Fri, 18 May 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=2062 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:...with HARRY NILSSON! The BBC aired "The Music of Nilsson" in 1971, including a mashup of "Mr. Richland's Favorite Song" and "One," "Gotta Get Up," a medley of "Walk Right Back," "Cathy's Clown" and "Let The Good Times Roll," and really moving take on "Life Line." Then there are two videos from The Point!  -- "Think About Your Troubles" and "Are You Sleeping" -- sandwiching "Joy." The set concludes with "Without Her," "Coconut" and "1941."EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROES played World Cafe Live; you can stream the whole gig on demand.JOEY RAMONE: Hear his posthumous LP at Rolling Stone... ya know?SHARON VAN ETTEN plays a mini-set on video for Sound Opinions.PORTASTATIC, Live at the Duke Coffee House, Aug. 9, 1994. DONNA SUMMER, the multimillion-selling singer and songwriter whose hits captured both the giddy hedonism of the 1970s disco era and the feisty female solidarity of the early 1980s, died from cancer on Thursday at her home in Naples, Fla. She was 63. As a card-carrying member of the Insane Coho Lips back in the day, I cannot claim to have been a fan, but if I had to pick two, they would be "On The Radio" and "Last Dance."  I also recall hearing her remake of "MacArthur Park" a lot at the roller rink.MUSIC'S 12 BEST INSULTS & JABS, according to the Houston Press. (Thx, LHB.)METRIC: Emily Haines talks to Stereogum about the making of Synthetica.KELLEY DEAL talks to We Love DC about her newest band, R.Ring. (Thx, LHB.)THE ROLLING STONES-WINNIE THE POOH CONNECTION: It's a house, man.CUTOUT BIN: From Joan Jett to Jim Croce, from the Clash to Barry White, from Fun Boy Three to Three Dog Night, plus Tommy James and the Shondells, Soul Asylum, David Bowie, price 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 Battleship, which is currently scoring 37 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; What to Expect When You're Expecting, which is scoring 26 percent; and The Dictator, which opened Wednesday with 62 percent. Hulk smash.JOHN TRAVOLTA:  Accuser No. 2 dops his sexual battery lawsuit. Travolta says he's not paying these men off.  Did he try to grope... Jeff Conaway?BOBBY BROWN is releasing a single about Whitney Houston three months after his ex-wife's death.NICK STAHL was spotted after his wife reported him missing.RUSSELL BRAND on KATY PERRY: "I still love her." Aw.JENNY McCARTHY is baring all again for Playboy as she prepares to celebrate her 40th birthday in November.JIMMY KIMMEL beats Jay Leno.YEMEN: The military claimed it ejected AQAP from Lawdar, Modia, and Al Wadea. A senior Southern Movement leader is urging his followers to fight AQAP.EGYPT: On the campaign trail for the presidential election, now only nine days away, the Muslim Brotherhood has taken a sharp turn rightward, becoming bolder in saying it wants to bring a state where religion and Islamic law play a major role - and insisting that it has the right to rule. Shocka.NORTH KOREA resumed construction on a nuclear reactor that would have the capacity to produce fuel for nuclear weapons. China pressured North Korea to abandon its efforts for a third nuclear test.AFGHANISTAN: American officials acknowledge privately that the bar has been significantly lowered on how success in Afghanistan is defined after 11 years of combat.A CAT trains a puppy to roll over.200 BUFFALO escaped from a ranch in northwest Iowa and have been spotted in five counties.AN ARABIAN HORSE got spooked during a California beachside photo shoot Tuesday and swam a mile out to sea before rescuers got to him and helped him back to shoreCOYOTES stalk dogs in Golden Gate Park. Will San Francisco import Roadrunners?HARBORING a WALLABY results in a year's probation in Butler, PA.GILA MONSTER SPIT may reduce food cravings.  I would think so. Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2061 SPINTO BAND drops Afrobeat into their animated clip for "The Living Things."M WARD performs new material live for WNYC Soundcheck.DAR WILLIAMS played World Cafe Live; you can stream the whole gig on demand.PATRICK WILSON stop by WNYC Soundcheck play songs from their new album, "Adventures in Your Own Backyard." BAND OF SKULLS stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.MYSTERY JETS drop "Greatest Hits" in advance of Radands.THE KINKS are "The Village Green Preservation Society." God bless 'em.GARBAGE: Shirley Manson talks to Vulture about Not Your Kind of People, going indie, why the nineties were better, and her penchant for dressing up as Bette Davis.JASON RINGENBERG, founder of Jason & the Scorchers, talks to Tulsa World about his other career in childrens' music under the Farmer Jason moniker. (Thx, LHB.) JOHN VANDERSLICE: SF Weekly spends time in his Tiny Telephone studio.NANCY SINATRA is still pretty ticked at her stepmother. JOHN TRAVOLTA: Meet Accuser No. 4, a gym employee who accuses the Grease star of groping and fondling him against his will.NICK STAHL, who played John Connor in "Terminator 3," is missing, according to his wife.  Police seek to question cyborgs.  Too soon?JENNIFER LOPEZ is the possibly surprising leader on the Forbes Celebrity 100 ranking of the richest and most powerful actors, actresses, athletes, writers and musicians. Is she leaving American Idol?ROBERT DOWNEY, JR., the lone exception to Marvel's strict cost controls, is set for a highflying payday of about 50 million once box-office bonuses and backend compensation for The Avengers are factored in.JOEY LAWRENCE just inked a deal with the man-stripper crew at Chippendales in Vegas. RYAN SEACREST bought Ellen DeGeneres' Beverly Hills estate for the low, low price of ~49 million bucks.ALGERIA: An Islamic leader of the street protests that forced the Algerian regime to introduce democratic reforms for the first time in 1988, now opposes elections. SYRIA: Opposition and government forces fought in the city of Rastan. Syrian rebels have begun receiving significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, an effort paid for by Persian Gulf nations and coordinated in part by the US.PAKISTAN has delayed the decision on the issue of reopening NATO supply lines to Afghanistan; the US is confident the supply lines will be reopened. IRAQ: The trial of Vice President Hashemi, who is outside the country, has begun.CATS play teherball.MAYBE THE MOOSE ripped the roof off your car. Remember?TWIGLET the HEN may have laid the world's tiniest egg.DOGS: The difference between mankind and Neanderthals.A DUCK survives a fall down a chimney into a roaring fire. Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2060 TENACIOUS D drops a seven-minute, NSFW clip for "Roadie," with an appearance from Danny McBride.KEANE visited Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.POLICA stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.FATHER JOHN MISTY stops by KEXP for a raucous, playful and above all fantastic live set.LEE RENALDO and his band join WNYC in studio to play some songs off his new solo album.THE WALKMEN drop "The House You Made," the B-side of the first single from the forthcoming Heaven LP. Because who cares about what's on the flip side? I do.NICK LOWE (as part of Rockpile) plays "So It Goes," circa 1978.THE HIVES do a two-part interview with Drowned in Sound.DONALD "DUCK" DUNN: A personal rememberance via All Things Considered.THE 70 BEST ALBUMS of the 1970s, according to Paste.THE 100 BEST TRACKS of the 1990s, according to NME.JOHN TRAVOLTA's lawyer says the actor has been completely vindicated after Accuser No. 1 dismissed his sexual assault lawsuit.TOM CRUISE returns to the publicity circuit to support Rock of Ages, with interviews at W Magazine and Playboy. Look Ma... no couch!MICHAEL FASSBENDER talks to GQ about Prometheus and his rapid rise in Tinseltown.HOWARD STERN's judging debut on America's Got Talent included penis jokes. Shocka.JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT gets vajazzled for special occasions. Howard Stern unavailable for comment.ALAN RICKMAN has signed on to play Hilly Kristal, the legendary owner and founder of CBGB, in Randall Miller and Jody Savin's project revolving the seminal New York rock club.LADY GAGA was banned in Indonesia following Islamist protests.SYRIA: The opposition claimed a military victory in the city of Rastan. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the UN-sponsored peace plan was failing. IRAN: A senior UN nuclear agency official urged Iran to allow access to a suspected nuclear weapons site. A drawing created by a purported witness depicts a nuclear weapons testing chamber. Recent satellite photos show an effort to clean up the site.AFGHANISTAN: Isaf will support Afghan security forces in combat operations beyond 2014 if necessary, Isaf spokesman, Gen. Carsten Jacobson said. AN AFRICAN GREY PARROT imitates R2-D2.  But can it speak the language of binary load-lifers?RATTLESNAKE in a Wal-Mart striving for an authentic garden section.SEVEN RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE Cat and Dog Breeds.SHAVED ALPACAS: A great name for a band, particularly one sporting mullets. Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2059 EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROES play "Man on Fire" at the Ed Sullivan Theater.NEW RELEASES from Best Coast, Beach House, The Gossip, Tenacious D, Garbage, Willie Nelson, Cornershop, The Cribs and more are streaming this week via Spinner.BRENDAN BENSON stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.'ALLO DARLIN stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set. SHEARWATER stopped by the WFUV studios for a chat and mini-set.THE KILLERS cover The Raspberries' "Go All the Way" in Dark Shadows... but it's not on the soundtrack?THE BEACH BOYS' first UK TV appearance, on Ready, Steady, GO!, November 6, 1964.  "I Get Around" and "When I Grow Up," for Twofer Tuesday.REGINA SPEKTOR is profiled by The Guardian.JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE talks to the Boston Globe about weathering the years and songwriting in the moment.QUEEN guitarist Brian May has confirmed plans for a live stage appearance from the band's deceased singer, Freddie Mercury. May tells the BBc it won't be a hologram, so perhaps it will be Zombie Mercury.TWENTY MUSICIANS talks about using their college majors.JOHN TRAVOLTA: Accuser No. 2 wants a private trial.  