THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with A CHRISTMAS SHINDIG! The full episode has gone dark, but still-available clips from 1964 include The Beach Boys' "Dance, Dance, Dance," Bobby Sherman and Donna Loren singing "Keep on Searching," the Righteous Brothers doing "The Jerk" and an awesome milk commercial, Adam Faith with "Watch Your Step," and "Santa Claus Is Back In Town", Bobby Sherman with "Sleigh Ride," Donna Loren returning with a Spector-esque, but rougher "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and The Beach Boys deliver a set including "Little Saint Nick," "Monster Mash" (yes, really) "Papa Oom Mow Mow," "Johnny B. Goode," and "We Three Kings."

KURT VILE stops by World Cafe.

THE MC50 stops by KEXP.

H.E.R. plays a Tiny Desk Concert.

ALEX CHILTON: Hear his cover of Louis Jordan's “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying" and “Lonely Weekends,” both preciously unreleased.

GREG LAKE of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, with his solo hit "I Believe in Father Christmas," which (iirc) got to No.2 in the UK behind Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME officially announced its 2019 inductees: Radiohead, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard, The Cure, Roxy Music and the Zombies. Radiohead was underwhelmed.

KEITH RICHARDS has given up drinking: “It was time to quit.” (Note: he's talking about booze, not blood.)

THE TOP 100 LPs of 2018, according to NME.

WFMU’s Free Music Archive is saved (but won’t be run by the station anymore).

THE NUMBER ONES looks at the Jackson 5's national debut "I Want You Back," one of the greatest No. 1 singles of all time.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases include Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, which is currently scoring 98 percent on the ol' Tomatometer (and deservedly so -- see below); Mortal Engines, which is scoring 28 percent; and The Mule, scoring 68 percent. There's also Once Upon a Deadpool, the PG-13 version of the sequel reimagined through the frame of The Princess Bride, complete with Fred Savage; it's scoring 51 percent, but a share of the profits are going to a cancer charity here because it is mostly a way to get the franchise into the Chinese market.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE is quite arguably the best comic-book movie of the year, in a year we got Black Panther and Incredibles 2. It's a fun-filled visual feast that fully realizes all the dynamism a mind fills in reading comics. It's 3-D. it's 2-D, it's anime, it's Rauschenberg swinging from a skyscraper and popping you in the eyes with a mighty "THWAAK!" It's more psychedelic than Dr. Strange. Yet it's also filled with the sort of character moments that are the secret of the Marvel franchise on top of the phantasmagorical set pieces, ample comic relief, homages to the late, great Stan Lee (plus other artists) and the original Spider-trilogy directed by Sam Raimi. And yes, there's a little something something for those who stay past the end credits.

ELIZA DUSKU got a secret (until now) 9.5MM sex harassment from CBS after working on the set of Bull. And the network cluelessly gave her outtakes that contained evidence of the harassment.

KEN JEONG to host the Oscars?

JENNIFER GARNER and J.J. ABRAMS, together again (professionally).

DUCHESS MEGHAN has had enough of the rumors surrounding her and her family members.

DAX SHEPARD was quick to shut down reports he cheated on Kristen Bell with Julie Andrews' granddaughter, Kayti Edwards.

STARGIRL  has cast S.W.A.T.'s Lou Ferrigno Jr. as the Golden Age Hourman.

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY has a Season 2 trailer online.

SONDRA LOCKE, who received a supporting actress Oscar nomination in her first movie role for The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, but may be best known for Sudden Impact, died Nov. 3 at 74.

MANDARIN DUCK meets... Mandarin Dog.

HOW HOUSE CATS spread across the world.

CHRISTMAS IN THE SOUTH: There's a new animal pulling Santa's sleigh this year: "Reingators."

A PARROT has fallen in love with his owner's Amazon Alexa - but keeps using it to order shopping. (NSFW content on the page.)

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

JD McPHERSON visits Fresh Air for a chat and holiday-themed mini-set.

DOYLE BRAMHILL II plays World Cafe Live.

ALL SONGS: The music they missed in their year-end lists.

PHOEBE BRIDGERS plays "Scott Street" for Carson Daly.

THIS MORTAL COIL: How a Bunch of Romantic Goths Changed Music As We Know It.

THE BEST BOX SETS of 2018, according to Paste.

THE WORST CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONES, according to NME.

THE NUMBER ONES looks at B. J. Thomas' Burt Bacharach/Hal David-written "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head."

THE SAG AWARD nominees are announced. Congrats. Here are the snubs and surprises. And your host is Megan Mullally.

THE BEST MOVIES of 2018, according to NPR's film critics.

PIXAR announced a new original feature via Twitter.

PETER JACKSON talks Mortal Engines, his WWI documentary, and Amazon's Lord of the Rings series.

TAYLOR SWIFT used facial recognition to track her stalkers at a concert.

NICKI MINAJ is already considering marriage with her new (old) beau.

JOEL McHALE has been cast as Sylvester Pemberton a/k/a Starman on the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl.

A SPIDER CRAB removes its shell.

BEAVERS return to Italy after 500 years.

A DOG saves a goal during an Argentine soccer match.

A LEMUR surprises a Florida Highway Patrol trooper during a traffic stop.

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE stops by Morning Becomes Eclectic.

SELF-DEFENSE FAMILY streams  a new EP Working People (Part 1), which notably includes a cover of Cat Power’s “What Would The Community Think.”

MOTHERS visit the Paste studio.

THE MEAT PUPPETS' original lineup returns with "Warranty."

MERCURY REV & HOPE SANDOVAL cover Bobbie Gentry's "Big Boss Man."

TULLYCRAFT shares a video for "Passing Observations."

