THE ARCS: The Black Lips' Dan Auerbach's side project drops an animated clip for “Put a Flower in Your Pocket."

BUILT TO SPILL plays KEXP's Midday Show.

LOWER DENS also plays KEXP's Midday Show.

LANGHORNE SLIM stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

JAMIE XX stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

THE TEMPTATIONS: "Psychedelic Shack." That's where it's at.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART: Kip Berman talks to Drowned in Sound about the band's progression, marriage and what the future holds.

FOALS: The Guardian went to Romania to find out whether they're pretentious or just passionate.

TONY WILSON: NME remembers the foreman of Factory Records on the 8th anniversary of his death.

MICHAEL STIPE's Ten Favorite Books.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Straight Outta Compton topped the chart with 56.1MM, higher than the 45-50MM tracking estimates.  Universal is having an outstanding string of successes this year, from Jurassic World and Minions on down. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation placed with 17MM, and looks to profit in cinemas.  The debut of The Man From UNCLE shows with an underperforming 13.5MM, losing the spy-movie shootout with Cruise & Co. Given a reported 75MM budget, The Man From UNCLE will need a lot of help overseas to make a profit, but the international plot and cast was engineered for thi, so it retains a fighting chance.  The flopping Fantastic Four, otoh, slides a whopping 69 percent to the fourth slot and is unlikely to profit in cinemas, even after worldwide receipts roll in. The Gift rounds out the Top Five with a disappointing 6.5M, but a 23.6MM domestic total against a 5MM budget seems like a fairly happy ending.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E: After years in development Hell, the adaptation of the 60s super-spy TV vehicle (which came with input from Ian Fleming himself) finally arrives under the direction of Guy Ritcie, whose kinetic style is even better suited to this matrial than the Sherlock Holmes franchise. Ritchie also co-wrote the screenplay, and the period-perfect wit almost makes up for the simplistic plot and generally weak villains.  Indeed, the script to often condescends to explain the proceedings to the less observant members of the audience.  Fortunately, the chemistry of Henry Cavill, Arnie Hammer, and especially Alicia Vikander (already great as the robot in Ex Machina this year) has enough fizz to carry this confection over the finish line with panache.

MORGAN FREEMAN's step-granddaughter was stabbed to death on a Manhattan sidewalk early Sunday.

ELLEN DeGENERES talks about Finding Dory, the long-rumored sequel to Finding Nemo.

TOY STORY 4 was confirmed by John Lassater at Disney23.

MILEY CYRUS is profiled by Marie Claire.

SHARON STONE's not calling it a comeback at Harper's Bazaar.

UKRAINE: Lenin statues are toppling. Red stars are being chipped off the mosaics on the Kiev metro. Streets named after Soviet heroes are being rechristened. A nationwide push is underway to clean up communism ahead of Ukraine’s independence day on Aug. 24.

THE ISLAMIC STATE held American aid worker Kayla Mueller not only as a hostage, but as a sex slave.

A KOALA chases an ATV. The horror!

CAPE COD shut its beaches after a huge shark attacked a seal just 10 feet from shore.

OCTOPUSES may be aliens.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A second Yosemite National Park campground will be shut down for five days after a pair of dead squirrels were found to be infected with the plague, park and California public health officials said on Friday.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

with ELVIS PRESLEY! The King died on August 16, 1977, but remains a global pop phenomenon, so it's worth a recap of highlights from his legendary career.  For the 30th anniversary, Canada's Star-Phoenix, discussing ten important parts of Elvis history worth reliving, noted: "His was a sequined coat of many colours: '50s Greaser Elvis. Military Elvis. Hollywood Elvis. Aloha from Hawaii Elvis. Vegas Elvis. And, ultimately, Dead Fat Elvis."  The BBC had friend and aide Sonny West recall life with The King. 

