THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

... with GARAGE ROCK! It's the time of year when I bring out The Standells - "Dirty Water/ Why Pick On Me", but I couldn't stop there. Let's have a baker's dozen of Nuggets, like Music Machine - "Talk Talk"; Blues Magoos - "We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet"; The Knickerbockers - "Lies"; The Outsiders - "Time Won't Let Me"; Count Five - "Psychotic Reaction"; The Seeds - "Pushin' Too Hard"; 13th Floor Elevators - "You're Gonna Miss Me"; Love - "My Little Red Book"; The Leaves - "Hey Joe"; Electric Prunes - "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night," the Crazy World of Arthur Brown - "Fire" and The Nazz- "Open My Eyes."

SAM BEAM & JESCA HOOP advance stream Love Letter For Hire.

STURGILL SIMPSON advance streams A Sailor's Guide to Earth.

SANTANA advance streams Santana IV, which reunites the mid-70s combo.

GRAHAM NASH advance streams This Path Tonight.

PAUL SIMON drops his "Wristband" ahead of Stranger to Stranger.

BRITTA PHILLIPS shares a "Daydream" ahead of Luck Or Magic. (Not a Lovin' Spoonful cover)

WUSSY covered New Order's "Ceremony" for Record Store Day.

THE LA's: "There She Goes." Again.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle talks to...People magazine?

THE GREATEST PUNK ALBUMS, according to...Rolling Stone?

OUTLAW COUNTRY: The revival of two lost films - 'Heartworn Highways' and 'A Poem Is a Naked Person' - documents the nascent scene.

SOUL ASYLUM: The A.V. Club recommends deep cuts, as do I, heartily.

THE SMITHS launched a Twitter account...but for what?

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases include The Boss, which is currently scoring 16 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and Hardcore Henry, which is scoring 59 percent. Everybody Wants Some!! expands, scoring 90 percent.

STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE, a prequel about the theft of the plans for the Death Star, has a trailer online. And when joking, make sure you know the Bothans stole the plans for the second Death Star.

ANNE HATHAWAY has given birth to her first child with husband Adam Shulman.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE is profiled by Harper's Bazaar.

BEN AFFLECK put Simon & Garfunkel back on the charts.

MADONNA has returned to London as she and ex-husband Guy Ritchie continue to battle over the custody of their 15-year-old son, Rocco.

NAGORNO KARABAKH: A seemingly obscure, long-simmering conflict could drag in major powers.

CHINA: The U.S. military’s top commander in the Pacific is arguing behind closed doors for a more confrontational approach to counter and reverse China’s strategic gains in the South China Sea, appeals that have met resistance from the White House at nearly every turn.

BANGLADESH: Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Dhaka to demand the capture and punishment of those responsible for the murder of a law student who criticised Islamism on his Facebook page.

AN IRAQI army offensive touted as the first phase of a campaign to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State has been paused until more forces arrive to hold ground.

A MONKEY bundles up to check in on his goat friend.

A DALLAS POLICE DOG is being hailed as a hero after finding a 12-year-old girl who ran away from home after leaving a suicide note.

A MARINE DOG who lost her leg when an IED detonated underneath her, received a medal for courage on Tuesday.

A RARE SHARK was caught in the Sea of Cortez by a teenager from Oak Brook, IL.

MERLE HAGGARD, one of the most successful singers in the history of country music, a contrarian populist whose songs about his scuffling early life and his time in prison made him the closest thing that the genre had to a real-life outlaw hero, died at his home in California, on Wednesday, his 79th birthday. He's best known for songs like “Mama Tried,” and “Okie From Muskogee,” (with many more at Rolling Stone) but I love his impressions of other country legends.

DEAKIN, a  part-time Animal Collective member, advance streams Sleep Cycle.

THE JOY FORMIDABLE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

SUNFLOWER BEAN also stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

FIR, with the songwriting skills of Brent Rademaker of Beachwood Sparks and Matt Piucci of Rain Parade, the vocals of the Allah-Las, and the instrumental backings of Rob Campanella of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and Nelson Bragg from Brian Wilson’s band, drops the power-popping and Byrdsy “Summer Wasn’t There.”

THE POSIES drop “Unlikely Places" ahead of Solid States; this track adds a slight 80s vibe to the pop classicism.

MARGARET GLASPY drops the title track from Emotions And Math.

THE LEFT BANKE: "Walk Away Renee."

