Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/ PostNuke Powered Site en-us http://www.claudepate.com/images/logo.gif http://www.claudepate.com/ admin@claudepate.com http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1984 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:... with GARAGE ROCK! Recent sad news about the illness of Troggs singer Reg Presley and death of Music Machine singer Sean Bonniwell put me in the mood for a dozen Nuggets, like Music Machine - "Talk Talk"; Blues Magoos - "We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet"; The Knickerbockers - "Lies"; The Outsiders - "Time Won't Let Me"; Count Five - "Psychotic Reaction"; The Seeds - "Pushin' Too Hard"; 13th Floor Elevators - "You're Gonna Miss Me"; The Standells - "Dirty Water/ Why Pick On Me"; The Leaves - "Hey Joe"; Electric Prunes - "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night," the Crazy World of Arthur Brown - "Fire" and The Nazz- "Open My Eyes."THE MARK LANEGAN BAND is advance streaming Blues Funeral.THE TRAILER TRASH TRACYS are advance streaming Ester, along with an interview.LANA DEL REY is streaming Born To Die.CENTRO-MATIC stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.DALE EARNHARDT JR JR played "Simple Girl" for Conan, backed by a string quartet. LEONARD COHEN is profiled at Tablet.  His discography is surveyed by The A.V. Club.WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 90s musician edition.THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED: 53 years ago today.RECORD LABELS: What do they do these days?THE WORST SUPERBOWL HALFTIME SHOWS, according to Spinner. ALSO: NFL bosses have banned Gary Glitter songs from being playing at this Sunday's Super Bowl. The pedophile pop star created a stir when fans believed he stood to rake in thousands of dollars if his 1972 anthem 'Rock and Roll Part 2' was blasted at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.CUTOUT BIN:  From Diana Ross to the Gun Club, from Sandie Shaw to Neil Young & Crazy Horse, from the Beach Boys to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, plus the Guess Who, Plimsouls, R. Dean Taylor, Rush 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: Chronicle, which is currently scoring 88 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; The Woman In Black, currently scoring 64 percent; and Big Miracle, scoring 69 percent. All pretty good scores for February, let alone SuperBowl weekend.GISELE BUNDCHEN implored friends and family by email to pray hard for Tom Brady in the SuperBowl.DEMI MOORE, now recovering at home, is getting special visits from the men in her life ... ex Bruce Willis and soon-to-be-ex Ashton Kutcher.LINDSAY LOHAN is threatening to sue media outlets claiming she was drinking at a SAG awards afterparty.LESLIE CARTER, the 25-year-old sister of Nick and Aaron Carter, suffered an apparent overdose and had been taking medication for depression, according to a police report released Thursday.COURTNEY LOVE killed the family pets with her bizarre behavior, according to daughter Frances Bean Cobain. SHOOKI denied preganancy rumors to a grateful nation.SOMALIA:Kenyan troops seized Hosungow near the Kenyan border and took over the key southern town of Badhadhe, potentially cutting off Shabaab's supply line from its coastal stronghold of Kismayo.EGYPT: Thousands demonstrated after 74 people were killed in rioting at a soccer match in the worst violence since Mubarak's overthrow. A famous Egyptian comedian was jailed for offending Islam.AFGHANISTAN:The US and NATO want to end combat operations in Afghanistan next year.IRAQ:Security forces detained al Qaeda's minister of information in Mosul and 16 members of Vice President Hashemi's bodyguard.THE SHEEP CYCLONE: Let's go to the video.A MAMMOTH PYTHON was caught by rangers in Florida before it could lay eggs containing the 59 super-predators inside her and unleash them on the Everglades.MONKEY OWNERS hiding out in TX.A SUPERGIANT crustacean has been found lurking 7km down in the waters off the coast of New Zealand. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1983 First D.J.: "Rise and shine, campers and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today." Second D.J.: "It's cold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?" First D.J.: "Not hardly. So the big question o­n everybody's lips..." Second D.J.: "O­n their chapped lips..." First D.J.: "...their chapped lips is, 'Does Phil feel lucky?' Punxsatawney Phil! That's right, woodchuck chuckers it's...(IN UNISON): GROUNDHOG DAY!!!"Today, Punxsutawney Phil ---  the Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary will predict whether we will have six more weeks of winter.  According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, and hasn't seen it (predicting an early spring) only 14 times.  Phil's track record is hotly disputed, though he's has had a pretty good run recently.  Nevertheless, thousands will await the sunrise and the groundhog at Gobbler's Knob in the tiny Pennsylvania hamlet that has become known as the "Weather Capital of the World," due in no small part to the movie that makes every day Groundhog Day.This is o­ne time where the Internet really fails to capture the true excitement of a movie about a large squirrel predicting the weather. However, you can see the trailer as a refresher.In 2005, Roger Ebert revisited Groundhog Day, declaring that the film "finds its note and purpose so precisely that its genius may not be immediately noticeable. It unfolds so inevitably, is so entertaining, so apparently effortless, that you have to stand back and slap yourself before you see how good it really is." At the other end of the political spectrum, Jonah Goldberg's equally effusive movie meditation grabbed the cover of National Review: "When I set out to write this article, I thought it'd be fun to do a quirky homage to an offbeat flick, o­ne I think is brilliant as both comedy and moral philosophy. But while doing what I intended to be cursory research -- how much reporting do you need for a review of a twelve-year-old movie that plays constantly o­n cable? -- I discovered that I wasn't alone in my interest. In the years since its release the film has been taken up by Jews, Catholics, Evangelicals, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, and followers of the oppressed Chinese Falun Gong movement."Indeed, a 2004 article mentioned by Ebert (but not linked) from London's Independent observes that the Harold Ramis comedy has been hailed by some religious leaders as the most spiritual film of all time. More examples can be found at the NYT and the Christian Science Monitor.As Phil Connors ultimately observed: "When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter."ACCORDINGLY, we start off a new day: ...with Sonny & Cher o­n Hullabaloo and famously o­n Letterman years later, plus UB40 with Chrissie Hynde, not to mention The Cynics (from the Bonograph tribute CD), and David Bowie & Marianne Faithfull. A bit more for Fivefer Thursday.UPDATE: Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog famous for making midwinter weather forecasts, had his moment in the spotlight early Thursday and declared that winter is far from over. But the competition begs to differ.DON CORNELIUS, creator of Soul Train, was found dead at his Sherman Oaks on home Wednesday morning of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.  He was 75.  The Chicago Reader did a meaty feature on Cornelius and Soul Train in 1979.  The list of guests who appeared on the show remains impressive.  Some of the notables are featured in this video, while Whitney Matheson provides clips of the Jackson 5, Beastie Boys, James Brown, Mary Wilson and the Fresh Prince. Idolator has the 10 best Soul Train line dances.A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS are advance streaming Onwards To The Wall.LOS CAMPESINOS! stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.THE SUICIDE COMMANDOS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.TAPES 'N TAPES played a seventh birthday twofer at The Current.CURSIVE drops "Wowowow" ahead of I Am Gemini.M WARD drops a video for the new track "The First Time I Ran Away."SHARON VAN ETTEN talks to The Line of Best Fit about putting her new band together and more...OF MONTREAL: Kevin Barnes talks to The Stool Pigeon about tripping out - at reviewers and on record - and why he's not Frosted Flakes. (Thx, Chromewaves.)NADA SURF: Life After The One-Hit Wonder.JOE HENRY talks to Dolly Varden's Steve Dawson about songwriting, producing, Mose Allison and Ornette Coleman and more...DEMI MOORE is embarrassed by the public nature of her breakdown. After her split from Ashton Kutcher, it's was young people, pills and Red Bulls.  She was a woman in need of reassurance.LINDSAY LOHAN appeared to be under the influence when she was at the Chateau Marmont on Sunday night, according to RadarOnline.  Also, her creepy run-in with an alleged trespasser and constantly having looky-loos on her property are enough for her to finally pack up and leave Venice Beach.SCARLETT JOHANSSON is dating an New York City-based advertising exec named Nate Naylor, a pal of the pair confirms.ZOOEY DESCHANEL is the most desirable woman in the UK, according to an oh-so-scientific online poll.NICK & AARON CARTER's sister Leslie died at 25, without details on the cause of death.SIMON COWELL says he's still close with Paula Abdul - even though he just fired her - and plans to work with her again in the very near future.TERROR in the UK: Four UK nationals of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origins admitted to involvement in an al Qaeda-inspired plot to bomb UK targets around Christmastime in 2010.LIBYA: Freed from Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year dictatorship, Sufi Muslims find themselves under renewed pressure from violent Islamists who have been attacking them and their beliefs as heretical.EGYPT: Concerned over its deteriorating public image, Egypt's military sacked the general in charge of media affairs.AFGHANISTAN: The Taliban denied planning direct talks with the Afghan government to end the 10-year-old war, while a leaked NATO report suggested the insurgents are confident they will regain power after international troops leave.IRAQ: Discounted Iranian rials and Syrian pounds are pouring into money-changing shops as Western economic sanctions against those two countries make it harder for them to conduct trade with much of the rest of the world, arrange international bank transactions and obtain hard currency.THE DOG STRIKES BACK: VW's SuperBowl ad.CARDINALS' RALLY SQUIRREL turns up on a baseball card. (Thanks, Dad.)ZOO LIONS eat an owl in front of shocked visitors.A BABY ELEPHANT was pulled out of a deep moat surrounding a palm oil plantation on Borneo island. