THE RAVEONETTES have a brand new video for "Heart of Stone."

FRIGHTENED RABBIT is advance streaming The Winter of Mixed Drinks. 

DR. DOG played the Mountain Stage; you can stream the gig via NPR.

SURFER BLOOD stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and twofer streaming via NPR.

CLASSIC STONES OUTTAKES, courtesy of Captain's Dead.

SPLIT ENZ: "I Got You." Because.

RAY DAVIES is recording an album of Kinks duets with folks like Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, and possibly the Killers, Metallica and Lucinda Williams.

TEGAN & SARA: The former talks to the Las Vegas Sun about career goals, social networking, fan requests, and more...

TORTOISE multi-instrumentalist Dan Bitney talked to Prefix about "returning to form," high-concept music, and the impossibility of re-creating classic Springsteen on late-night television.

THE RAMONES: Natavia Lowery, the personal assistant to former Ramones manager Linda Stein has been convicted in a New York court of bludgeoning her boss to death.

CHARLIE SHEEN checked into rehab because he was using cocaine and alcohol, according to RadarOnline. Shocka!

MATTHEW FOX of Lost is caught up in a sex scandal with a stripper who is young enough to be his daughter. InTouch scores the exclusive interview with the stripper.

TIGER WOODS: Howard Stern is roundng up the golfer's mistresses for a 100K beauty pageant.

LINDSAY LOHAN tells all about her lesbian relationship with Samantha Ronson - and says she wants her lover back.

KIEFER SUTHERLAND returned to the set of 24 after filming was halted because he needed to undergo surgery.

MARY-KATE OLSEN is back on the market.

MATT DAMON & JAKE GYLLENAAL both turned down Avatar.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Marvel's casting candidates for the super-soldier have leaked online.

MY SO-CALLED LIFE: Angela Chase and Jordan Catalano meet again, 15 years later.

IRAN aims to spread its Islamic revolution beyond its borders, Ahmadinejad pledged on Tuesday.

PAKISTAN works with the CIA, but are moving warily toward conflicting goals, with each maneuvering to protect its influence after the shooting stops in Afghanistan.

WATCH XANTE on the Golden Retriever Puppy Cam, before he goes off to seeing eye dog school.

RATS in a Mailbox. Special Delivery!

KOMODO DRAGON's attack on an Indonesian park ranger thwarted.

KILLER WHALE meets expectations at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium in Orlando.

FEIST debuted "He Was Free" at the 2010 Cultural Olympiad. Sneaky-cam was there.

JOANNA NEWSOM is streaming her new Have One on Me triple-LP via NPR.

SHE & HIM drop "Thieves" as an advance track to their sophomore LP. Yum.

ROKY ERIKSON & OKKERVIL RIVER drop "Goodbye Sweet Dreams" as an advance track from their collaboration. Streamable via Hypem.

APPLES IN STEREO dropped "Dance Floor" as an advance track at the relaunched 'Gum.

MIDLAKE stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set, now streaming on demand.

16 FOLK COVERS of the Talking Heads. Naive Melodies.

BOWERBIRDS' latest video is "Northern Lights."

RICHARD THOMPSON is curating the Meltdown music fest in the UK, earning him an audio slideshow.

GLASVEGAS guitarist Rab Allan talks to PopMatters about recording a new album in Los Angeles, taking rock star lessons from Noel Gallagher, and throwing Beethoven into their music just because they can.

DEVO's first album in 20 years is to be determined by focus group.

ABBEY ROAD now has protected status as a historic building from the British government.

MAY 4TH, 2010: New albums from Broken Social Scene, The New Pr0nographers and the Hold Steady. Circle your calendar.

CHARLIE SHEEN is taking time off from "Two and a Half Men" and checking into a rehab facility "as a preventative measure."  His wife is in a new rehab clinic, and plans to sue the one she just left for allegedly violating her privacy.  The couple's twin sons are with their mom, "along with the nannies and a counselor."

TIGER WOODS' wife Elin refused to pose for a family portrait with him the night before his televised apology.

HILARY DUFF has a million-dollar engagement ring.

JOHNNY DEPP will appear on CBS's 48 Hours Mystery on Saturday to advocate the release of the "West Memphis Three."

ROBERT PATTINSON has finally confirmed he is dating his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart.

JESSICA SIMPSON is slammed by PETA over her plan to get a pet pig. And was the focus of a bar fight.

PIRATES 4: Deadwood's Ian McShane is in negotiations to play Blackbeard.

JEFF BRIDGES abides in a feature article at GQ.

YEMEN: The Pentagon has approved 150 million in military assistance to the country, to equip and train local forces in the fight against al-Qaeda.

A PIGEON rides the subway.

A JACK RUSSELL TERRIER outed its fugitive owner to the police.

SPORK the DACHSHUND fights a death sentence for biting a veterinary technician during an exam.

COURTHOUSE DOGS help calm victims and witnesses of violent attacks during testimony.

BETTIE SERVEERT "Deny All" and rock out in this video. Their first LP in four years comes out here in March.