ACTION NEWS 5 still has its local coverage from Aug. 16-17, 1977 (here, here, here and here) on the Tube, where you can also see funeral footage from the BBC Archive.  Here's read the obit that ran the next day in the Washington Post. Elvis Presley News recaps the international headlines from the event and links to the eulogy at his funeral. On a happier note, check out what is likely the first footage taken of Elvis, with backstage shots of Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly in 1955; shades of Walk The Line!  Let's start with his performance of "Hound Dog" o­n The Milton Berle Show six months later, not o­nly because it's historic, but also because Paul Miller and I often reached for it when we would stumble into our KUSR shift at the last minute -- on the broadcast, Uncle Miltie vamped for awhile, which gave us time to pull records for the show.  He was also iconic in "Jailhouse Rock" that year.  Elvis sang a mashup of "Love Me Tender" and "Witchcraft" with Frank Sinatra when he got back from the Army.  All of his movies -- such as "Viva Las Vegas" --made money, but his musical career stalled in the 1960s until he electrified and charmed the public with his televised '68 Comeback Special (Part One, Part Two).  1970 finds him singing "In The Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds" in the jumpsuit, though pre-bloated.  I'm going to throw in "Little Sister" just 'cause I like it.  Sadly, in a few short years, bloated jumpuit Elvis would be delivering a wacked-out take on "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" -- though to be fair, this audio-only version from 1969 is even more demented and he knows it.  I would rather remember Jumpsuit Elvis for the signature horns that open "See See Rider."  a tribute to his enduring legacy as the fact that he could hit the charts decades after his death with a remix of "A Little Less Conversation," a video subtly recalling "Jailhouse Rock," and Paul Oakenfold's remix of "Rubberneckin'". The King may be gone, but the brand lives on, making millions and recruiting new fans under the watchful eyes of Elvis Presley Enterprises and CKX, Inc.

GREETINGS FROM GRACELAND:  It must be said, however, that Elvis Presley Enterprises did not have a good handle on the King's affairs in the years immediately following his death.  Chicago radio personalities Steve Dahl and Garry Meier won a local emmy for their 1981 comedic look at what was then a very seedy exploitation of Elvis in Memphis. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.)

MOJO NIXON & SKID ROPER: "Elvis Is Everywhere."

NATHANIEL RATELIFF advance streams Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. 

RONNIE STONE & THE LONELY RIDERS stream the ’80s synth-rock pastiche, Møtorcycle Yearbook.

ADVANCE BASE, f/k/a Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, advance streams Nephew In The Wild.

WAVVES drop "Heavy Metal Detox" ahead of V. Oh yeah.

SON LITTLE drops "Lay Down" ahead of his self-titled debut LP.

WOODSTOCK: On Aug. 15-17, 1969, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in a lovely natural amphitheater in Bethel (not Woodstock), NY for "three days of peace and music," including sets from Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Who, Santana, Joe Cocker, Jefferson Airplane, Arlo Guthrie, Canned Heat, Jimi Hendrix, and the proverbial many more.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS: Patterson Hood talks to WGN about the growth of the band, playing shows without a set list and an upcoming live record recorded at The Fillmore in San Francisco.

PSYCHEDELIC TEXAS: When Janis Met Roky.

PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC, ranked by Stereogum.

THE 95 BEST ALT-ROCK SONGS of 1995, according to SPIN.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases are The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which is currently scoring 67 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and Straight Outta Compton, scoring 85 percent.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON: The former N.W.A legends go deep with Rolling Stone on their triumphs and controversies. 

BEN AFFLECK is not funding the new, lavish lifestyle of his former nanny, according to people very close to the situation. 

KRISTEN STEWART is profiled by NYLON. Of her sexuality, she notes: “Google me, I’m not hiding.”

KHLOE KARDASHIAN & LAMAR ODOM: Did he ambush her, or didn't he? 

TOM CRUISE is goiung to try to make Jack Reacher happen again. 

SESAME STREET, brought to you by the letters H, B, and O. 

STAR WARS: Kathleen Kennedy persuaded JJ Abrams to helm Star Wars: The Force Awakens by asking a simple question.

DEADWOOD: The HBO ciult fave may be headed to the big screen. 

