THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with SHINDIG CHRISTMAS '64! Part One includes The Beach Boys' "Dance, Dance, Dance," Bobby Sherman and Donna Loren singing "Keep on Searching," the Righteous Brothers doing "The Jerk" and an awesome milk commercial. Part Two includes Marvin Gaye with "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" and Adam Faith with "Watch Your Step," plus Bobby Sherman singing "Sleigh Ride" and Adam Faith returning with "Santa Claus Is Back In Town."  In Part Three, Donna Loren returns with a Spector-esque, but rougher "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and The Beach Boys deliver a set including "Little Saint Nick," "Monster Mash" (yes, really) "Papa Oom Mow Mow," and "Johnny B. Goode." Part Four brings Marvin Gaye with "Hitch Hike" and concludes with The Beach Boys on "We Three Kings."

LYLE LOVETT plays some of his earliest stuff in a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR.

CLARE & THE REASONS deliver some chamber pop to WNYC Soundcheck.

THE BABIES chug through a set of fuzzed out songs at KEXP.

MUSIC BLOG ZEITGEIST 2012: The ol' HM streams tracks from its 50 Top Artists.

LOS CAMPESINOS! drops a holiday single, "“A Doe to a Deer.”

RA RA RIOT premieres "When I Dream" at Entertainment Weekly.

PAUL McCARTNEY and the remaining members of Nirvana played "Cut Me Some Slack" at the 12-12-12 concert, icymi.  This preempts something Ken King sent me, so there's more goodness next week.

DEER TICK: John McCauley talks to CMJ about some of the best, worst and most ridiculous Christmas songs.

CHRISTOPHER OWENS talks to Spinner about going solo.

DAVID WAX (of David Wax Museum) talks to amNY about the band's genre-bending sound. (Thx, LHB)

CUTOUT BIN: From Adrian Belew to Van Morrison, from Booker T & the MGs to the Long Ryders, from Randy Newman to the Knack, plus the Beatles, Clash, Drivin' & Cryin', Squeeze and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is this weekend's sole wild release, scoring 69 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.

LINDSAY LOHAN is on the verge of losing expensive designer clothes, family heirlooms and potentially embarrassing items ... because she hasn't paid her storage bill.

LIAM HEMSWORTH: Miley Cyrus' fiance Liam Hemsworth rocked another man hard in the face during a ferocious street fight.

OLIVIA WILDE & JASON SUDEKIS: Secretly engaged?

GILLIAN ANDERSON will return to TV to play Hannibal Lechter's therapist.

THE SAG AWARDS nominations went to these folks.

THE GOLDEN GLOBES nominations went to these folks.

THE UNITED STATES: Shaker Masri, an Alabama-born Chicago man, was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison. Masri had plotted to be a suicide bomber for al Qaeda or Shabaab in Somalia.

SYRIA: Russia's deputy foreign minister said the Assad regime was losing control of Syria; NATO's Secretary General assessed that the regime was approaching collapse. The Syrian Army fired SCUD ballistic missiles at rebel positions for the first time.

IRAQ: The central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed on a plan to deescalate the situation in Kirkuk.

A BEAVER waves to a toddler. Hey, nice beaver!

A PIG weighing nearly 300 pounds was discovered in the back of a wrecked stolen car in Youngstown, Ohio. The car, a Nissan Cube, was totaled, but Penelope was unscathed. No word on whether she'll be charged.

THAT CAT YOU RESCUED? Watch out.

THE CRISTMAS GOAT burns again.

WAVVES drop "Sail to the Sun" as a single ahead of a new LP.

JOHN CALE recently stopped by the KEXP studio with his band. 

CHARLES BRADLEY & THE MENAHAN STREET BAND recently joined forces in the KEXP studio for a knock-down, drag-out live set of soulful howling tunes.

MATTHEW DEAR delivers a dark and entrancing set at WNYC Soundcheck.

ALL EYES stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set. 

CHRISTOPHER OWENS played "Here We Go" and the previously unheard "New York City" on BBC Radio 6.

THE RAMONES: "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)."

THE HOUSE OF LOVE frontman Guy Chadwick lists his favorite LPs for The Quietus.

THE 10 BEST CLASH SONGS, according to Stereogum.

HOT CHIP talks to The Guardian about why Prince remains King.

SAVOIR ADORE talks to PopMatters about their upcoming, crowdfunded LP.

LINDSAY LOHAN's probation was revoked; the judge has now set a hearing to decide whether to lock Lindsay up for the better part of a year.

ANNE HATHAWAY called her wardrobe malfunction "devastating," as though she hadn't starred in Havoc.

JUSTIN BIEBER was the target of a murder plot.

KATE MIDDLETON was blamed by Morrissey for that nurse's suicide. Because he's Morrissey.

ARIEL WINTER: The Modern Family actress will live with her sister, while her dad controls her estate, following allegations of abuse by her mom.

