at the club, nursed him back to health back in May.

A GAZA ZOO has got around animal import restrictions by dyeing stripes on donkeys to make 'zebras'.

A WEINER DOG who was paralyzed has taken his first steps after pioneering treatment by scientists at Cambridge University.

WHITE RABBITS have a mini-set to watch and download (at 320kbs, no less) via MySpace Transmissions.  Seelctions include "Percussion Gun," "Rudie Fails," "The Salesman (Tramp Life)," "They done Wrong/We Done Wrong," and "Right Where They Left."

JOE PERNICE reads from his novel and plays songs from its soundtrack at Oregon Public Broadcasting.

LOS LONELY BOYS and GORDON GANO played the World Cafe on Friday; you can stream both gigs on demand via NPR.

THE NOISETTES stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set streaming on demand via NPR.

OS MUTANTES played the World Cafe for a full gig streaming now via NPR.

CAKE gets the people-on-the-street treatment on "Short Skirt, Long Jacket," whic I heard twice by coincidence over the weekend.

THE GREAT AMERICAN ROCK BANDS, according to the A.V. Club staff.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle discusses some of the religious records that inspired his latest work at eMusic.

ONE NATION UNDER A MOOG: Simon Reynolds surveys how the synthesizer first dehumanised then re-humanised British pop, fulfilled the DIY promise of punk, and changed how bands looked forever.

TOM WAITS talks to The Guardian about playing the Devil in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Couples Retreat took the weekend with a larger than expected gross of 35.3 million; despite awful reviews, this could make 200 million worldwide.  Zombieland, facing some competition from the top film, dropped 39 percent to No.2, with 15 million -- but that's all gravy after basically breaking even in its opening weekend.  Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs dropped to No. 3, but held very well with 12 million; its domestic take has almost recuped its 100 million production budget.  The Toy Story 3-D double feature finished fourth, bringing another 7.6 million in on a rerelease, for a total 22.6 in almost free money.  Paranormal Activity rounded out the Top Five with 7 million -- playing only on 159 screens.  The top dozen made about 96 million; a year ago it was 86 million.

MICHAEL JACKSON has a new song debuting online today.

TOM-KAT UPDATE: Sex Diet. Also, Holmes has won a battle with her Scientologist husband Cruise to enrol their daughter Suri in a Catholic pre-school.

TARA REID will be displaying her plastic surgery disasters in Playboy.

MARGE SIMPSON has become the first animated character to appear in Playboy, and will probably look better than Tara Reid.

HEIDI KLUM has given birth to a baby girl, according to Radar.

OZZY OSBOURNE has passed his driving test - 30 years after his first attempt.

RHIANNA secretly called Jessica Biel to say she's not chasing Justin Timberlake, according to tne National Enquirer.

JIMMY KIMMEL is dating a longtime staffer on his show.

EMMY ROSSUM explains why chicks dig Adam Duritz.

HAWAII FIVE-O may wash back on to your TV screen.

AL QAEDA in EUROPE? A brilliant young nuclear scientist arrested in France last week over alleged links to Al Qaeda had worked for a top-secret British nuclear research center.

IRAN: Three people arrested after Iran's disputed presidential election have been condemned to death despite a global outcry over trials of people who claimed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election was rigged.

AfPAK: The White House has been presented intelligence estimating Taliban-led forces battling US troops in Afghanistan have nearly quadrupled since 2006 and are increasingly independent of leaders in Pakistan. Pakistani commandos rescued 42 hostages early Sunday who were held by militants inside the nation's military headquarters, after gunmen dressed in army fatigues stormed the building in a brazen attack 18 hours earlier, according to the chief army spokesman.

COLUMBUS DAY:  I get it as a holiday, so I thought a few words might be in order. Over the course of my life, I have seen the image of Columbus swing from unvarnished hero to genocidal criminal. Columbus was certainly no sweetheart, but at the end of the 15th Century, it is fair to say that Europeans often did not treat each other all that well. Moreover, before the furriners showed up, Native North and South Americans engaged in slavery, tribal massacre, infanticide, scalping, human sacrifice, and the ritual skinning of slaves for their priests to wear. It was a far less civilized time all 'round. But the West is civilized today in part because of Columbus. Some four centuries-plus later, we all are still struggling to become more civilized, but focusing criticism o­n the more-civilized while giving the less civilized a pass is not particularly useful to that struggle.

