YO LA TENGO frontman Ira Kaplan is not thrilled about the "indie" label: "I wouldn't say I'm particularly happy about it - it's kind of being ghettoised." That may be o­ne reason why the band's upcoming I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your A** -- their 16th -- skips from genre to genre, as can be seen in the sorta-Motownish "Mr. Tough." You can also get free downloads of "Beanbag Chair" and "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind," courtesy of Matador.

ROBYN HITCHCOCK and the Venus 3 (Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin) have a album coming in October, with cameos from Soft Boys Morris Windsor and Kimberley Rew, plus more, but you can hear "Adventure Rocketship" now. It's pretty good, though I'm looking forward to a full band version of the Magnum Force-inspired "A Man's Got To Know His Limitations, Briggs."

OTHER NEW RELEASES: I regret overlooking a couple of new releases yesterday. The first is Honey From The Tombs by Amy Millan, who also plays with Broken Social Scene and Stars. It's getting generally favorable reviews via Metacritic. The other is To the Races by former Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers frontman Eric Bachman, which I mentioned last week and is still streaming in full from Aversion. As a bonus, check out Crooked Fingers' covers of "Under Pressure" and "When You Were Mine."

BOB DYLAN thinks that the quality of of modern recordings is "atrocious," which makes him nonchalant about illegal filesharing: "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."

PET SOUNDS: The Brian Wilson-Beach Boys gem, which turns 40 next week, has its own blog, which has started offering podcasts, with comments from Brian, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston. The first is an overview of the LP.

JOAN JETT talks to Suicide Girls about the Warped tour, the Runaways, the Replacements, leather, and more. Which is good a reason as any to link up a block from Ms. Jett, starting with live takes o­n "Cherry Bomb" with the Runaways and "Bad Reputation" from the new wave rocumentary, URGH! A Music War, to big hits like "I Love Rock N' Roll" and "I Hate Myself For Loving You" and her latest single, a cover of the Sweet's "A.C.D.C.," which features Carmen Electra. And though the homemade videos from the Warped tour have terrible audio, it looks like the kids still love rock 'n' roll.

THE ROLLING STONES: Although the re-rehabbed Ronnie Wood claims the living dead don't drink much o­n tour, he may not be above sucking down laughing gas all night.

THE LONG WINTERS: I just blurbed this poppy Americana band last week, but they're good enough to note that you can stream their brief appearance at the World Cafe via NPR.

DWIGHT YOAKUM would like you to have some of his tatsty biscuits. No, really.

PETE DOHERTY-KATE MOSS UPDATE: London's Daily Express claims that the supposedly sober supermodel was waiting to be wed in Bali when the troubled singer was grounded in the UK by his latest drug arrest.

KATE HUDSON-CHRIS ROBINSON BREAK-UPDATE: The actress and the rock star were spotted with their two-year-old son over the weekend (yeah, that's a son). Look for US Weekly to back off the rumors about Owen Wilson (lest he sue them) and go with a "Torn Between Two Lovers" theme.

OWEN and LUKE WILSON use butt doubles, but o­nly Luke was dumb enough to talk about it at length.

BRADGELINA: The rumor mill grinds o­n, with a report that Jolie has taken the kids to a luxury hotel in L.A. after a series of arguments with Pitt. More substantiated are the pics of Pitt falling off the no-smoking wagon, after vowing to quit for his new family.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Pakistan's former Intelligence Chief cites Gibson's anti-Semitic comments during an August 8th press conference aired o­n Al-Jazeera. Would that such was the reason why he's the former chief.

THE FRENCH HOTEL admits that her new album makes her cry, albit for different reasons from the rest of us. She also claims that her mother told her that giving Lewinskys gave you huge acne craters. She has since learned otherwise.

LINDSAY LOHAN: When that story about her staying in and behaving herself ran the other day, I wondered how long she would last. Now we know. Maybe that's why even puff mags like People are saying the 20-year-old looks like 59-year-old Goldie Hawn. Of course, with a convict father sending cartoons to the NYDN and offering opinions o­n all things Li-Lo, it's no wonder she wants a drink.

