DESTROYER made its network TV debut, playing "Downtown" for Fallon. 

GANG OF FOUR stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session. 

LUYAS are advance streaming Too Beautiful to Work. The band, "influenced by Laurie Anderson and Bob Dylan," are profiled by the Montreal Gazette. (Thx, LHB.)

THE BASEBALL PROJECT is streaming six tracks from their new album via ESPN.

KURT VILE played the the World Cafe Live; you can stream the whole gig on demand.

THE VANDELLES drop "My Time" in support of a new EP. For fans of JAMC-esque noise-pop.

ALICE COOPER is profiled by Morning Edition in advance of his Rock & Roll hall of Fame induction.

THE HIVES: "Hate to Say I Told You So."

NEKO CASE used Twitter to host a discussion of why female rock stars don't get groupies. Reax at Metafilter. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

SUUNS: Ben Henry talked to The Quietus about scaring fans, the Montreal scene and why it's good to be sexy.

THE DEARS: Murray Lightburn talks to the Globe and Mail about the band's quasi-reunion.

THE 10 BEST PROTEST SONGS, according to Dorian Lynskey, author of a new history of the genre.

CHARLIE SHEEN screened Jaws on a 100-foot yacht, accompanied by hs new galpal and adult film actress Bree Olson. Sheen's soon-to-be ex-wife Brooke Mueller has moved back in with him, according to RadarOnline.  Indeed, Radar now claims that Sheen has taken the three women on a tropical vacation.  CBS is asking focus groups about doing Two and a Half Men without him. 

LINDSAY LOHAN was working on a plea deal, but decided to go to trial after learning the judge would require jail time; the prosecutor wanted six months.

RHIANNA and... Ryan Phillippe?

BILLY RAY CYRUS is trying to get his act together after making explosive comments about his family, including daughter Miley Cyrus.

HALLE BERRY & GABRIEL AUBRY: He is moving from LA to NYC to care for their daughter while she films a movie. It's the intersection of sweet and self-interested.

ROYAL WEDDING SECRETS for royal wedding secret-cravers.

JAMES FRANCO & ANNE HATHAWAY talk Oscar hosting with The Hollywood Reporter, which also reports on this year's differences from prior shows.

IRAN: The US Treasury designated the head of the Basij militia and Tehran's prosecutor general for human rights abuses. The two Iranian warships have transited the Suez Canal and are en route to Syria. Senegal cut ties with Iran after the latter shipped weapons to rebels.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS are handing out 37 billion dollars in chilling-out money to head off protests.

BAHRAIN: The government freed more than 50 political prisoners, and said it would permit peaceful demonstrations, in an attempt to appease protesters.

LIBYA: According to Swedish tabloid Expressen, Libya's ex-justice minister claims Gadhafi personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people in 1988. The Italian government estimated that more than 1,000 people have been killed during the insurrection. More than one-half of the country is out of government control. The US fears Gaddafi might use mustard gas. Regardless of what comes next in Libya's lethal political standoff, the OPEC country's oil sector is nearly certain to suffer, bringing long-lasting supply disruptions or even permanent damage.

PAKISTAN's ISI spy agency is ready to split with the CIA because of frustration over what it calls heavy-handed pressure and its anger over what it believes is a covert US operation involving hundreds of contract spies.

AFGHANISTAN: Two think-tankers argue in the NYT that there is increasing evidence that Afghanistan is moving in a more positive direction than many analysts think. But Afghanistan has appealed for the US to provide security assistance beyond 2014.

DANCING GOAT: More like prancing, I think.

CHEETAH CUBS climb a tree at safari camp. Awww...some pics.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: A spider with a human face. Help me!

SNAKE on a TRAIN: A woman who lost her three-foot long boa constrictor on the Boston Metro has been issued with a hefty bill for cleaning costs.

THE NATIONAL, Live in NYC for MTV.  Way more thanTwofer Tuesday.

NEW (and not-so-new) RELEASES from Drive-By Truckers, PJ harvey, Yuck, Mumford & Sons, Band of Horses and more are streaming from Spinner... unless they update their selections today.