ROBBIE FULKS: Another of country music's true 'outsiders' comes back around.

VETIVER's Andy Cabic talks to the L.A. Music Blog about the upcoming tour, the new album, his influences, and songwriting itself. (Thx, LHB.)

FRIGHTENED RABBIT is profiled by Consequence of Sound.

SHOEGAZE: Call it a comeback?

CHARLIE SHEEN  is the subject of a felony threat investigation triggered by his ex-fiancée.

THE BFG has a UK trailer online. 

KHLOE KARDASHIAN & LAMAR ODOM aren't reconciling.

TOM HIDDLESTON wants the James Bond rumors to stop.

WONDER WOMAN's release date moves up, while the WB's Jungle Book moves forward a year and out of competition with the Disney version due on April 15.

JOEL McHALE will play Chevy Chase in a Netflix movie about the origins of the National Lampoon. It's a small Community.

KEIFER SUTHERLAND may return as Jack Bauer someday, so establish a perimeter.

SWITZERLAND is shocked by Muslim teens who refused to shake hands with female teachers.

GERMANS appear to be losing faith in the idea of a borderless Europe, as the results of a poll published on Tuesday showed that two-thirds would prefer the government to end the Schengen free-movement zone. 

THE ISLAMIC STATE used mustard gas to attack Syrian troops during an offensive against a military airport in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, state media reported.

THE ANNUAL REINDEER CROSSING in Arctic Canada is a thing.

A GANGSTER TURKEY crashes into a NJ kitchen, terrorizing a family.

A MYSTERY CREATURE was observed swimming in the Thames River.

SOME CATERPILLARS, like some frat boys, drum their rears to attract friends.

ROB CROWE's GLOOMY PLACE drops a video for "Oh, the Sadmakers."

RAY LaMONTAGNE plays his latest LP in full on World Cafe, backed by members of My Morning Jacket.

TENEMENT advance streams their rarities collection, Bruised Music, Vol. 2.

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Tracks from the Jayhawks, Weezer, Oh Pep! and more highlight  the latest edition.

MINOR VICTORIES drops "Folk Arp" ahead of the "supergroup''s self-titled debut.

MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND, "Blinded by the Light," Live in '75.

THE ROLLING STONES plan to release a new album, according to Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards, Lord of the Undead.

NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic revisits Nevermind 25 years later for Rolling Stone.

NATHANIEL RATELIFF talks to Drowned In Sound about the near-viral "S.O.B.," and more.

DR TEETH & THE ELECTRIC MAYHEM are set for their first-ever live festival performance.

CHARLIZE THERON, who won an Oscar playing an ugly person, tells British GQ it's hard out there for a gorgeous woman. 

MISCHA BARTON is blogging her Dancing With the Stars experience.

ROB KARDASHIAN & BLAC CHYNA are engaged.

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ was jealous Paul Walker died first.

SCOOBY-DOO: One of TV's Greatest Tributes to the Open Road?

NORTH KOREA can mount a nuclear warhead on a medium-range missile, a South Korean official said on Tuesday.

ICELAND's Prime Minister  resigned - the first major casualty of the leaked Panama Papers that have shone a spotlight on offshore finance.

FRANCE: Police in Paris arrested 130 people on Tuesday amid country-wide protests by students and unions opposed to controversial labor reforms being championed by the Socialist government, the same day the bill was due to go before parliament.

PUPPY vs LEMON: Who you got?

BOARZILLAS: Communities in northern Japan are being overwhelmed by radioactive wild boars which are rampaging across the countryside after being contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

DIVE-BOMBING HAWKS terrorize seniors at the Spring Hill retirement community in Florida.

A 9-FT GATOR was camped out on a Florida front porch, propped up against the front door. Is this really news at this point?

ANDREW BIRD drops a video for the funky-for-him "Capsized."

WHITE DENIM stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

PWR BTTOM played a Tiny Desk Concert.

GOLDEN DAZE played a mini-set for Aquarium Drunkard.

JOHN CALE performed songs from The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat, with Animal Collective, The Libertines, Mark Lanegan and more.

RONNIE SPECTOR drops "I'd Much Rather Be With The Girls" ahead of English Heart.

THEM: "Baby, Please Don't Go" and a fully live take on "Gloria" for Twofer Tuesday.

CAROL KAYE take GENE SIMMONS to bass school.