Accuser No. 3 gives detail that do not appear in a cruise ship incident report.SARAH JESSICA PARKER and KATE HUDSON  will guest-star in multi-episode arcs on the fourth season of Glee.DEMI LOVATO officially signed her deal and will be a judge on the next season of "The X Factor".MENA SUVARI's broke ex wants 17K in monthly spousal support.TYSON BECKFORD: A sex tape featuring the male supermodel is being shopped around the adult entertainment community. Beckford warns it's not very good.MOONRISE KINGDOM: The NYT reports on Wes Anderson and his upcoming, lo-tech film.PROMETHEUS puts its first clip online.SPYING ON AL QAEDA: The double agent who broke up a recent al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula plot is just the latest example.IRAN: Lebanon's Hezbollah may not want a new war with Israel but an order to attack would come from Tehran in the event of a strike on Iran, a senior military official in Israel's northern command told AFP.PAKISTAN: From his prison cell, a senior Pakistani officer accused of plotting an Islamist takeover of the military high command has issued a call for the army to break its anti-terror alliance with the US, which he contends is forcing Pakistan to fight its own people.AFGHANISTAN: Arsala Rahmani, senior member of the Afghan High Peace Council, was gunned down in Kabul. IRAQ: In the face of spiraling costs and Iraqi officials who say they never wanted it in the first place, the State Department has slashed - and may jettison entirely by the end of the year - a multibillion-dollar police training program that was to have been the centerpiece of a hugely expanded civilian mission there.A DUCKLING ODYSSEY, minus the music.BROWN TREE SNAKES are fought with parachuting posioned mice in Guam.BUFFALOS:  A water buffalo injured 10 people in central Vietnam while rampaging down crowded streets, across a river and through a house before being gunned down at a kindergarten, an official said Monday. Meanwhile, the Lakota Sioux Tribe mourned the death of a sacred rare white buffalo calf.ARE DONKEYS STUBBORN? Scientists investigate. Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2058 DONALD "DUCK" DUNN, the pioneering bass player whose grooves drove Booker T and the MGs and a slew of sothern soul hits for Stax artists including Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers and many more, died in his sleep at age 70, while in Tokyo for shows with fellow MG Steve "The Coronel" Cropper and Eddie Floyd.  So after a two-minute bio, let's watch the Duck live on Booker T's seminal "Green Onions" and Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness."  He would later help revive southern soul music for future generations backing The Blues Brothers on covers of songs like Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."  I saw him play with both the Blues Bros. and Eric Clapton; he was fantastic on both occasions.SPIRITUALIZED played DC's 9:30 Club; you can stream the whole gig on demand.MOUNT EERIE is advance streaming Clear Moon.KIMBRA is advance streaming Vows. ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: New tracks from Patti Smith, Fun, Best Coast and more feature in the latest edition of the long-running series. SOUL ASYLUM frontman Dave Pirner talks to The Current and drops "Gravity" from the band's upcoming LP. Oh yes.THE CIVIL WARS put their spin on "Billie Jean." Yes, that one.WILCO: Jeff Tweedy talks to the Birmingham News about Olive Oyl, Woody Guthrie and the ageism of rock. (On the last subject, I find it hard to believe he doesn't understand the ageism comes from the sociopolitical roots of the genre. Pete Townshend, anyone?) BEACH HOUSE talk the internet, leaks and their new album with DIY and about sampling, licensing and more with Pitchfork.R.E.M.: The A.V. Club posts the fourth part of its history of the band. HEARTLESS BAST^RDS are profiled by Orlando Weekly. (Thx, LHB.)WEEKEND BOX OFFICE:  The Avengers repeats atop the chart with 103.2 million smackers.  No film has ever earned more than 100 million in its second weekend -- not Avatar (75.6), and not The Dark Knight (75.2).  The domestic total stands at 373.2 million, the worldwide total breaks one billion dollars.  It will likely become the third biggest grosser ever within three weeks.  Dark Shadows was always going to debut in the second spot; it did so with 28 million, a bit below the 30-40 million most trackers expected (and before The Avengers' stunning opening, some had thought Dark Shadows might make as much as 50 million in its debut).  Johnny Depp may have to carry this one into the black overseas.  Think Like A Man shows with 6.3 million in a remarkably leggy performance, having taken in 82 million against a 12 million budget.  The Hunger Games takes the fourth slot with 4.4 million.  Its 387 million domestic total is impressive, but The Hunger Games needed 52 days to become the 13th biggest film of all-time; The Avengers will do it in under 14 days.  The Lucky One rounds out the Top 5 with 4 million.CHRIS HEMSWORTH (Thor) and his wife welcomed a baby girl on Friday.LADY GAGA denies engagement rumors.STEVIE WONDER: A man claiming to be the singer's nephew has been charged with attempting to extort him by threatening to go to the tabloids and say he's the product of an incestuous relationship between Stevie and Stevie's sister.WHITNEY HOUSTON's family is launching a reality show -- and maybe Bobbi Kristina's career -- on Lifetime.SOFIA VERGARA: People claims details of her split with Nick Loeb.REESE WITHERSPOON showed up in court Friday addressing her father's alleged illegal second marriage and mental incapacity.YEMEN: US drones killed 11 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters, including an Egyptian, in two strikes in Marib. Yemeni officials denied that US troops are in combat in southern Yemen.HEZBOLLAH leader Nasrallah accused the US and Israel of stoking terrorism in Syria. He also claimed Hezbollah had weapons that could hit any part of Israel.SYRIA: After three decades of persecution that virtually eradicated its presence, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has resurrected itself to become the dominant group in the fragmented opposition movement pursuing a 14-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.EGYPT: With landmark elections set to begin May 23, many of the country's Christians fear that the next president could turn Egypt into a conservative Islamic state that does not have room for their community of at least 8.5 million. 40 SAFARI PARK BABOONS tear apart a Hyundai. Video at the link. A GIANT JELLYFISH was caught by underwater cameras recently during deep-sea drilling near the United Kingdom.A HUNGRY 5-FOOT PYTHON headed for a pizza parlor. DOG DUO Ashleigh and Pudsey have won ITV's Britain's Got Talent, scooping a £500,000 prize. Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2057 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:...with THREE DOG NIGHT! The guilty pleasure of enjoying "Eli's Coming" with fellow fans of the late, lamented SportsNight, along with memories of The Service's cover of "Shambala" led me to compile a few more, including "Mama Told Me Not to Come," "Joy To The World," "One," "Liar," and "Celebrate."THE SHINS play Morning Becomes Eclectic for a live audience at Berkeley St. Studios.FRANKIE ROSE stops by KEXP for a clockwork-tight mini-set of solo material.CEREMONY brings the Punk to KEXP from The Cutting Room Studios in NYC.VAN DYKE PARKS hits the Mountain Stage for a short set.GUIDED BY VOICES drops "Class Clown Spots A UFO," the title track from the forthcoming LP.THE SMALL FACES play "Itchycoo Park," their only US charter.BEST COAST: L.A. Weekly surveys the backlash against the band as its sophomore LP comes due. (Thx, LHB.)STEVE ALBINI did Ask Me Anything on Reddit.THE SIX WORST SONGS on great albums, according to the Riverfront Times.THE 50 BEST BAND LOGOS, according to Paste.CUTOUT BIN: From the Original Pistols to the Bee Gees, from Coldplay to the Beastie Boys, from Pete Townshend to Seals & Croft, plus the Velvet Underground, 999, Billy Paul, Elivis Costello, the Beatles and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.DARK SHADOWS is this weekend's sole wide release, as everyone else still cowers before the might of the Avengers.  The Tim Burton / Johnny Depp reimagining of the 60s vampire soap is currently scoring 40 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.JOHNNY DEPP denied that he and Vanessa Paradis, his partner of 14 years, had split.ANNA FARIS & CHRIS PRATT are going to be parents.SEAN BEAN: The Game of Thrones star Sean Bean was arrested and questioned on suspicion of sending abusive text messages and making harassing phone calls to his ex-wife.RHIANNA has finally had enough of Chris Brown?ROBERT PATTINSON claims that filming David Cronenberg's sex-and-violence filled Cosmopolis helped give him the confidence he needed to tackle heavier roles.JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT is ready to throw her hat in the ring for the female lead in "Fifty Shades of Grey." Guessing she'll have competition.GERMANY is considering a legal ban on ultra-conservative Salafist Muslim groups, its interior minister said on Wednesday after violent clashes with the police, one of which was provoked by German ultra-rightists.YEMEN: US drones killed eight al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in a strike in Jaar.  The agent who penetrated al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and returned from Yemen with the group's new "airline bomb" was always under Saudi control and was not a double-agent, two sources briefed by Saudi counterterrorism officials have told CNN. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, who runs a clandestine bomb factory in Yemen, has built a reputation as al Qaeda's bomb-making savant one potential near miss at a time.AFGHANISTAN: The parents of the only American soldier held captive by Afghan insurgents have broken a yearlong silence about the status of their son, abruptly making public that he is a focus of secret negotiations between the Obama administration and the Taliban over a proposed prisoner exchange.IRAN: Please note that it's The Onion reporting "Ahmadinejad Kind Of Getting Back Into Old R.E.M. Again."DOG vs WALLABY: Who you got?A PIT BULL saved her owner from an oncoming freight train, risking life and limb, to pull her off the tracks.ORANGUTANS at Miami's Jungle Island use an iPad to communicate and as part of a part to overthrow humankind.BIONIC ELEPHANTS: We have the technology. Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2056 NADA SURF plays New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" for the A.V. Club Undercover.GARBAGE is advance streaming Not Your Kind of People.NIKI & THE DOVE advance stream Instinct.JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.PAVEMENT, live on Space Ghost Coast to Coast.MARISSA NADLER drops "The Wrecking Ball Company" as a freebie from The Sister.BOBBY WOMACK drops a funk version of "Please Forgive My Heart."WE FIVE: Because "You Were On My Mind," natch.MY BLOODY VALENTINE: Kevin Shields updates The Quietus on the reunited band's forthcoming LP.GRAM PARSONS is profiled by American Songwriter. (Thx, LHB.)AGAINST ME! singer Tom Gabel tells Rolling Stone she is transgender, and plans to begin living as a woman under the name Laura Jane Grace.  Gabel stressed that she was not attracted to men, and intended to remain married to her wife, Heather.FIFTEEN OVERLOOKED and UNDERRATED albums of the 1990s.JOHN TRAVOLTA: The lawyer representing the two men suing John Travolta for sexual battery and assault and sexual harassment tells RadarOnline exclusively that he has been contacted by other potential accusers making similar claims and he's investigating their allegations before deciding to take further legal action. Meanwhile, a photo and a bill suggest Travolta was in NYC on the date of one incident, but the accuser's lawyer disagrees, of course.BRITNEY SPEARS signs as an X Factor judge for a reported 15 million.SOFIA VERGARA is single again after splitting with boyfriend Nick Loeb after more than two years together.BRAD PITT is the new spokesmodel for Chanel No. 5.JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & JESSICA BIEL start wedding preparations.KICK-ASS may finally spawn a sequel.THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: New Spidey Andrew Garfield and classic Spidey Tobey Maguire interview each other, more or less.REBECCA HALL is in talks to join Iron Man 3, which starts production this month.BOB STEWART, TV producer who created The Price is Right, Password, the Pyramid, To Tell the Truth and more, died on Friday in Los Angeles of respiratory failure. He was 91. VIDAL SASSOON: Also dead.UNITED KINGDOM: The European Court of Human Rights denied the appeal of radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada against the UK's deportation order.INDONESIA: A hardline Islamic group warned Wednesday it would not let Lady Gaga set foot in Indonesia, challenging an army of fans awaiting a concert in the nation with the world's largest Muslim population.IRAN: A US security institute says commercial satellite imagery shows new activity at an Iranian military site which raises concern that the Islamic state may be "washing" a building the UN nuclear agency wants to inspect.KITTY sings the blues.A GOAT hijacks a car in Austria.A YELLOW RAT SNAKE has surgery to remove a ceramic Easter egg.PIG HOARDING: A New jersey judge ruled that Florence Gruber must find new homes for the estimated 29 small breed pigs she keeps. Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2055 THE MAGNETIC FIELDS drop a quick video for "Quick!"PATTERSON HOOD of Drive-By Truckers played solo material old and new on the Mountain Stage.FUN played DC's 9:30 Club; you can stream the whole gig on demand.HOSPITALITY played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR. BONNIE RAITT stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.THE WALKMEN drop "We Can't Be Beat" from the upcoming Heaven LP.FOUR TET drops "Jupiters" and "Ocoras" as a single.LP sings and whistles the hell out of "Into the Wild." ANDREW BIRD talks to Redeye Chicago about Shakira, letting his rules go, playing Chicago, whistling, etc.SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS: Ben Curtis talks to the Detroit Free Press about evolving musically and lyrically.THE BEASTIE BOYS were slapped with a copyright infringement suit the day before Adam Yauch died. Ill timing.CBGB is making a comeback... first as a music fest, then as a venue.MAURICE SENDAK, widely considered the most important children's book artist of the 20th century, died on Tuesday in Danbury, CT, due to complications from a recent stroke.  He was 83.  As someone who played Max in a play as a child, I got my roar on.JOHN TRAVOLTA has been sued by a masseur, who claims the actor tried to have sex with him during a session. Travolta says he was 2475 miles from the place it supposedly happened.  Then the second masseur appears, followed by the second denial.DUSTIN HOFFMAN helped save a jogger who suffered cardiac arrest in London's Hyde Park.MILA KUNIS may have saved a man's life after the 50-year-old man suffered a violent seizure and collapsed in her home.ALESSANDRO AMBROSIO and her fiance Jamie Mazur are the proud parents to a newborn son.RUSSELL BRAND is said to be "seething with jealousy" after his ex-wife Katy Perry was pictured at the Coachella Festival last month with Robert Ackroyd of Florence And The Machine.MILEY CYRUS bombs at the box office.JUSTIN BIEBER just finished high school.MALEFICIENT: Imelda Staunton and Miranda Richardson are joining the Disney live-action retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that stars Angelina Jolie.YEMEN is  angry that the US did not inform the government of an airline plot hatched in the country. That plot was foiled from the inside. The US is sending military trainers back into Yemen.EGYPT: Islamists aim to install a global Islamic caliphate with its capital in Jerusalem, a radical Muslim preacher told thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters as the movement's presidential candidate and other Brotherhood officials nodded in agreement.IRAQ: An Iraqi court ordered the release of Hezbollah commander Musa Ali Daqduq, but he will remain in prison as his case is appealed. INTERPOL issued a Red Notice warrant for Vice President Tariq al Hashemi.A BEAR smashed into an elementary school and ran through the halls tearing up math books before being chased out by a janitor.A BLACK CAT was rescued from a Gothic horror death at the weekend - but only after its German owners realized that the eerie meows giving them nightmares were coming from the bathroom wall, not a phantom feline.DOLPHINS died of a heroin overdose after a zoo rave. Yes, really.DINOSAURS may have been partly to blame for climate change in their time because their diets meant they, er, emitted vast clouds of methane, a powerful global warming gas, scientists say. Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2054 COLDPLAY pays tribute to the late Adam Yauch.NEW RELEASES from Damon Albarn, Kindness, Silversun Pickups, Rotal Headache and more are streaming this week via Spinner.THE WALKMEN played World Cafe Live; you can stream the gig on demand.EXITMUSIC is advance streaming Passage.SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO is advance streaming Unpatterns and talks about their sounds with The Guardian. BEN FOLDS FIVE posted a demo for "Do It Anyway" on the Facebook.COCOROSIE drop "We Are On Fire" as a single.MANFRED MANN covers Bob Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn" and "Just Like a Woman" for Twofer Tuesday.REDD KROSS has announced their first new LP in 15 years.THE PUNCH BROTHERS: Chris Thile talks to PopMatters about the band's breathrough album, famous fans and more...LOWER DENS: Jana Hunter spoke with Paste about Nootropics, the concept of transhumanism and what she hopes people take away from their album.BRAIDS talk to SPIN about their sophomore LP.MATTHEW FOX was busted for DUI Friday in Oregon.JACK OSBOURNE and his fiancee welcome a baby girl, named Pearl.MILA KUNIS has a stalker problem. Again.LINDSAY LOHAN settles a battery lawsuit brought by a former Betty Ford Clinic worker.LINDA EVANGELISTA and her billionaire French baby-daddy this morning settled their bitterly contentious child support battle.MEGAN FOX pregnancy rumors get the non-denial denial from Brian Austin Green.THE AVENGERS: Actual receipts were 207.4 million, beating the record-breaking estimate.  The wordwide take is 654.8 million in 12 days.FRANCE: The finance ministry froze the assets of a radical Tunisian cleric whom France seeks to deport for making "violently anti-Semitic remarks" and advocating that women who commit adultery be flogged to death.YEMEN: The CIA thwarted an ambitious plot by al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a US-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.  Sunday's drone strike against Fahd Mohammad Ahmed Al-Quso was not a coincidence.AFGHANISTAN: The US has been freeing detainees from its military prison in Afghanistan to promote good governance and contain violence in the country, outside the formal NATO-sponsored reintegration program, which forces militants to sever ties with the insurgency.A SPEEDING OSTRICH sprinting down a busy main road in Saudi Arabia causes traffic chaos as it overtakes and dodges cars.A CHIHUAHUA COSTUME PARTY fell short of a world record Saturday morning in Kansas City, but still looked very silly.FUGITIVE MONKEY spotted in Winter Springs, FL.MEOW, a 39-lb cat in a race against time to lose weight, died over the weekend after developing unexpected respiratory difficulties. Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2053 ADAM YAUCH, a/k/a MCA, a rapper and founder of the pioneering and multimillion-selling hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, died on Friday in Manhattan after a battle with salivary gland cancer. He was 47. The Beasties brand expanded well beyond music: with their own magazine and record label, Grand Royal; with the social activism of Mr. Yauch's Milarepa Foundation, which produced an international series of Tibetan Freedom Concerts; and with work in film, as Mr. Yauch (calling himself Nathanial Hörnblowér) directed Beastie Boys videos and went on to start Oscilloscope Laboratories, an independent film production and distribution company.  New York Magazine ran a meaty oral history of the Beasties to mark the 25th anniversary of License to Ill.  Pitchfork rounds up video highlights...or maybe you want to listen to Paul's Boutique. BEST COAST is advance streaming The Only Place.BEACH HOUSE is advance streaming Bloom. THE CRIBS are advance streaming In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull.THE GOSSIP are advance streaming A Joyful Noise. DR. DOG  drops a new video for "Lonesome."BIG STAR'S THIRD: How do you perform an album so shrouded in mystery it doesn't have an official title or running order?  Mitch Easter and friends are going to try. (The LP and demos are embedded at trhe link.) JAPANDROIDS talk to Rolling Stone about surviving a breakup and a perforated ulcer, and covering the Gun Club.  