THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

... with R.E.M.!  Live in Germany circa 1985, more complete than what has previously turned up on the Tube. Songs include "Feeling Gravity's Pull," "Harbourcoat," "Sitting Still," "Maps & Legends," "Fall On Me," "Green Grow The Rushes," "Driver 8," "Hyena," "So. Central Rain," CCR's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain," "Can't Get There From Here," Roger Miller's "King Of The Road," "Seven Chinese Bros.," "Auctioneer," "Old Man Kinsey," "Little America," "Pretty Persuasion, " "Theme From Two Steps Onward," Aerosmith's "Toys In The Attic," and Television's "See No Evil." Plus, previously unlinked here: "Second Guessing," "Ghost Riders In The Sky," "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville," "We Walk/ Behind Closed Doors" and "Paint It Black."  Also, SPIN has details on the band's upcoming 15th album, Collapse Into Now.

PAUL WELLER stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

JENNY & JOHNNY stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

AN INTRODUCTION TO SYD BARRETT is streaming via Rolling Stone.

NAME THAT DRUM FILL: The sequel. 

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Captain's Dead has The Ties That Bind LP that was scrapped in favor of The River.

BOB DYLAN: Roio posts the still-unreleased parts of the rare classic -- and epic -- Ten of Swords (Discs 1 and 2, 4 and 5, 6 and 7).

TEN BEST SONGS UNDER A MINUTE, with audio, according to Prefix.

WILLIAM SHATNER covers a song by Cee-Lo Green. You know the one. BONUS: My fave Shatner cover, of Pulp's "Common People," with Joe Jackson and Ben Folds.

KEVIN DREW (BSS) and Charles Spearin talk to PopMatters about the new KC Accidental reissues.

SMITH WESTERNS are profiled by the Chicago Tribune.

WEEZER: Rivers Cuomo talks to Rolling Stone about the Pinkerton remaster.

THE THERMALS frontman Hutch Harris talks to The Line of Best Fit about wrestling, the pointlessness of music videos, Thin Lizzy, ‘making it' and exotic Wyoming. 

OZZY OSBOURNE is a genetic mutant, according to scientists that sequenced the Ozzy genome.

PIRATE RADIO, mythologized by The Who's Sell Out and more recently by the Richard Curtis movie, is the subject of Death of a Pirate, a new book reviewed at The Wall Street Journal.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Bangles to Curtis Mayfield, from CSN & Y to the MC5, from Link Wray to Chumbawumba, from Elton John to the Soft Boys, plus Guided by Voices, Talking Heads, Modern Lovers, Temptations 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 Megamind, currently scoring 61 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Due Date, which is scoring 39 percent; and For Colored Girls, scoring 33 percent.

DAVID CASSIDY was arrested in Florida Wed. night on suspicion of DUI. He adamantly denies the charge. Obligatory.

DEMI LOVATO entered treatment after a fight between the 18-year-old Disney Channel star and a dancer on the Jonas Brothers world tour.

NICK LACHEY & VANESSA MINNILLO are engaged.

LINDSAY LOHAN told a judge that her clothing line has suffered in her absence while she recovers in rehab, but the handbags are reportedly doing well.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA tells Redbook that men aren't as strong and capable as women.

LeANN RIMES yaks about the cheating scandal that has damaged her once sparkling reputation and career. UPDATE: She just got engaged to Eddie Cibrian.

HARRY POTTER and the DEATHLY HALLOWS gave an exclusive clip to the L.A. Times.

AL QAEDA: You Tube has begun to remove hundreds of sermons and other videos made by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula cleric Anwar al Awlaki.

ISLAMISM in TURKEY: Values taught to Turkish students should be based on "faith in God" and imparted using Islamic terminology, a commission with the National Education Council has said, prompting concerns among educators' unions in the country.

IRAQ: The Obama admin. could be overstating what US diplomats can do to contain Iraq's ethnic and sectarian tensions without US military forces, a State Department audit concludes, raising fresh concerns about the planned pullout of American troops next year.

FAINTING KITTEHS: Even cuter and sadder than the goats.

GOAT SACRIFICE fixes airplane. Well, of course.