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1982 ARCTIC MONKEYS: the video for "You And I" features a crunchy riff and the fab Richard Hawley.DR. DOG is advance streaming Be The Void.EFFED UP is streaming their Chinese New Year singles.GIRL IN A COMA plays a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Tracks from Andrew Bird, Juliana Barwick and Hospitality highlight the latest edition of the series.THE WHO: "I'm A Boy."DALE EARNHARDT JR., JR. talks to the Daily Trojan about the genesis of the band and its name. (Thx, LHB.)GARBAGE: Shirley Manson talks to the L.A. Times about love, liberation and the vicious game that is the music industry.THE NATIONAL: Bryce Dressner talks to Drowned In Sound about the band, his role in The Long Count, songriting and arranging.CHAIRLIFT: Patrick Wimberly talked to the WaPo about the band's major label deal, their long wait between albums, and their weird musical tastes.VANITY FAIR unveils the cover of its annual Hollywood issue.THE X FACTOR: Simon Cowell is cashiering judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, as well as host Steve Jones.KEIRA KNIGHTLEY talks about A Dangerous Method and perceptions of her work on both sides of the Atlantic for a GQ cover story that finds her wearing less than usual.RYAN REYNOLDS gave Denzel Washington his first black eye. Oops.DAVE LETTERMAN's 30th anniversary in late-night is tonight. Can I do the old man thing where I mention how much funnier he was back in the day?JERRY SEINFELD & JAY LENO joined forces for Acura's Super Bowl XLVI spot.SYRIA: The army attacked opponents in a suburb of Damascus. After heavy fighting, Free Syrian Army rebels withdrew from the area. Turkey and the Gulf Cooperation Council urged Syria to accept the Arab League peace plan. The Arab League sought support from China and Russia.IRAN is keeping the option open to develop a nuclear weapon but US intelligence agencies do not know whether it will eventually decided to build one, the US intelligence chief said on Tuesday.PAKISTAN: The Taliban in Afghanistan are being directly assisted by Pakistani security services, according to a secret Nato report seen by the BBC.AFGHANISTAN: The Afghan government on Tuesday rejected reports that it was going to launch separate peace talks with Taliban fighters in Saudi Arabia.JABBA THE SQUIRREL: Let's go to the video.AN ELEPHANT at a Dutch zoo has become the first in Europe to be fitted with a contact lens.MORE LEMMINGS bring more snowy owls to Michigan's LP.FIRE SALE on LLAMAS in Cedar Rapids, IA. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1981 FLORENCE & THE MACHINE and LYKKE LI play Austin City Limits.NEW RELEASES from Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, the Sound of Philadelphia, Karen Dalton and more are streaming this week via Spinner.ANNA CALVI plays a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL: Live in Danielsville, GA, Sept. 14, 1997.JACK WHITE drops "Love Interruption" in advance of his solo LP, although it seems to have problems playing in Internet Explorer. (Those with IE might try here.)THE BOWERBIRDS are "In The Yard" before their next LP.NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE are horsing around again.THE BEATLES: Hear George Harrison's lost guitar solo on "Here Comes the Sun."THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS brought the new "When Will You Die?" and an apocalyptic take on their classic "Ana Ng" to Conan in time for Twofer Tuesday.MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle talks to Surf-Drift about touring new material, gelling as a band, and the theme of the next LP, and is profiled by Mountain Xpress. (Thx, LHB.)  He talks to the Charlotte Observer about songwriting and moving to NC. (Thx, Chromewaves.)BEN KWELLER talks to the NYT/Texas Monthly about stating his own label and operating without a manager for his latest LP.JESSIE BAYLIN talks to the San Francisco Examiner about the long road to Little Spark.HAPPY MONDAYS are reuniting for a small UK Tour.DEMI MOORE's kids are spending quality time with dad Bruce Willis while she undergoes "spiritual counselling" after her seizure.HALLE BERRY & GABRIEL AUBRY: The L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services is recommending their 3-year-old daughter Nahla go into counseling.JENNIFER LOPEZ is really, really unsure about marrying again.ROONEY MARA is taking over for Blake Lively in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming psychopharmacology drama Side Effects.SCARLETT JOHANSSON cozied up to a male friend in NYC over the weekend.CYNTHIA NIXON, clarifying prior remarks, says her bixesuality is not a choice.MATTHEW BRODERICK brings some Ferris flava to Honda's SuperBowl ad.DRIVE hits home video today; you can watch the first seven minutes online.TERROR in NORWAY: In the first convictions under Norwegian antiterror law, Mikael Davud, a Chinese Uighur, and Shawan Sadek Saeed Bujak, an Iraqi Kurd, were found guilty of plotting with al Qaeda to attack a Danish newspaper that had published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.YEMEN: Only days after Yemen's president left the country for medical treatment, military leaders organized massive protests calling for the ruling family of Ali Abdullah Saleh to end its control over the country's security forces.IRAQ: The Iraqiya party has ended its boycott of parliament.AFGHANISTAN: A plan by the Afghans to open a second front in peace talks with the Taliban in Saudi Arabia - separate from US-led negotiations in Qatar - is driven by fear of being sidelined, analysts say.SMITTY: The target demo for the Marmaduke movie.TURKISH SHEEPDOGS prized for their fierceness are raising concerns they may be a little too tough for the southwest Colorado communities where ranchers are using them.A FLORIDA GATOR was bagged by a blind hunter from Fargo.ANT vs PRAYING MANTIS: Who you got? Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1980 JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD drops a video for "Bummer," but it's not one.OF MONTREAL is advance streaming Paralytic Stalks, along with a track-by-track tour from Kevin Barnes.SHARON VAN ETTEN is advance streaming Tramp.HEARTLESS B^STARDS are advance streaming Arrow.PAUL McCARTNEY is advance streaming Kisses on the Bottom.THE TROGGS frontman Reg Presley retires after a lung cancer diagnosis, prompting "Wild Thing" and "Love Is All Around" as a Twofer Monday.  CRAIG FINN talks Jesus with the Dallas Observer, plus other influences on his solo album with the Mpls Star-Tribune.RICHARD THOMPSON talks to Billboard about his next album, which he describes as "sort of folk-rock power trio music, somewhere between the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Peter, Paul & Mary -- the two great trio blueprints."THE TING TINGS recorded songs their label loved - so they ripped them up and started again. Are they tempting fate?WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Grey tops the chart with 20 million, much better than the 12 million most pundits predicted.  However, mediocre word-of-mouth may prevent this from becoming another taken. Underworld: Awakening places with 12.5 million on a 50 percent drop, which is actually good for this franchise.  One For the Money shows with 11.8 million, avoiding disaster by Groupon deals.  However, everyone knows this, which means Katherine Heigl's career continues its downward slide.  Red Tails is in fourth with 10.4 million and will be lucky to recoup its budget domestically.  Man On a Ledge rounds out the Top Five with 8.3 million, a result made worse by the fact that it too benefitted from a Living Social coupon.  Below the fold, Oscar contender The Descendants saw the biggest percentage boost in biz as it opened wide, followed by Hugo.  The Artist, considered by some as an Oscar favorite (and rightly so) had a modest increase and stayed out of the Top 10, demonstrating the hurdle a silent film faces at the box office (possibly affecting its Oscar chances).DEMI MOORE: Was she smoking K2 before her seizure? RadarOnline wants to know.HEIDI KLUM & SEAL: The singer talks about breaking their split to their kids.NICK SANTINO, a down-on-his-luck soap-opera actor, took his own life last week after he was forced to put his beloved dog to sleep under pressure from his Upper West Side condo and became wracked by grief.SCARLETT JOHANSSON is so keen to avoid any encounters with ex-husband Ryan Reynolds and his new girlfriend Blake Lively in New York that she is considering buying a property in London.HALLE BERRY's baby daddy Gabriel Aubry agrees to anger management sessions.SIMON HELBERG (Big Bang Theory) and his wife, actress/writer/director Jocelyn Towne, announced they are expecting their first child in the spring.THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO won't be seeing an India release as the film's director David Fincher has refused to cut some scenes as specified by India's Central Board of Film Certification.THE DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS went to these folks. Congrats!THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS went to these folks. Congrats!YEMEN: President Saleh is traveling to the United States for medical treatment.SYRIA: Escalating violence caused the Arab League to suspend its observer mission. Russia's defiance of international efforts to end Assad's crackdown on protests is rooted in a calculation that it can keep a Mideast presence by propping up its last ally in the region - and has nothing to lose if it fails.AFGHANISTAN: President Sarkozy said France will withdraw from Afghanistan in 2013, one year early.A CAT hates a singing birthday card.PRINCESS the CAMEL, famous for her ability to correctly predict the winner of football games, picks the Giants to win the Super Bowl.  But she does live in New Jersey...IT'S NOT A TOOMAH: A pet cat believed to have a giant tumour in her stomach was found to have a huge furball the weight of two iPhones.A SANDWICH WOMAN surrendered 71 rats to the MSPCA-Angell Adoption Center in Boston. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1979 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE...... with THE MINUTEMEN! San Pedro, California's greatest musical export took apart rock, jazz and funk and put the pieces back together in a jagged collage. They are caught here in an acoustic session for a cable-access show from Hollywood, circa 1985. Your setlist includes "The Meter Man," "Corona," "Themselves," "The Red And The Black" (Blue Öyster Cult), "Badges, "I Felt Like Gringo," "Time" (Richard Hell), "Green River" (Creedence Clearwater Revival), "Lost" (Meat Puppets), "Ack Ack Ack," "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" "History Lesson Part II," "Tour Spiel" and "Little Man With A Gun In His Hand. DALE EARNHARDT, JR., JR. stopped by the KEXP studios for a session.DR. DOG preview their upcoming record of folk-inspired psychedelic rock at WNYC Soundcheck.NADA SURF showcased new material at WNYC Soundcheck.LAURA GIBSON had a chat and mini-set at Oregon Public Broadcasting.TENNIS drops "My Better Self" in advance of Young & Old.BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Greetings from Asbuty Park, NJ Outtakes.GUIDED BY VOICES: Nerve ranks every LP, with tracks.BAY CITY ROLLERS: The immortal genius of "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y... NIGHT!"LESLIE FEIST talks to the New Zealand Herald about getting back together with her guitar.PITCHFORK: Richard Beck delivers 9000 words on the site's history and impact.PATTI SMITH gets the New York Review of Books treatment.14 SURPRISING PLATINUM ALBUMS, courtesy of The A.V. Club. Oof!BEATLES vs STONES, and other musical duels.HOW 10 SONGWRITERS rake in the cash.DISNEY'S JOY DIVISION T-SHIRT sells out and is discontinued.CUTOUT BIN  From Big Country to Al Stewart, from the Crystals to Ten Years After, from Mary Wells to the Yardbirds, plus Bruce Springsteen, KC & the Sunshine Band, Tom Waits, the Hold Steady and more  -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases include: The Grey, which is currently scoring 80 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; One For the Money, which was not screened for critics; and Man On a Ledge, scoring 21 percent.DEMI MOORE's 911 tape may be redacted, as gossip emerges that her partying contributed to her split from Ashton Kutcher, who is "deeply concerned" about her. RadarOnline claims Adderall played a role in her condition.HEIDI KLUM & SEAL: The singer isn't sure he would like to reconcile, but he doesn't rule it out.BRAD PITT talks to THR about his brutal fight to save Moneyball, fame, his depression in the '90s, President Obama, and plans to make partner Angelina Jolie his wife.LINDSAY LOHAN is being sued by a woman who claims Li-Lo hit her while driving a Maserati through what used to be Lohan's West Hollywood neighborhood.JOHNNY DEPP & VANESSA PARADIS are not splitiing, she says.RUSSELL BRAND & KATY PERRY: He's reportedly trashing her to new conquests.DREW BARRYMORE is converting to Judaism for a  traditional Jewish wedding ceremony later this year.HEATHER LOCKLEAR is not going to rehab, no, no, no. Instead, the 50-year-old actress has resumed the ongoing sobriety program she began and maintained in 2011 until the difficult split with her fiance, actor Jack Wagner.THE OFFICE may spin off Dwight Schrute.MOONRISE KINGDOM: Wes Anderson's next movie has a trailer online.SH_TF_C_D: Pat Sajak says he used to host Wheel Of Fortune while drunk -- and letter-turner Vanna White was three sheets to the wind, too.ROBERT HEYGES, who played Jewish Puerto-Rican wheeler-dealer Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein on the 1970s classic sitcom "Welcome Back Kotter," died after an apparent heart attack in his Metuchen home yesterday. He was 60. Authorities found no note from his mother.IRAN: The escalating confrontation over Iran's nuclear arms program is having a telling effect on Iran's economy and prompting some to flee the country.EGYPT: Hundreds of thousands thronged major squares across Egypt on Wednesday, marking the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak with rallies that laid bare the divisions that have replaced the unity of last year's revolt.AL QAEDA remains a real threat, according to US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.CAT vs ALLIGATOR: Who you got?AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: A lamb with six legs.PET HOARDING: Here's what lurked in a Boca Raton apartment: A red-spitting cobra, a puff adder, a uracoan rattlesnake, two false cobras and a small alligator.THE DUNG BEETLE DANCE, performed as the beetle moves away from the dung pile with his precious dung ball, is a mechanism to maintain the desired straight-line departure from the pile, according to a new study.DOGS + SNOW = Awww...some pics. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1978 SLEIGH BELLS premiere a video for "Comeback Kid."FITZ & THE TANTRUMS stopped by the KEXP studios for a session.THE JAYHAWKS played a mini-set for Sound Opinions.MAKRETA IRGLOVA (The Frames, Swell Season) stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Tracks from Thomas Patrick Maguire, Ceremony, and Sea of Bees highlight the latest edition of the long-running series.TRAMPLED BY TURTLES drops "Alone" in advance of Stars and Satellites.WILCO & POPEYE join up in the video for "Dawned On Me"... and in last Sunday's Popeye strip.BOB MOULD & CRAIG FINN talk to Clash about growing up making rock music.  Finn also talks to Grantland about the Hold Steady, debauchery, and his evolving songwriting.ALABAMA SHAKES are profiled at Rolling Stone.FIONA APPLE looks set to return in 2012, following a long absence.JOY DIVISION bassist Peter Hook said the Disney shirt was unauthorized, but found it interesting.MICK JAGGER pulled out of an event due to be hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron, after complaining that he was being used as a "political football."DEMI MOORE had an seizure Monday night -- by one account caused by nitrous oxide -- before she was rushed to the hospital and is being treated for anorexia, among other issues, according to RadarOnline. Moore has dropped out of the Linda Lovelace biopic to enter treatment.HEIDI KLUM & SEAL: "Friends" of the couple reveal that the couple took great pains to hide the cracks in what seemed to be a storybook romance.KIRSTEN DUNST and new beau Garrett Hedlund were caught canoodling at the Sundance Film Festival.MILEY CYRUS birthday gifted boyfriend Liam Hemsworth with a puppy and a x-rated cake. Classy.CAMERON DIAZ: Her shiny face is reviewed by a plastic surgeon.JASON SEGEL is to be awarded this year's Hasty Pudding man of the year prize.JAMES FARENTINO, whose private life was sometimes as dramatic as the roles he played in theater and on television, died Tuesday at 73.WARNING... WARNING!  Dick Tufeld, a longtime radio and TV announcer best known as the voice of the robot in the 1960s science-fiction TV series Lost in Space, died while watching the NFL playoffs. He was 85.SEAL TEAM SIX rescued two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia.YEMEN: Fourty-six people were killed during fighting between Houthis and Salafists in Hajjah.LIBYA: Gaddafi loyalists seized control of a Libyan mountain city in the most serious challenge to the central government since the strongman's fall, underlining the increasing weakness of Libya's Western-backed rulers as they try to unify the country under their authority.PAKISTAN: Prime Minister Gilani has retracted his criticism of Pakistan's military. The Senate called on the military to shoot down US drones.AFGHANISTAN: France said it is not planning on withdrawing its forces this year after six of its troops have been killed by Afghan security personnel. The US denied it planned to partition Afghanistan or modify the political system.CAT IN THE CORNER: Let's go to the video.A URINATING CAT brings the New Castle Fire department running.A JACK RUSSELL TERRIER frightened intruders away from her owner's Warwickshire property.A PENGUIN gets political in Kentucky. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1977 WILCO played "The Whole Love" and "Dawned On Me" for Conan and Twofer Wednesday.CHAIRLIFT plays a full set at World Cafe Live.ALABAMA SHAKES stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.LONEY DEAR has an interview and session at WFUV. (Thx, Chromewaves.)JESSIE BAYLIN got an interview plus tracks on All Things Considered.SAINT ETIENNE drops "Tonight," the band's first material since 2005.BON JOVIVER: Inveitable.NANCY SINATRA: "These Boots Are Made For Walking." Are you ready?FLAMING LIPS frontman Wayne Coyne talks to PopMatters about everything from the Lips' most recent experiment, a 24-hour long song, what he thinks about the recent break-ups of Sonic Youth and R.E.M., a possible upcoming collaboration on a cover of "Strawberry Fields Forever" with Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, and so much more ...NEIL YOUNG complains to MTV about the quality of the sound of music today.OF MONSTERS AND MEN: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir talks to Interview about the art of storytelling, connecting with their listeners and making their own versions of fairytales.JOY DIVISION meets Mickey Mouse.DEMI MOORE is seeking professional assistance to treat her exhaustion, which might be code for something. HEIDI KLUM & SEAL: Their split shocks Seal and friends, but Heidi shopped for a divorce lawyer for weeks.THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS went to these folks. Congrats!JOHNNY DEPP & VANESSA PARADIS: She didn't exactly deny their rumored split.HALLE BERRY asks a judge for an order prohibiting her baby daddy, Gabriel Aubry, from having any contact with their 3-year-old.KRISTIN CAVALLARI & JAY CUTLER were surprised by her pregnancy. Oops.JIM CARREY's 24-year-old daughter, who is heading to Hollywood on the hit show American Idol, was not treated just like any other hopeful, according to RadarOnline.CYNTHIA NIXON is ruffling more than a few feathers in the LGBT community with her recent comment that she chooses to be gay.JESSICA CHASTAIN talks to USA Today about he breakout year.IRAN already has all the necessary elements to construct a nuclear weapon, the former head of Israel's military intelligence says.PAKISTAN's fledgling democratic government, under increasing pressure from the military, appeased extremist groups, ignored army abuses, and failed to hold those responsible for serious abuses accountable in 2011, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2012.AFGHANISTAN: The NATO-led coalition said there were no signs of organized infiltration of the Afghan security forces by insurgents, and it was too early to say if the Taliban were behind last week's killing of four French soldiers.WHEN CROC ATTACKS: Dude had it coming.PET HOARDING: Sheriff's deputies and officers from Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control had their hands full Friday night, evicting a woman and collecting the 66 cats she had accumulated in her home west of Delray Beach.THE SWARM: Welsh Heritage park bosses could use bees to act as a deterrent to stop vandal attacks on historic buildings.GRIEVING ELEPHANTS gathered 'round the lifeless body of a little calf after she died of a heart defect. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1976 FLEET FOXES & JOANNA NEWSOM played a full set on Austin City Limits.NEW RELEASES from Nada Surf, Craig Finn, Chairlift, Dion, First Aid Kit, and more are streaming this week at Spinner.LEONARD COHEN is advance streaming Old Ideas.ADAM ACURAGI is advance streaming Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It...GOTYE is advance streaming Making Mirrors.ANDREW BIRD drops "Eyeoneye" as the single from his upcoming LP.BRENDAN BENSON drops "Bad For Me" in advance of Give Me My Change.CONOR OBERST joins FIRST AID KIT on "King of the World."JACKIE DeSHANNON: A rare French TV clip of "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" and "What Is This?" for Twofer Tuesday.WILCO's Jeff Tweedy talks touring and evolving sounds with the San Francisco Chronicle.ROBIN GIBB has opted to undergo an intense eight-week chemotherapy course, in an attempt to battle his life-threatening liver cancer.EARL SCRUGGS was essayed at The New Yorker by Steve Martin.J MASCIS has a bobblehead now.HEIDI KLUM & SEAL confirmed the end of their seven-year marriage in a joint statement.  