JEFF TWEEDY on breakups, artistic evolutions, starting a band with his son, and writing a book.

QUEEN: "Bohemian Rhapsody" becomes the most streamed song from the 20th century.

THE 50 BEST LPs of 2018, according to Pitchfork.

THE NUMBER ONES looks at Diana Ross & The Supremes' "Someday We'll Be Together," the final No. 1 hit of the '60s.

CLINT EASTWOOD explains why he decided to direct, produce and star in the drug drama The Mule, and how many more movies he wants to make.

DISNEY has already topped 7 Billion at the global box office for 2018 — with three weeks left in the year. You can pencil in another 2 Billion for Avengers: Endgame next year.

JENNIFER ANISTON says “the boys” are responsible for Friends not returning.

AQUAMAN: What the critics are saying.

DR STRANGE: Scott Derrickson, who directed and co-wrote the mystical Marvel hero's initial 2016 outing, has quietly finalized a deal to helm the sequel.

JAMES BOND had "a severe chronic alcohol problem," according to public health expertswith a poor sense of fiction.

GREY'S ANATOMY: TV's most influential music show.

TALENT SHOW: A dog and a water glass.

AN ABANDONED PUPPER, rescued from a canyon.

100 SNAKES, rescued from a Texas house fire.

CITY FROGS croon more alluring love songs.

BOB GELDOF, by his own admission, is responsible for two of the worst songs in history: "'Do They Know It's Christmas?" and "We Are The World."

STEVE WYNN joined YO LA TENGO on The Dream Syndicate's “That’s What You Always Say,” and Bob Dylan's "Apple Suckling Tree" to help close out this year's Hanukkah run.

THE BETHS rip it up for KEXP.

HOZIER plays World Cafe.

NIGHT FLOWERS covers The Pretenders' "2000 Miles."

LAMBCHOP shares "The December-Ish You."

EDDIE ARGOS joins GURR on “Christmas Holiday.”

THE HOLD STEADY: Salon takes a very close look at the making of and aftermath of The Hold Steady's pivotal 2008 album Stay Positive.

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM talks to Stereogum about the stories behind a selection of his solo tracks, whether he'd ever rejoin Fleetwood Mac, and more.

THE CLASH: Is "Why Sandinista! Is Better Than London Calling" the hottest take ever? (thx, Scot.)

THE NUMBER ONES looks at Peter, Paul & Mary's "Leaving On A Jet Plane," the folk-pop trio's sole No. 1 hit.

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSYERS has a second trailer online.

KIM POSSIBLE drops a trailer online.

EMMET'S HOLIDAY PARTY: A LEGO Movie short.

THE OSCARS: Kevin Hart's abrupt departure as Oscars host has left the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences scrambling to find someone to take the gig.

THE ACADEMY has disqualified the scores from Solo; A Star Wars Story, Green Book, and others for various reasons.

NICKI MINAJ's new boyfriend has quite an extensive rap sheet, because along with a conviction for attempted rape, he also served hard time for killing a man. 

GAME OF THRONES: Don't believe everything you read about the final season, according to Richard Dormer (Beric).

A DOG that survived the catastrophic "Camp Fire" in Northern California apparently protected the ruins of his home for almost a month until his owner returned.

ROGER, the ripped kangaroo, passes away at age 12.

MR MURDERBRITCHES Goes Viral.

THE WORLD'S OLDEST BIRD lays another egg at 68 years old.

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

SHARON VAN ETTEN joined YO LA TENGO on the Ramones’ “Don’t Come Close,” Fred Neil’s “Dolphins,” and her own song “One Day” for the sixth night of Hanukkah.

RICHARD LLOYD plays WFUV Live.

JOHN GRANT stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

JOSH HOMME covers "Silent Night" and reads "'Twas the Night Before Christmas.."

BROKEN BELLS returns with "Shelter."

ALVVAYS covers DEVO's "Freedom of Choice" in Toronto.

REDD KROSS keeps its aesthetic alive for 40 years. (Thx, Frank Yang.)

PETE SHELLEY, eulogized at NME.

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM says he and Fleetwood Mac have settled the recent lawsuit over his firing from the band.

THE GRAMMYS nominations went to these people.

KISS rocker Gene Simmons is being sued by a woman who claims he groped her at the opening of his Rock & Brews restaurant back in 2016. 

THE NUMBER ONES looks at Steam's sporting-events standby "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Ralph Breaks the Internet three-peats atop the chart with 16.1MM on a 37 percent drop, performing somewhere between Moana and Coco. That looks good, but the test comes this weekend when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse swings onto big screens. The Grinch places with15.2MM on a leggy 15 percent drop, and its holiday theme may help it survive Spidey.  Creed II shows with 10.3MM on a 38 percent drop; it's performing well ahead of its predecessor and will likely top 130MM domestic before year's end.  Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald takes the fourth slot with 6.8MM on a 40 percent drop; it continues to lag its predecessor significantly in the US, but has grossed over 568MM worldwide.  Bohemian Rhapsody rounds out the Top Five with 6MM on a 25 percent drop  and is thisclose to 600MM worldwide.

AQUAMAN rakes in 93.6MM in China,exceeding the entire lifetime gross of Wonder Woman in the country, and more than twice as much as The Last Jedi's entire run there.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME has a trailer online.

PLASTIC MAN is in development at Warner's.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS revealed that her engagement to pastor Chad Johnson is off.

JENNIFER ANISTON believes her marriages were successful.

WRINKLY BULLDOG pups swarm.

A SOCCER DOG plays catch, not fetch.

A DOG seemingly saves a drowning man while being recorded by... a cat? An idiot?

A YOUNG BOBCAT accused of killing chickens makes its way back to a Utah town after being released in the wild; found in a doghouse.