PAUL McCARTNEY, BARRY GIBB & MADONNA all turned up on SNL with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake.

WIRE performs live on the KEXP Afternoon Show and talks about the Drill Festival.

LUSCIOUS JACKSON stopped by WFUV to chat and play songs old and new.

LEAGUES stopped by WFUV's Studio A to play a mini-set.

THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN  perform a very special show for KEXP's VIP club members at the Triple Door while touring for their latest album, Uncanny Valley.

TOM WAITS gives a reading of a "Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis."

ELVIS COSTELLO talks to Esquire about YouTube, pompous critics, Questlove, Hank Williams, and how he just never got into Zeppelin.

KEN STRINGFELLOW talks to ToneDeaf about Big Star, The Posies, and the pre-internet era of music. (Thx to the late Chromewaves.)

LYDIA LUNCH, former frontwoman for Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, is profiled in the New York Times Magazine.

THE TOP 10 FOLK & AMERICANA ALBUMS of 2013, according to NPR.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug repeats atop the chart with 31.5 million. Its 57 percent drop is just about what happened to the first Hobbit -- but that's pretty good news considering the first one had lackluster competition like Jack Reacher and This is 40.Peter Jackson is still likely to make close to 300 million domestic and a billion worldwide.  Anchorman 2 places with 26.8 million and a five-day total of 40 million against its 50 million production budget (and Lord knows about the promo budget).  Probably not bad for a sequel nine years after the original; look for this to finish somewhere between 100 and 150 million domestic.  Frozen shows with 19.2 million on a fantastically leggy 15 percent drop.  As Walking With Dinosaurs debuted in the eighth slot, it's safe to say Frozen will continue to ring the register through the end of the year.  Frozen is playing like Lion King-era Disney.  American Hustle clibs to the fourth slot with 19.1 million -- director David O. Russell's biggest opening to date; the opening augurs well for awards season, though The Wolf Of Wall Street will compete financially come Christmas.  Saving Mr Banks rounds out the Top 5 with 9.3 million, which isn't bad, but must have the Mouse a little concerned about word of mouth.

ANCHORMAN 2: The conventional wisdomon this flick seems on-target. It has most of the flaws of a sequel -- the situtations and jokes are variations on the original, but pumped up a notch.  While the original Ron Burgundy farce used women in the workplace as a plot point, this one employs race, and not particularly well. In particular, the Burgundy's Coming To Dinner scene never quite crosses over from cringeworthy to hilarious. Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay find a better target in the trivial fixations of cable news, although even this bit of satire would have had much more bite five years ago.  Nevertheless, the bits -- derivative as they may be -- are funny enough that fans of the original will likely enjoy it.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS may be the saddest film the Coen Brothers have ever made. Set in the immediate-pre-Dylan folk music scene in NYC, Llewyn is apparently still mourning the dissolution of his prior musical partnership and testing the endurance of his friends -- and anyone else who loans him a couch on which to crash. Artistically, he does not seem to have found his purpose, and thus no method to achieve it; he only seems to know he does not want to merely exist, even as he heads down that path.  The cast does well with the script, and the more comic moments, generally involving a cat, John Goodman, or both are a welcome relief.  T-Bone Burnett does his usual impeccable work in supervising the music, obviously a central feature here.  Just be aware you are heading into a mini-tragedy; Raising Arizona, Fargo or The Big Lebowski this ain't.

GABRIELLE UNION & DWAYNE WADE are engaged.

CHARLIE SHEEN threatened Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson.

GWYNETH PALTROW has kissed and made up with Vanity Fair. It also sounds like the mag will be softening its coverage of her. A triumph for journalism.

KATE UPTON broke up with dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy; it's not my fault.

ANNA PAQUIN has been cut from X-Men: Days of Future Past, but only for time considerations.

THE UNITED STATES added two new terrorism charges against Osama bin Laden son-in-law Abu Ghaith.

SYRIA: The Al Nusrah Front carried out two suicide car bombings outside the al-Kandi hospital in Aleppo city. Islamists and al Qaeda-linked groups took over the hospital, which is near Aleppo Central Prison.

LIBYA: A suicide car bomber detonated at a military base in Barsis, outside Benghazi, killing at least six people and wounding 15 more. Benghazi's newly appointed head of military intelligence was assassinated in Derna.

