THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:
SHANE MacGOWAN, the brilliant but chaotic songwriter who as frontman for the Pogues reinvigorated interest in Irish music in the 1980s by harnessing it to the propulsive power of punk rock, died on Thursday. He was 65. His wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, said the cause was pneumonia but did not say where he died. Here's the Billboard obit, and a tribute/obit from The Guardian. Tributes from fellow musicians are compiled by Consequence. A selection of his best work, both with and without The Pogues, is collected at Stereogum, including the Chrismas classic “Fairytale Of New York,” but bizarrely omitting "A Pair of Brown Eyes." BONUS: Over two hours of discussion and analysis of The Pogues. SCOTT KEMPNER, co-founding guitarist of the Dictators and the Del-Lords, is dead at 69. The musician passed away from complications of early onset dementia at a nursing home in Connecticut. That first Del-Lords LP is so, so good. LANA DEL REY put her own spin on ‘Unchained Melody’ for NBC’s new Christmas at Graceland special. HORSEGIRL & LIFEGUARD, two Chicago bands, cover the Stone Roses' "I Wanna Be Adored." PAULA COLE of all people shares "The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr." THE REPLACEMENTS: A Pitchfork podcast on the Tim reissue features some Tommy Stinson. DARYL HALL wins the first stage of his lawsuit against JOHN OATES. SOUNDGARDEN still has litigation going on too. FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA has a trailer online. SEBASTIAN STAN has reportedly been tapped to portray a young Donald Trump in an upcoming film titled The Apprentice. TOM HOLLAND, on whether he will return as Spider-Man. THE FUGITIVE: Director Andrew Davis, on the movie's legacy. KELLY CLARKSON's ex-husband overcharged her as manager, a judge rules. MEG RYAN, on Aging, Dating, and Rom-Coms. BILLY CRYSTAL is the last of his kind. A RARE GIANT RAT that can grow to the size of a baby and chew through coconuts caught on camera for first time. LIONS & TIGERS & DOG, Oh My! A DOGGO and a calf.
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