THE KARDASHIANS: Kris and Bruce Jenner are headed for divorce, according to the ever-reliable Star.

CARLY RAE JEPSEN's alleged phone hacker was busted.

NORTH KOREA successfully launched a satellite into orbit, demonstrating North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile capability. NATO, UN, Russian, and Japanese leaders criticized the launch.

SYRIA: The US recognized the opposition Syrian National Coalition as the "sole legitimate representative" of the Syrian people. More than 100 countries also recognized the opposition coalition. Russia, China, and Iran did not.

EGYPT: The National Salvation Front opposition alliance called for a "no" vote on the upcoming referendum on a draft constitution. Egyptians abroad began voting. Protests by both supporters and opponents of President Morsi continued in Cairo and across Egypt.

IRAQ: Security forces captured an al Qaeda commander near Mosul, four al Qaeda fighters in Fallujah, and three Ansar al Sunnah fighters in Kirkuk. A court sentenced three al Qaeda commanders and four fighters to death for kidnapping and executing 26 men in Anbar.

KITTEH doesn't want you to leave.

IKEA MONKEY: The owner of a monkey caught wandering outside an Ikea store in Toronto says the tiny primate should have the "right to choose" who he wants to live with.

POPULAR WOLF killed by hunters in Yellowstone.

SUPER RATS, carrying fatal diseases, have brits calling for stronger poisons. And bigger boats.

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM plays their "Here Comes My Man" for Conan.

BEN GIBBARD stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

ATLAS GENIUS brought their Aussie pop to Morning Becomes Eclectic.

CHAIRLIFT is streaming some Something demos.

YO LA TENGO, Hanukkah Night 2 at Maxwellls, Dec. 9th, 2012.

THE XX performed a short acoustic set last week for Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 show, including a Bobby Womack cover.

TRACEY THORN drops a video for "Joy," from her solo Christmas LP, Tinsel and Lights.

TAME IMPALA talks to DIY about recording and touring Lonerism.

THE BBC SOUND OF 2013 poll longlist.

THE 75 BEST LPS OF 2013, according to Uncut.

RAVI SHANKAR, the Indian maestro who put the sitar on the musical map, died aged 92 in San Diego. Here's George Harrison taking a lesson.

LINDSAY LOHAN may have her probation revoked today and be sentenced to 245 days in jail (although in Cali time, perhaps that's nothing).

ANNE HATHAWAY flashed photogs at the Les Miserables premiere in New York City.

BROOKE MUELLER: Charlie Sheen's ex is back in rehab for the 19th time, leaving her kids with Sheen's other ex, Denise Richards.

CHARLIE SHEEN, meanwhile, wrote a 75K check to help a little girl fight cancer.

IAN McKELLEN does not have prostate cancer, according to his agent.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE is the world's most desirable woman, according to an international poll released on Tuesday by the website AskMen.

MAN OF STEEL has a new trailer online.

NORTH KOREA fired a long-range rocket Wednesday morning in its second launch under its new leader, defying warnings from the UN and Washington only days before South Korean presidential elections.

SYRIA: The US government added the Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant and two of its senior leaders to the list of global terrorists and entities. The US said Al Nusrah was formed and is commanded by al Qaeda in Iraq and its emir, Abu Du'a. Rebel groups across Syria rejected the US stance, pledging their allegiance to the group.

EGYPT: Pro-government and opposition protesters held rallies over Saturday's referendum on a draft constitution. Gunmen attacked opposition protesters. Most judges have refused to oversee the referendum. Due to the shortage, the referendum will be held in two stages.

AFGHANISTAN: The acting head of women's affairs in Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan was shot to death in daylight on Monday as she was traveling to work. It was the second time in less than six months that the person holding that post has been assassinated.

RESCUE DOGS passed their driver's tests.

A COW was udderly frozen when she fell into an iced over swimming pool in Windeck, Germany, and couldn't get out.

SNAKE: Free with your next dishwasher.

MAGGOTS not only help remove necrotic flesh, but also that their excretions can reduce inflammation by suppressing the immune system.

ST VINCENT & SLEIGH BELLS' Alison Krauss join CYNDI LAUPER on "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," with a cameo from Rosie O'Donnell.

NEW RELEASES from Bot'Ox, Electric Shepherd, PK and more are streaming via Spinner.

WORLD PARTY recently dropped by the KEXP studio for a spare, expressive acoustic set of a couple old favorites.

DELICATE STEVE brings his band over to KEXP for an ebullient live set of psych pop.

DEEP SEA DIVER visited the KEXP studios for a charged live set of songs from their new album, "History Speaks."

BOB GELDOF, by his own admission, is responsible for two of the worst songs in history: "'Do They Know It's Christmas?" and "We Are The World."

DJANGO DJANGO: David Maclean talks to DIY about the band's near-sudden success.

FLEETWOOD MAC: Buckingham and Nicks talk to Rolling Stone about the 40th anniversary of Buckingham/Nicks and their still fragile partnership -- separately.