EGYPT: Former president Mohammed Morsi and over 125 others were referred to court over charges related to a mass jailbreak in January 2011.

IRAQ: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham killed the commander of the Iraqi Army's 7th Division, the commander of the 28th Brigade, and 16 officers in a triple suicide attack in Rutbah. The commanders were visiting the town after an operation that targeted the ISIS.

HOWLIN' WOLF sings the blues.

A BOBCAT became entangled in a woman's window blinds.

COULD AN OCTOPUS be terrorizing Oklahoma's lakes?

MAYBE THE TERRIER ate your knickers. 

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with AIMEE MANN's CHRISTMAS CAROL (profanity warnings): Part One has your Scrooge-y set-up with Michael Penn. Part Two features The Office's John Krasinski. Part Three has Michael Cera. Part Four has John C. Reilly.

MAN MAN visited WFUV's Studio A for a chat and mini-set.

MIDLAKE stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session. 

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

NICK LOWE explains what's behind his new holiday album, Quality Street, and plays live in the WNYC Soundcheck studio.

THE NEW MENDICANTS, ft. members of the Pernice Bros and Teenage Fanclub, drop "A Very Sorry Christmas."

AGAINST ME! drops "Black Me Out" ahead of Transgender Dysphoria Blues.

SHE & HIM get animated for their take on "Baby, It's Cold Outside," which Zooey originally sang in Elf.

TITUS ANDRONICUS frontman Patrick Stickles gets a meaty profile at Stereogum. 

KEITH RICHARDS, LORD OF THE UNDEAD, talks "Street Fighting Man" with... the Wall Street Journal?

THE 10 BEST BOB DYLAN SONGS, according to Stereogum.

THE BEST COVER SONGS OF 2013, according to Paste.

THE CUTOUT BIN: From Al Green to Galaxie 500, from The Clash to The Crystals, from The Woodentops to The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, plus The Motels, The Impressions, Van Halen, Primal Scream 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 Anchorman 2, which is currently scoring 75 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Walking With Dinosaurs, currently scoring 23 percent; the expansion of American Hustle (reviewed below),which scores 94 percent; and the expansion of Saving Mr. Banks (which I reviewed Monday), scoring 80 percent.

AMERICAN HUSTLE: David O. Russell sets the tone for his highly fictionalized take on the ABSCAM investigation with the opening title card: "Some of this really happened."  And yet, even when the movie veers into farce, I could not help but be fully in the movie -- a tribute not only to Russell's direction, which rivals his work The Fighter and Silver Linings Playook, but also to his cast, many of whom are Russell veterans.  As con man Irving Rosenfeld, Christian Bale evokes vintage Robert DeNiro at time, making one turn in the story particularly surreal.  Russell again brings out the best in Bradley Cooper as the overreaching FBI Agent Richie DiMaso.  And Jennifer Lawrence is a comic delight as Irving's poisonously manipulative wife.  But it may be Amy Adams who hits a new career high; her performance as Sydney Prosser requires more range and subtlety than the others and she does everything in this movie except wear a bra, because it's the late Seventies.  Jeremy Renner and Louis C.K.also turn in fine performances in second-tier roles.The art direction, production design, and music supervision is all on-target for the period, sometimes reminding me of a more comedic version of Goodfellas that Scorsese never got around to making.  The overall comedic tone might prevent these folks from converting almost certain Oscars nominations into statue, which is sad, because this is among the best films I have seen this year

PRINCE WILLIAM & KATE MIDDLETON's phone conversations are revealed in court.

PIPPA MIDDLETON: Maybe not engaged, after all.

DUCK DYNASTY: A & E knew all about “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson's feelings toward gays when it hired him.

ROBIN WRIGHT is engaged to actor Ben Foster..

PAUL RUDD is in early negotiations to star in Marvel's Ant-Man.

BRAD PITT & TOM CRUISE: Together again?

GERMANY: The government is becoming increasingly concerned about the flow of German jihadists to Syria; they are now said to number in the low hundreds.

EGYPT: An Islamist militant reportedly blew himself up near Cairo as he was trying to escape arrest. The Muslim Brotherhood denounced charges that former president Mohammed Morsi conspired with foreign groups to conduct terror attacks in Egypt.

ISRAEL: President Peres said the world must continue to pressure Iran.

LIBYA: A severed head was found in Benghazi, said to be that of the father of a senior Benghazi security official; the father was kidnapped weeks ago.

