STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS played “Houston Hades” at the Ed Sullivan Theater.

OKX: Stream or download a tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer.

HAUNTED HEARTS: Dum Dum Girls' Dee Dee and husband Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles advance stream Initiation.

BRETT streams their self-titled debut LP.

BEN FROST advance streams A U R O R A.

AARON FREEMAN, a/k/a Gene Ween, drops "The English And Western Stallion" ahead of FREEMAN.

BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE: I shoulda posted "The Bottom Line" before the Kentucky Derby, but better late than never.

R.E.M. released a massive 156-track rarities collection on iTunes. Mike Mills talks to Esquire about the band's legacy, the evolution of the music world, and which bands represent the spirit of R.E.M. today.

THE BLACK KEYS narrowly beat Zombie Michael Jackson to the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: Jimmy Carter talks to The Guardian about the other Jimmy Carter and seven decades of singing Gospel.

PRINCE RUPERT LOWENSTEIN, former manager of the Rolling Stones, has died aged 80. He is credited with turning around The Stones' financial fortunes from the late 1960s.

RACHEL BILSON & HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN are expecting a child who will bring balance to the Force.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN will be subtitled Dawn of Justice.

DANCING WITH THE STARS, dating each other? Hmm.

JESSICA CHASTAIN, unfortunately, has not joined True Detective for season two.

ANGELINA JOLIE appreciates the fact that she isn't like most moms, since she and partner Brad Pitt have the means to bring their kids around the world as their careers demand.

MIKE MYERS making a comeback?

UKRAINE: The United States has seen the first preliminary signs that Russian forces may be preparing to move away from Ukraine's eastern border, but nothing has moved yet, a U.S. defense official told CNN on Wednesday.

VENEZUELA: As sanctions legislation against Venezuela advances in Congress, the Obama administration is finding itself wedged between pressure from Capitol Hill to punish officials over human rights and regional governments that think such a move would only add to tensions in the South American country.

NIGERIA:  A large part of northern and central Nigeria is now at the mercy of intensified attacks by Boko Haram, and the group seems to be embarking on a new phase of its campaign against the Nigerian state -- piling further pressure on the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. President Obama said 80 US troops have been deployed to Chad to aid in the search for over 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram.

EGYPT: Interior Minister Ibrahim announced that security services had foiled terrorist plans to target the president, the defense and interior ministers, police force leaders, and other officials. A criminal court convicted former president Hosni Mubarak of embezzlement, sentencing him to three years in prison; his sons Gamal and Alaa were handed four-year prison terms, and the three were fined more than 20 million.

IRAN: Young Iranians were arrested in Tehran, for the simple crime of dancing unveiled to Pharrell Williams' smash hit, "Happy." The director of the video may still be in jail.

FROSTIE THE SNOW GOAT gets help with a life-threatening ailment.

A CROCODILE sustained injuries after being squashed by a portly circus accountant.

THE SWARM  kept local beekeepers busy throughout the night as they corralled millions of bees set loose on I-95 after a tractor-trailer crash in Delaware.

DOG TOILETS are a bust in Taipei.

ELBOW ushered in a “New York Morning” on the Tonight Show.

REAL ESTATE stopped by WFUV for a mini-set. 

HAMILTON LEITHAUSER (The Walkmen) plays live at Joe's Pub in New York City. 

CHVRCHES played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.

CHARLES BRADLEY played a mini-set at KUTX's Studio 1a. 

ALEX G drops "Harvey" ahead of DSU.

KING KHAN & THE SHRINES work it like Wilson Pickett in "Land of the Freak."

R.E.M.: Mike Mills teases future archival releases.

CONOR OBERST talsk to SPIN about entering a new creative phase while haunted by the past.

SHOEGAZE: The WNYC Soundcheck Guide to the genre.

MACKLEMORE posted an apology on his website late Monday, saying he didn't mean to mock Jewish people by wearing a costume that some say was anti-Semitic during a performance in Seattle last week. And how accurate is his explanation?