NEW RELEASES: Alkaline Trio, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Buzzcocks, Clem Snide, Locksley, Shearwater, Quasi, Sambassadeur, Shout Out Louds and more are streaming this week via Spinner.

NEW PR0NOGRAPHERS dropped the title track to the upcoming "Together" LP.

MUMFORD & SONS got a feature plus tracks on All Things Considered.

EXENE CERVENKA stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a chat and mini-set featuring her new solo project.

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS sync through "Steppin' Out" and "Louie, Louie" on Canada's Swingin' Time for Twofer Tuesday.

MICHAEL AZERRAD defends "NPR Rock" against an indictment by Carrie Brownstein (who blogs at... NPR).

FIELD MUSIC: Chris Roberts talks to The Quietus about sibling relationships and a love for Led Zeppelin - apart from "their Tolkien stuff", of course...

BROKEN BELLS: Danger Mouse talks to Dose about his collaboration with The Shins' James Mercer.

NOUVELLE VAGUE talks to Prefix about copyright issues, touring in the US, and working with some of the biggest names in the new-wave gestalt.

ANGELINA JOLIE and JON VOIGHT reunite after a years-long feud.

LINDSAY LOHAN lays bare the extent of her drug addiction - and confesses she came close to killing herself through a heady mix of alcohol, cocaine and mind-bending drugs.

CHARLIE SHEEN: Wife Brooke Mueller bailed on rehab, saying, "No, no, no."

TIGER WOODS is reportedly in Scottsdale, Arizona this week.

SIENNA MILLER speaks for the first time about reignited romance with Jude Law.

BILLY CORGAN talked to the Chicago Tribune about pro wrestling, Jessica Simpson and his plans to write a memoir.

RYAN PHILIPPE and ABBIE CORNISH are dunzo.

PADMA LAKSHMI of Top Chef gave birth to a daughter.

BETTY WHITE may yet host SNL.

"PIRATES" 4: Johnny Depp confirms that Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom will not return to the franchise.

TERROR IN THE USA: An airport shuttle bus driver who plotted to detonate potent explosives in New York's subway system pleaded guilty Monday for his role in a "martyrdom operation" that authorities called one of the most serious terrorism plots on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.

IRAN: Senior Iranian opposition figure Mehdi Karoubi called for a referendum to end the turmoil that erupted in the Islamic Republic after its disputed June presidential election, opposition websites said.

AFGHANISTAN: The top UN official there has called for direct peace talks with Mullah Omar's Taliban leadership to find a political settlement to the eight year war.

WHEN A PUPPY ATTACKS... a dandelion.

BORDER COLLIE... AND GIRL caught in foothold traps, drag themselves and a log a half-mile to safety.

THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER was unable to retrieve the car from the swimming pool.

GIANT GEORGE was officially named the world's Tallest Living Dog and Tallest Dog Ever by Guinness World Records on Monday. (Thx, Rebecca.)

VAMPIRE WEEKEND is "Giving Up the Gun," along with a bizzare cast of cameos, including RZA, Lil' Jon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Joe Jonas.

BEACH HOUSE stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set streaming via NPR.

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE stopped by WFUV for a chat and mini-set.

GIRLS: Their cover of Skeeter Davis' "End of the World" is now a free download.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE will give you an advance track, "World Sick," in return for your e-mail address.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG did an intervew and tracks with Weekend Edition Sunday.

THE MAMAS & PAPAS: Can't trust that day.

JOANNA NEWSOM is profiled by the Times of London, while her imminent triple-LP is reviewed by The Observer.

ABBEY ROAD will not be sold, EMI announces.

OK GO: Damian Kulash, Jr., blasts the Tube from the op-ed pages of the New York Times.

TICKETMASTER settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission that the company and its affiliates used deceptive bait-and-switch tactics to sell event tickets to consumers.

ELTON JOHN: "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Shutter Island tops the chart with 40.2 million in receipts -- a record for both Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. Valentine's Day skidded 69 percent, taking in only 17.2 million (though it's well in the black). Avatar climbs back into the third slot, even as it dropped another 32 percent, making another 16.1 million. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief dropped 51 percent to the fourth slot; Fox probably failed to guess that Avatar would be taking its business.  The Wolfman skidded 69 percent from second to fifth, taking in 9.8 million.  Dudes chose Shutter Island instead, almost ensuring a flop for Universal.

TIGER WOODS and his wife may be on a family trip with the kids.

HILARY DUFF got engaged to Mike Comrie of the Edmonton Oilers.

SEAN PENN has been charged with battery and vandalism for an October attack on a photographer.

JESSICA SIMPSON: Back with Dane Cook?

CONAN O'BRIEN has a plan that would keep him in front of audiences: putting on a series of live theatrical shows.

SUSAN SARANDON was struck by projectile vomit from a transsexual cabaret performer at the third anniversary of The Box in New York's Lower East Side.

THE BAFTAS went to these folks, most notably The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow over Avatar and James Cameron. Then again, Kristen Stewart got the award for Rising Young Star.

THE WRITERS GUILD AWARDS went to these folks. Kudos for Hurt Locker, Up in the Air, Mad Men and 30 Rock.