LOCAL NATIVES stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session... and played a Tiny Desk Concert.

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

IRON & WINE recently performed a studio session for KUT in Austin, Texas.

WAVVES dropped "Horse Shoes" as another possible single or something.

THE HOLLIES: "I Can't Let Go."

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS: Mike Cooley talks to the Washington City Paper about the Keith Richards memoir and the craft of songwriting and being a frontman.

DAWES: Taylor Goldsmith and Tay Strathairn talk to the Daily Bruin about recording in analog, playing with their heroes and more... (Thx, LHB.)

THE MONKEES are to reform for a tour celebrating the group's 45th anniversary... minus Mike Nesmith, natch.

IS FOOD the new indie rock?

CHARLIE SHEEN seems to have a new galpal, but wants to move his ex-wives next door. Meanwhile, he invited former baseball stars over for a screening of Major League, while one of his recent companions terminated a pregnancy that could have been Sheen's.

JOHN TRAVOLTA got snapped sans hairpiece.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Baby mama Oksana Grigorieva rejected a 15 million dollar peace deal with the star "to see where the chips might fall" in court, emails reveal.

MATTHEW MORRISON and OLIVIA MUNN looked pretty chummy at a hockey game in New York Sunday night.

THE FARRELLY BROTHERS talk to the WSJ about Hall Pass and The Three Stooges.

SKINS, the controversial MTV teen drama, is hemorrhaging viewers.

SUPERMAN: Is Zach Snyder adding Kevin Costner to the reboot cast?

IRAN: Ayatollah Khamenei praised recent revolts around the Arab world as Islamic and said they should be consolidated. Opposition street protests continued in various parts of Tehran.

SUDAN: President Omar al-Bashir will not stand for re-election, an official of his National Congress Party said on Monday, insisting, however, that he was "not under pressure" from the wave of protests rocking the Arab world.

LIBYA: Gaddafi appeared on state television in one of his trademark crazy costumes on Tuesday signalling his defiance and saying he had not fled a revolt against his 41-year rule.  As warplanes and helicopters fired on protesters, Libya's diplomats at the UN in New York called for international intervention to stop the government's violent action against street demonstrations in their homeland. A video purports to show Libyan soldiers slain for refusing to fire on civilians.

EGYPT: More details have emerged of Lara Logan's terrifying ordeal at the hands of a frenzied mob.

PAKISTAN: The American arrested in Pakistan after shooting two men at a crowded traffic stop was part of a covert, CIA-led team collecting intelligence and conducting surveillance on militant groups deep inside the country, according to American government officials.

CATS & CUPS: Let's go to the video.

BUSY BEAVERS wear out their welcome at a Wisconsin yacht club.

CAT VOLDEMORT finds a home.

CLEVER SHEEP: The most dangerous of creatures.

RADIOHEAD released King of Limbs a day early, along with the video for "Lotus Flower."

LUCINDA WILLIAMS is advance streaming Blessed.

FITZ & THE TANTRUMS stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

GREGG ALLMAN also stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

JUNIP drops "Näckrosdammen" in advance of a new EP.

THE DUM DUM GIRLS cover The Smiths classic, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out."

THE CARS -- including Ric Ocasek, but not the late Ben Orr, natch -- release "Blue Tip" in advance of the upcoming reunion LP, Move This.  Sonically, somewhere between Panorama and Shake It Up.

TED LEO talks to the L.A. Times about playing sans the Pharmacists.

DEERHOOF: Satomi Matsuzaki talks to Boulder Weekly about giving the drummer some, elementary school ballet and more... (Thx, LHB.)

SMASING PUMPKINS' new bassist was one of the kids on the cover of Siamese Dream.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT has a baby through the surrogacy of Leonard Cohen's daughter.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Unknown is this weekend's surprise No. 1 with 21.8 million against a 30 million budget (which it might meet today, given the holiday).  Unknown was marketed like Taken and got roughly similar reviews, which bodes well... though I wonder whether the "father's revenge" angle wasn't a big part of Taken's legs.  I Am Number Four debuted at No. 2 with 19.5 million against a 60 million budget.  Gnomeo and Juliet are just behind with 19.4 million, lacking any competition for the kid's audience.  Just Go With It, last week's topper, is No. 4 (as opposed to Number Four) with 18.2 million; this looks to run to about 100 million, which is a good thing, given its 80 million budget.  Big Mommas rounds out the Top Five with 17 million against a 32 million budget.  Below the fold, the Bieber movie lands in sixth place, dropping about 54 percent (which is a smaller drop than the Hannah Montana movie had).  Also, The King's Speech broke the 100 million mark, as did Black Swan further down the chart.