THE ISLAMIC STATE militants likely used mustard agent in an attack earlier this week on Kurdish forces in Iraq, senior U.S. officials said Thursday, the first indication the militant group has obtained a banned chemical weapon. 

IRAQ: The systematic rape of women and girls from the Yazidi religious minority has become deeply enmeshed in the organization and the radical theology of the Islamic State in the year since the group announced it was reviving slavery as an institution.  

IRAN's nuke deal could lead the country to export an additional 600K barrels of oil per day by the end of next year, federal energy analysts predict. 

SYRIA: Three U.S. diplomats stepped up pressure against the Syrian government on Friday by accusing it of continuing to use chemical arms against its opponents in the country’s four-year civil war. 

DEEP BLUE: The Biggest Shark Ever Filmed? What say you, Police Chief Brody?

"ROYALS" brings all the cows to the yard.

THE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER actually floats.

THEY'RE SPARING NO EXPENSE: Google, soon-to-be Alphabet,wants to start a project looking at GMO mosquitoes as a way to fight malaria and Dengue fever all around the world.  

BEIRUT played the title track to No No No for Seth Myers.

THE MYNABIRDS stopped by WFUV's Studio A for a chat and mini-set. 

BEN LEE also stopped by WFUV's Studio A for a chat and mini-set. 

SOAK stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set. 

HOT CHIP stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session. 

SQUEEZE drops "Happy Days" ahead of Cradle To The Grave, their first LP in 17 years.

DESTROYER shared "Times Square" ahead of Poison Season. 

EDDIE COCHRAN: "Summertime Blues." Ain't no cure for 'em.

JASON ISBELL talks to the L.A. Times about songwriting, Twitter, and being Southern. 

VERUCA SALT talked to Paste about the band's reunion. 

NATALIE PRASS talks to Stereogum about her next album, playing festivals, and loving the War On Drugs.

EFFED UP's improbable legacy is chronicled by Pitchfork. 

THE HATEFUL EIGHT: Quentin Tarantino's latest has a trailer online.

BRADLEY COOPER & IRINA SHEYK make out and choke each other on a beach, or something. 

ANNA FARIS responds to false reports of husband Chris Pratt being unfaithful.

CRISTINA AGUILERA is your latest topless selfie. 

BILLY JOEL welcomed his second child on Wednesday. 

BEN AFFLECK's ex-nanny doesn't seem short on cash. 

KRISTEN STEWART played Word Blurt (sort of) with Fallon. 

THE BLACK PANTHER turned up on the set of Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. 

THE ISLAMIC STATE has executed more than 2000 people in and around the northern Iraqi city of Mosul since seizing it in June 2014, officials said. 

A BRITISH SNIPER saved a father and son from an ISIS beheading in Syria.

LIBYA: The future of Libya's internationally recognised government was uncertain Wednesday after Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani threatened to resign, but the latest UN-brokered peace talks ended amid optimism about a deal. 

EAGLE vs DRONE: Who You Got? 

UGGIE, the scene-stealing canine in The Artist, the Academy Awards’ Best Picture of 2012, has died at 13 after a battle with prostate cancer.

A NIPPLE-BITING SUNFISH, caught on video. 

DOGS trying to get at a box of cupcakes left on top of a stove apparently started a small fire in a central Pennsylvania home. 

RICHARD HAWLEY drops "Heart of Oak" ahead of Hollow Meadows.

BON IVER headlined the Eaux Claires Festival. 

DJANGO DJANGO stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session. 

UNWOUND streams their Peel Sessions, with a track-by-track tour. 

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: New tracks from Girl Band, Bikini Kill, Diane Coffee and more feature in the latest edition. 

BOTTLE ROCKETS return with "Monday (Everytime I Turn Around)"  ahead of South Broadway Athletic Club. Oh, yes.

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE: "Stone Free," live in Frankfurt. Dig this, baby.

YO LA TENGO: Ira Kaplan talks to Premiere Guitar about Stuff Like That There, his first electric guitar and amp (both of which he still uses), what it’s like to be content with aging effects, and his other covers project.