BRITISH ANTS are apathetic and easily led while Spanish ants are ruthless and ambitious, research has revealed.

THE RACCOON THREAT: A 9-month-old girl is in critical condition after two raccoons crawled in the child's bed and bit her several times, according to law officers in Newton County, GA.

SWIPER the FOX is sprung on the unlawful possession charge.

OF MONTREAL drops a woman-filled video for "Famine Affair" on SPIN.

THE DRESDEN DOLLS have three pay-what-you-want LPs posted at Bandcamp. Meanwhile, Amanda Palmer talks to Fast Company about using social media to run her solo career, with a cameo from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano. 

FRUIT BATS and DELINDA both played Mountain Stage; both sets are a-streaming.

GARY NUMAN stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART drop "Heart in Your Heartbreak" as an advance track to their second LP. Nice.

TEMPLE OF THE DOG: "Hunger Strike." Brrr.

SHARON VON ETTEN talks to the Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot about the transition from singer-sonwriter to bandleader.

HOWE GELB talks to The Quietus about Giant Sand, a distaste for lyricism and the new album Blurry Blue Mountain.

DAMON ALBARN talks to SPIN about his many, many projects, including one with Flea and afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.

DEAN WAREHAM talks about his Galaxy 500-focused tour with Beatroute. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

WOLF PARADE drummer Arlen Thompson talks recording vs touring with the Charleston City Paper. (Thx, LHB.)

THE DOs and DON'Ts of TOURING, according to the Indie Professor.

CHARLIE SHEEN has hired a "sober coach."

TAYLOR SWIFT & JAKE GYLLENHAAL shared a happy Halloween weekend in California.

HEIDI MONTAG & SPENCER PRATT may file for bankruptcy after blowing through ten million dollars.

ASHTON KUTCHER's alleged hookup claims the actor contacted her after the cheating scandal broke, according to RadarOnline.

KATY PERRY talks to Harper's Bazzar about her racy lyrics, risqué style, and being Mrs. Brand.  Turns out hubby is a "Great Man of God." Who knew?

SUCKER PUNCH, the latest from director Zach Snyder (300, Watchmen) has a trailer online.

TERROR in the USA: Three San Diego residents have been indicted on charges of conspiring to provide money to a terrorist group in Somalia that uses murder, beheadings and bombings.

TERROR in the UK: A member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was arrested for allegedly plotting an attack in Britain.

IRAN: In an unprecedented move, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps directly blasted Ahmadinejad over controversial comments he made recently, including saying that parliament is not on top of the country's affairs.

IRAQ: Al Qaeda in Iraq vowed to carry out suicide attacks against Christians worldwide.

CAT TOSSING: The cat seems to enjoy it.

THE OLDEST DOG in the WORLD? Sheba doesn't look a day over 24.

FOXY LADY charged with unlawful possession of wildlife.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: Officials say a suicide squirrel started a fire that forced the evacuation of a southern New Jersey high school.

PANDA CAM: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern.

NICK LOWE played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR. "So It Goes."

THE DECEMBERISTS offer up "Down by the Water" as an advance track to The King is Dead, in exchange for your e-mail address.  Or you can stream it via the ol' HM.  If you're thinking that sounds like REM's Peter Buck on guitar, you would be right.

THE SMITH WESTERNS drop "Weekend" as an advance track to Dye It Blonde.

DESTROYER releases "Archer On the Beach" in advance of Kaputt.

BLITZEN TRAPPER did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS make their TV debut with "I L U" on Fallon.

THE NATIONAL: Is High Violet the album of the year?

BEST COAST: Bethany Cosentino talks to the Pacific Northwest Islander about her influences and collaborating with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo. (Thx, LHB.)

BASIA BULAT is profiled by Mother Jones.

THE MAKING of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. Drowned in Sound has additional suggestions.

CHARLIE SHEEN filed for divorce Monday because he didn't want Brooke Mueller yakking about it on her upcoming reality TV show. Mueller feels utterly betrayed, claiming that when thet signed a property settlement agreement back in May, they agreed to wait a full year before officially filing for divorce.