BRITTANY MURPHY: The Sin City barmaid has broken off her engagement to best boy grip Joe Macaluso. This is her second disengagement.

TOM-KAT UPDATE: Variety and others think it's news that Paramount is severing ties with Cruise's production company, but regular Pate visitors could have seen this coming weeks ago, maybe more.

DENISE & HEATHER & RICHIE & CHARLIE & DAVID: If Richie Sambora wants to get back with Heather Locklear, does it mean that David Spade can pick up Carmen Electra o­n the rebound from Dave Navarro? Hollywood is a crazy place, indeed.

NOT VERY GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is upset at a decline in the number of gay characters o­n broadcast TV shows. But blogger Tony Pierce notes that GLAAD overlooked Waylon Smithers, who may be the longest-running gay character o­n the tube.

JESSICA SIMPSON: Page Six reports that a Jacka**cast member has recorded a crude song about how Jacka** co-star Bam Margera "supposedly had sex with the busty blond singer -- describing a kinky form of intercourse that can't be printed in a family newspaper." Her rep denies it, natch. Meanwhile, Nick Lachey is auctioning mementos from the couple's three-year marriage o­n eBay.

HOORAY FOR HEZBOLLYWOOD: A Hezbollah-run website runs a picture of what it claims is the Israeli ship it hit with a missile last month... which turns out to be a decommissioned Aussie destroyer-escort deliberately sunk in 1998. At least the AP and Reuters didn't buy this o­ne. Also, as I recently noted the possibility that Hezbollah was using counterfeit money for rebuilding in Lebanon, you can find more background o­n counterfeiting by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah affiliates at PBS and the Counterterrorism Blog.

IRAQ: Speaking of the Counterterrorism Blog, Bill Roggio has a detailed look (with map) o­n the Battle for Baghdad. US and Iraqi forces say that over the past week they have captured "well over 100 known and suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists and terrorist associates," including o­ne linked to the Samarrah shrine bombing that triggered the current round of sectarian violence. Iraq's national security adviser says violence in Baghdad has fallen sharply since July thanks to troop reinforcements and the government's reconciliation efforts, a story I found o­n Reuters India -- it's not o­n the US feed and is almost entirely unreported here. Meanwhile, in Anbar province, where most US deaths this month have occurred, over 500 Iraqis joined the police -- marking the most successful recruiting drive in the region.

NSA EAVESDROPPING: Judicial Watch, a group of legal gadflies that have gone after the Clinton and Bush Administrations, claims that the judge who struck down the program as unconstitutional may have had a conflict of interest. FWIW, I think she would have reached the same poorly-reasoned decision, regardless. Ironically, had she recused herself from the case, the program still might have been ruled illegal, just with better reasoning.

SNAKES IN A THEATER showing Snakes o­n a Plane. Video at the link. Authorities said pranksters released the two live diamondback rattlesnakes, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility that the snakes simply wanted to see if the flick lived up to the hype.

WILLY THE TORTOISE is back home after a month o­n the lam, having escaped at the blistering speed of .005 mph.

TEST-TUBE GOATS: India's Central Institute of Goats claimed it has successfully produced the country's second test-tube goat.

IT AIN'T WAYNE MANOR: Florida's Department of Children and Families have removed two boys from their mother's custody, as the mother refused to get rabies shots for her and her children after bats invaded her apartment. In similar cases like it around the country, several youngsters ended up dead because they did not get the rabies shots.

PSYCHO KILLER RACOONS (Qu'est-ce que c'est?) are terrorizing Olympia, WA. "It's a new breed," said Tamara Keeton, who has started a raccoon watch. "They're urban raccoons, and they're not afraid." And that, my friends, is the tag line for the movie poster. (Thanks, Dad)

OH-OH-OH, it's "Magic," by Pilot, lip-synching o­n TOTP. Be sure to check the comments o­n the video at YouTube.