MICHAEL JACE, who played a Los Angeles cop on The Shield, has been arrested in the fatal shooting of his wife.

CHANNING TATUM tells GQ he's a high-functioning alcoholic, among other things.

RYAN GOSLING gets catcalls and applause at Cannes.

KATE WINSLET talks about her marriage and does a photoshoot at Harper's Bazaar.

JUSTIN BIEBER & PARIS HILTON: Not an item, thankfully.

KOURTNEY & KHLOE KARDASHIAN actually filed a battery report over a confetti attack.

UKRAINE: The United Nations has received reports of abductions and intimidation of election officials in eastern Ukraine and fears many people will flee the region due to a mounting sense of lawlessness, a U.N. human rights official said on Monday.

VENEZUELA: The group of international air carriers on Tuesday said Venezuela's government had reneged on a promise to pay billions of dollars in ticket fees, an accusation that followed a second airline's announcement that it would stop all flights in and out of the country. Venezuela's postal service has indefinitely suspended international mail deliveries, citing a collapse in the distribution system due to "excessive demand".

NIGERIA  asked the UN Security Council to add Boko Haram to the UN's list of al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups. A top US State Department official said the US does not consider Boko Haram as an al Qaeda branch but rather "as its own terrorist group." The Pentagon reached an agreement over the weekend to share some intelligence with Nigeria in the search for over 100 kidnapped girls.

RUSSIA said it would veto a draft UN resolution that seeks to refer the Syrian conflict to the International Criminal Court.

SPIDER-CAT, Spider-Cat...

A HUSKY that acts like a cat.

CHICKENS could get virtual reality helmets? Blame ISU.

A CAT gets busted for bringing a bag of weed home.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART get animated in “Until The Sun Explodes." And so very Cure.

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN advance stream Meteorites.

HUNDRED WATERS advance streams The Moon Rang Like A Bell.

WHEEDLE's GROOVE: Seattle Funk, Modern Soul & Boogie: Volume II 1972-1987.

THE WAR ON DRUGS perform material from their 2014 release, Lost In The Dream, at KEXP. 

THE YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS, cranking out "I Don't Let The Little Tings Get Me Down" and "Rock & Roll Pest Control" raw for Twofer Tuesday.

JIMMY PAGE talked to the New York Times about his and Led Zeppelin’s place in the history of pop music...and Robert Plant holding up more.

MICK JAGGER is a great-grandfather. Cue Jimmy Fallon.

AGAINST ME!, interviewed by a seventh-grader.

MACKLEMORE denied wearing an anti-Semtic costume in concert. Many of those giving him a pass forget he's a Truther.

LINDSAY LOHAN reportedly got 150K to settle her lawsuit against a clothing company...and won't have to go on the record about her supposed miscarriage.

KIM KARDAHIAN & KANYE WEST get an unusual wedding gift.

ROBERT PATTINSON: Could y'all just stop with the talk about more Twilight?

CHARLIZE THERON talks to Vogue about her new comedy, motherhood, and Sean Penn.

CAMERON DIAZ and... Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden?

GODZILLA is already headed for a sequel.

GORDON WILLIS, a great cinematographer best known for The Godfather, Annie Hall, and All The President's Men, died of cancer Sunday in Falmouth, Mass. He was 82.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY has a new trailer online.

UKRAINE: NATO urged Russia to keep its word this time and withdraw troops along Ukraine's eastern border, saying it has seen no signs of soldiers returning to their bases.

VENEZUELA: Even as frustrated opposition leaders iced their talks with President Nicolas Maduro in the past week, they expressed little support for possible U.S. sanctions against top Venezuelan officials and business associates of his government.

NIGERIA: Residents of three villages in northeastern Nigeria took security into their own hands this week, repelling attacks by Boko Haram insurgents and killing more than 200 of them, residents and officials said.