BRITNEY SPEARS: Her conservators are asking a judge to protect her from a potential "shake down" by a former bodyguard who they believe could release info that may put Britney in danger.

DEMI LOVATO dropped out of the Jonas Brothers tour and checked into a treatment center for "emotional and physical issues," reportedly self-mutilation and an eating disorder.

MILEY CYRUS' mom had an affair with rocker Bret Michaels?

MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during his contentions deposition facing baby mama Oksana Grigorieva.

CHER tells Vanity Fair that she is miffed she and Sonny are not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, among other things...

AMANDA SEYFRIED & RYAN PHILLIPPE were seen getting close on Saturday while attending Kate Hudson's annual Halloween bash.

SARAH SILVERMAN is begging people to lower their expectations for her nude scene in the upcoming Take This Waltz.

QUENTIN TARANTINO got into the spirit of Halloween by dressing as a Mexican wrestler and crashing a series of parties on a bus packed with hot women.

IRAN: The Russian foreign minister called on Iran to resume nuclear talks.

PAKISTAN could seek to strengthen its ties with China in the face of US pressure and anti-American sentiment.

AFGHANISTAN: Women, challenging convention, are joining the armed services in greater numbers.

FLATULENT IGUANA: Let's go to the video.

LANA the CAT terrorizes the Royal Mail.

PORCUPINE kills driver in Maine.

OTIS the SMILING HIPPO becomes an Internet sensation.

SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN drops a clip for "Sink / Let it Sway."

NEW RELEASES from Andrew Bird, Matt & Kim, Autumn Defense and Cornershop, plus McCartney's Band on the Run reissue, an Elliot Smith comp and more are streaming this week via Spinner.

ELIZABETH & THE CATAPULT played the World Cafe Live; you can stream the gig on demand. Plus, Elizabeth talks to American Songwriter.

FREELANCE WHALES did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

ADMIRAL RADLEY (ft Aaron Espinoza of Earlimart and Jason Lytle of Grandaddy) played the World Cafe Live; you can stream the gig on demand.

THAT PETROL EMOTION: "Big Decision." Add Devo's "Freedom of Choice" for an election-themed Twofer Tuesday.

SLEIGH BELLS: Derek Miller talks to the Riverfront Times about the band's next LP, M.I.A., and escaping hardcore.

MAGNETIC FIELDS mastermind Stephin Merritt explains his hatred of kids and things that scare his Chihuahua to Vulture.

BLACK MOUNTAIN talks to NOW about a variety of topics, with audio clips. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

DAWES: Taylor Goldsmith spoke to Birmingham Weekly about the Internet Age, being in a band with his brother and more... (Thx, LHB.)

CHARLIE SHEEN and Brooke Mueller have filed for divorce. Shocka! You know what would be a nice cherry on this sundae? A videotape.

COURTNEY COX says she is not divorcing David Arquette.

SLASH has also changed his mind about divorcing his wife of nine years.

LILY ALLEN has again suffered the heartbreak of losing a baby during pregnancy.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson was face-to-face with baby mama Oksana Grigorieva at his deposition Monday.

ASHTON KUTCHER & DEMI MOORE are tied to a NCAA recruiting scandal. Yes, really.

EMMA WATSON didn't know she was a multi-millionaire until about 3 years ago.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: First look.

TERROR in the USA: American and British authorities were leaning toward the conclusion that package bombs were meant to detonate in midair, en route to their destinations in Chicago. The crucial tip-off that led to the discovery of parcel bombs on two cargo planes came from a repentant al-Qaeda member, UK officials say.

PAKISTAN: Taliban fighters publicly flogged 65 men after they were convicted by a militant "court" for selling and using drugs in the restive Orakzai tribal region, barely days after a senior official had claimed that 90 per cent of the area had been cleared of rebels.

IRAQ: Fifty-two hostages and police were killed when an attempt by Iraqi security forces to free more than 100 Catholics held in a Baghdad church by al Qaeda-linked gunmen turned into a bloodbath.

MARU the BOX CAT gets curious outside the box.

DEAD GOATS: Please recycle properly.

ELEPHANT SMUGGLING RING busted in India.