Apparently, the singer has a temper.TRACY MORGAN was rushed to hospital in Park City, Utah, on Sunday after collapsing at the Sundance Film Festival.KIM KARDASHIAN realized she had to get divorced after a session with psychic medium John Edward.ARETHA FRANKLIN's wedding is off.BRITNEY SPEARS may regain control over her finances as a wedding gift.SIMON COWELL and fiancee Mezhgan Hussainy are "on a break" and have not seen each other for about a month.HALLE BERRY's baby daddy Gabriel Aubry is being investigated for criminal child endangerment and battery - over an incident involving his and Halle's child.REESE WITHERSPOON & RYAN REYNOLDS will star in a biopic of Margaret and Walter Keane, whose pop-eyed paintings became a sensation in the 1960s.TERRY GILLIAM does a lightning round at The Guardian.THE 40 BEST FILMS of 2011, according to PopMatters.IRAN: The European Union banned Iranian oil imports. British and French naval ships joined the US carrier group in the Strait of Hormuz. The UN's nuclear watchdog agency confirmed it would send a mission to Iran by the end of January. Meanwhile, Iran's morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values.SYRIA rejected an Arab League-sponsored plan for Assad to step down and hand over power to his deputy, calling it flagrant interference in Syria's internal affairs. The EU expanded sanctions. Russia signed a 550 million dollar deal to sell Syria 36 jet aircraft.AFGHANISTAN: The EU has pledged 60 million Euros be used for reforms in government institutions.THE BARK SIDE: It's an ad, but I couldn't help myself.HEY, IS THAT A LOBSTER in your... oh, wait.SNAKES in a SUV foil a carjacking.TORTOISE LOVE: I've something and I can't get up. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1975 ST. VINCENT played "Cheerleader" on Conan, with an allusion to Elvis Costello's classic Saturday Night appearance.SNOW PATROL stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION stopped by KEXP for a session on video.THE BIG PINK plays four cuts for a 4AD Session.POLICA stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.CULTS are profiled by the Boston Phoenix and play "Abducted" for Fallon.ETTA JAMES, whose powerful, versatile and emotionally direct voice could enliven the raunchiest blues as well as the subtlest love songs, most indelibly in her signature hit, "At Last," died from leukemia complications on Friday morning in Riverside, Calif. She was 73. NPR has four more James picks with commentary. The Guardian expands the list to 10.CRAIG FINN and the break his solo LP makes from the Hold Steady are essayed at the New York Times.LUCINDA WILLIAMS talks to the L.A. Times about the moment Bob Dylan entered her life.THE HORRORS' Faris Badwan talks to Drowned In Sound about writing and recording Skying.PAUL McCARTNEY's cloud-based archive is impressive.WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Underworld Awakening tops the chart with 25.4 million; it's the second highest opening of the series, likely due to the 3-D premium and the return of Kate Beckinsale in her catsuit.  With a 72 million budget, this should be modestly profitable once worldwide receipts and home video is accounted for.  Red Tails places with 19.1 million.  George Lucas self-financed the 58 million production budget and 35 million in ancillaries.  Bringing the Tuskeegee Airmen to the big screen may be a noble effort, but it may not be profitable, given the limited appeal it is likely to have overseas.  Contraband shows with 12 million on a sizable 50 percent drop; having recouped its budget opening weekend, this is gravy.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close expanded to the fourth slot with 10.5 million; the budget secrecy suggests that's likely not enough.  Haywire rounds out the Top 5 with 9 million, which was about as predicted, but middling against a 23 million budget; the international cast will likely be the key profit factor. Way below the fold, The Artist rode awards buzz to a 99% increase in business.HAYWIRE: Steven Soderbergh's spies-gone-wrong picture  is well-executed, but I did not find anything particularly compelling about it.  The action pieces are interesting -- Soderbergh leaves out the music that normally scores such things, making them seem more realistic in the process, which has both an upside and a downside.  The cast is as uniformly good as you would expect from the names -- Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, and Ewan MacGregor to name a few.  Fmr. MMA fighter Gina Carano holds her own against these relative heavyweights, but it remains to be seen whether she can grow beyond this sort of role.  Ultimately, the story was rather pedestrian and rarely gripping.  It's not a bad movie, but I could have waited for cable.  I note that most critics disagree with this assessment, while the oft-maligned CinemaScore gave this a D+, so it would appear I am a man of the people on this one.HEIDI KLUM & SEAL are not headed for divorce court just yet, their reps are busy telling people.KRISTIN CAVALLARI & JAY CUTLER are expecting a baby jerkface.BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD and husband Seth Gabel welcomed a daughter on Thursday.KATY PERRY unfollowed RUSSELL BRAND on Twitter, in case you were hoping for a reconciliation.TWO'S COMPANY: Suzanne Somers knocks on Joyce DeWitt's door after 30 years of bad blood.HEATHER LOCKLEAR really spun out of control after Jack Wagner called off their engagement, as many expected.SYRIA: The Arab League extended its monitoring mission for another month and declined an opposition request to refer the matter to the UN. Saudi Arabia withdrew from the mission, saying the "Syrian government did not execute any of the elements of the Arab resolution plan."IRAN warned Saudi Arabia against raising oil production to replace embargoed Iranian oil. Iran also asked India to pay for oil in yen to help circumvent sanctions.AFGHANISTAN: Pres. Karzai said that he has negotiated with members of the Hizb-i-Islami Gulbuddin.PAKISTAN: Taliban terrorists released a video showing the execution of 15 Pakistani soldiers whose bodies were found earlier this month after they were kidnapped in northwestern Pakistan.WHEN ZEBRA ATTACKS: Let's go to the video.DEXTER the CAT rejoins his family after four years missing.DAY OF THE DOLPHIN: If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Navy has a backup plan to save one-fifth of the world's daily oil trade: send in the dolphins.KALA: The Gene Simmons of bears. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1974 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:....wtih THE PRETENDERS! Circa 1981, via one of Pate's two fab drummers, Jon Hahn.  Your setlist includes "The Wait," "The Adultress," "Message of Love/Louie Louie," "Talk of the Town," "English Roses," "Birds of Paradise," "Kid," "Stop Your Sobbing," "Private Life," "Day After Day," "Jealous Dogs, " Up the Neck," "Tattooed Love Boys," "Bad Boys Get Spanked," "Precious," and "Brass In Pocket/MysteryAchievement."SHARON VAN ETTEN stopped by WNYC Soundcheck for a session.YUCK plays a session at Laundro-Matinee.CROOKED FINGERS stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.ELBOW stopped by WFUV for a session.PORCELIN RAFT is advance streaming Strange Weekend.JESSIE BAYLIN: Whitney Matheson compares Baylin's Little Spark LP, which boasts arrangements by Jimmy Haskell and Richard Swift, to prime Dusty Springfield.BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Two advance tracks from Wrecking Ball. Commentary at The Record, including a Flock of Seagulls reference.FRANKIE ROSE drops "Night Swin" ahead of Interstellar.ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: New tracks from Leonard Cohen, Magnetic Fields, Lambchop, White Rabbits and more highlight the latest edition of the long-running series.WE FIVE: Because "You Were On My Mind," natch.PAZZ & JOP 2011 is posted at the Village Voice.WILCO: Jeff Tweedy talks to Arizona Central about  the 10-year anniversary of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, The Whole Love" and that line about setting the kids on fire in "I Might." John Stirratt talks to the Phoenix New Times about the band's Grammy nomination (Best Rock Album), the new album, the current Wilco lineup, and why people didn't seem to enjoy "happy" Wilco. (Thx, LHB.)CRAIG FINN talks to the NYP about songwriting in his Brooklyn home, where he keeps a shrine to Paul Westerberg.FLEET FOXES drummer J. Tillman has left the band.SMASHING PUMPKINS: 20th anniversary assessments of Gish at Aquarium Drunkard.MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle talks pop and politics with the Austin American-Statesman.JOHNNY OTIS, R & B pioneer, bandleader, producer, radio and TV host and composer, died on Tuesday at his home near Los Angeles. He was 90 years old.CUTOUT BIN: From REM to the Isley Bros, from Dropkick Murphys to Barry White, from Glen Campbell to Camper van Beethoven, plus Paul Westerberg, Rockpile, the Cardigans, the Lyres 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 Underworld Awakening, which has not been screened for critics; Red Tails, which is currently scoring 31 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and Haywire, which is scoring 87 percent.  Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close expands wide at 49 percent.MARK WAHLBERG apologized for saying he could have overpowered the 9/11 terrorists.JOHNNY DEPP & VANESSA PARADIS: Already living separate lives?DEXTER stars Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter getting a second chance at love? They were... wait for it... caught canoodling earlier this week.ADELE sets the record straight about her boyfriend.CHRIS HEMSWORTH and wife Elsa Pataky are expecting their first child.ZOE SALDANA rushed to the aid of an elderly woman who had reportedly gotten into a car accident in Culver City, CA.HEATHER LOCKLEAR had a blowout altercation with ex-fiancé Jack Wagner, according to the ever-reliable Star magazine.KELLY OSBOURNE has fallen off the wagon and is back to boozing, according to RadarOnline.MICHAEL FASSBENDER talks to THR about shooting nude, being poor, and his Oscars date.YEMEN: A tribal leader whose brother, Tariq al Dhahab, took control of the town, said senior Yemeni leaders conspired with al Qaeda to take control of Rada'a.SYRIA: Britain called for harsher sanctions on Syria, while Russia said it would work with China to block efforts at the UN.LIBYAN forces freed the governor of the Algerian province of Illizi, who was captured yesterday by three purported al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb fighters.AFGHANISTAN: The former leader of Taliban's Jaish-ul-Muslimin Movement, Sayed Mohammad Akbar Agha, said on Wednesday that the continuation of secret talks between the US and the Taliban could yield positive results for both sides.A DOG saved two girls from a venomous snake.BURMESE PYTHONS may soon be banned from import to the US. So if you were in the market for one, time is running short.ZOO ELEPHANTS kept together with help from Bob Barker.ALASKAN DOG SLED RACE called due to weather. