ERROL BROWN, the singer who as the ultra-smooth frontman of Hot Chocolate became one of Britain’s most successful musicians, has died from liver cancer. He was 71. The band's catalog is deeper and stranger than "You Sexy Thing."  In fact, I posted that one recently, so here's "Every 1's a Winner."

PFARMERS, ft members of The National, Menomena, and contributors to Sufjan Stevens and St. Vincent, advance stream Gunnera.

THE ALABAMA SHAKES stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session. 

BEN GIBBARD stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set. 

THE LONDON SOULS stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set. 

EDDIE MURPHY drops "Oh Jah Jah." Oh my. 

THE ROLLING STONES' "Satisfaction" turned 50 yesterday. Take it away, Jimmy Fallon.

SQUEEZE: The Making of "Up the Junction."

MY MORNING JACKET: Jim James is quoted in a Paste profile of the band and The Waterfall. 

PANDORA got FCC approval to buy an FM radio station, with implications for its royalty rates. 

NICK CAVE Meets Dr. Seuss. 

ORSON WELLES would've turned 100 years old yesterday.  Entertainment Weekly had some good advice for the layman on appreciating Welles, though it misses The War of the Worlds and The Magniicent Ambersons. The point about Citizen Kane being nearly impossible for modern audiences to truly appreciate because its innovations so changed evrything since is particularly apt. Consider that The Social Network was one of the best films of 2010, and it borrows tons from Kane. The WSJ has a nice video overview of his career also.  Vox has a piece on his insane work ethic at the start of his career, without mentioning he used to hire an ambulance to take him between jobs in NYC.  Grantland took a long look at The Lady From Shanghai. And this month's Vanity Fair has a piece on his unfinished film, The Other Side of the Wind.

SOPHIE HAWKINS denies dating ROSIE O'DONNELL. As you would.

BRUCE JENNER's kids secretly despise the Kardashians. As you would. 

JOSS WHEDON denied he quit Twitter over feminist reactions to Age of Ultron.  But there's more between the lines.

BRADLEY COOPER & IRINA SHAYK were caught canoodling after the Met Gala. 

CHARLIZE THERON talks about pay inequities in Hollywood, and life with Sean Penn, with Elle. 

BIG BIRD almost died in the Challenger disaster. 

SYRIA: Two years after President Bashar al-Assad agreed to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, there is mounting evidence that his government is flouting international law to drop cheap, jerry-built chlorine bombs on insurgent-held areas.  A new round of UN-backed peace talks has started in Geneva. The French president admitted to supplying Syrian rebels with weapons in 2012.

EGYPT proposed blocking extremist media during an anti-Islamic State conference in Cairo.

THE ISLAMIC STATE's efforts to expand its reach beyond Iraq and Syria have spurred a debate within the coalition that the United States has assembled to confront the group about whether it needs to broaden its campaign.

TEAGEN THE CORGI chases her own...treat. 

A PEACOCK is on the lam in Pasco, WA. 

A CROCODILE bites below the belt.

IT'S BEAVER SEASON in Patagonia.