PYTHON trapped in a woman's bangles. Must've been a Manic Monday.

YUSUF ISLAM (Cat Stevens), OZZY OSBOURNE and THE O'JAYS brought "Peace Train," "Crazy Train" and "Love Train" to the big Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rally in DC over the weekend.  Given Yusuf Islam's record, it's not clear whether he was there for the Rally to Restore Sanity or the Rally to Restore Fear.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN is advance streaming selected tracks from The Promise, subtitled The Lost Sessions: Darkness on the Edge of Town.

CEE-LO GREEN is advance streaming The Lady Killer.

THE BLACK ANGELS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

THE DANDY WARHOLS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set, including a cover of "You Ain't Goin Nowhere."

SUZANNE VEGA is "Left of Center," with unseen help from Joe Jackson. Written specifically for the Pretty In Pink soundtrack.

PAUL McCARTNEY talked to The Independent about recording Band on the Run (to promote the remaster).  All Songs Considered has a mini-documentary on the subject.

THE KINKS will never reform, according to Dave Davies.

THE FEELIES, otoh, are getting ready to release their first new album since 1991's Time for a Witness.

OF MONTREAL is profiled by Ann Powers for the L.A. Times.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Saw 3-D won the Halloweekend with 22.5 million (against a 20 million budget), a much better take than last year's Saw VI, which opened with 14.1 million. Paranormal Activity 2 suffered as a result, tumbling 60 percent to second place with 16.5 million -- but with a total of 65 .7 million on a 3 million budget, all's well.  Red held in the third slot with 10.8 million, which makes for a total close to its 58 million production budget; overseas and DVD sales will make this one nicely profitable.  Jackass 3-D may have tumbled 60 percent to the fourth spot with 8.4 million, but it breaks the 100 million mark against its 20 million budget.  Hereafter rounds out the Top Five with 6.3 million and 22 million total against a 50 million budget; its 47 percent drop may worry the studio, both financially and in terms of Oscar buzz.

CHARLIE SHEEN is on a new rampage with hookers and cocaine, partying wildly since returning from New York, according to RadarOnline.  Sheen may be sued by Capri Anderson for the events that went down during his hotel meltdown in NYC. RadarOnline has more grisly deets of the evening.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson is defended by Robert Downey, Jr., who was once considered uninsurable Mel gave him a chance by casting him in the Singing Detective back in 2003, two years after he kicked his drug habit. Also it turns out that the real issue between Gibson and baby mama Oksana Grigorieva may not be child custody.  He is also reportedly stashing millions in his church's coffers.

COURTNEY COX & DAVID ARQUETTE are splitting, but still took 6-year-old Coco trick or treating together. Aw.

RON HOWARD is keeping a controversial gay joke in his upcoming Vince Vaughn comedy, The Dilemma. IMHO, PopWatch gets this about right.

RANDY TRAVIS and his manager/wife Elizabeth "Lib" Travis have ended their marriage after 19 years.

HARRY POTTER and the DEATHLY HALLOWS (Pt 1): The L.A. Times Hero Complex blog is counting down to the Nov. 19th release, which is pretty much a road picture.  Daniel Radcliffe had a tearful final day on set, but Rupert Grint is kinda happy to be unemployed.

10 UNDERRATED SCI-FI FLICKS, according to I Am Rogue. (Thx, LHB. I certainly agree with Silent Running and Moon.)

TERROR in the USA: Authorities on three continents thwarted multiple terrorist attacks aimed at the United States from Yemen on Friday, seizing two explosive packages addressed to Chicago-area synagogues and packed aboard cargo jets.

AFGHANISTAN: Leaders of the Taliban resistance in Afghanistan have shown no interest in a negotiated end to the war, despite an intensified and increasingly effective NATO military offensive, says Richard Holbrooke, US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

CATS with spooky ambience on Halloween.

A BEAVER is suspected of responsibility for a fire that caused more than 150K of damage to a cottage and outbuilding just north of Perth Road Village, Ont.

BAT-DOG born without eyes is finding his way in life after teaching himself to ‘see' by barking - using echolocation.

COURAGEOUS CAT scares off a coyote in the OC.