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1973 SORRY, but I have an ongoing tech issue here. I should have a full (or close-to-full) slate for y'all Friday. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1972 TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES TODAY. HERE'S WHAT i HAVE FOR YOU NOW...HOWLER stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.SCREAMING FEMALES plays a new song during a Tiny Desk Concert at the NPR offices.THE LUMINEERS get a folky twofer from World Cafe: Next.MATTHEW SWEET, Live at Grant Park, July 4, 1993.CRAIG FINN talks to Pitchfork about what it means to be a 40-year-old singer in a rock band, the perils of depression, and whether he envies the characters in his songs.VETIVER'S Andy Cabic traces the band's evolution at the San Francisco Chronicle. (Thx, LHB.)SXSW's lineup expands significantly.MTV's SURVIVING ORIGINAL VJs -- Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Martha Quinn are prepping an "uncensored" oral history of the music channel launched in 1981.LINDSAY LOHAN cut it close before her second probation report. Also, Li-Lo now faces competition from Megan Fox to play Liz Taylor in a biopic.ELTON JOHN & MADONNA: More on their Golden Globes feud.PAULA DEEN: Why she didn't tell anyone about her Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.AVRIL LAVIGNE has split from her boyfriend of nearly two years, Brody Jenner.MICHELLE WILLIAMS, who just won the Golden Globe for her movie portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, is profiled by GQ.QUENTIN TARANTINO's Favorite Films of 2011, including various other honors.TERROR in the USA: Kareem Ibrahim, an imam who provided religious and operational support to a group planning to set off explosions under JFK Airport in 2007, was sentenced to life in prison. Ibrahim had sought to involve Iran and also to use suicide bombers.EGYPT: Leading Egyptian political parties will back a senior figure in the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party for the assembly's speaker, with another Islamist group and a liberal party taking the deputy posts.IRAN: Europe is expected to agree to ban the import of Iranian oil by the end of the month. Saudi Arabia said it could make up for the loss of Iranian oil exports. Iran warned Gulf Arab states they would suffer consequences if they raised oil production to replace Iranian oil.A SHEEP-POWERED RICKSHAW is all the rage in northern China.A PET KANGAROO treated like a child has the owner fleeing town.A CAT had to be rescued from 50ft above the M4 Motorway. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1971 WILCO: This video for "The Whole Love" was directed by Spencer Tweedy and stars Joey Tweedy.NEW RELEASES from Kathleen Edwards, Ani DiFranco, Matthew Dear, and more are streaming this week at Spinner.REAL ESTATE played a full gig at World Cafe Live, streaming on demand.FIRST AID KIT is advance streaming The Lion's Roar.THE LEMONHEADS: Live at the Taste of Chicago, 1994.ARCADE FIRE's entire Austin City Limits gig is available to stream for a way more than Twofer Tuesday.ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER talks to PopMatters about Fiery Furnaces and her solo work.WIPERS: The Portland punks are profiled by Pitchfork as part of Underscore, a new feature surveying undervalued artists/eras/scenes of the past.THE ALABAMA SHAKES are profiled at the Austin American-Statesman.INDIE ROCK's slow and painful death?THE KARDASHIANS: Kris Humphries has told his inner circle Kim Kardashian planned his wedding proposal to her for TV, according to RadarOnline.MADONNA: David Furnish called her victory speech at the Golden Globes "embarrassing in its narcissism."  Coming from a dude married to Elton John, that's sayin' something.KATY PERRY & RUSSELL BRAND: She is expected to resurface at Marc Cuban's SuperBowl party; he claims he's "quite well, thank you."JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & JESSICA BIEL: She had no engagement ring at the Golden Globes.  The ever-reliable National Enquirer claims his proposal is a clever way of avoiding an actual marriage.GENE HACKMAN was briefly hospitalized with bumps and bruises Friday after a pickup truck hit him from behind while he was riding a bicycle in the Florida Keys.ALBERT BROOKS surveyed his career during a Q & A at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, including the story of how Sly Stone ended his stand-up comedy.YEMEN: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took control of the town of Rada'a in Baydah province, killing two policemen. The attack was led by the brother-in-law of Anwar al Awlaki.IRAN: As the US and European Union move to cut Iran's oil exports, China, Japan, India and South Korea are having to tread the fine line between international relations and national needs.AFGHANISTAN: The Taliban claimed to have shot down a civilian helicopter in Helmand province; three people were killed in the crash. ISAF said there are no signs that the Taliban has infiltrated the Afghan security forces.HORSE on a HIGHWAY: Let's go to the video.FUGITIVE NATIVITY GOAT UPDATE: With frigid temps forecast for later in the week, concerned citizens are chipping in money for a reward that will be offered to anyone who can catch and return Curly, a black angora goat that wriggled out of his leash and ran from the manger out front of Bethleham Church.DON'T THROW A CAT in a marital spat.BABY GIRAFFES are still pretty large. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1970 U2: "Pride" and "MLK." Crushingly obvious. Have a dream.CRAIG FINN is advance streaming Clear Heart Full Eyes.NADA SURF is advance streaming The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy.TORI AMOS stopped by World Cafe in studio for a chat and mini-set.THE FLING stopped by KUT's Studio 1A for a session.LEE RANALDO goes "Off The Wall" in advance of Between The Time And The Tides. (No, it's not a cover.)LETTERS TO CLEO has been defunct for years, but it and its cover of Nick Lowe's "Cruel To Be Kind" are back in the zeitgeist, courtesy of NBC's Parks and Recreation.DION: A vintage (and this year, crackly) performance of "Abraham, Martin & John."ROBERT CHRISTGAU releases his Dean's List and accomanying essay.CRAIG FINN talks to Clash about the literary influences on his songwriting.MAVIS STAPLES talks to Spinner about soundtracking the Civil Rights Movement, Plus hip-hop, iPhones, Jay-Z & Kanye and Justin Bieber.12 ARTISTS to WATCH in 2012, according to Spinner.WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Contraband tops the chart with 24.1 million, which is pretty good against a 25 million budget and tracking estimates in the mid-to-high teens.  Disney's 3-D re-release of Beauty & the Beast rakes in 18.5 million, about 10 million more than tracking was expecting. The 3-D conversion likely cost the Mouse about 10 million.  Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is third with 11.5 million on its first big drop (42 percent).  Joyful Noise debuted in fourth with 11.3 million against a 30 million budget.  Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows rounds out the Top 5 with 8.4 million.  Below the fold, The Devil Inside -- last weeks No. 1 -- made only 7.9 million, on a drop of 77 percent.  Maybe people started talking franchise too early? Nah, it still cost only a million to make.THE GOLDEN GLOBES went to these folks. Congrats!KELSEY GRAMMER and wife Kayte Walsh Grammer are having a baby.OLIVIA WILDE & JASON SUDEKIS were caught canoodling on camera in NYC.MENA SUVARI is calling it quits on her 18-month marriage to concert producer Simone Sestito.HEATHER LOCKLEAR was reportedly "out of control" on drugs and booze when her sister dialed 911 Thursday night, according to Entertainment Tonight.TWILIGHT: We're maybe not done after the next movie?IRAN warned oil-producing Gulf states not to boost production if Iran's crude exports are affected by Western sanctions.SYRIA: The failure of an Arab League mission to stanch violence in Syria, an international community with little leverage and a government as defiant as its opposition is in disarray have left Syria descending into a protracted, chaotic and perhaps unnegotiable conflict.IRAQ: Insurgents dressed as policemen attacked a government compound and a police station in Ramadi with four suicide bombers; seven police officers and at least six attackers died in the clashes.AFGHANISTAN: The leader of Afghanistan's second-biggest insurgent group said in an interview published Sunday that he was ready for "meaningful talks" with all parties to end the decade-long war.A CROW snowboards on a roof in Russia.THAT OSTRICH is totally into you.WALKER, a 28-pound cat, finds a new home.BABY SEA OTTER: Awww...some pics and video. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1969 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE: ... with DAVID BOWIE! Live at the Beat Club, circa 1978, to mark the end of his 65th birthday week.  Your setlist includes: "Sense Of Doubt," "Beauty And The Beast," "Heroes," "Stay," "The Jean Genie," "TVC 15," "Alabama Song," and "Rebel Rebel."LAURA VEIRS stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.THE LITTLE WILLIES, a country cover band that just happens to include Norah Jones, stopped by WNYC Soundcheck for a session.THE WAR ON DRUGS also stopped by WNYC Soundcheck for a session.SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS drops "Lafaye" in advance of Ghostory.BEAR IN HEAVEN drops "The Reflection Of You" ahead of their spring relase, I Love You, It's Cool.GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS drop "Easy Come Easy Go" in advance of New Wild Everywhere.WHITE RABBITS offer "Heavy Metal" is advance of Milk Famous, in return for your address.EASYBEATS: The fish, the barrel, the smoking gun!LOS CAMPESINOS!: Gareth talks to Pitchfork about ex-girlfriends, blissfully cold suds, and the trappings of Tumblr.WILCO drummer Glenn Kotche talks to the L.A. Times about the found sounds, shuffling toys, back massagers, and funky rhythms that permeate parts of The Whole Love.  Guitarist Nels Cline talks to the Colorado Springs Independent about his bandmates. (Thx, LHB.)MITCH RYDER's raw autobiography launches what could be a big year for the Detroit soul-rocker.BANDS to WATCH in 2012, according to Glide.LYKKE LI signed a modeling contract.  So did Lana Del Rey.CUTOUT BIN:  From the Who to Dobie Gray, from Sly & the Family Stone to the Dwight Twilley Band, from Husker Du to Elton John, plus Arthur Lee, Katrina and the Waves, Dusty Springfield, Guided by Voices 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: Contraband, which is currently scoring 52 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Joyful Noise, currently scoring 39 percent; and the 3-D reissue of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, scoring 91 percent.  