THE UNITED STATES: FBI Director James Comey admitted to underestimating the strength of al Qaeda's offshoots in Africa and the Middle East, and said the FBI should continue to focus primarily on combating terrorism. The Justice Department filed cyber-espionage charges against five members of the Chinese military. Al Qaeda-linked cleric Abu Hamza was found guilty of all 11 terrorism counts against him and may face a life term at his September sentencing.

A DOG and a hose.

AN ALLIGATOR helps bust a car thief.

WHEN MOOSE ATTACKS: Jacquie Boron and her friend were walking their dogs in Gilpin County, near Black Hawk,CO, when they heard a noise behind them and the moose went after them.

THE SWARM went right after Talos's crotch.

ST VINCENT parfomed "Digital Witness" on SNL, and many of Twitter were put off.

SHARON VAN ETTEN is streaming Are We There via iTunes.

OWEN PALLETT is advance streaming In Conflict.

LEE FIELDS is advance streaming Emma Jean.

LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES advance stream Dereconstructed.

JACK WHITE has "Just One Drink" ahead of Lazaretto.

CARL DOUGLAS, with the classic "Kung Fu Fighting."

BOB DYLAN's Chronicles contains at least a thousand items from other authors.

THE TWILIGHT SAD talks to Drowned In Sound about the reissue of  Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters, touring and their as-yet untitled fourth album, scheduled to come out in October.

LED ZEPPELIN: The first part of "Stairway to Heaven" sounds a lot like "Taurus" by Spirit.

LINDA PERHACS talks to American Songwriter.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Godzilla destroys the competition with 93.2 million, when most projections were in the 60-70 million range. Against a 160 million budget, this is likely to make big profits, with the Chinese market being the only major question mark. Neighbors places with 26 million; that's a 47 percent dro, but a 91.5 million total against an 18 million budget is very much like money in the bank. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 shows with 16.8 million on a big lizard-inspired 53 percent drop. Spidey is at 172 million domestic and will likely finish well below the last one's 262 million, but that 461 in overseas revenue guarantees more of this franchise. Million Dollar Arm debuts in the fourth slot with 10 million, which is passable against a 25 million budget, given that the cross-cultural tale may play well overseas.The Other Woman rounds out the Top 5 with 6.3 million; here again, international receipts are taking this one into the black.  Below the fold, Legends of Oz is flopping spectacularly with 6.6 million total against a reported 70 million budget.

PAMELA ANDERSON shocked guests at a fundraiser during the Cannes Film Festival when she revealed she is a victim of sexual abuse.

AMY POEHLER gave up a first-class seat to a mother and flew coach.

KENDRA WILKINSON gave birth to a baby girl in a manner violating hospital rules.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE denied rumors he's engaged and involved in more Harry Potter projects.

THE COEN BROS' next film is about 1950s Hollywood fixer Eddie Mannix.

INTERSTELLAR: Christopher Nolan's next film, starring Matthew McConnaughey, has a trailer online.

UKRAINE is edging towards "the point of no return", a senior UN official says, amid rising tensions between security forces and pro-Russia separatists.

VENEZUELA: Foreign ministers from three South American countries will meet with Venezuela's opposition group Sunday in a bid to revive stalled talks with the government and end more than three months of protests that have left at least 41 dead.

LIBYA: Fighting in Benghazi between Islamist militants and forces led by retired General Khalifa Haftar left scores of people dead and wounded. A bomb destroyed Ansar al Sharia's radio station in Benghazi. The violence has caused the closure of Benghazi airport.

IRAN: The Revolutionary Guards are reportedly recruiting Afghan refugees to fight alongside Assad regime forces in Syria.

EGYPT: A court sentenced 126 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to jail terms of 10 years.

CHARCOAL loves his red bucket.

TARA the CAT, who saved a boy from a vicious dog, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the next home gameof the Bakersfield Blaze minor league baseball team.