JACK WHITE is selling his digs in Detroit. If you take the o­nline tour, you will see he stuck to the White Strripes' red, white and black color scheme.

THE HOLD STEADY: Stereogum has some nice pics of indie's pre-eminent bar band, with and advance MP3 to download or stream via the Hype Machine. Reaction at Stereogum is mixed, but I dig it.

LOST DAVID BOWIE and ROD STEWART tracks are among those in the trove of legendary UK producer Joe Meek, which may go public in the not-too-distant future.

STEREOLAB has a "best of" out o­n Rhino o­n Aug. 29th, but you can stream it now in Real or Windows format. Commenters at Stereogum note some obvious omissions.

SEEN YOUR VIDEO: Occasionally, when completely out of control, Pate would unleash a metal medley including AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie." This is the original (natch), recorded live in Chicago.

THE TOP FIVE SONGS OF THE 1960'S: Gorilla vs. Bear posted his Top Five (Six, really) before Pitchfork finished its Top 200, so as not to be influenced. G vs. B picks neither The Beatles nor Dylan for Numero Uno. Then again, neither did Pitchfork!

THE A-Z OF ROCK & ROLL SEX SCANDALS, courtesy of Blender magazine.

THE FUTURE ROCK HALL is a website estimating the odds as to whether and when various bands will make it to Cleveland.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS' Get Lonely comes out tomorrow, but you can download "Wild Sage" right now.

PETE DOHERTY-KATE MOSS UPDATE: The unlikely rumors that the troubled singer and supposedly sober supermodel are to get hitched will not die, even as Doherty pleads guilty to the latest drug charges against him and will stay at The Priory rehabilitation clinic in London until he is sentenced next month, when he could get jail time.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Snakes o­n a Plane takes the weekend or is edged out by Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, depending o­n whether you count the 1.4 million in receipts from late nite shows Thursday. SoaP underperformed, though it will cetainly be profitable, based o­n its modest budget, and maybe even the 63 percent it scored o­n the Tomatometer after critics got to see it. World Trade Center came in third, followed by Accepted, which is probably in the black already, based o­n a tiny budget. The Duff sisters' Material Girls opened in ninth place, suggesting there is some small amout of justice in the world. Little Miss Sunshine did better than that, taking seventh place and making three times as much as the Duffs o­n half the screens. I saw The Illusionist, which is scoring 72-88 percent o­n the Tomatometer, but opened o­n about 50 screens. I agree with the reviewer who called it cold, but good, with another golden performance by Paul Giamatti.

KATE HUDSON-CHRIS ROBINSON BREAK-UPDATE: With Butterscoth Stallion Owen Wilson threatening to sue anyone who suggests he is responsible for his You, Me & Dupree co-star Hudson's marriage split, I guess we all have to move o­n to the story about Hudson not wanting to take part in threesomes and orgies with Robinson.

DENISE & HEATHER & RICHIE & CHARLIE & DAVID: Speaking of unlikely, Life and Style magazine claims that as Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear's divorce nears a settlement, Richie is having second thoughts.

THE McCARTNEYS: Heather Mills went o­n a Beverly Hills shopping spree to forget about her divorce, suggesting that she is indeed thinking of pursue her divorce to Sir Paul through US courts because they offer larger settlements. MEanwhile, Sir Paul's big concern seems to be that Mills is filming a video diary of the couple's increasingly acrimonious split.

BRADGELINA: Jolie and Pitt move into Pitt's fortified, "Neverland-like" compound amid tabloid reports that Jolie is angry over Pitt's admission that a part of him will always love Jennifer Aniston.

CHARLIZE THERON is denying a documentary she produced about Cuban rappers shows a pro-American bias. Because Fidel Castro is such a sweetheart, y'know? Don't get me started o­n Cuban health care. The stunning starlet is admitting a new pro-Scotch bias at the Edinburgh International Film Festival: "I like it. I think it's very, very good. I won't be able to walk off the stage but it's good!"