A CAT climbs a Christmas tree.

A DOG adopts two baby armadillos... mass hysteria!

SNAKES IN HATS: This will not end well.

A LAMB born without front legs has learned how to walk like a human solely on his back limbs.

THE MILK CARTON KIDS play thier song "Memphis."

OKKERVIL RIVER drops Golden Opportunities 3 -- an EP of 80s covers, starting with a drunken-sounding take on Wang Chung's "Dance Hall Days."

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

CATE LE BON stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

TEN ARTISTS You Should Have Known In 2013.

PURE BATHING CULTURE tackles “Good King Wenceslas."

GLAM CHOPS: Art Brut's Eddie Argos has a "Countdown to Christmas."

PITCHFORK's Top 50 Albums of 2013. Plus honorable mentions.

KEITH RICHARDS, LORD OF THE UNDEAD, turned 70 in human years. The Guardian has a profile from 1966.

IAN WATKINS, former frontman for Lostprophets, has received a 35-year sentence after admitting a string of sex offenses involving children including the attempted rape of a baby. He finds it "mega lolz."

ROD STEWART claims The Faces will reunite in 2015. I'm skeptical.

DUCK DYNASTY and PHIL ROBERTSON were profiled by Vanity Fair. Robertson has been suspended indefinitely from the show for his comments about homosexuality in the article.

PIPPA MIDDLETON got engaged to Nico Jackson.

RYAN GOSLING & EVA MENDES are taking a break in their relationship after it was decided they were moving too fast, according to RadarOnline.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX may play the villain in Superman vs Batman. Luthor?

JAY LENO: This is CNN?

EVANGELINE LILLY says ORLANDO BLOOM lied about her getting sick-drunk at a party.

LARRY LUJACK, the legendary Chicago radio personality known as “Superjock” and “Uncle Lar,” died Wednesday in New Mexico, his wife said. He was 73.

AN IRANIAN BUSINESSMAN linked to a sprawling conglomerate controlled by Iran's supreme leader is wanted by the United States for allegedly trying to purchase hundreds of American-made assault rifles to smuggle into Iran.

SYRIA: US Ambassador Robert Ford said the Islamic Front flatly turned down the US' request for talks; Ford added that the US is "ready to sit with them because we talk to all parties and political groups in Syria." The Assad regime called the US offer "reprehensible" as the Islamic Front "agrees in principle, strategy, and goals with" the Al Nusrah Front, a US-designated terrorist group. Saudi Arabia signaled that it will 'go it alone' in Syria given the West's reluctance to arm the rebels.

EGYPT: Former president Mohammed Morsi and 35 others were charged with conspiring with foreign groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, to conduct terror attacks in Egypt.

LULU the SHINA IBU is not a morning dog.

QUEENSLAND POOCHES are getting hooked on the hallucinogenic cane toads.

A LIVE ALLIGATOR is not legal tender.

A LUCKY DUCK escapes the goose gallows.

YUCK dropped a video for "Lose My Breath" featuring kids and duckies.

THE SADIES bring their twang to the WNYC Soundcheck studios.

CAGE THE ELEPHANT stopped by WFUV's Studio A to play unpluggedy.

EMILY BELL stopped by KUTX for a mini-set.

SOUND OPINIONS presents Space Age Santa Sounds via Andy Cirzan.

MATTHEW DEAR, with TEGAN & SARA, cover Tears For Fears' "Pale Shelter."

TEARS FOR FEARS covers Aminal Collective's "My Girls."

THE BLACK LIPS drop "Boys In The Wood" ahead of Underneath The Rainbow.

GREGG ALLMAN joins THE NATIONAL to sing "Silver Bells" on the Colbert Report.

THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME will induct Kiss, Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens, and the E Street Band. Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl comment. The Replacements were robbed, as usual.

DEV HYNES (Blood Orange) lost his dog an his possessions in an apartment fire.

THE TALKING HEADS, ranked by The Awl.

MIDLAKE talks to The Line Of Best Fit about stepping up after losing frontman Tim Smith.

ANCHORMAN 2 hits theaters today, scoring a perhaps surprising 81 percent on the ol' Tomatometer (76 percent with top critics).  Note most of the positive reviews still deem it inferior to the original.

SHIA LaBEOUF apologized for plagarizing Daniel Clowes in his new short film.