KANGAROO vs PYTHON: Who you got?

AN ALLIGATOR took a surprise dip in a Bradenton pool.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with HARRY NILSSON! The BBC aired "The Music of Nilsson" in 1971, including a mashup of "Mr. Richland's Favorite Song" and "One," "Gotta Get Up," a medley of "Walk Right Back," "Cathy's Clown" and "Let The Good Times Roll," followed by a really moving take on "Life Line." Then there are "Joy," "Without Her," "Coconut" and "1941."

THE OLD 97s played a set at Hill Country Live for WFUV.

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS stopped by KEXP to perform songs from Wig Out at Jagbags.

RICHARD BARONE (The Bongos) visited WFUV for a chat and mini-set. 

LAKE STREET DIVE plays a short set on the Mountain Stage.

DOBIE GRAY is in with "The In Crowd."

BOB DYLAN & FRANK SINATRA: Twin Titans of American Music.

BILLY CORGAN writes about opening for Jane's Addiction in 1988 to mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of Nothing's Shocking.

NINA PERSSON (The Cardigans) talks to Under The Radar about going solo, and motherhood.

ST VINCENT: Annie Clark playlists her dinner party on the moon.

CUTOUT BIN: From Eddie & the Hot Rods to Rickie Lee Jones, from Pavement to Steely Dan, from The Crs to Tom Waits, plus Wreckless Eric, Baby Huey, Three Dog Night, Guded By Voices and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases include: Godzilla, which is currently scoring 84 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and Million Dollar Arm, currently scoring 58 percent.

GODZILLA: Now that's more like it. A much bigger film than the trailers might lead you to believe (surprisingly, I could do actual spoilers), a more satisfying rendition of the beast than the prior, failed reboot of the franchise, and the disaster movie it should be.  The humans alright, particularly Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, and David Strathairn...but the real star here is the big lizard.  The filmmakers here wisely go the Jaws route of showing you glimpses of the legend before the full reveal, which iseverything it should be, followed by one of the funniest moments in the movie.  Godzilla is not perfect. The pacing goes a little off in Act 2.  Chances are missed to make you care more about the main human characters (and to give you more Cranston).  And for some, the adjustment of the nuclear element in this telling will disappoint some hoping for the familiar morality tale.  But overall, a very solid popcorn movie.

SOLANGE KNOWLES & JAY Z state they have worked through their differences and moved on since a video emerged this week showing Solange kicking Jay Z as Beyonce looked on.

JAY Z's company, btw, may be holding up the Kanye/Kim wedding.

ROBIN THICKE will be debuting a new song in his campaign to woo back wife Paula Patton.

LILY ALLEN passed on an icky role in Game Of Thrones.

KATE MIDDLETON's phones were hacked 155 times in eight months.

UKRAINE: Steelworkers employed by Ukraine's biggest tycoon have joined police on patrol in some disputed eastern Ukrainian cities, and the company said Thursday that its officials had struck a deal with police and pro-Russian separatists in one of the cities for the insurgents to leave occupied government buildings.

VENEZUELAN security forces arrested scores of people during a sweep of a busy Caracas avenue as protests against the government heated up amid a widening split within the opposition over whether to back possible US sanctions.

EGYPT: Presidential candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for US support and equipment to help Egypt fight terrorism. The Army seized 15 tons of bomb-making material from two locations in al Quantara, a town that straddles the Suez Canal.

IRAN: Despite apparently reducing illicit purchases that breach UN sanctions, Iran is pursuing development of ballistic missiles, a confidential UN report says, posing an acute challenge to six powers negotiating with Tehran to rein in its nuclear program.

FEDOR THE CAT catches a bat in mid-air. (NSFW language)

TARA, the cat who defended a small boy from a vicious dog, is getting a photoshoot with Cat Fancy.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: Militant rodents take over a palace built for birds.

A SERVICE PIT BULL accepts a diploma for his late owner.