LINDSAY LOHAN had a very late night out with ex-gf and new neighbor Samantha Ronson, but assures us that she was sober, so as not to risk her probation.  But that probation is why Lohan could go to jail for more than a year for allegedly stealing that necklace ... and it could happen without a jury, without a trial .... without grand theft charges even being pursued.

ASHLEE SIMPSON & PETE WENTZ: Is her creepy Dad against reconciliation, or did Wentz not trust her partying ways?

DENISE RICHARDS wants on to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. How's the career going?

THE FRENCH HOTEL shopping for an engagement ring?

HAILEE STEINFELD, Oscar-nominee for True Grit, has Paramount crafting a star vehicle for her.

SAM KINISON: The late comic is the birth father of a friend's daughter, according to DNA testing.

THE CHRONICLES of NARNIA: Executive producer of Perry Moore was found dead in his SoHo apartment after an apparent overdose, sources said. He was 39.

THOR has a new, Natalie Portman-heavy trailer online.

GEORGE WASHINGTON: Though now lumped in with everyone for Presidents' Day, tomorrow is the birthday of the "Father of his Country."  In 1776, David McCullough notes that when Washington took command in July 1775, he thought he would be home at Mount Vernon by Christmas. McCullough catalogs Washington's blunders -- many of them nearly fatal to the Cause -- but concludes: "He was not a brilliant strategist or tactician, nor a gifted orator, not an intellectual... He had made serious mistakes in judgment. But experience had been his great teacher from boyhood... and above all, Washington never forgot what was at stake, and he never gave up." That, as much as anything, is why Washington is usually ranked among the greatest of US presidents. not to mention the subject of a profane, animated rap cartoon.

TUNISIA: Hundreds of Tunisians demonstrated Saturday for a secular state following the murder of a Polish priest, verbal attacks on Jews and an attempt by Islamists to set fire to a brothel.

BAHRAIN: The US offered a rosy assessment of the country before the current crackdown.  Protesters retook a major square in the heart of the island nation's capital Saturday -- a dramatic turn of events two days after security forces ousted demonstrators from the spot in a deadly attack.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS are a bit nervous about the unrest next door in Bahrain. Saudi authorities have detained several activists who tried to set up the kingdom's first political party.

LIBYA: Intense violence has been reported in Libya's second city, Benghazi, with troops said to have opened fire again on anti-government protesters. More than 200 people are known to have died, doctors say, with 900 injured. After anti-government unrest spread to the Libyan capital and protesters seized military bases and weapons Sunday, Moammar Gadhafi's son went on state television to proclaim that his father remained in charge with the army's backing and would "fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet."

EGYPT: Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi led prayers during a massive gathering at Cairo's Tahrir Square, during which he asked the Egyptian army to open wide the Rafah crossing and to pray for the re-conquest of Jerusalem by the Muslims, so that he and the Muslims could pray in security at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

AFGHANISTAN: The Obama Administration has entered into direct, secret talks with senior Afghan Taliban leaders, according to The New Yorker.

CAT LASER BOWLING: Let's go to the video.

TINY BABY BADGERS are lucky to be alive after being saved from British floods last week by their quick-thinking mother. Awww...some pics at the link.

MS. BEATHA LEE, a shaggy, dirty-white Wheaten terrier, was elected president of the Hillbrook-Tall Oaks Civic Association in Annandale, VA.

A RED SQUIRREL conservation group is appealing for funds and supporters in Northumberland. I'm thinkin' they should ask Prince Charles.

COW vs MOTORCYCLIST ends as you would expect.

