THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with BIG STAR!  Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens brought in Posies Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer to reform the ever-influential band in the 1990s and have toured sporadically through the present day.  Lets start with "In The Street" on a late night TV show in 1994, and  "Ballad of El Goodo" from what might have been that first gig in 1993.  And here are three different bootlegs from London on August 28th of this year -- "Feel," "I Am The Cosmos" (w/Auer singing for the late Chris Bell), and "Back Of A Car" (whicj may have the best video quality, if slightly truncated).

NO DEPRESSION has risen from the ashes. The big feature at the moment is Lucinda Williams.

OKKERVIL RIVER frontman Will Sheff shares some of his favorite (and fairly obscure) music with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. The two talk also about Okkervil River's latest album.

THE NEW YORK DOLLS are the subject of a new photobook by rock photographer Bob Gruen. RS has a gallery.

THESE UNITED STATES do another four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

RICK ASTLEY has become the surprise contender for best act ever at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards in Liverpool. You know why.

THE LOST MYSTERY OF RECORD COLLECTIONS: There is an intangible joy about being able to hold the object in your hand.

MARC BOLAN of T.Rex is the subject of a 1971 blast from the past, courtesy of Crawdaddy.

SILVER JEWS: David Berman talks to The Stranger about touring -- and takes a few shots at Sonic Youth.

CUTOUT BIN: From Buzzcocks to Neil Diamond, from CCR to GbV to MMJ, from Alex Chilton w/ the dB's to Dropkick Murphys covering Thin Lizzy, to the Righteous Bros., the Everly Bros. the Isley Bros. and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds can be jukeboxed or streamed separately via the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases include Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which is currently scoring 64 percent on light reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, currently scoring 60 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, currently scoring 37 percent on light reviews; Blindness, scoring 38 percent; American Carol, which has gone unscreened by critics; and Flash of Genius, which is scoring 71 percent.  Appaloosa expands to wide release, with 73 percent.

BLINDNESS, btw, will be protested by blind activists, who think that moviegoers are too dumb to know the difference between real blind people and people who suddenly are struck blind by a sci-fi virus. You can watch the first five minutes at Yahoo!Movies.

BRITNEY SPEARS wants to purchase the sex tape she made with ex-lover Adnan Ghalib so she can destroy it for good, according to a pal. OTOH, Ghalib suddenly is denying everything.  Meanwhile, Spears' cousin and former assistant, Alli Sims, told Page Six she's still not allowed to be in contact with the pop tart.

SHARON STONE denies that she wanted her 8-year-old son Roan to receive Botox treatments for his "foot odor." 

TINA FEY is the subject of a book bidding war reaching the six million dollar range.

30 UNFORGETTABLE NUDE SCENES: 30 SFW photos.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE, the next Bond flick, has a new trailer up at Yahoo!Movies.

PAKISTAN: Flirting with GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin gets Pres. Asif Ali Zardari in trouble with Pakistan's hard-line mosques and its feminists.

AFGHANISTAN (Sort of): Training taking place this month in the Mojave Desert at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center aims to give troops deploying to Afghanistan a preview of not only the terrain but also the culture and customs.

IRAQ: The Iraqi government has assumed control over 45K members of the Sons of Iraq in Baghdad. Iraqi forces captured seven Special Groups operatives during raids throughout central Iraq and five more in Basra.

KRAKATOA the KOMODO DRAGON celebrates his eighth birthday at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL (east of Java). Slideshow at the link.

A 17-FT PYTHON should not be confused with a tree branch.

BILLY GOAT excluded from Wrigley Field, Dodgers beat the Cubs in Game 1 of their National League Division Series.

THE ATLANTIC WOLFFISH: With a face only a mother could love, it's mean, ferocious-looking, delicious and possibly endangered. Pics and video at the link.

CAT FRAMED in deadly car crash.

A VISAYAN WARTY PIGLET is born at the Brevard Zoo in FL. Awww...some pic and video at the link.