BRADLEY COOPER is profiled by GQ.

BRUCE WILLIS has a fifth child on the way; it's his second with wife Emma Heming-Willis.

ORLANDO BLOOM talks swashbuckling, women, full frontal nudity and more at Elle.

LINDSAY LOHAN threatens to sing again.

KELLY ROWLAND got engaged to Tim Witherspoon.

DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON tops the new Forbes list of Hollywood's top-grossing actors. Take that, Iron Man.

GILLIGAN'S ISLAND is headed to the big screen.

SYRIA: A Syrian National Coalition source said Western nations are now signaling that they may prefer the Assad regime to remain for a transitional period in order to avoid possible chaos and an Islamist takeover. The Islamic Front denied reports it was meeting with the US ambassador; an Islamic Front official claimed that the group will not fight against al Qaeda. The Al Nusrah Front and rebels are besieging the Aleppo Central Prison area. he OPCW said it was possible that the Dec. 31 deadline for moving all of Syria's chemical weapons out of the country may not be met, due to poor security.

LEBANON: An explosives-laden jeep detonated close to a Hezbollah military camp in Shouba near the Syrian border, killing the driver and injuring two Hezbollah fighters. The head of the Christian political party Lebanese Forces blamed Hezbollah's involvement in Syria for bringing suicide bombings to Lebanon. French Ambassador Patrice Paoli warned that Lebanon's ongoing political stalemate coupled with security challenges risked "total chaos."

SOUTH SUDAN: While the government claims that it has contained violence in Juba, 73 soldiers have been killed and the US has ordered the evacuation of all non-essential personnel.

IRAQ: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham killed 10 Shia pilgrims in attacks in Mahmudiyah and Baghdad.

WAFFLES THE TERRIBLE attempts to leap the chasm from the snow-covered slippery roof of a van to the top of an icy garage.

THE CTHURKEY: A horrifying Christmas meal.

ENDANGERED IGUANAS endangered by diarrhea, high blood sugar and cholesterol. Dang tourists.

A DOG abandoned on a trash heap makes a remarkable recovery.

LEE RANALDO & THE DUST played "Leece, Leaving" for Conan.

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

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

J. RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS stopped by WFUV to perform a couple of new songs and chat about the making of Essential Tremors.

A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU from... Moshi Moshi Records. 

MARK KOZELEK drops his take on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

SPECTOR covers John Lennon's "Jealous Guy."

ISLANDS drops a new tune, "Hawaii," as a one-off.

KIM WILDE drunkenly warbles "Kids In America" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" on the subway.

RAY PRICE: The legendary country singer has died following his battle with pancreatic cancer, after erroneous death reports over the weekend. He was 87.

THE BEATLES are releasing a bootleg album this week.  Also, the Fabs turned up in a court decision against the National Security Agency. Yes, really.

THE GUMMY AWARDS: The Top 50 Albums of 2013, according to Stereogum readers.

MUSICIANS' PICKS for Songs of 2013.

CHARLIE SHEEN claims Denise Richards is ruining Christmas.

MILEY CYRUS peddles her softer side to Barbara Walters.

KHLOE KARDASHIAN is reportedly not already dating Matt Kemp.

BEYONCE shattered the iTunes store record with her surprise album release.

CHRIS BROWN's probation in the Rihanna beating case was revoked due to the fresh assault charges against him. And yet Brown remains at large, because the judge is impressed with his progress in anger management classes.

THE CRITICS' CHOICE AWRDS nominations went to these folks.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT is producing, directing and starring in the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

JAMES CAMERON plans to shoot three Avatar sequels in New Zealand.

TURKEY has shipped 47 tons of weapons to Syrian rebels since June, including 29 tons in September; last month the Interior Ministry said hundreds of Turkish jihadists were fighting alongside al Qaeda forces in Syria.

IRAN almost certainly has CIA contractor Robert Levinson in custody, if he still lives.

IRAQ: More than 70 people were killed in a series of bombings and attacks in Baghdad, Bayji, Mosul, Tikrit, and Jisr Diyala.

A CAT sleeps on demand.

LUCY, a Husky-beagle mix, limped to find help for her unconscious owner after they were plowed down by a speeding car while out on a walk.

INVASIVE FISH SPECIES turn up in Ohio.

A SPERM WHALE's stomach proves explosive.