CAT NURSES A CHIHUAHUA: Let's go to the video.

DOG skydiver.

COWS stare unamazed as they are seized by Pocono Animal Rescue for malnutrition.

MAN STRANGLES RAT after cigarette dispute.

GREAT PUMPKIN: Weighs 1725 lbs.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE...

... with THE MINUTEMEN! San Pedro, California's greatest musical export took apart rock, jazz and funk and put the pieces back together in a jagged collage.  They are caught here in an acoustic session for a cable-access show from Hollywood, circa 1985. Part 1 includes "Corona," "Themselves," "Badges," "I Felt Like A Gringo," and "Time" (Richard Hell). Part 2 includes "Lost" (Meat Puppets), "Ack Ack Ack Ack," "History Lesson Part II," and "Tour Spiel." Part 3 is "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand." Your bonus outtakes from the session are "The Red And The Black" (Blue Öyster Cult) and "Green River" (Creedence Clearwater Revival).

DINOSAUR, JR. and LOU BARLOW played DC's 9:30 Club last night, so you should be able to stream the whole gig on demand today via NPR.

YO LA TENGO returned to The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming via MPR.

THE 50 GREATEST COVER SONGS, according to SPIN, with embedded audio. BONUS: Covers that are better than the originals are discussed at The Current blog.

MOJO NIXON has 13 free albums for download at Amazon. 

RAY DAVIES and DAVID BOWIE duet on "Waterloo Sunset," live at the Tibet House Benefit, Carnegie Hall, New York in Feb. 2003.

POPCANDY PODCAST: Fanfarlo, Headlights, Rufus Wainwright, Pugwash and more are streaming via USA Today.

DESERT ISLAND DISCS, also from USA Today's Whitney Matheson.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS talks to the Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot about a life on the road.

BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO stopped by the World Cafe for a mini-set streaming via NPR.

SKA: The history and future of the genre is essayed at PopMatters.

CUTOUT BIN: From Toni Basil en Espanol to the Chi-Lites, from Grand Funk to Crooked Fingers, from U2 to the Sweet, plus Flock of Seagulls, the Posies, the Beach Boys, Jim Reid, the Kinks, Sam and Dave, the Go! Team and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide release is Couples Retreat, which is currently scoring 7 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.

RUSSELL BRAND and KATY PERRY are heating up.

DAVE LETTERMAN is looking at a 300 million dollar divorce, according the the ever-reliable National Enquirer.  Meanwhile, his former assistant-galpal has been banned from his CBS set.

DR. PHIL is being sued by a woman who claims he held her captive inside his production offices, forced her to stare at a naked man - and then grabbed her left breast.

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY and ex PETER COOK want each other chucked in jail.

JOE FRANCIS GONE WILD, on video, ironically.

ELLEN PAGE is writing and producing an HBO comedy.

EMMY ROSSUM and ADAM DURITZ: Caught canoodling, as the actress ends her secret marriage.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS demanding behind closed doors that oil-producing nations get special financial assistance if a new climate pact calls for substantial reductions in the use of fossil fuels.

AFGHANISTAN: Anthony Loyd revisits his old regiment and reports on the daily ordeal of life on Afghanistan's bloodiest battlefront.

IRAQ: The US Marines complete their mission in Anbar province.  What follows is an open question.

WILLOW can read from cards, which has the Today Show staff fearing for their jobs.

BOOMER might be the world's tallest living dog. Pic at the link.

A DEAD DEER IN A CLOWN SUIT. In Sioux City, IA. And we have video.

A FOUR-WEEK-OLD KITTEH was the focus of a two-day rescue effort after she got stuck in the engine block of a car in a mall parking lot.

THE DEAD WEATHER have a new video for "I Cut Like A Buffalo."

NELLIE McKAY is advance streaming her Doris Day tribute album via NPR. Yes, really.

THE GOSSIP played DC's 9:30 Club last night; you should be able to stream the gig on demand today.

COLIN HAY (yes, formerly of Men At Work) did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

MARTINE, one of the most sought-after producers in the business, guest DJs at All Songs Considered.

THE MEAT PUPPETS play "Up On The Sun" at The Stone in San Francisco, CA. March 1, 1985.

EXENE CERVENKA is profiled by the L.A. Times on her return to Southern California after four years spent living in rural Missouri.  She has a solo LP due next week.