AMANDA PALMER and her social network are profiled by WA Today. (Thx, LHB.)

THE ART OF MUSIC DISCOVERY as you age, aside from coming here.

DEMI MOORE: Dumped by boy-toy art dealer Vito Schnabel.

CHARLIE SHEEN claims LINDSAY LOHAN never thanked him for bailing her out. Shocka.

BROOKE MUELLER admits she was abusing prescription medication before she was rushed to the hospital last week.

KATE MIDDLETON: The company that owns the radio station responsible for the Kate Middleton radio prank says it has "terminated" the show.

MILEY CYRUS cavorted with a topless dancer in a shocking concert.

DON'T TOUCH ME ELMO: Kevin Clash has been sued by a 4th accuser claiming he had a sexual relationship with the former voice of Elmo while he was a minor.

HAYDEN PANETTIERRE & SCOTTY McKNIGHT are dunzo. She'll need a new tall guy to climb.

NORTH KOREA delayed the planned launch of a missile, due to a "technical deficiency." The launch is believed to be a test for an ICBM, although North Korea has said the goal was to orbit a weather satellite.

IRAN: The UN's nuclear agency said it had made no progress toward determining whether Iran was conducting research to build an atomic bomb.

SYRIA: Government forces adopted a new strategy, withdrawing troops from indefensible bases and concentrating them in Damascus and other cities deemed strategically important. After weeks of fighting, rebels captured a large army base in northern Syria.

EGYPT: President Morsi issued a decree giving the army authority to arrest civilians during a referendum for a new constitution. Opponents called for a boycott of the referendum and for more protests.

A PARROT drives a buggy.

ICYMI: Toronto's IKEA monkey. Don't worry, monkey's gonna be alright, Little Tommy.

FLATULENT COWS spur millions in tax-financed climate research.

CAT BURGLAR's secret weapon.

DINOSAUR JR played with Johnny Marr, Frank Black, Tommy Stinson, Kim Gordon and more to mark the 25th anniversary of "You're Living All Over Me." 

WANG CHUNG (!) is advance streaming Tazer Up, their first new LP since 1989.

DJANGO DJANGO performs a few songs at World Cafe and talks about the process of putting its album together.

LOS LOBOS Guest DJ's on Alt.Latino.

THE POGUES' perennial holiday hit, "Fairytale of New York" (ft Kristy MacColl) gets backstory fromThe Guardian and NME.

CHRISTOPER OWENS talks to Pitchfork about ending Girls and starting a solo career.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: The A.V. Club examines the band's improbable arc.

JESSIE WARE talks about her Mercury Prize nom with The Guardian.

EIGHT EPIC CHANUKAH SONGS, according to the Daily Beast.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Skyfall ascends to the top of the chart in its 5th week with 11 million, as fear of The Hobbit cleared the field of new releases (except Playing For Keeps, which opened in sixth).  Rise of the Guardians, rode the family market to place with 10.5 million. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 takes another 47 percent drop to show with 9.2 million, slighly better than Part 1 did a year ago in this frame.  Lincoln again holds the fourth slot with 9.1 million and is well in the black.  Life of Pi again rounds out the Top 5 with 8.3 million, and should be alright when overseas receipts are included.

BROOKE MUELLER: Charlie Sheen's ex was rushed to an L.A. hospital after OD'ing on drugs.

GISELE BUNCHEN & TOM BRADY welcomed their second child, a girl, on Dec. 5.

KATE MIDDLETON: The two Australian DJs behind the Kate Middleton hospital prank that led to the suicide of a nurse have decided to remove themselves from the airwaves.

ANDERSON COOPER wears the same jeans daily, but washes them every 4 months.

JENNIFER ANISTON's rep denies pregnancy rumors.

YEMEN: The Yemeni Air Force killed four al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula members, including Said bin Muaily, a senior commander, in an airstrike in Marib province.

SYRIA: Rebel leaders created a unified military command and elected an overall military leader. Syria's foreign minister warned that rebels may use chemical weapons; the Al Nusrah Front captured a chemical factory in Aleppo earlier this week.

EGYPT: President Morsi's cabinet approved a measure giving the Army authority to arrest civilians. However, the Army said only dialogue could resolve the current crisis and that the Army was not seeking a political role. A "national dialogue" meeting was held at the presidential palace, but opposition leaders did not participate.

PAKISTAN: Bodies are piling up in Pakistan’s largest city as it suffers one of its most violent years in history, and concern is growing that the chaos is giving greater cover for the Taliban to operate and undermining the country’s economic epicenter. However, drone strikes killed four mid-to-top level al Qaeda leaders in the past couple of weeks.

CATFISH have learned to hunt pigeon.

DOGGIE DOORBELL: And you thought innovation was dead.

A THIRSTY SNAKE gets stuck in a beer can.

A PYTHON HUNTING CONTEST is Florida's latest attampt to cull the population.