LUSH frontwomen Emma Anderson and Miki Berenyi talk to Stereogum about the band’s great early days as well as their comeback.

BLACK SABBATH: Aquarium Drunkard looks at the expanded reissues of the band's early LPs.

FRANKIE COSMOS: Pop Miniaturist.

ERIK BAUERSFELD, who memorably voiced the Rebellion's Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has died. He was 93.

BEYONCE: Elle has a an excerpt of her cover story online.

AVRIL LAVIGNE & CHAD KROEGER: Together again?

KESHA's legal battle with Dr. Luke appears to be far from over.

AMBER RAYNE, an adult film actress who accused colleague James Deen of sexual assault, was found dead of what the coroner called "a possible accident, a possible overdose" over the weekend.

BELGIUM: At least 22 radical Islamists from Europe linked to the terror network behind the Brussels and Paris attacks are suspected to be still at large.

LIBYA could replace Syria and Iraq as the main Islamic State hub.

SYRIA's partial cease-fire is unraveling, as fierce clashes between government forces and opposition fighters, including members of al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front, erupted Saturday outside the city of Aleppo.

A DOLPHIN joins a surfer south of Austrailia.

A CHIHUAHUA hurtled across Northern California’s busy Bay Bridge early Sunday, scampering across lanes and weaving through brunch-goers as it tried to make its way to San Francisco on the bridge’s westbound side.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A militant rodent attempting a home invasion was foiled by a glass door.

AN ALIEN FISH had a lot of people scratching their heads after it was caught in Mexico.

ANDY "THUNDERCLAP" NEWMAN has died at age 73. The Guardian has an obit and "Something In the Air."

IGGY POP stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

THE TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND plays a Tiny Desk Concert.

HAYES CARLL atreams Lovers and Leavers.

DAVID BOWIE got tributes from (among others) Michael Stipe, Pixies, Debbie Harry, J Masics & Sean Lennon, and The Flaming Lips (with Wayne Coyne riding Chewbacca) at Carnegie Hall.

CHRISTOPER WALKEN turned 73 a few days ago, so of course one's mind goes to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice."

GUNS N' ROSES warmed up for their reunion tour at the legendary Troubadour.

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY talks to All Songs Considered about The Wilderness.

PJ HARVEY is profiled by The Guardian.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Batman v Superman repeated atop the chart with 52.4MM, but that's off a steep 72 percent from its opening. Word-of-mouth is apparently not as good as DC and WB hoped. Given the continuing pricey marketing campaign and similar drops overseas, the picture looks like it could be in some trouble.  Not in trouble is Zootopia, which placed with 20MM, which ranks among some of history's biggest grossers in remaining at 20MM+ for five weekends.  It still is unlikely to be as leggy as Frozen, but may come within the ballpark. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 showed with 11.1MM, off an expected 38 percent; next weekend will tell the full tale of whether it fades like a sequel. God's Not Dead 2 took the fourth slot with 8.1MM; it's trailing the original by about a million, but (like MBFGW2) it remains to be seen whether this one will have the original's legs.  Miracles From Heaven rounded out the Top Five with 7.6MM on a 22 percent drop, which is quite good consdiering the competition for God's Not Dead 2.  Below the fold, Eye in the Sky expanded wide, rose into ninth place, and took in 4MM; afaik, it's your last look at the great Alan Rickman.

DREW BARRYMORE & WILL KOPPELMAN are divorcing.

AMANDA BYNES is turning 30 healthier than ever.

SEAN YOUNG talks to the Hollywood Reporter, and it's very Sean Young.

DOCTOR STRANGE was spotted on the streets of NYC, as was Baron Mordo.

BILL MURRAY & NEIL SETHI croon a bit of "The Bare Necessities" while promoting The Jungle Book on Kimmel.

BOKO HARAM seized hundreds of children from a remote town in northeast Nigeria in late 2014 but initial calls to report the kidnapping were ignored with locals fearful of the government's response.

TURKEY is reportedly shooting refugees and illegally sending refugees back to Syria.

EGYPT's Efforts To Reject Sharia Could Spark Rebellion.

A RESCUE DOG & DUCKLINGS, living together... mass hysteria

EXTINCT CAVE LIONS are next new candidates for Jurassic Park scientists.

A RACCOON ON THE LAM was caught on camera in woodland near Garve in the Scottish Highlands.

DOES YOUR CAT need armor? You've come to the right place.