FRIENDLY FIRES drummer Jack Savidge and lead guitarist Ed Gibson talk to State about their experience during this extensive tour, college prom memories, and their upcoming festival headliner gigs. (Thx, Chromewaves.)THE MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle talks to The Age about globe-trotting and more...WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Marvel's The Avengers opens with 200.3 million -- shattering the all-time opening record like Thor's hammer or a giant, green Hulk.  How smashing a smash, you ask? The final Harry Potter's prior record was 169.2 million.  How smashing? Until Spider-man appeared a decade or so ago, no film had grossed 100 million in three days.  Moreover, The Avengers opened overseas before this bonanza, giving it a 641 million worldwide total in 12 days of release.  How did the puny humans do?  Think Like A Man drops to the second slot with 8 million and a 73 million total against a 12 million budget.  The Hunger Games shows with 5.7 million and $380 million domestic against a 78 million budget.  The Lucky One holds in fourth with 5.5 million (48 million total).  The Pirates! Band of Misfits rounds out the Top 5 with 5.4 million and a 18.6 million domestic total against a 55 million budget (though this one raked in big bucks overseas).LINDSAY LOHAN will not be prosecuted for allegedly committing a hit-and-run in Hollywood in March.And she's not back with Samantha Ronson. But she was spotted with... Woody Allen.AMANDA BYNES was involved in another hit and run in Hollywood. KIM KARDASHIAN's lawyer blames Kris Humphries for dragging out his own divorce.HALLE BERRY's ex, Gabriel Aubry, is asking a judge for a half a million bucks in attorney fees and 20K in monthly child support, a substantial increase in what he is getting currently. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE  has admitted he cannot live down looking like a ‘moron’ during his time as a member of 'N Sync. MIRA SORVINO and husband Christopher Backus welcomed their fourth child, a baby girl named Lucia, on Thursday in L.A. DENNIS QUAID's wife has officially withdrawn her divorce papers.GEORGE LINDSEY, who made a TV career as a grinning service station attendant named Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Hee Haw," has died after a brief illness. He was 83. TERROR in the USA: Maryland resident Mohammad Hassan Khalid, 18, a Pakistani citizen, pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, in the "Jihad Jane" case.FRANCE: An Algerian-born particle physicist at the Cern laboratory, has been sentenced to five years in prison for plotting al Qaeda attacks in France.GERMANY: Terrorism charges were brought against a Moroccan who headed an al Qaeda cell in Dusseldorf that planned Mumbai-type attacks in Europe.IRAN said on Friday it will never suspend its uranium enrichment program and sees no reason to close the Fordow underground site. Iranians voted on Friday in a run-off parliamentary election in which allies of hardline Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hoped to complete victory over Pres. Ahmadinejad, a conservative increasingly criticized by the clerical elite.  And Tran isn't even bothering to do their own Photoshoped missile tests anymore. EGYPTIAN security forces and plainclothed men clashed with thousands of protestors in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least one person and leaving hundreds wounded.AfPAK: As the Taliban kicks off its spring fighting season in Afghanistan, an agreement with Pakistan that would help NATO supply its troops there could be weeks or months away, forcing military leaders to spend two-and-a-half times as much to ship some supplies through Central Asia. CAT vs FISH: Who you got? THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A militant rodent tested positive for the plague near San Diego.A MAN AND HIS MONKEY were busted in a DUI incident. No word on whether the monkey was also drunk.A LION tried hard to eat a small boy at the Portland Zoo. Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2052 CINCO DE MAYO STARTS HERE: ...with LOS LOBOS: "I Got Loaded" (with an added snippet of "Turn On Your Lovelight") from their fabulous first full-lengther, How Will the Wolf Survive? "Don't Worry Baby," "Evangeline," "Our Last Night," and "A Matter of Time" were on that album, too.PEE WEE HERMAN: "Tequila." Obvs.HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS: Rare video of "A Taste of Honey" from 1967.CHEAP TRICK brings you the Mariachi mash-up of "Surrender."JIMMY BUFFETT: Margaritaville. Obvs.LIZ PHAIR: "Cinco de Mayo." Obvs.JACK WHITE talks to The A.V. Club about about Blunderbuss, the prevalence of troublesome women in his new songs, and what the oft-unpredictable star is going to do next.JONSI talks to Drowned In Sound about the Sigur Ros hiatus, the new album, the press and more...RICHARD HELL talks about a documentary titled The Devil, Probably.HERE WE GO MAGIC's Luke Temple talks to PopMatters about the human element in art and more...CUTOUT BIN: From Squeeze to Dolly Parton, from the Cure to the Chi-Lites, from the Beach Boys to the Jesus & Mary Chain, plus the dB's, the J. Geils Band, the Hombres, Of Montreal, Dusty Springfield and more  -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.THE AVENGERS is this weekend's sole wide release, currently scoring 92 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.  I went to the midnight showing, purely as a public service to Pate readers.  I suppose I could say that this movie lacks the depth of character development you get in the best Marvel films (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Iron Man), but we presumably got character development in the movies which intoduced these characters (and we do get a bit even in this one).  I could comment on whether CGI action scenes ever truly satisfy in the way that traditional stunt work does.  I could even suggest that The Avengers lacks the deeper thematic elements Christopher Nolan has brought to the Batman franchise.  But instead, what I will say is that Joss Whedon & Co. have delivered a phenomenal popcorn/action movie, filled with scene after scene of pure awesome, punctuated by moments of pure hilarity.  Of the movie's 2 hr, 22 minute running time, there are probably fewer than 10 minutes that are not awesome, comic-book goodness.  And as with almost all Marvel films, be sure to stay all the way to the very end of the credits for perhaps my favorite moment of the entire movie. COURTNEY LOVE loses Kurt Cobain's publicity rights to daughter Frances Bean Cobain.ASHTON KUTCHER's Popchips ad has been swiftly pulled - and an apology issued - following a grim reaction from Indian Americans.LINDSAY LOHAN: Cops are sending the case involving an alleged hit-and-run by the actress to prosecutors.KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN will marry Scott Disick in Mexico. The wedding will be televised, natch.KATE UPTON will be gracing next week's highly anticipated Costume Institute gala - but she's going on her own dime.JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT is developing a remake of Little Shop of Horrors.DENMARK: An axe-wielding Somali citizen who broke into the home of a Danish cartoonist and tried to kill him has been given a 10-year sentence followed by deportation.GERMANY: A group of Salafists used stones and poles to attack police in Solingen, injuring three policemen and a bystander; approximately 30 of the attackers were arrested.YEMEN: In the latest release of Inspire magazine, slain al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al Awlaki called for chemical and biological attacks against the US. Fmr Pres Saleh's son stepped down from commanding the 3rd Brigade of the Republican Guard.EGYPT: A bill to allow girls as young as 14 to marry should not be rejected out of hand, as girls in some areas of the country mature earlier, according to a Salafite member of Egypt's parliament.DOG vs BABY GOAT: Who you got?A 50-LB TURTLE run over by a car is going to be alright, Little Tommy.DOLPHINS aid fishermen in Laguna, Braxil.A PET PARAKEET was returned to its owner Wednesday after the brainy bird told police its home address near Tokyo. Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2051 ANDREW BIRD played "Eyeoneye" and "Give It Away" for Kimmel.MY BLOODY VALENTINE is streaming not one but two versions of its classic LP, Loveless.AARON FREEMAN, a/k/a/ Gene Ween, is advance streaming Marvelous Clouds.PS I LOVE YOU is advance streaming their sophomore effort, Death Dreams, which the duo discusses at Exclaim. (Thx, Chromewaves.)ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Tracks from the Ting Tings, Steve Miller, and Squarepusher highlight the latest edition of the series.LYKKE LI dropped "Come Near" for Record Store Day.THE TROGGS: "With a Girl Like You." THE TWILIGHT SAD's James Graham talks to Magnet before his stint as guest editor.LAMBCHOP: Kurt Wagner talks to Reverb about the new album, old band members and more. (Thx, LHB.)WHAT MAKES A GOOD CONFESSIONAL ALBUM? Prefix investigates.THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSIC CITIES: Not L.A. or NYC, according to a new study.KATE UPTON danced the Cat Daddy for fashion photog Terry Richardson. Cannot believe I forgot to post this yesterday. I plead distraction.JUNIOR SEAU, NFL great, was found dead Wednesday by his girlfriend in the bedroom of his beachside home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.THE KARDASHIANS: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are "very serious," as in ready to pick out rings.  Khloe explains why she and Lamar Odom "pulled the plug" on their reality show. Sounds like she needs to support Lamar.KRISTIN KAVALLARI & JAY CUTLER (a/k/a Jerkface) are expecting a baby boy, Cutler's Chicago Bears teammate Earl Bennett revealed on WSCR-AM 670's The Boers & Bernstein Show Monday.AMANDA SEYFRIED: A first look at the actress as Linda Lovelace in the biopic.ACTRESSES reveal their favorite, er, positions.TERROR in the UK: Scotland Yard arrested seven people suspected of involvement in a network that smuggles khat to the US and Canada; the network's proceeds are thought to be used to fund terror activities in Somalia.TURKEY: The Islamic-rooted ruling party has become increasingly critical of plays and television shows deemed to violate moral or religious values.AFGHANISTAN's intelligence chief called on Pakistan's tribal chiefs to prevent boys from learning to be insurgents at the religious schools throughout the country.MONKEY vs CAT: Who you got??GIANT FLEAS thought to be the oldest of their kind ever discovered bit into dinosaurs and drew blood some 165 million years ago. Now we just need to find some preserved in amber.A TURKEY CALL summons a hungry coyote.PANDA's insemination live-tweeted by the National Zoo. Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2050 TRAMPLED BY TURTLES plays Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (Lies)" for the A.V. Club Undercover.SEAN BONES is advance streaming Buzzards Boy.LAURA MARLING plays a mini-set for Oregon Public Broadcasting.FIRST AID KIT plays a mini-set for Oregon Public Broadcasting.ESPERANZA SPALDING stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.BOBBY WOMACK drops the title track for "The Bravest Man In The Universe."SEA OF BEES offer "Broke" as a free download.DUMPTRUCK: "Back Where I Belong." THE 100 BEST TRACKS OF THE 80s, according to NME. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT talks to Spinner about life, death and Grandpa Leonard Cohen.JOHN PEEL'S RECORD COLLECTION is going online.COLLECTING RECORDS IS NOT COOL.  This is news?JESSICA SIMPSON gave birth to a baby girl, Maxwell Drew Johnson, in L.A. Tuesday morning. Congrats!CHARLIE SHEEN threatened to sue New York strip club Cheetahs for millions, claiming a VIP room named in his honor - where guests eat sushi off the bodies of scantily clad women - could damage his reputation.MARILYN MONROE: Vanity Fair has nude photos taken hours before her death.THE MTV MOVIE AWARDS nominations are out.JOHN MAYER says goodbye to Jennifer Aniston in song.EMMA WATSON, JASON SEGEL & DAVID KRUMHOLTZ will play themselves in Seth Rogen's End of the World.THE DARK KNIGHT RISES has a new trailer online.TERROR in the USA: The FBI arrested five men Monday evening, saying they had planted what were believed to be explosive devices under the Ohio 82 bridge over Cuyahoga Valley National Park as part of a May Day protest.SYRIA: Two bombs struck a government compound in the northern city of Idlib. Rockets hit the central bank in Damascus, killing nine and wounding 100. The government blamed the opposition, but the opposition denied involvement.IRAN: After a winter of alarm over the possibility that a military conflict over the Iranian nuclear program might be imminent, American officials and outside analysts now believe that the chances of war in the near future have significantly decreased.AFGHANISTAN: Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said that insurgency and chaos could increase if foreign forces withdraw before Afghanistan is ready.DOG & CHICK... living together... Mass hysteria!THE SWARM: A New Jersey couple who noticed an unusual number of honeybees in their garden said they found a honeycomb and 30000 of the insects in their attic crawl space. WOMAN BITES DOG: Alcohol may have been involved.AN ALLIGATOR dragged a 75-year-old golfer into a water hazard. Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2049 TENNIS drops a Lynchian video for "My Better Self."NEW RELEASES from Here We Go Magic, Norah Jones, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Parlotones, Father John Misty, and more are streaming this week at Spinner.SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS stopped by The Current and KEXP for a chat and mini-sets.MIKE DOUGHTY plays unpluggedy at KEXP.COWBOY JUNKIES played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.WORLD PARTY: Karl Wallinger "Put the Message in the Box" and gets "Way Down Now" for Twofer Tuesday.BEN FOLDS advises aspiring artists. M83 shows sanctuary to SPIN.THE BLACK KEYS: Dan Auerbach talks to the San Francisco Chronicle about how the band is adjusting to unexpected fame. MARGOT and the NUCLEAR SO & SOs: Richard Edwards sits with PopMatters to discuss the new record, his take on big-picture concepts in rock music, and why sometimes a band needs to stop seeking perfection and simply bang out new records.ROBIN GIBB is learning how to walk again after spending upwards of 10 days in a coma. MUSIC SUPERVISORS: How they find tunes for TV and movies. WHITNEY HOUSTON: Bobby Brown tells Matt Lauer that he was not the person who got the late singer addicted to drugs. MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL & PETER SARSGAARD became the proud parents of their second baby girl, Gloria Ray -- a name with not nearly enough vowels.THE KARDASHIANS: Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian have decided to pull the plug on their spin-off show. A nation mourns.JOHN LEGEND will join Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Thicke on the upcoming summer series Duets, replacing Lionel Richie.KELLY RUTHERFORD (90210, Gossip Girl) paid a private eye 65 bucks an hour to spy on her ex-husband, accoridng to a lawsuit.THE FIRST RULE OF DATING PRINCE HARRY: Don't talk about dating Prince Harry.JOSS WHEDON, most recently dirting The Avengers, does a Q & A with The Guardian.THIS IS 40: The next Judd Apatow movie -- a spin-off of Knocked Up -- has a trailer online.TERROR in the UK: The military plans to install missile batteries in London to defend the Olympic Games from terrorist attacks.YEMEN: Security forces killed 12 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters outside of Lawdar. AQAP confirmed that fmr bin Laden bodyguard Mohammed Saeed al Umda was killed in the April 22 US drone strike.SYRIA: Rebels fighting to topple Assad say they are shifting tactics towards homemade bombs, hoping to even the odds between their outgunned forces and his powerful army.AL QAEDA: Files recovered from Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, show he and Ayman al Zawahiri were in contact with Afghan Taliban emir Mullah Omar. The terror leaders plotted strategy in Afghanistan up to two weeks before bin Laden was killed.EGYPT's ruling military said it would appoint a new cabinet within 48 hours, awarding a major victory to Islamist politicians and cooling a political confrontation that threatened to gridlock Egypt's emerging democratic institutions.A CAT beats the shell game.ANOTHER CLAUDE: A Tasmanian giant crab was saved from death when the fisherman who caught him sold him to a British aquarium.WHEN FERRETS ATTACK: A baby girl needed hospital treatment after she was savaged in her pram by a ferret. GIANT CANNIBAL SHIMP invade America's coastal waters. Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2048 JACK WHITE plays an Unstaged concert, with two bands and a setlist encompassing all stages of his career, directed by Gary Oldman. RICHARD HAWLEY is advance streaming Standing At The Sky's Edge, which he describes as "angry" to The Guardian, but which is kinda psychedelic musically in spots.SARA WATKINS is advance streaming Sun Midnight Sun.ROYAL HEADACHE is advance streaming their self-titled debut.TRAMPLED BY TURTLES stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.BEST COAST covers Fleetwood Mac's "Storms." REGINA SPEKTOR drops "Small Town Moon" ahead of What We Saw From The Cheap Seats. SPINTO BAND drops "Take It" as a freebie, describing it as Harry Nilsson meets Michael Jackson. THE GO-GOs are joined by The Bangles' Vicki Petersen for "We Got the Beat" on French TV in 1995.THE SMITHS: Johnny Marr talks to Pitchfork about the soundtrack of his life, including his continuing love for Northern Soul.THE ALABAMA SHAKES are profiled by USA Today.SHIRLEY MANSON talks to The Observer about the reformed, refreshed Garbage: "I hate to think how much we've outsold a lot of the bands we love." POMPLAMOOSE and iTunes -- a match made in Heaven? WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Think Like A Man repeats atop the chart with 18 million, for 60.8 million to date against a 12 million production budget. Pirates! A Band of Misfits places with 11.4 million against a 55 million budget, but this one has also pulled in 63.6 million in the UK and elsewhere.The Lucky One shows 11.3 million, dropping a dangerous 50 percent for a Nicholas Sparks tearjerker.  In contrast, The Hunger Games lands in the fourth spot with a leggy 11.25 million.  The Five-Year Engagement rounds out the Top Five with 11.2 million, below the Judd Apatow average and below the opening of the Jason Segel/Nicholas Stoller opening for Forgetting Sarah Marshall; it's fortunate this has a 30 million budget.THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT was my movie for the weekend and it was sadly underwhelming.  The appealing cast here simply cannot transcend the a script that becomes far too depressing in the second actfor a rom-com  -- although Alison Brie (Mad Men, Community) comes close.  Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller managed to make a fairly depressing premise work in Sarah Marshall, in large part because it begins sad and because there were characters to essentially root against as well as to root for.  Here, we are trying to root for everyone, and virttually eveyone disappoints.  It's a shame, because the first act is promising and the third act almost redeems the second, notably in a very funny scene where Brie and Emily Blunt have an adult conversation in the voices of Elmo and The Cookie Monster (Segel and Stoller stll successfully mining The Muppets).  Not a bad movie, but a disappointment. GWYNETH PALTROW became so depressed after the birth of her son in 2006 that she "felt like a zombie" and at first didn't understand what was happening to her. PATRICK DEMPSEY came to the rescue of a teenage driver after a car crash. Not a doctor, but he plays one on TV. KRISTEN STEWART is set to topline “Cali,” a gritty action pic set in Los Angeles. And why not? According to Charlize Theron, K-Stew is a "badass."  KS also gets fashionable for Elle UK.KIM KARDASHIAN may have publicly mocked her ex-husband before going on a date with Kanye West.RENEWING VOWS: LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian... and Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon.TERROR in EUROPE: The EU Terrorism Report for 2012 says the death of Osama bin Laden "has had little immediate impact on the al-Qaeda affiliated or inspired terrorism threat in the EU."TERROR in DENMARK: Three suspected terrorists arrested in Copenhagen Friday will be held for four weeks while the investigation continues; one pled guilty to weapons charges.IRAN: The US Air Force is quietly assembling the world’s most powerful air-to-air fighting team at bases near Iran. OTOH, the Obama administration might support letting Iran continue enriching uranium up to 5% purity if it agrees to other UN restrictions.PAKISTAN deported Osama bin Laden's widows, two Saudis and one Yemeni, and his children to Saudi Arabia.CAT enjoys a neck massager.A SEEING-EYE DOG fights off a burglar and calls the police.  STRESSED-OUT PENGUINS which had to be given anti-depressants have made a full recovery.A WILD AND CRAZY GOOSE evades capture in Old Lyme. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2047 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:...with THE RAMONES! Live at the Rainbow, December 31, 1977.  