THOUSANDS OF SHARKS under alien mind control have been spotted just off the coast of south Florida, according to the Weekly World News.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with THE BEATLES!  Their first full US concert 47 years (and one week) ago in the nation's capital, performed in the round.  Part 1 includes an introduction plus "Roll Over Beethoven," "From Me To You," and "I Saw Her Standing There."  Part 2 includes "This Boy," "All My Loving," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Please Please Me," and "Till There Was You"  and part of "She Loves You."  Part 3 finishes that song, and concludes with "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "Twist And Shout" and "Long Tall Sally."

SUPERCHUNK stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

THE SMITH WESTERNS get a twofer on World Cafe: Next.

WAVVES drop "TV Luv Song" in advance of... something.

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Tracks from Peter Bjorn and John, Adele, Fleet Foxes and more in the latest installment of the long-running series.

ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANEGAN: I somehow missed their set for Sound Opinions earlier this month, but it's still good now.

RODNEY CROWELL talks to Fresh Air and plays songs related to his memoir, Chinaberry Sidewalks.

MADNESS: "One... Step... Beyond." 

THE DECEMBERISTS: Chris Funk talks to Crave about  the new album, his side projects and his perspectives on the musical format wars, among other topics. (Thx, LHB.)

DEAN WAREHAM talks to Ireland's Independent about life as an indie pop legend, Galaxie 500's bitter break-up and its afterlife. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

YO LA TENGO: When the "wheel of fortune" turned against them.

BOOKER T. JONES has a star-studded album coming.

THE DUM DUM GIRLS: Working through tragedy, moving beyond lo-fi.

DEATH OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? The trend is awful, but sales are currently higher than in the 1980s.

CUTOUT BIN: From Ray Charles to Jane's Addiction, from John Lennon to New Order, from Sonic Youth to Joan Jett, plus Jimi Hendrix, CCR, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, the Beastie Boys and more  -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are now streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases include I Am Number Four, which is currently scoring 27 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Unknown, which is scoring 45 percent; and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, which was not screened for critics.

HOW THE KARDASHIANS made 65 million dollars last year. P.T. Barnum was unavailable for comment.

MICHAEL JACKSON, otoh, has raked in 310 million since he died.

AMANDA SEYFRIED & RYAN PHILLIPPE have called an end to their three-month romance.

ROD STEWART and his wife, Penny Lancaster Stewart, welcomed their second son.

WONDER WOMAN will be played by Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights, Lone Star) in the pilot for NBC.

JAMES FRANCO is profiled by the New York Observer.

MILA KUNIS intends to play a wicked witch opposite James Franco in Sam Raimi's Oz, The Great and Powerful, the prequel to the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz.

DIANE KRUGER is profiled by GQ, and that's some profile.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK interviews FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT in glorious MP3 format.

LEN LESSER, 88, a veteran character actor best known for his recurring role in the 1990s as Uncle Leo on the hit NBC-TV comedy "Seinfeld," died Wednesday in Burbank, publicist Laura Stegman said. He had pneumonia and cancer.

IRAN has asked Egypt for permission to send two warships through the Suez Canal, officials have confirmed, after a day of conflicting reports.

BAHRAIN: In what longtime observers said was turning into an unusually severe crackdown, the Bahraini national security council met and declared a state of emergency.

EGYPT: For the first time since he was banned from leading weekly friday prayers in Egypt 30 years ago, prominent Muslim scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi will lead thousands in the weekly prayers from Cairo's Tahrir Square today.  He's a real sweetheart.

IRAQI officials likely will request thousands of US troops remain in that country into next year to provide security and train indigenous forces, a senior US lawmaker said Thursday.

NOODLE the CAT's first canned food makes her a little nuts. Or maybe it's her owner.  But it's the second cat that really makes this work.

A SWAN is stalking shoppers in Wareham, Mass.

A POT-BELLIED PIG was detained by police in Lincoln, NE.

MAN'S WORST FRIEND in an East Oregon traffic stop.

WHEN DEER INTRUDES: "It looks like a murder scene."

CAT vs DALEK: The obligatory sequel to Dog vs Dalek.

THE WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW: Pics of Top Dogs.