The Iron Lady expands to 700 screens, scoring 56 percent.HEATHER LOCKLEAR was taken to the hospital by ambulance Thursday afternoon after taking a dangerous mix of prescription drugs and alcohol. She's doing much better now and doctors are hopeful she will be released today.HALLE BERRY & OLIVER MARTINEZ are not engaged, contra earlier reports.THE KARDASHIANS: Kim is saying Robert Kardashian is undoubtedly Khloe's biological father.JAKE GYLLENHAAL: Rejected by Minka Kelly?ROBERT PATTINSON shaved his head.SINEAD O'CONNOR says she tried to commit suicide last week.JENNIFER LOPEZ is giving her boyfriend a 10K weekly allowance, according to the ever-reliable Star magazine.TWO AND A HALF MEN co-creators Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn deny there was ever a feud with Charlie Sheen (whee!), while Ashton Kutcher said he'd love to return next season.ELEVEN SCI-FI & FANTASY FLICKS to look for in 2012, according to Forbes.NORTH KOREA's hardline regime is punishing those who did not cry at the death of dictator Kim Jong-il, according to reports.  Maybe six months in a labor camp will get those tears flowing.AFGHANISTAN: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that Afghan and Taliban statements show there is support for a Taliban political office in Qatar, but said nothing has been concluded yet.30 JAPANESE GIANT HORNETS kill 30000 honeybees.THE WORLD'S SMALLEST FROG has been discovered in Papua New Guinea by a US-based team.STOWAWAY MOUSE flies to Oslo solo.A "WEIRD SEA CREATURE" washed up in in Delray Beach, FL. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1968 ARCTIC MONKEYS drummer Matt Helders makes a jailbreak in the video for "Black Treacle."ALLEN STONE stopped by KEXP for a soulful, funky live set.CATE LE BON is advance streaming CYRK.LE BUTCHERETTES plays a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.OH! PEARS gets a twofer of orchestral rock on World Cafe: Next.MAGNETIC FIELDS drop "Andrew In Drag" in advance of Love at the Bottom of the Sea, due in March.NADA SURF is "Waiting For Something" ahead of The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy.WILD FLAG gave Fallon the "Short Version."THE MINUTEMEN: The Quietus essays the bigraphy and discography of an essential band.NOISE POP: The fest now boasts the Flaming Lips, performing 1999's The Soft Bulletin in full, and Bob Mould performing his band Sugar's 1992 album Copper Blue in full for the first time ever.VAN HALEN's new songs are about 34 or 35 years old.JOHN FOGERTY is providing an original theme song for the new Fox TV series The Finder, and is making a guest appearance on the series' debut tonight.BRYAN FERRY married a 30-year-old publicist in a small, intimate ceremony at a luxury beach resort in Turks and Caicos on Jan. 4th.HALLE BERRY & OLIVER MARTINEZ are engaged.THE KARDASHIANS: Khloe Kardashian is lashing out at her former step-mothers - claiming the women should be "ashamed" for telling a tabloid magazine that Robert Kardashian isn't her biological father.BEYONCE & JAY-Z got 1.5 million in baby gifts.LINDSAY LOHAN has tax problems. Shocka!DEMI LOVATO & WILMER VALDERRAMA have parted ways.KATY PERRY and... Tim Tebow? Not yet.AMANDA SEYFRIED is stripping way down for her role as famed Deep Throat star Linda Lovelace in the upcoming biopic. But it's gonna be, y'know, tasteful.MARK WAHLBERG talks to GQ about Contraband, the grueling work of family life, the future of How to Make It in America, and the status of that Entourage movie.YEMEN: Pres Saleh will travel to Saudi Arabia for medial treatment. Again.IRAN: The US has said Iran's uranium enrichment at an underground bunker was a "further escalation." Russia expressed regret and concern. Europe and Japan moved forward with plans to cut Iranian oil imports. The US categorically denied any role in the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist on Wednesday.SYRIA: In his first public speech since June, President Assad vowed to crush opponents with an "iron fist." Pro-Assad supporters attacked Arab League monitors.AFGHANISTAN: In the American war against the Taliban, on whose side are the Afghan police? For many US soldiers serving in the insurgent heartland, the answer is: both.THE CAT is planning something evil.GIANT CRAYFISH: The one that didn't get away.4000 TURTLES were seized from a truck at Jalaun crossing under Kotwali police station in Auraiyya district in India. No quick getaway.MAYBE THE DOG ate your spoon. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1967 REAL ESTATE premieres "Easy"... on Funny Or Die.PRIMUS stopped by World Cafe for a session.NIKI & THE DOVE have a chat and mini-set on BBC's Radio 1.JONTI drops a free album, Sine and Moon.LEONARD COHEN drops "Darkness" in advance of Old Ideas.CRAIG FINN has a "New Friend Jesus" ahead of Clear Heart Full Eyes.KING KHAN & THE SHRINES drop "Bite My Tongue" as a single.XIU XIU say "Hi" in advance of Always.VAN HALEN returns with a "Tattoo." Not the Who song.WILCO: Jeff Tweedy talks to the L.A. Times about the band's last decade and a half, while sharing thoughts on The Whole Love.WYE OAK: Jenn Wasner And Andy Stack talk to the Village Voice about the hype machine, incessant touring, and feeling unworthy.CARRIE BROWNSTEIN talks to Billboard about Wild Flag and the musicians turning up on Portlandia.LOLLAPALOOZA at 20: PopMatters looks at its evolution from touring carnival to destination festival.LINDSAY LOHAN is in talks to play... Elizabeth Taylor? Really?CHRISTINA AGUILERA talks to Marie Claire about her divorce, the tabloid rumors, and her new curves.BEYONCE & JAY-Z snuck their daughter from the hospital in the dead of night.JUSTIN BIEBER talks to V Magazine about sex, drugs and turning 18.CHANNING TATUM talks to Details about his full slate of movies and having the time of his life.TERROR in the USA: Craig Baxam, a former US soldier from Laurel, MD, was charged with attempting to join an al Qaeda-linked terror organization.TERROR in GERMANY: Omid H., a 22-year-old Afghan, was charged with recruiting for al Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan by posting "radical Islamic" messages and videos on a jihadist website.AFGHANISTAN: A senior member of Afghanistan's peace-making body will travel to Qatar soon to gather more details about plans for a Taliban political office in the Gulf nation.A DEER crashes the Goodwill store in Woodbuty Heights, NJ, looking for ironic hipster t-shirts.STRANGE FISH, and the strange places they live.MR. T, the swearing parrot, is going to rehab before he visits schools.A CROCODILE fittingly lounges in a Darwin home. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1966 FANFARLO shows off "Shiny Things" in advance of Rooms Filled With Light.NEW RELEASES from Expensive Looks, Run Dan Run, Garnd & Nobel and more are streaming this week at Spinner.LAURA GIBSON is advance streaming La Grande.THE BIG PINK is advance streaming Future This.THE SHINS drop a "Simple Song" ahead of Port Of Morrow.THE DOORS: "She Smells So Nice" is the first completely new and unreleased song from the band in 40 years.BLACK DICE unleash "Pigs" ahead of Mr Impossible.TUNE-YARDS played "Bizness" and "You Yes You" on Fallon in time for Twofer Tuesday.NEBRASKA: Springsteen's stark solo LP turns 30 this month.DAVID BROWNE talks to The Nervous Breakdown about his latest book, the '70-centric Fire and Rain. (Thx, LHB.)COACHELLA 2012 lineup is announced, festival-goers.RETROMANIA: Critics Ann Powers, Carl Wilson and Daphne Carr to participate in a Bookforum roundtable on the provocative Simon Reynolds book.THE DESCENDANTS:  Finally got around to Alexander Payne's latest, a dramedic meditation on the legacies we leave.  The story here is not as strong as those in Election or Sideways, but the film nonetheless bears most of the tonal qualities of a Payne film.  There will be talk of George Clooney getting an Oscar nomination -- and he is quite good -- as Matt King, who has a multiplicity of family issues to address. But Shailene Woodley, as his first daughter Alexandra, has a breakout performance which will take her beyond The Secret Life of the American Teenager.  Also, don't let Clooney lie to you in the opening narration -- while he promises that Hawaii is not a paradise, the cinematography suggests otherwise.BEYONCE & JAY-Z: Lenox Hill Hospital denied the couple took over an entire floor for the birth of their child, but parents complained they were blocked from visiting their babies in neonatal intensive care.EVAN RACHEL WOOD & JAMIE BELL are engaged.CHARLIE SHEEN says that last year's headline-making antics are indeed a thing of the past.LISA LOEB and husband Roey Hershkovitz will welcome their second child in June.SNOOP DOGG was busted in TX this weekend after a drug-sniffing dog uncovered marijuana on his tour bus.KRISTY McNICHOL comes out.TERROR in the USA: Authorities charged Sami Osmakac, a Kosovo-born naturalized US citizen, with planning a terror attack on various targets in the Tampa Bay area, including public areas and bridges.IRAN's top nuclear official announced this weekend that the country was on the verge of starting production at its second major uranium enrichment site, in a defiant declaration that its nuclear program would continue despite new international sanctions restricting its oil revenue.PAKISTAN: Fmr Pres Musharraf said he will return to Pakistan at the end of the month; Senior Special Prosecutor Chaudhry said Musharraf would be arrested upon his return.AFGHANISTAN: Pres Karzai's spokesman said that the Taliban must agree to a ceasefire before peace talks can proceed. Karzai's spokesman also said the government would not cede provinces to the Taliban.LION vs TODDLER: Who you got?THE BRANDING VILLA in South Gosforth, Newcastle, is now selling a special beer designed for dogs so that drinkers' four-legged friends can also enjoy a tipple at the same time. It is also serving a Sunday roast covered in cat-flavored gravy.GOAT-RIDING MONKEY Raids Farm.A DOG was rescued from an Idaho mine shaft.MAGPIES & BEARS mourn the death of Kim Jong Il. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1965 ROME: Jack White provides the vocals for Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi on "Two Against One."KATHLEEN EDWARDS is advance streaming Voyageur.HOWLER -- whose music brings to mind The Strokes, Guided by Voices, The Jam and The Buzzcocks -- is advance streaming America Give Up.RAE SPOON is advance streaming I Can't Keep All Our Secrets.CRAIG FINN (The Hold Steady) drops "Honolulu Blues" ahead of Clear Hearts Full Eyes.LA SERA: Vivian Girls' Katy Goodman drops "Please Be My Third Eye" in advance of Sees The Light. Yum!OF MONTREAL drops the not-dour "Dour Percentage" in advance of Paralytic Stalks. Reminds me a bit of classic Todd Rundgren, with a dash of Prince in his psychedelic phase.DAVID BOWIE turned 65 yesterday and is profiled in semi-retirement at The Guardian. That essay notes his long streak in the 70s, so let's enjoy "Queen B^tch" from the OGWT.BEST COAST: Bethany Cosentino tells Pitchfork she hopes to shed her old image through the band's as-yet-untitled sophomore record.25 ALBUMS TO LOOK FORWARD TO, according to Paste.ETTA JAMES, who is terminally ill and battling leukemia, is out of the hospital.BOB WESTON, the British guitarist who played with Fleetwood Mac in the ‘70s, has died. He was 64.TOM ARDOLINO, longtime NRBQ drummer, is dead at 56 after a long illness.WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Devil Inside tops the chart with 34.5 million -- absolutely blowing away predictions of 8-10 million.  