Your setlist includes: "Blitzkrieg Bop"; "I Wanna Be Well"; "Glad to See You Go"; "You're Gonna Kill That Girl"; "Commando"; "Havana Affair"; "Cretin Hop"; "Listen to My Heart"; "I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You"; "Pinhead"; "Do You Wanna Dance?"; "Now I Wanna Be a Good Boy"; "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue;" and "We're a Happy Family." BONUS: The band's first bio.REAL ESTATE brought their hazy, jangly beach-pop to the KEXP studios.JOLIE HOLLAND played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.BAND OF SKULLS stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for an acoustic session.SARA WATKINS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.BONNIE RAITT stopped by WNYC Soundcheck for a chat and excerpts from her new LP.FLORENCE + THE MACHINE drops "Breath of Life" from the Snow White And The Huntsman soundtrack.THE BEACH BOYS drop "That's Why Got Made The Radio" ahead of their reunion LP.DWIGHT TWILLEY crushes his "I'm On Fire," with Susan Cowsill singing backup.R.E.M.: The A.V. Club posts Part 3 of its history of the band.NICK LOWE talks to Interview about aging in the music industry, favorite books, and the definition of a "pub bore."TALKING HEADS: A "Where to start" list at Slate does not touch the usual bases.TUNE-YARDS: Merrill Garbus talks to Rolling Stone about new music, festivals and more.BOB DYLAN  is one of 13 newly announced recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.CUTOUT BIN: From Issac Hayes to R.E.M., from Bob Dylan to The Hives, from Black Flag to Ricky Nelson, plus St Etienne, World Party, Hall & Oates, Joan Jett 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 Pirates! Band of Misfits, which at publication is scoring xx percent on the ol' Tomatometer; The Five-Year Engagement, which is scoring xx percent; Safe, checking in at xx percent; and The Raven, scoring xx percent.MILA KUNIS has commented on reports that she is dating her former "That '70s Show" co-star Ashton Kutcher, calling the idea "absurd."LINDSAY LOHAN's second day on the Glee set probably won't go down as her finest hour.SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR & FREDDIE PRINZE, JR are expecting their second child. JENNIFER ANISTON reacts to the Bradgelina engagement.CAMERON DIAZ: Endorsed by ex-bf Alex Rodriguez.THE AVENGERS are already assembling big box office overseas. NORTH KOREA: China warned North Korea not to carry out another nuclear weapons test.  Are the new missiles fakes?ISLAMISTS in the MIDEAST: A country-by-country survey.SYRIA: UN envoy Kofi Annan said the situation in Syria was "bleak" and that the Syrian army was still carrying out operations where UN observers were not present.DARCY THE COW slips out for McDonald's takeout, thus avoiding possible cannibalism.WOMAN FIGHTS EAGLE to save one of her two Jack Russells.SNAKE in a HANDBAG: I know it's serious.ELEPHANT crushes Zookeeper, but not Kevin James.HUNGRY BIRD: Eyes too big for its stomach? Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2046 THE SHINS dropped a creepy clip for "The Rifle's Spiral."OF MONTREAL played a gig at DC's 9:30 Club; you can stream the whole gig via NPR.MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle plays a mini-set at Paste.'ALLO DARLIN advance streams Europe and gives DIY a track-by-track tour of the LP.ALL SONGS CONSIDERED includes Mynabirds, St. Vincent, Fenster and more in this week's mix. THE SAINTS: "(I'm Stranded)." DRY THE RIVER  frontman Peter Liddle and bassist Scott Miller talk to Glide about maintaining momentum on tour, the difference between audiences and fans in the States and the UK, the band's influences and more.ALABAMA SHAKES tell Spinner they were surprsied at their Internet buzz.PATRICK WILSON talks to Spinner about wanting to give you goosebumps.THE 10 COMMANDMENTS of Teen Pop.BRITNEY SPEARS is now under the co-conservatorship of fiance Jayson Trawick. JOHNNY DEPP talks to Entertainment Weekly about his new look Tonto.BEYONCE talks motherhood with People.KATHERINE HEIGL & JOSH KELLEY have adopted their second daughter.LINDSAY LOHAN was late for her guest appearance on “Glee” after a night out on the town.DREW BARRYMORE: Getting hitched on June 2. MARTIN LAWRENCE and his wife are calling it quits. Shocka.KATIE HOLMES: Not pregnant. TERROR in the USA: Sami Samir Hassoun pled guilty to charges relating to his attempt to set off a bomb near Wrigley Field on a night in September 2010 when the stadium was filled with concertgoers.LIBYA has banned the formation of political parties based on religious principles ahead of elections scheduled to take place in June.EGYPT: A court found Egypt's most popular comic actor guilty of insulting Islam in roles in films mocking religious hypocrisy, alarming liberal-minded artists and intellectuals already anxious about the growing power of Islamists here after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. SYRIA: The number of deaths rose sharply. The Syrian military halted violence in areas entered by UN observers but resumed once the monitors left. Activists reported reprisals. Despite claims, government forces have not withdrawn heavy weapons from populated areas. SAUDI ARABIA expects to finalize its atomic energy plans this year but the US nuclear industry may miss out on multi-billion dollar contracts to turn it into a reality unless Washington and Riyadh sign a non-proliferation deal soon.PAKISTAN has tested an advanced ballistic missile capable of striking key Indian targets with nuclear warheads.THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A militant rodent masks itself with a potato chip bag.A WHALE is found dead after swallowing a golf ball. Life imitates Seinfeld.AXEL the DOG likes to thatch roofs.BEARS return to the scene of the crime. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2045 LUCERO plays David Bowie's "Modern Love" for the A.V. Club Undercover.POLICA is streaming Give You The Ghost.FATHER JOHN MISTY is advance streaming Fear Fun.RAMONA FALLS is advance streaming Prophet.DANIEL JOHNSTON is streaming the soundtrack to his new comic, Space Ducks.THE AMERICAN BREED does some wonderfully bad lip-syncing in this wonderfully cheap clip for "Bend Me, Shape Me."THE CHARLATANS: Tim Burgess talks to The Guardian about Britpop, developing a breakfast cereal for Kellog's and a very odd experiment with cocaine.  He gives The Independent the 10 golden rules of rock'n'roll excess. (Thx, Chromewaves.)DAR WILLIAMS talks to PopMatters about ancient archetypes, battling hubris, and more... 10 GREAT SHAKESPEARE-INSPIRED SONGS, compiled by Paste.25 ICONIC Snare Drum Intros.MEGAN FOX pregnant? Hmm.RYAN SEACREST signs a two-year extension with American Idol at 15 million annually.THE KARDASHIANS inflict themselves on America for another three years.ASHTON KURCHER & MILA KUNIS went on a three-day getaway to the coastal town of Carpinteria, Calif., just south of Santa Barbara. ROSIE O'DONNELL rips LINDSAY LOHAN. Sorta the tabloid edition of Mega-Shark vs Giant Octopus.MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson is now in serious discussions to play a supporting role in Machete Kills, the Robert Rodriguez-directed sequel that will bring Danny Trejo back as the blade-wielding former Federale title character.SCARLETT JOHANSSON: Addicted to chicken wings.JESSICA CHASTAIN is back in the mix to play a starring role opposite Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man 3.TERROR in the USA:  A British man who trained to be a shoe bomber a decade ago says Osama bin Laden told him after Sept. 11 that he hoped a follow-up terrorism attack would collapse the American economy. TERROR in CANADA: The country's spy chief said that as many as 60 Canadians have left the country for terror training camps in Yemen, Somalia, and the tribal areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.YEMEN: US drones killed al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander Mohammed Saeed al Umda in one of two strikes over the past several days. The military claimed it has retaken control of the center of Zinjibar. Members of parliament are pushing for talks with AQAP.EGYPT: One month before Egyptians begin voting for their first president after Hosni Mubarak, the leading candidate's record is escalating a campaign battle here over the place of Islam in the new democracies promised by the Arab Spring revolts.TONIGHT'S WEATHER FORECAST? Bears.BABY ALBINO KANGAROO: Awww...some pics.KILL A 3-FT LONG SWAMP BEAVER, get investifgated for animal cruelty.PIG & PUG, living together... Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2044 CHRIS ETHRIDGE, bassist for country rock icons the Flying Burrito Brothers as well as the Willie Nelson Family Band, has died at the age of 65 of complications from pancreatic cancer. He co-wrote some of the best Burritos songs, including "Hot Burrito No. 2." NEW RELEASES from Brendan Benson, Jack White, Raveonettes, Dandy Warhols, Ryan Adams, Bad Veins and more are streaming this week at Spinner.PATRICK WILSON is advance streaming Adventures In Your Own Backyard.LOWER DENS are advance streaming Nootropics.MYSTERY JETS are advance streaming Radlands.ST VINCENT shreds on her Record Store Day single, "Krokodil."SONNY & THE SUNSETS get a bit country on "Pretend You Love Me," from the upcoming Longtime Companion LP.FIONA APPLE drops "Every Single Night," her first new studio recording in seven years.THE BLACK KEYS & JOHN FOGERTY played "The Weight" in honor of Levon Helm.  Add Destroyer playing the title track to "Kaputt" for a Coachella Twofer Tuesday.BEACH HOUSE talks to Billboard about recording Bloom. KATHLEEN EDWARDS talks to the Mpls Star-Trib about Voyageur and moving to Eau Claire, WI. THE BEATLES' slow fade into pop culture obscurity? GUIDED BY VOICES will release three albums this year.  Three shall be the number of the count.  The number of the counting shall be three. JENNIFER ANISTON and boyfriend Justin Theroux are planning a wedding thousands of miles away from Hollywood?GIULIANA & BILL RANCIC are expecting their first child.DREW BARRYMORE and fiancé Will Kopelman, were feted with a combined wedding and baby shower.LINDSAY LOHAN is officially set to star as Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime movie, Liz and Dick.RUSSELL CROWE has officially signed on to star in Darren Aronofsky's Noah.DEMI LOVATO: The once clean-cut Disney star cops to substance abuse.ALFRED HITCHCOCK: Five life lessons from the master director.YEMEN: Two months after a new president took office the fledgling interim government has found itself overwhelmed by a set of dangerous new challenges to the country's stability, including a series of a bold attacks by a resurgent militant movement in the south and a festering political standoff in the capital.SYRIA: Ending a one-day lull, government forces renewed their attacks. Army troops stormed a suburb of Damascus. The city of Homs was shelled.EGYPT's state-owned gas company says it has scrapped a controversial deal which supplies Israel with 40% of its natural gas at lower than market prices.CAT vs BEAR: Who you got?DEER invade Syracuse, NY.A GOLDEN ORB SPIDER tries to eat a brown tree snake.PENGUIN THIEVES: Alcohol was involved. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2043 GIRLS play "Love is Like a River" on Conan. DAMON ALBARN is advance streaming Dr Dee.RUFUS WAINWRIGHT is advance streaming Out Of The Game.SANTIGOLD is advance streaming Master Of My Make-Believe.CAROLINE SMITH and the GOOD NIGHT SLEEPS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set. IGGY POP turned 65 over the weekend. Here's a raucous 1995 take on "Lust For Life."ROGER McGUINN recently sat down with Talk of the Nation to discuss The Byrds and his solo career, as well as his work preserving folk music.M WARD does a faves list with SPIN.GEORGE HARRISON's wife and a few trusted collaborators are going through the guitarist’s massive archive and bringing the best of it to the public. ROBIN GIBB has colorectal cancer and remains in intensive care after waking from a coma. WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Think Like A Man topples The Hunger Games atop the chart with 33 million against a mere 12 million budget. Figure this one to finish with about 75 million, leaving a fat profit after targeted marketing costs.  Screen Gems is becoming the master of the cheap and profitable film.  The Lucky One placed with 22 million, probably more due to fans of novelist Nicolas Sparks than fans of Zac Efron (who hasn't been in a hit since 2009).The Hunger Games shows with 14.5 million on a 31 percent drop, which is pretty leggy for its fifth week of release. Its worldwide gross now stands at 573 million, though it may not make 400 million in the US before The Avengers storm cinemas on May 4th.  Chimpanzee debuted in the fourth slot with 10.2 million from the Earth Day crowd and families whose parents remember Disney's true-Life Adventures.  The Three Stooges round out the Top 5 with 9.2 million; its 46 percent drop is a slap in the face and a poke in the eye, but it has nearly recouped its 30 million production budget. CAREY MULLIGAN & MARCUS MUMFORD married over the weekend.NEIL DIAMOND wed his manager Katie McNeil in front of family and close friends in L.A. on Saturday.RYAN REYNOLDS & BLAKE LIVELY bought a country home in Bedford, NY.RHIANNA switching teams? THE HUNGER GAMES sequel will be directed by Francis Lawrence (no relation to Jennifer). TAYLOR SWIFT is circling the role of Joni Mitchell in Sony Pictures and Di Bonaventura Pictures' adaptation of Sheila Weller's book "Girls Like Us."JOHNNY DEPP paid tribute to the late Jonathan Frid.TERROR in the USA: Najibullah Zazi testified that he and New York subway bomb plot co-conspirators Adis Medunjanin and Zarein Ahmedzay met with wanted al Qaeda mastermind Adnan El Shukrijumah in Waziristan in 2008 to plan attacks. Targets discussed included Walmart, Times Square, Penn Station, the NY Stock Exchange, malls, theaters, and public transportation.SYRIA: The Security Council unanimously approved a resolution increasing the number of UN observers from 30 to 300 and demanding an end to the violence. An opposition spokesman said that Annan's initiative was "our last chance to avoid civil war."IRAN: A top Iranian official claimed on Sunday that his government was copying the top-secret American spy drone captured by Iran's armed forced last year. AFGHANISTAN: After months of negotiations, the US and Afghanistan on Sunday agreed on drafts of the strategic partnership agreement that pledges American support for Afghanistan for 10 years after the withdrawal of troops at the end of 2014. BABY GEESE groom a lamb. Plus, a camel.WHAT COULD GO WRONG? A young Missouri man has turned to the Internet in search of investors for his expedition into the remote jungles of Africa seeking a living dinosaur.TWO BEARS broke free from their cages in a Japanese animal park, mauling two women to death.A SHY BABY MONKEY: Awww...some pics.  Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2042 THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE: ...with THE BAND. Levon Helm, singer and drummer for the Band, died on April 19th in New York of throat cancer. He was 71. (And here's the NYT obit.)  Over Helm's objections, The Last Waltz was billed as a "farewell" concert after 16 years of touring, finding The Band joined by special guests including Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Dr. John, and Neil Young. Martin Scorsese's 1978 documentary features concert performances, scenes shot on a studio soundstage and interviews by Scorsese with members of The Band. Surprisingly, the Wikipedia entry for the show is pretty good place to start for more background on the concert and the movie.  BONUS: Listen to Music From Big Pink and The Band (with 7 bonus tracks).CULTS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.ANDREW BIRD stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic and the KEXP studio. FIRST AID KIT visited the KEXP studio with folk-pop from their second full-length, The Lion's Roar.TODD SNIDER his streaming Time As We Know It: The Songs of Jerry Jeff Walker via the TM Daily Post. (Thx, LHB?)THE 10 WORST SONGS of the 80s, playlisted by NME.SUCKERS are advance streaming Candy Salad.ARCTIC MONKEYS generate "Electricity" as the flip side of their Record Store Day single.  Because who cares what's on the flip side of a record? I do.JOHN LYDON felt guilt about the burden of his childhood spinal memingitis on his parents.  And he has mixed feelings about the re-release of the Sex Pistols' "God Save The Queen."JAMES MURPHY lists 10 songs that saved his life. Also, a click-through to an interview with GQ.BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Life Giver to the Middle-Aged.BOW WOW WOW: Leigh Gorman and Annabella Lwin talk to The Guardian about the beginning, the end, and Malcolm McLaren.THE BEST SONGS of 2012 (So Far), according to Paste.DICK CLARK: Idolator compiles 10 great American Bandstand interviews.GREG HAM, flutist for the ridiculously popular early-'80s Aussie new wavers Men At Work, has been found dead of unknown causes in his Melbourne home. He was 58. And came from a land "Down Under." CUTOUT BIN: 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 Lucky One, which is currently scoring 29 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Think Like a Man, which is scoring 57 percent; and Chimpanzee, scoring 73 percent.MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson shouted terrifying epithets at his houseguests during a rampage at his home in Costa Rica in December.LINDSAY LOHAN: Surveillance video reportedly shows was at The Standard Hotel on the Sunset Strip on the night of an alleged assault.RYAN REYNOLDS & BLAKE LIVELY: House-hunting in Connecticut.JASON SEGEL & MICHELLE WILLIAMS are taking their romance from the streets of NYC to red carpet events.CHRIS EVANS tells Playboy what Captain America and Sir Mix-A-Lot share.ANTHONY HOPKINS, in his Alfred Hitchcock makeup.MICHAEL JACKSON: Still dead, but he may tour with The Jacksons as a hologram.JONATHAN FRID, best knowing for playing Barnabas Collins on the 1960s supernatural soap opera "Dark Shadows," died last Friday of natural causes. He was 87. Frid's final acting credit will be a cameo in the Tim Burton-Johnny Depp film adaptation of the show.20 of the BIGGEST SCI-FI MOVIE DISAPPOINTMENTS of the last 20 years, compiled by Den of Geek.GAZA: Hamas is fast losing popularity, and recent surveys indicate that it would not win if elections were held in Gaza today.YEMEN: The CIA is seeking authority to expand its covert drone campaign in Yemen by launching strikes against terrorism suspects even when it does not know the identities of those who could be killed.SWIMMING WITH A POLAR BEAR: Let's go to the video.THE SQUIRREL THREAT: Sex-happy rodents are setting fire to cars, cutting electrical wires and causing power outages, and evading capture at a Queens co-op.KANGAROOS have three vaginas. The More You Know.BABY STEENBOK & LEOPARD: Not living together in harmony. Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2041 DICK CLARK, the youthful-looking television personality who literally introduced rock 'n' roll to much of the nation on "American Bandstand" and for four decades was the first and last voice many Americans heard each year with his New Year's Eve countdowns, died Wednesday.  He was 82.  This Is Your Life, Dick (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).  And here's the American Bandstand 30th Anniversary Special from 1982. BONUS: A strange moment.FANFARLO stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set. SUZANNE VEGA & DUNCAN SHEIK play together at WNYC Soundcheck. PERFUME GENIUS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set. THE BAND, Live at the Palladium, Sept.19, 1976. BUZZCOCKS ask Coachella: "Ever Fallen In Love?" THE CLASH: Mick Jones and Paul Simonon talk to the BBC ffor an hour about the making of their seminal London Calling. PATTI SMITH talks to the BBC about punk rock and the evolution of rock and roll.DAN WILSON talks to PopMatters about Semisonic, Grammys, Adele and more... but not Trip Shakespeare.TALKING HEADS: Read the first 23 pages of the 33 1/3 book on the band's Fear of Music LP. WHEN KEITH MET MICK: The Lord of the Undead writes his aunt Patty. BRADGELINA: She cried when he proposed. Aw.DEMI MOORE made her first official appearance since getting out of rehab -- and is looking to change her Twitter handle.ANNA PAQUIN & STEPHEN MOYER of True Blood are expecting.  The child would be her first, his third.KIM KARDASHIAN may run for Mayor of Glendale.KATY PERRY wants Russell Brand back?PIPPA MIDDLETON: Pics of the gun incident.DARREN ARANOVSKY is developing a George Washington biopic.TERROR in the UK: Radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada filed an immediate appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against the deportation order issued yesterday by the UK, delaying his possible deportation.NORTH KOREA  said it was no longer bound by an agreement with the US for a moratorium on missile and nuclear tests.PAKISTAN: Assistance from the US buys little goodwill. BOO: Cutest and fluffiest dog evah? BABY PARROT NELSON could be the ugliest bird in the world.FROZEN COWS could be blown up in a Colorado cabin. Cow-boom.GERMAN BEAVERS come to liven up Mongolia. Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2040 SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS drops a fan-generated video for "Reappear."JACK WHITE is advance streaming Blunderbuss via iTunes. He talks about making the album at All Songs Considered.THE TING TINGS played World Cafe Live; you can stream the whole gig on demand.JOHN K. SAMSON stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.THOMAS DOLBY stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set. Yes, including that one.BEACH HOUSE drops "Lazuli" ahead of their next LP. THE PIXIES offer a Coachella EP for the price of your address. (Thx, Ken King.)JOHNNY CASH: "After Taxes."SPIRITUALIZED: Jason Pierce talks to the WSJ about (somewhat) simplifying things on Sweet Heart Sweet Light. He spoke to SPIN about where this album fits in the Spiritualized spectrum, the problem of mixing, and fake rock'n'roll. (Thx, Chromewaves.) And he talks to Morning Edition about marching on a volcanic eruption in a spacesuit. WORLD PARTY: Karl Wallinger talks to All Things Considered about coming back from a brain aneurysm.MAINSTREAM'S RESPONSE TO PUNK, surveyed by PopMatters.LEVON HELM, a former member of the Band, is in the final stages of his long battle with cancer.FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA: "Who says artists have to make money?"ASHTON KUTCHER & MILA KUNIS dating story denied. HALLE BERRY finally confirms her engagement.MILEY CYRUS was rushed to an emergency room Monday night, after she cut herself with a kitchen knife.ALEC BALDWIN says he's still a fan of NBC despite tweeting angrily last week that he was "leaving NBC just in time" after a "Today" show crew camped outside his apartment building. JOHNNY DEPP is being sued by a 52-year-old disabled woman who says she was roughed up and humiliated by the actor's bodyguards during an Iggy Pop concert back in December. 14-PLUS short-lived film-to-TV adaptations.  I remember almost all of them. Get off my lawn.THE AVENGERS could score one of the biggest domestic openings of all time for a superhero pic, if not one of the biggest period, based on prerelease tracking numbers.SAUDI AUTHORITIES banned university students from emulating ‘emo’ subculture according to a report in Al Riyadh newspaper. SYRIA: International sanctions aimed at the Syrian government have cut its financial reserves in half, and pressure must be maintained on Damascus to stop its bloody crackdown on opponents despite a shaky five-day cease-fire, the French foreign minister, Alain Juppé, said on Tuesday. AFGHANISTAN: About 150 Afghan schoolgirls were poisoned after drinking contaminated water at a high school in the country's north, officials said, blaming it on radicals opposed to female education.  Meanwhile, the US is gearing up for what may be the last major American-run offensive of the war — a bid to secure the approaches to Kabul. MAMA DOG rescues her puppy from a swimming pool.MINIATURE PIG RACING is a hit with vistors to Pennywell Farm. AN IBIS flies home for the first time in 400 years.  That's an old bird. THE RALLY SQUIRREL appears on the World Series championship rings the St. Louis Cardinals received over the weekend. (Thx, Dad.) Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2039 FEIST played "The Bad In Each Other" for Leno.NEW RELEASES from Janis Joplin, Daniel Johnston, Maps & Atlases, Dry the River, Horse Feathers, Moonface, the Forty Nineteens and more are streaming this week at Spinner.SEA OF BEES is advance streaming Orangefarben.DINOSAUR JR., reimagined in the electronic aesthetic of New Wave bands.SPIRITUALIZED, Live in London, Dec. 9, 2007.THE WALKMEN drop the title track to Heaven.THE BYRDS: "I See You" is blurbed by Dave Marsh.ANDREW LOVE, a member of the legendary Memphis Horns heard on Stax classics like 'Hold On, I'm Comin' ' and 'In the Midnight Hour,' died Thursday from complications of Alzheimer's. He was 70.BOWERBIRDS: Phil Moore talks to SPIN about Paul Simon and parasites.RUFUS WAINWRIGHT talks to The Independent about managing to combine stardom with the commitments of fatherhood.R.E.M.: Part 2 of The A.V. Club's history of the seminal alt-rockers.THE ROLLING STONES: Ronnie Wood apologized to the band for the great crime of opinining that he wanted to get back to the studio.LINDSAY LOHAN is telling friends she doesn't feel she did anything wrong by going to Coachella, because the festival is not a nightclub.GERARD BUTLER, also post-rehab, was spotted grinding with a date at Coachella. What happened at the porta-potties?ASHTON KUTCHER & MILA KUNIS? Could be that life imitates That 70s Show.DEMI MOORE returns to Twitter post-rehab.JASON SEGEL & MICHELLE WILLIAMS: More serious than anyone thinks?PIPPA MIDDLETON faces possible arrest after a gun incident involving friends in Paris.COURTNEY LOVE apologizes to her daughter for acting like Courtney Love.MARILYN MANSON is not engaged to aspiring actress and self-described "independent occult filmmaker" Seraphim Ward.TERROR in the USA: The trial of Adis Medunjanin, a co-conspirator with Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay in a 2009 plot to bomb New York City's subways, opened Monday.THE UNITED KINGDOM: The Labour party suspended life peer Lord Ahmed for allegedly saying he would offer a bounty on President Obama and former President George W. Bush in retaliation for the US bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed.MOROCCO: Demands for marriage reform present a particularly unwelcome challenge to Morocco's new Islamist government, which was elected in November on a promise to make Morocco more Islamic - not less.AFGHANISTAN: Afghan officials said a Haqqani Network operative captured in Nangarhar admitted that his group was behind yesterday's suicide assaults in four provinces.A CAT CROSSES A RIVER: Let's go to the video.TESSA the DOG, ticketed by traffic police.CATERPILLARS More Likely to Vomit Alone.GEORGE the GOLDFISH develops a Hitler 'stache. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.claudepate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2038 PULP: Stream their entire Coachella set.SARAH JAFFE is advance streaming The Body Wins. NORAH JONES reinvents herself a bit on Little Broken Hearts. GIRL IN A COMA, unpluggedy at WNYC Soundcheck. DAR WILLIAMS previews her upcoming LP at WNYC Soundcheck. THE SUPREMES: "Come See About Me."NICK LOWE talks to Macleans about aging well and appealing to the young, among other things. (Thx, Chromewaves.)NELLIE McKAY writes at the HuffPo that public radio is the last oasis of free and independent music.DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS: Patterson Hood talks about the band's upcoming hiatus and his upcoming solo record with the Charleston City Paper. (Thx, LHB.)LEONARD COHEN's former manager has been found guilty of harassing the singer by a court in Los Angeles.ROBIN GIBB fell into a coma over the weekend, amid fears he has only days to live.KEITH MOON was asked to appear at the London Olympics. I would watch that. WEEKEND BOX OFFICE:  The odds again favor The Hunger Games, which sits atop the chart with another 21.5 million and cracks 500 million worldwide.The Three Stooges mildly beat predictions to take in 17,1 million against a 30 million budget.  The Cabin In The Woods showed with a 14.9 million debut.  Titanic 3-D drops to fourth on the 100th anniversary of the real event, taking in 11.6 million; its total is 44.4 million against 18 million spent to convert the 2-D original.  American Reunion rounds out the Top 5 with 10.7 million on a 50 percent drop from its debut; the latest slice now totals 39.9 million against a 50 million budget.THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, co-written by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly, Serenity) and director Drew Goddard, is generally not my genre, but this may be the smartest twist on the horror/slasher flick sice the original Scream.  Like that film, the Cabin plays on the audience's knowledge of the genre's tropes, but in this case upends them with the introduction of an entirely new and funny element (hence the involvement of Bradley Whitfield, Richard Jenkins and a surprise cameo).  However, the new element is not entirely funny, as it subtextually poses the question of why audiences watch slasher movies in the first place.  Perhaps the real ghouls are not on set.BRADGELINA ar actually engaged this time.AMANDA BYNES has another auto mishap.  She is still partying and declining rehab.LINDSAY LOHAN: Another eyewitness, who is not a hotel staff member, has come forward in the alleged assault investigation involving claims that Lindsay Lohan shoved Marisa Dugas at a nightclub in The Standard Hotel, and has filed an official police report.COURTNEY LOVE should be banned from Twitter, says daughter Frances Bean Cobain, in response to Love's latest rant about Dave Grohl.JADA PINKETT SMITH speaks out on the rumors of marital trouble with hubby Will.MARC ANTHONY held out hope for a reconciliation with Jennifer Lopez, but decided to file for divorce when she told him ... she's madly in love with bf Casper Smart.RYAN O'NEAL, who successfully battled leukemia, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer.IRAN, the US, and five other countries began talks in Turkey over Iran's nuclear program, the first such meeting in one and a half years. The first day's meeting was described as "constructive," "positive," and "completely different" from the previous meeting.SYRIA's ceasefire held for a third day, although some shelling was reported. The UN Security Council approved a resolution to send an observer mission to Syria.EGYPT:  The body overseeing Egypt's presidential election disqualified 10 candidates from the race on Saturday, including the Muslim Brotherhood's Khairat al-Shater, former spy chief Omar Suleiman and ultra orthodox Salafi sheikh Hazem Salah Abu IsmailAFGHANISTAN: Anxious to defuse tensions stoked by foreign male soldiers raiding Afghans' homes at night in what is a conservative Muslim country, Afghanistan has begun training elite female troops to join Afghan male soldiers on operations. XA THIEF returns a stolen therapy dog to a 5-year-old blind girl.A PET HAMSTER has been rechristened Jesus - after clawing his way out of a 2ft deep grave to come back from the dead.RATTLESNAKE vs GOLFER: Who you got?BABOONS are able to pick up the first step in reading.  The one called Bright Eyes is really smart. Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700