YO LA TENGO bassist James McNew talks to the National Post about the Popular Songs album and playing together for a quarter-century.

WAVVES: Nathan Williams talks to the Phoenix New Times about his next album: "It sounds like a Journey record. It sounds like grated melted cheese on top of nachos. It sounds like fish tacos."

CASTANETS: Roy Raposa talks to PopMatters about his atmospheric new album Texas Rose, The Thaw and The Beasts.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH IS STILL DEAD, but it is only now that we learn the FBI investigated whether she plotted to kill her tycoon husband's son as they battled for his father's fortune.

BRAD PITT and JENNIFER ANISTON reportedly held a secret meeting in a NYC hotel room.

JOHN TRAVOLTA's lawyer channels Jack Nicholson in court.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR informs fans about upcoming heart surgery via Twitter.

PREDATORS: The Robert Rodriguez reboot picks up Adrien Brody... and maybe Topher Grace.

GUY RITCHIE: His marriage to Madonna behind him, and the potential blockbuster Sherlock Holmes coming in December, the director is profiled by Esquire.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS convicted a man for publicly talking about sex after he bragged on a TV talk show about his exploits, sentencing him to five years in jail and 1000 lashes.

IRAN's foreign minister accused the US of involvement in the disappearance of an Iranian nuclear scientist in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. We can only hope. Meanwhile, the US may be stepping up preparations for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

AFGHANISTAN: Supply convoys are coming under savage attack by the Taliban.

CHICKEN cleaning a cat's butt.

KITTEH trying to get in a dog's mouth.

COWS stare udderly unamazed as protesting Belgian dairy farmers deploy them as weapons against police.

LLONELY LLAMA was traumatized and ran off to Pike's Peak when his mom was killed by a mountain lion.

ALLIGATOR seized after domestic dispute.

GRIZZLY BEAR plays a Cemetery Gates gig at PitchforkTV.

THE FLAMING LIPS are advance streaming the Embyonic album via NPR.

BRENDAN BENSON does the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, one previously unreleased.

TEGAN and SARA debuted a new song, "Hell" at the Finlandia festival.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND have a new song, "Horchata" downloadable and streamable via the 'Gum Mix.

YACHT ROCK: Christopher Cross performed Sailing and Ride Like the Wind with The Roots for Fallon the other night. And yes, that's Michael McDonald sitting in on the second number.

BOB MOULD talks to Spinner about Hüsker Dü, his upcoming biography, and his new LP, Life and Times.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle talks to The Skinny about ambition, God and Santa Claus.

VIC CHESTNUTT answers the infamous 20 Questions from PopMatters, and talks to The A.V. Club.

THE WOODIE AWARDS, chosen by college students and music fans across the country via MTVU, have posted nominations.

2012: The trailer, minus special effects. So we can focus on the awesome acting.

DAVE LETTERMAN: "Late Show" staffer Stephanie Birkitt revealed in her diary that she continued having sex with boss David Letterman even after moving in with her CBS-producer boyfriend -- which sheds some light on the alleged extortion plot, doesn't it.

ROMAN POLANSKI will continue to sit in a Swiss jail: "We continue to be of the opinion that there is a high risk of flight." You think?

NICOLE RICHIE was taken to a Los Angeles hospital on Monday after she was rear-ended by paparazzi.

BROOKE SHIELDS and JIM BELUSHI survived a plane crash at Hearst Castle.

GEORGE MICHAEL denies his relationship with long-term lover Kenny Goss is over.

HEIDI KLUM wants to change her exotic-sounding last name to "Samuel," to match husband Seal.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson got a judge to expunge his infamous DUI arrest from his record.

RUSH LIMABUGH is teaming up with St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts in a bid to buy the St. Louis Rams.

MADONNA collects damages for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement over photographs of the popstar's wedding to Guy Ritchie in 2000.

MAGGIE SMITH talks to the Times of London about fighting breast cancer.

IRAN plans to install a more advanced type of centrifuge in its newly revealed uranium enrichment site.

AFGHANISTAN: The US military said that more than 100 Taliban fighters were killed in the Oct. 3 battle in Nuristan.

RACCOON GANG UPDATE: "They're like little bears on crack."

WHEN EMUS ATTACK: A woman had to be flown to the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center after being clawed by an emu shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday.

YES, WE HAVE A MASSIVE SPIDER in our bananas.

BUSTED for Unlawful Possession of a Great White Shark. In Oregon.