TINSELTOWNIES AGAINST TERRORISM: A few blogs, including Defamer reprint the full-page L.A. Times ad signed by Nicole Kidman and 85 others denouncing Helzbollah and Hamas for provoking the current mideast conflict. The regular press couldn't be bothered to notice in the way they trumpet anything signed by Susan Sarandon or Alec Baldwin.

CHRISTINA RICCI landed the role of a sex abuse victim in the controversial upcoming movie Black Snake Moan by flooding writer/director Craig Brewer with sexually explicit photos of herself. Samuel L. Jackson is in this Snake flick also.

LINDSAY LOHAN is staying in and trying to behave herself. We'll see how long that lasts.

JESSICA SIMPSON: The pneumatic blonde was seen in the company of a mystery man, while rumors have Vanessa Minilllo tring of Simpson's ex, Nick Lachey.

PAMELA ANDERSON and KID ROCK had a third marriage ceremony in Nashville, following o­n events near Saint-Tropez and in Beverly Hills.

HEZBOLLAH'S FUNNY MONEY? The wire services that were so loathe to mention that the rockets striking Israel were launched by Hezbollah seem to have no problem publicizing the terror group's efforts to help Lebanese rebuild the homes destroyed in the conflict Hezbollah provoked. But take a look at the two photos above of Hezbollah handing out money to the locals. Aside from the fact that the press isn't asking where Hezbollah got these huge stacks of Benjamins, note that the seal over the "100" is in a different place in each picture. And neither has it placed where it's supposed to be. OpinionJournal noted what appeared to be uncut sheets of US hundred-dollar bills in NBC video from a Hezbollah target site back in July, while noting reports that Hezbollah has been involved in counterfeiting American money.

THE UN o­n the MIDEAST CONFLICT: When Hezbollah guerrillas fired at least 10 Katyusha rockets after the ceasefire, the UN says nothing. When the the Israeli foreign minister said o­n CNN last Tuesday that there was evidence that Iran and Syria were already rearming Hezbollah, the UN says nothing. When an internal Lebanese army statement calls for troops to stand "alongside" Hezbollah, the UN says nothing. When Hezbollah is found to have sensitive night-vision equipment that Iran got from a UN program, the UN says nothing. However, when Israel claims it has conducted a raid in Lebanon to stop the rearming of Hezbollah, Kofi Annan immediately declares it a truce violation. Indeed, the UN Sec. Gen. also wants Israel to lift the blockade it imposed to stop arms resupply. He further wants to stock the peacekeeping force with troops from countries that do not recognize Israel's right to exist.

SYRIA: Meanwhile, newspapers in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan -- some of which are state-guided -- are attacking president Bashar Assad in the wake of the conflict. Jamil Nimri, a prominent Jordanian analyst, says a recent Assad speech "has set things back and Syria has lost deep Arab solidarity. It is now in a worse situation that it was at the start of the war."

IRAN: Police in Tehran have begun "dismantling" satellite dishes from the city's rooftops, as part of a campaign to prevent Iranians from watching Western television. Iran said o­n Sunday it would not suspend uranium enrichment, though it will formally respond by Tuesday to proposals made by the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany. Tuesday is August 22nd -- a date Islamic extremists may deem appropriate for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary of the world. Let's hope it's a coincidence.

A MAN WAS TRAPPED WAIST-DEEP in chocolate for two hours at a factory in Kenosha, WI. He was recovered before getting sucked up the pipe to the Fudge Room.

ARMED CLOWNS are o­n a robbery spree in Arizona. Video at the link, but haven't I seen this before?

...AND THERE WAS CAT LITTER all over the highway...

PET HOARDING: Keeping 168 cats around the house will tend to adversely affect the local bird and squirrel populations.

SNAKES that don't need a plane.