TIM BURTON'S ALICE in WONDERLAND may fall victim to a fight between Disney and British cinema owners.

PAKISTAN'S decision to go after the Afghan Taliban leadership reflects a quiet shift underway since last fall, the result of carrots (military and economic assistance and help easing tensions with India) and sticks (unspecified threats by the US).  However, Pakistan will not turn over the Afghan Taliban's No. 2 leader and two other high-value militants captured this month to the United States, but may deport them to Afghanistan. Mulvi Kabir, the former Taliban governor in Afghanistan's Nangahar Province, becomes another key figure in the Taliban regime captured in Pakistan.

AFGHANISTAN: Gen. Petraeus said in a speech at Princeton University that after more than eight years of fighting in Afghanistan, the US finally is getting enough troops, diplomats and organizational structure to be able to keep extremist groups from taking over again there.

CAT on CAT MASSAGE: Let's go to the video.

DOLPHINS were spotted in downtown Hackensack, NJ, last week.

ONE IN THREE BRITISH DOGS is overweight because owners feed their pets too many treats and do not give them enough exercise.

A LYNX is checking out the Olympic luge and downhill skiing.

RARE RHINO PREGNANCY fuels hope for endangered species.

PANDAS: Scientists have found that the combination of pr0n, exercises, and the occasional menage a trois -- to get young male pandas curious about sex -- have proved successful.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with ECHO and the BUNNYMEN!  Live at the Royal Albert Hall, circa July 1983.  Your setlist includes: "Going Up," "With A Hip" and "All That Jazz"; "All My Colours (Zimbo)" and "Silver"; "The Cutter" and "The Killing Moon"; "Rescue" and "Never Stop"; and "Over the Wall." Your encores are "Crocodiles" and "Do It Clean."

GRANT HART has a chat and twofer with the World Cafe to promote Hot Wax, which arrived last fall after a 10-year hiatus.

THE CONSTANTINES did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, one previously unreleased.

THE RETRIBUTION GOSPEL CHOIR stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set, streaming via MPR.

ROCKY VOTOLATO is advance streaming the True Devotion LP via Paste.

NURSES did three free songs for Daytrotter, one previously unreleased.

GLOSSARY, a band hailing from Murfreesboro, TN, get a review and twofer from the World Cafe.

SHEARWATER drops a video for "Hidden Lakes," from The Golden Archipelago.

MY SHARONA:  Sharona Alperin, the subject of The Knack's signature hit, is profiled by the L.A. Times and the BBC. (Thx, TV's Andy Levy.)

WILCO: Jeff Tweedy talks to the Calgary Herald about the response to his latest work: "I think it's absurd..." (Thx, Chromewaves.)

SAM COOKE: His career is essayed at Gaper's Block.

GORDON LIGHTFOOT: The reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Replacements to the Beach Boys, from Marvin Gaye to Muse, from Jerry Lee Lewis to the Jesus & Mary Chain, plus CCR, the Go-Gos, the Morning Benders, Mickey & Sylvia and more -- this weekend's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide release is Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island, which is currently scoring 64 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.

TIGER WOODS: Will his wife be there when he makes his big public apology? Radar reports that she will be a no-show.

ANGELINA JOLIE: Did she have work done?

SIMON COWELL is denying online reports that he is engaged to American Idol makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy.

JESSE JAMES and SANDRA BULLOCK got their dog back. Aw.

ROGER EBERT reviews the Esquire profile linked here yesterday.

GARY COLEMAN FREAKS OUT: Let's go to the video.

IRAN: An International Atomic Energy Agency report expresses worry that Iran may be working on a nuclear warhead, despite a 2007 US intelligence assessment that found the Islamic Republic stopped such work in 2003. The report by the new head of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, appears to raise greater concerns about Iran's capabilities than the assessments of his predecessor, Mohamed ElBaradei. At some point, it should become obvious to the media that (a) the 2007 NIE was a political document drafted to protect the agencies that over-estimated Iraq's program; and (b) ElBaradei was never interested in stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons. But I'm not betting on it.

PAKISTAN: A third senior Taliban leader was captured -- Mullah Mir Mohammed, "shadow governor" of Baghlan Province.  And there have been about a dozen arrests of Taliban leaders as part of this effort. Senior government officials claimed both Mullah Baradar and those arrested with him were giving information they believed would lead to others in the Taliban's new Karachi and Sindh headquarters. I have been rhetorically asking why Pakistan has started cooperating on this level. The answer may be that Pakistan feared losing influence within peace overtures between the US and the Afghan Taliban.

AFGHANISTAN: Snipers -- and sniper teams -- are the latest Taliban tactic against NATO forces in the Marja campaign.

WHEN A PELICAN ATTACKS: Let's go to the video.

CAPTAIN ROUS: The world's largest pet rodent is an Internet star.

A CIRCUS ZEBRA escaped his handler and led police on a chase through downtown Atlanta Thursday afternoon.

FAT BIRDS have more fun.

THE CANE TOAD PLAGUE down under has met its match. The key is... cat food?

SQUIRREL and CAT, living together...