Made for less than a million, it made twice that on Thursday night showings, possibly launching another franchise in the mold of Paranormal Activity.  That opening, btw, is bigger than any weekend enjoyed by the second-place Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which brought in another 20.2 million (which still beat the predicted 15 million).  Tom Crazy now has 170 million in the US and almost 300 million overseas.  Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows shows with 14 million; it didn't start as big as the reboot, it has been pretty leggy here, if a bit disappointing in overseas markets.  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is fourth with 11.4 million and the best hold on the chart, again underscoring the stupidity of a Christmas release for this one.  Alvin and the Chipmunks rounds out the Top5, but makes only 9.5 million on a 42 percent drop.  Below the fold, War Horse struggles a bit in sixth place (as does Tintin in eight), while We Bought a Zoo recops its 50 million budget in seventh place.  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy gained mometum from a near-wide release and landed in ninth with 5.8 million and 1 10.4 million total (plus 25 million abroad).  The ball drops on New Year's Eve as it clings to the bottom rung of the Top 10.TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY:  The film adaptation of the John le Carre Cold War classic may not be as good as the Alec Guinness-led mini-series, as the amount of condensation necessary makes the thriller that much more difficult to follow.  Given the difficulty of the task, the screenplay mostly rises to that challenges, but the real strength of this film is the performances.  Gary Oldman is almost always excellent and his take on Smiley is no exception, possibly resulting in an Oscar nod.  But the rest of the cast is also very good from Colin Firth to Benedict Cumberbatch (The new Sherlock on Masterpiece Theater) to Tom Hardy (though he walks a fine line toward overdoing it as Ricky Tarr).  I sometimes wonder whether young viewers might be put off by the chilly tone and relative lack of "action" in this kind of film, but I credit all involved for resisting the temptation to tart it up.BEYONCE & JAY-Z welcomed a baby girl named Blue Ivy Carter in New York City on Saturday.SIENNA MILLER and boyfriend Tom Sturridge are expecting a child.JOHNNY DEPP's long term relationship with Vanessa Paradis is on the rocks, according to RadarOnline.SCARLETT JOHANSSON's mom claims she is cash-poor and can't obtain a mortgage in a real estate dispute that offers a rare peek into the finances of a stage mom and her famous daughter.PAULA ABDUL and her boyfriend, record label owner Jeff Bratton, have called off their romance.KAT DENNINGS is dating her 2 Broke Girls co-star, Nick Zano.ROBERT DOWNEY, JR., is being courted to play Geppetto in a live action take on Pinocchio.TERROR in the KINGDOM: The Saudi government has begun the trial of 16 al Qaeda operatives, including 14 Saudis, a Pakistani, and an Afghan, accused of killing a policeman and plotting attacks against military and government sites. The operatives are also accused of supporting and financing terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq.EGYPT: Islamist parties won more than two-thirds of the seats in the parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results.IRAN: The UK threatened military action if Iran attempted to close the Gulf of Hormuz. Western nations prepared contingency plans in case Iranian oil supplies are cut off. Iran prepared to move uranium enrichment into underground bunkers.A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Don't bungee-jump over croc-infested waters.EBENEEZER the DONKEY has his own calendar, website and even his own street sign in Grandview, MO.A WILD BOAR that has wreaked havoc for about a year in the back woods of a dog track in Melbourne, FL - and totaled two cars - was captured Friday.A GIANT RAT was found in a Foot Locker in the Bronx. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1964 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:...with THE HOLLIES!  Circa 1969, post Graham Nash, promoting The Hollies Sing Dylan. Selections include "Carrie Anne" (w/strings instead of steel drums), "Just Like A Woman," a medley of "Just One Look," "Bus Stop," "On A Carousel" and "Sorry, Suzanne," "Quit Your Lowdown," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "Help Me Brother," "Stop Stop Stop," a cover of "A Taste of Honey," Peter, Paul & Mary's "Stewball," "The Mighty Quinn," and "Blowin' in the Wind."NEW ORDER Stream the Power, Corruption & Lies tribute LP. (Thx, LHB.)SALLIE FORD & THE SOUND OUTSIDE visit World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.TINARIWEN plays a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.DINOSAUR, JR.: Lou Barlow shares an EP from Deep Wound, his pre-Dino band with J Mascis.ZEITGEIST 2011 is posted at the ol' HM.LANA DEL REY: "National Anthem" and  "This Is What Makes Us Girls" have leaked online.THE YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS THEME: T.G.I.F.CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG talks to Pitchfork about conjuring the ego, the differences between performing for a camera and an audience, and what her late father would think if he could see one of her shows.LAURIE ANDERSON is interviewed by The Believer, and vice versa.THE 50 GREATEST GUITAR SOLOS, according to NME, plus selections from a range of musicians.FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl is collaborating with members of... Ratt?  (For those keeping score, that's this week's second Ratt reference.)CUTOUT BIN: From Marshall Crenshaw to OMD, from Mason Williams to Devo, from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings to Devo, plus The Jam, Jefferson Airplane, Guided by Voices, Merrilee Rush and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide release is The Devil Inside, which -- shocka -- was not screened in advance for critics.DREW BARRYMORE is engaged to Chanel heir Will Kopelman.MARC ANTHONY moves on from Jennifer Lopez with a 24-year-old Venezuelan model.KATY PERRY & RUSSELL BRAND: The moving vans show up at their L.A. home.  And here's unfounded, yet entertaining rumors about their split.KERI RUSSELL gave birth to a daughter on Dec. 27.ARNOLD & MARIA: Not reconciling.THE KARDASHIANS: Available soon in stores?ALBERT BROOKS talks to ComingSoon about Drive, Judd Apatow, his novel and more...STAR TREK: Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, The Hobbit) has been cast in a lead role in the next JJ Abrams voyage.WHY, DAVID FINCHER? He explains.THE 25 GREATEST HORROR FILMS You've Never Seen, according to Den of Geek. (How did they know?)IRAN is mounting an aggressive campaign to fuel anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan and convince Afghan leaders that a robust, long-term security partnership with Washington would be counterproductive, Afghan officials and analysts say.IRAQ: Attacks against Shia pilgrims before the Arbaeen holiday have killed over 60 civilians, the deadliest being a suicide attack against a security checkpoint that killed 44 and wounded dozens more in Nasiriya. The government's support for an Iranian-backed, militant militia, which only just swore off violence, has opened new sectarian fault lines in Iraq's political crisis while potentially empowering Iran at a moment of rising military and economic tensions between Tehran and Washington.AFGHANISTAN: Pres. Karzai said he welcomed the Taliban's announcement that they planned to openly pursue negotiations with the US by setting up an office in Qatar... but he's not wild about the idea.PIG & PUG, playing together...Mass hysteria!DON'T HASSLE THE HOFF: UK scientists have found prodigious numbers of a new crab species on the Southern Ocean floor that they have dubbed "The Hoff" because of its hairy chest.A GIANT TUNA fetches almost 750K at auction.THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A militant rodent gets it on with a T-Rex. Bang a gong. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1963 GUIDED BY VOICES brings "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" to the Ed Sullivan Theater, where Greg Demos takes a spill.THE FLAMING LIPS and the Plastic Ono Band EP.TRAILER TRASH TRACYS are advance streaming Ester.BUDDY HOLLY: The Apartment Demos.FRANKIE ROSE drops a solo single, "Know Me."D'ANGELO has a psych-soul version of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun."FEIST tackles the Guns N' Roses epic, "November Rain." And a piñata.ARCTIC MONKEYS talk about their initial whirlwind of success and musical evolution at the Sydney Morning Herald.THIN LIZZY: A treasure trove of tapes stashed away by frontman Phil Lynott will be released as a boxed set later this year. Shortly before he passed away in 1986, Lynott gave 150 tapes to a third party for safekeeping. The cache of up to 700 songs has finally been released to record company Universal Music.PINK FLOYD: Dave Gilmour has denied the band are reforming their classic line-up to play at this summer's Olympic Games in London.THE TOP 10 POSTUMOUS ALBUMS, according to Exclaim.JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & JESSICA BIEL have finally decided to get married.SINEAD O'CONNOR has reconciled with her husband of 18 days.ZOOEY DESCHANEL officially filed to divorce Ben Gibbard. Want a look at her finances?THE KARDASHIANS want their own tabloid, perhaps to compete with reports that Kim is a homewrecker, according to Kanye West's ex-gf.TAYLOR SWIFT & AMANDA SEYFRIED have been offered roles in the movie version of Les Miserables.NICK CANNON is fighting to recover from a mild kidney failure, according to wife Mariah Carey.ADELE rings in the year with a new boyfriend.ROONEY MARA continues to sabotage her own career.ISRAELI & PALESTINIAN negotiators met in Jordan for the first time in more than a year. The Palestinian president threatened to take "new measures" against Israel if the meeting failed to bring about a resumption of peace talks.EGYPTIANS headed for the polls in the third and final round of parliamentary elections. The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood party is expected to extend its lead.  