THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE...

... with BRENDAN BENSON! The advance track from his next solo LP (linked here yesterday) put me in the mood for some vintage material. Before his songs helped propel The Raconteurs up the charts (with an assist from the Jack White brand), Benson was cranking out tunes that are Top40 hits in some other, cooler, dimension -- like "Tiny Spark," "Metarie," "Spit It Out" and "Cold Hands, Warm Heart."

REGINA SPEKTOR is advance streaming her Far album via NPR.

METRIC played DC's 9:30 Club last night, so you should be able to stream the gig on demand via NPR. I had the wrong date before -- this time for sure! Nothing up my sleeve... Presto!

THE LEMONHEADS, Live in Chicago, on July, 4, 1992.

SUMMER MIX: There are hours of summer-themed music streaming via NPR. I'm working on my own annual mix.

THE LOW ANTHEM do the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

CAMERA OBSCURA makes their American TV debut, playing "French Navy" for Craig Ferguson. You may have to watch it in HD.

SHARON JONES spreads the gospel of Sharon Jones at Eye Weekly, with a hunk on the early days of Dap-Tone Records.  Embedded videos, too.

BOB MOULD does a Q&A with Magnet. He's also been guest-editing their blog, writing about Tom Snyder, Autobahn restrooms, coffee and more...

THE FLAMING LIPS: Wayne Coyne talks to the BBC about the band's upcoming double-album, and does a video interview with ClashMusic. (Thx, Chromewaves!)

SONIC YOUTH: Sasha Frere-Jones surveys 33 years of SY for The New Yorker.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Jesus & Mary Chain to Blind Faith, from The Stories to The Feelies, from Brian Wilson to Sandie Shaw, from Nouvelle Vague to The Doors, plus St. Vincent, Glen Campbell, REM, T.Rex, King Khan and more  -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING:  This weekend's wide releases are the Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds rom-com The Proposal, which is currently scoring 43 percent on the ol' Tomatometer, and Year One, which is currently scoring an ouch-worthy 21 percent, a sure disappointment for Jack Black, Michael Cera, and director Harold Ramis.

ROBERT PATTINSON was hit by a taxi cab in NYC on Thursday while running away from hysterical fans.

CHER supports her daughter Chastity's sex change.

LINDSAY LOHAN is off the hook in Scotland Yard's missing Elle jewels case.

BRITNEY SPEARS greets London in Manchester. A one-woman Spinal Tap.

PUBLIC ENEMIES: Johnny Depp's Dillinger pic has a new clip online.

DENISE RICHARDS is the host next month of psychic/ medium/ spiritualist/ mentalist/ metaphysicist/ cross-overist John Edward's show.

HEATHER LOCKLEAR is sporting a mystery ring.

TOM CRUISE & J.J. ABRAMS choose to accept another Mission: Impossible.

IRAN: The Lede at the NYT continues to round up coverage of the electoral crisis.  Note that Ayatollah Khamenei will lead this week's Friday prayers in Tehran University, where where five students were reportedly killed in a Basij brownshirt assault on the dorms.  The ostensible reform candidates -- Mousavi and karoubi -- are asking supporters to avoid the Friday prayer sessions.  Khamenei has told Mousavi to stand beside him at Friday prayers to call for national unity. An army of Basiji - Islamic volunteer thugs are also expected to be bussed in to support the Supreme Leader.  This sort of maneuvering fuels speculation that we'll see a Tehran Tiananmen in the next few days.

PAKISTAN: An Indian intelligence briefing obtained by The Long War Journal suggests that the Pakistani military is facing a tougher fight in the Northwest Frontier Province than previously thought.

AN OTTER PLAYS THE KEYBOARD: Let's go to the video.

DEATH IS MILLISECONDS AWAY in this photo gallery.

BATS are getting their own cottage in Gower. No word on whether it has a belfry.

KILLER SLUGS menace Sweden.

PET HOARDING: Thirteen rabbits seized from the Washington County' "Bunny Lady" have been taken to the Oregon Humane Society.  She;'s a repeat offender, hoarding like bunnies.

BABY FLAMINGOS have been left "terrified" of the color pink, according to keepers at London Zoo.

MOST DOGS do not like clothes, according to pet psychic Bridget Pilloud.