BATTLES: the math-rockers talk to NME about La Di Da Di, their first LP in five years.

LA LUZ talks to Paste about Weirdo Shrine and their first major tour.

COLUMBIA HOUSE, the (in)famous mail-order music club, declared bankruptcy. Turns out kids like streaming music on the internet. Who knew? 

MATTHEWS LeBLANC & PERRY were not invited to Jennifer Aniston's wedding, mostly because they don't live across the hall from her anymore. 

BEN AFFLECK, the ex-nanny, and Tom Brady, on a private jet trip to Vegas. Ben's pals deny he had an affair with her. 

LEONARD DiCAPRIO & MARTIN SCORSESE are re-teaming for an adaptation of The Devil in the White City. 

CHRISTOPHER GUEST (This is Spinal Tap, Best In Show, Waiting For Guffman) is taking on the fluffy world of Mascots for a Netflix exlusive movie.

KIM KARDASHIAN ran afoul of the FDA on Instagram. And posed naked there.

KELLY RUTHERFORD lost big in court, and her kids are now on their way to the airport to return to Monaco.  

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY talked  about her 30th birthday, motherhood and therapy at Elle.

WINONA RIDER confirmed Beetlejuice 2 is happening. 

GREECE and its international lenders reached an 85 billion euro bailout agreement on Tuesday after nailing down the terms of new loans needed to save the country from financial ruin. 

RUSSIA is trying to scare Finland and Sweden out of joining NATO.

PAKISTAN: Parents at the center of a growing child abuse scandal in Pakistan accused police on Monday of failing to do enough to break up a pedophile ring in Punjab province, the prime minister's political heartland. 

MONSTER KOI FISH, bottle-fed. (Thx, Zoey.)

KILING LIONS TO SAVE THEM? Sounds contradictory, but it is standard practice. 

A FROG knocked out power in in Osceola County, FL. You know the squirrels are behind it. 

CLEAR THE SHELTERS: Chicago-area animal shelters will be waiving their adoption fee on August 15. 

KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS played "Freak Train" and "Wakin on a Pretty Day" at the Pitchfork Music Festival, served here for Twofer Tuesday.

LAURA MARLING stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

THE GOOD LIFE advance streams Everybody’s Coming Down.

JONATHAN EDWARDS brought "Sunshine" and more to World Cafe. 

TAHOMA stopped by KUTX for a mini-set.

BEACH HOUSE dropped "PPP" and "Beyond Love" on their Single Finder website.

FUN BOY THREE play "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "Summertime" for Twofer Tuesday. I suppose I should remind the young'uns that singer Terry Hall co-wrote "Lips."

THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN: Jim Reid looks back on Psychocandy and discusses future plans with DIY.

JAMES: Jim Glennie and Saul Davies talk to Drowned In Sound about festivals, longevity, writing the next LP, and more.

SUMMER CAMP: Elizabeth Sankey writes about being in a band with her spouse at The Guardian.

THIRTY ARTISTS and the songs they wish they had written.

HOWARD STERN dished the details of Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's hush-hush wedding.

KELLY RUTHERFORD's  ex-husband Daniel Giersch is calling her decision not to fly their two kids back to Monaco “child abduction.”

SERENA WILLIAMS is profiled by New York magazine.

DONALD STERLING is suing V. Stiviano and TMZ over the recording and publishing of a conversation he had with Stiviano.

TV EXECUTIVES want George Clooney's wife Amal to front Celebrity Apprentice.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE's NYC BBQ might have too many mice for my taste.

THE UNITED KINDGDOM: Maajid Nawaz asks why the Eurpoean Left often seems to favor religious theocrats over liberal Muslims.

IRAN: There's more criticism of the nuclear dael there now, but Khamenei has stood behind the deal—or at least hasn’t publicly opposed it.

TINY DOG, Big Sneeze.

GOATS are maintaining DC's Congressional Cemetery. Seems about right.

GLOW WORMS weren't mating per usual in North Wales; blame the street lighting.

RACCOONS are joining Ukrainian armed forces. It's in Pravda, so you know it's true.