The US is making overtures to the MB.SYRIA: Killings continue in spite the government's withdrawal of heavy weapons.IRAN warned US aircraft carriers not to return to the Persian Gulf after the USS Stennis exited the gulf. France said it was convinced Iran was developing nuclear weapons and called for stricter economic sanctions.CHEETAH PURRING: Let's go to the video.SPIDER-WORM: US researchers have created silkworms that are genetically modified to spin much stronger silk.FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: A tiny fly turns bees into suicidal zombies.THE LOST WORLD, discovered under Antarctica. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1962 IRON & WINE: "Godless Brother in Love" dropped in October, but is getting unexpected blog love now.THE CIVIL WARS play a session at Laundro-Matinee, including a cover of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."YO LA TENGO: NYC Taper has not one, but two of the band's Hanukkah shows at Maxwell's. (Thx, Chromewaves.)DUM DUM GIRLS play Morning Becomes Eclectic in this turn-of-year encore link.PEARL JAM: The previously unreleased demo, "Chinese," thanks to Cameron Crowe.CURSIVE drops "The Sun and Moon" in advance of I Am Gemini.SAD BABY WOLF, a Shins side project, drops "8th Level."R.E.M. covers ABBA's "Does Your Mother Know?", circa 1984.THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN: Because there's "Something In The Air." And you know that it's right.THE PITCHFORK READERS' POLL: Best Albums, along with the Underrated and Overrated (many of the latter are also Best Albums).KATHLEEN EDWARDS talks to Salon about her upcoming Voyageur and her music evolution while staying at her parents' tranquil farmhouse about four hours from Toronto.CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN: Ithsmus alerts me to a fabulous post by David Lowery about hitmaking and "Take the Skinheads Bowling" I missed in July.MUSIC SALES were up by a whopping one percent in 2011, according to preliminary figures.THE DRUMS frontman Jonathan Pierce chats to FasterLouder about inner-band tensions, getting away from that ‘surf band' tag, and dropping the song that helped them hit the big time. (Thx, LHB.)BREAKOUT ARTISTS of 2012, according to PopMatters.BRADGELINA: Jolie bought Pitt a waterfall; he plans to build a house over it with the Frank Lloyd Wright stuff. The pair visited  Lloyd Wright's 1939 masterpiece Fallingwater, which was built in Pennsylvania on a similar piece of land, in 2006 (when the above pic was taken).LINDSAY LOHAN is ramping up security after asome random dude turned up on her doorstep.DEMI MOORE & ADAM BRODY will play Gloria Steinem and Harry Reems in the Linda Lovelace biopic.EWAN McGREGOR chatted with GQ about Haywire, fatherhood, fantasies, and the other three movies he's in this year.DAVID TENNANT tied the knot with fiancée Georgia Moffett; they met on the set of Doctor Who.RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK's opening sequence, recreated with old movie footage.ROGER EBERT's theories about declining box office receipts.MOROCCO has a new, Islamist-led government.IRAN test fired "long-range" shore-to-sea and surface-to-surface missiles.AFGHANISTAN: A delegation of the Hezb-i-Islami of Afghanistan (HIA) led by former jihadi leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, held "beneficial" talks with Afghan government officials, an HIA member said on Tuesday.IRAQ:  Looking to step back from the brink, Iraq's fractious political blocs are working on short-term solutions to cool a crisis that threatened a slide back into sectarian strife, but fundamental differences may be left to smolder.A DOG eats in her chair.AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: Thousands of dead herring on a beach in Norway.HYBRID SHARKS discovered Down Under.PIG RACING: A high-stakes world, some of it in bridal wear. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1961 MATTHEW SWEET does a session at Laundro-Matinee and talks to Spinner about the 20th anniversary of "Girlfriend." Get off my lawn.CULTS play World Cafe Live in Philadelphia for this turn-of-year encore link. MAYER HAWTHORNE plays a mini-set at World Cafe in this turn-of-year encore link.THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART play a mini-set at The Current in this turn-of-year encore link.GILLIAN WELCH & DAVE RAWLINGS play a mini-set at World Cafe in this turn-of-year encore link.THE WHO: "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (with some great Moon moments) and Pate fave "The Kids Are Alright" are your first Twofer 2012.CEE-LO GREEN altered a lyric to "Imagine" on New Years Eve. Lennon fans were outrageously outraged.THE PITCHFORK GUIDE to Winter 2012.CLOUD CULT: Craig Minowa talks to Glide about touring, classical influences and environmentalism.MORRISSEY turns up on Google Earth.KATY PERRY & RUSSELL BRAND were infatuated with each other when they tied the knot, but the honeymoon ended very quickly.  Both Perry and Brand have been seen around since their split.LeBRON JAMES got engaged at a New Year's Eve dinner and party at the Shelborne hotel in South Beach.ARETHA FRANKLIN and William "Willie" Wilkerson are engaged.RICKY MARTIN plans to marry his boyfriend this month.ELTON JOHN would like Justin Timberlake to play him in his biopic. JT has played John previously.LINDSAY LOHAN: Police were called to her Venice Beach pad -- by her for a change.MARTIN SCORSESE is considering 3-D for his next two projects.THE OSCAR BALLOT is confusing voters.ROBERT ANDERSON, movie sword master from Errol Flynn through Darth Vader, has died at 89.IRAN's currency value has fallen more than 10 percent in less than a week to record lows, after a US move to tighten financial sanctions against the Islamic theocracy.PAKISTAN: By year's end, it became clear that 2011 was a year in which Pakistan transformed from being an key ally in the war on terror, to being the front line in the war on terror.AFGHANISTAN: More than 380 insurgents, including 19 commanders, reconciled with the government in Badghis province.RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: A bonobo ape is cooking in Des Moines.THE BIRDS: Snow geese numbers are increasing exponentially.WAR HORSES: Winston Churchill intervened to secure the safe return of tens of thousands of them stranded in Europe after the First World War.KILLER WHALE vs SHARKS: Who you got? Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1960 ZOOEY DESCHANEL & JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT: Better late than never, I bring you the stars of (500) Days of Summer covering Nancy Wilson's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?", posted by Zooey with her comments on the Tube.RYAN ADAMS has an interview plus tracks with Weekend Edition, including a cover of Ratt's "Round And Round."THE LITTLE WILLIES advance stream For The Good Times.YUCK, live at Stubbs BBQ in this turn-of-year encore link.GIRLS play a mini-set at The Current in this turn-of-year encore link.DESTROYER covers New Order's "Leave Me Alone"... and plays KEXP for what may or may not be a turn-of-year encore link.SEAN BONNIWELL, singer for the Music Machine on garage-rock nuggets like "Talk Talk," has died after battling lung cancer. He was 71.OF MONTREAL: Kevin Barnes talks to DIY about the more challenging and personal Paralytic Stalks album. (Thx, Chromewaves.)DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS co-founders Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley talk to the Washingtonian about touring, their relationship, and future plans. (Thx, LHB.)LOOKING AHEAD in 2012, from The Guardian, 130 BPM, and World Cafe.TEENAGE FANCLUB: The Quietus celebrates the 20th anniversary of Bandwagonesque. Get off my lawn.WEEKEND BOX OFFICE:  Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol repeats atop the chart with 31.3 million and 134 million total, matching MI3's entire domestic run. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows places with 22 million, a healthy showing, but running about 20 percent behind its predecessor.  Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked shows with 18.3 million on a 45 percent boost over last weekend; its 94.6 million total still lags the Squeakquel, which took in 165.4 million over the same number of days.  War Horse, which sagged during the after its Christmas opening, regained momentum on the weekend, surging 125 percent and making another 16.9 million.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo rounds out the Top 5 with 16.3 million on a 28 percent boost that confirms the silliness of trying to open this picture at Christmas.  Below the fold, We Bought a Zoo and The Adventures of Tintin showed some post-Christmas legs.THE ARTIST: This black-and-white silent movie is not on many screens, but will likely be the focus of much Oscar buzz -- and deservedly so.  It may be a conceptual piece about the transition from silent movies to talkies (making nods to predecessors like A Star Is Born and Singin' In The Rain), but it's by turns funny, sad and charming -- and a delight to experience with a crowd in a theater.  A joint production involving French television and the Weinstein Company, Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo lead, with support from James Cromwell, John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller, and a dog named Uggie (who is surely destined for megastardom).  Here's the trailer.KATY PERRY wanted RUSSELL BRAND to file the court papers in their divorce because she didn't want to upset her religious parents. Brand is set to make up to £20million for 14 months of marriage, as the couple did not have a prenup.RYAN GOSLING & EVA MENDES rang in the new year together.MINKA KELLY & DEREK JETER secretly reconciling in Paris?REBECCA GAYHEART & ERIC DANE have welcomed their second child, a girl.WILL & JADA PINKETT SMITH: More trouble in paradise, according to the ever-reliable Enquirer.MOVIE TICKET SALES in the US were estimated to come in at under 1.3 billion, which would be the smallest figure since 1995.  Revenue aso dropped, despite higher ticket prices, 3-D and IMAX.IRAN: The commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps backed away from recent threats to close Strait of Hormuz. Iran postponed long-range missile tests and signaled it was ready to reopen talks on its nuclear program. The US imposed further sanctions on financial institutions that deal with Iran. Iranian scientists have produced the nation's first nuclear fuel rod, a feat of engineering the West has doubted Tehran capable of, the country's nuclear agency said Sunday.IRAQIS are again segregating themselves along sectarian lines, prompted by a political crisis pulling at the explosive Sunni-Shiite divide just weeks after the American withdrawal left Iraq to chart its own future.AFGHANISTAN: For the first time in years, US military deaths there declined in 2011.A LION CUB works on his roar.A TWO-YEAR-OLD narrowly cheated death after his mother discovered him being squeezed by a large scrub python in the family's back garden."INTELLIGENT" SLIME able to navigate its way out of a maze. Beware.A GRASSHOPPER SHORTAGE has folks hopping in Uganda. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700