THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with LIVE AID!  It was recently the anniversary of the trans-Atlantic rock event aimed at aiding starving people in Ethiopia (Its prime movers, like Bob Geldof & Bono, would later discover, actually getting the aid past the Marxist dictatorship would be the difficult part). Most of the day's music has found its way online, including the set from Queen that was memorialized in Boheman Rhapsody, a decidiely career-boosting appearance by U2, a look at the pre-lip-syncing Madonna, a peak-80s Bowie set and -- as my pal Nathan reminded me  -- a raft of appearances from the Style Council to the Four Tops to Paul Young to Judas Priest to the Cars to the Beach Boys to the Pretenders to The Who to Simple Minds to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and so many more.  Revisiting these videos, I was particularly taken by a solo Elvis Costello (who pobably could not afford a touring band at this point in his career) making The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" much more than what's on the page with help from a stadium crowd, and the improbable greatness of Kiki Dee in Mom wear, joining Elton John for "Don't Go Breaking My Heart."

FRUIT BATS play KEXP.

THE CONNELLS share the demo for "Carry My Picture."

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER shares "Shinbone."

YARD ACT shares "The Trench Coat Museum."

LUCINDA WILLIAMS discusses her memoir and new LP at Paste.

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX is huge, under the radar.

SAG-AFTRA is on strike against the film and TV companies, marking only the second time in Hollywood history that actors have joined writers on the picket lines. 

OPPENHEIMER's cast had to walk off the red carpet when the strike started.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON can continue shooting despite the strike due to rules in the UK.

DISNEY CEO BOB IGER thinks the writers' and actors' demands are unrealistic.

THE EMMYS: Network TV is missing in action.

KEVIN COSTNER was ordered to pay six figures in monthly child support.

LISA MARIE PRESLEY died in January of complications from small bowel obstruction, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office.

KEVIN SPACEY defends coming out after being accused of sexual misconduct.

THE BEST MOVIES of 2023 (So Far), according to The Ringer.

A HUMMINGBIRD, taking its daily shower.

OCTOPUSES, but babies.

AN OWL, but albino.

DEE-LITE finds that "Groove Is In the Heart," with a little help from Bootsy Collins and Q-Tip.

WAR:  Lonnie Jordan joins Sound Opinions to discuss The World Is a Ghetto.

CHERRY GLAZERR shares "Soft Like a Flower."

THE DRUMS shares "Better."

BONNY DOON reflect on their early influences and share a selection of Folkways recordings that have inspired them, from Elizabeth Cotten to Lucinda Williams.

THE BEST MUSIC of 2023 (So Far), according to Pitchfork.

THE ALTERNATIVE NUMBER ONES looks at Big Audio Dynamite, the band that Mick Jones started after getting kicked out of the Clash, and at "Just Play Music!," their attempt at a funky complaint record.

DISCO DEMOLITION NIGHT: Yesterday was the anniversary of Disco Demolition Night, a promo event occurring during a scheduled twi-nite doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers that would prove to be the most ill-conceived promotional idea since the infamous "Ten Cent Beer Night" in Cleveland in 1974. It's now the subject of a book and this oral history at Chicago magazine.  Though some think it had to do with racism, homophobia, etc., the event had much more to do with the fact that Chicago radio station WDAI forced out morning host Steve Dahl o­n Chirstmas Eve 1978, to switch to a disco format. A man who is cashiered wearing a Santa suit tends to carry a grudge. (Indeed, authentic Disco, as it had originated in predominantly black and gay clubs, had already died commercially -- but the genre later found its way onto the Top 40 in the wake of Saturday Night Fever as a trendy white phenomenon; Dahl's critics might consider whether that phase was a cultural apporpriation.) A few months later Dahl re-surfaced at WLUP with "Do You Think I'm Disco?" -- a parody of Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy?" with lyrics that targeted yuppie narcissism and materialism. He also did a bit where he pretended to blow-up disco records, which Mike Veeck, the son of Sox owner (and legendary showman) Bill Veeck, thought could be turned into a promotion in which admission was 98 cents (because WLUP was FM 98) for anyone who brought a disco record to be blown up between the two games. It was far more successful and less controllable than either Dahl or Veeck imagined, with young people storming the park to enter, creating a fog of marijuana smoke in the stands, sailing records like frisbees, throwing firecrackers and ultimately storming the diamond after the scheduled demolition had concluded and Dahl was en route to the announcer's booth for the second game. Footage of the event from from stellamasters, along with the aftermath at FuzzyMemories and this compilation of local news coverage from the night is pretty darned good, with cameos from Bill Kurtis and Greg Gumbel.  BONUS: White Sox organist Nancy Foust has the program of how it was supposed to go.

OPPENHEIMER's early buzz is hot.

BARBIE will show in the Philippines, with light censorship.

HOLLYWOOD BIGWIGS want to let the striking writers go broke.

SAG-AFTRA agreed to federal mediation of negotiations with the studios.

THE EMMYS nominations are out.

SUPERMAN: LEGACY adds Barry's Anthony Carrigan.

TOM CRUISE still wants to make a movie in outer space.

ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL is a first-time dad at 55.

A SEA OTTER steals surfboards in Santa Cruz.

A BLACK SWAN, feeding the fish.

CATS & DOGS, living together.

KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND: "Boogie Shoes," live in Miami, circa 1974.

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED features Margo Price, Palehound, Talking Heads (Live), and more.

COURTNEY BARNETT shares three instrumentals.

MARGARET GLASPY shares "Memories."

ARETHA FRANKLIN: A Michigan jury decided which of two hand-scrawled wills represented the famed singer’s true wishes for how to divide her estate.

BETHANY COSENTINO's Hard Reset.

SPEAK NOW, PLAY AGAIN: Taylor Swift isn't the only one rerecording classics.

WHY DO PEOPLE stop exploring new music as they get older?

WONKA has a trailer online. Stay for Hugh Grant.

AHSOKA has a trailer online.

SUPERMAN: LEGACY adds Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi and Nathan Fillion.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR's Post-Marvel Balancing Act.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is getting a sequel?

HOLLYWOOD BIGWIGS are working on a plan to call in federal mediators to help avert a SAG-AFTRA strike, with just a day to go before the contract deadline.

THE EMMYS may get pushed to January, citing strike concerns.

EMILY BLUNT is taking a year off from acting.

SECRETS OF PLAYBOY: The shocking allegations so far.

DUCKLINGS reuinite with siblings.

A WHALE SHARK, swimming through Bioluminescent Algae.

A DOGGO, living his best life.

QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS: "96 Tears" and "Girl (You Captivate Me)" for Twofer Tuesday.

JASON ISBELL visits World Cafe.

PRINCE: Hear two archival tracks online.

LIZ PHAIR covers Nick Drake’s “Free Ride.”

WIDESPREAD PANIC co-founder Dave Schools discusses the evolution of the band, the early influence of Athens, GA, collaborations, their DIY approach, and beyond. 

THE BEST SONGS of 2023 (So Far), according to Vulture.

JAKE RUDH: A profile of Gen X's DJ.

THE NUMBER ONES looks back at Bruno Mars' first chart-topper as a lead artist, "Just The Way You Are."

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 has a final trailer online.

RIDLEY SCOTT's NAPOLEON has a first trailer online.

INDIANA JONES 5: How 100+ vfx artists de-aged Harrison Ford.

BARBIE: Ryan Gosling sings "I'm Just Ken."

DEADPOOL 3: A first look at Wolverine in the multiverse.

JAMIE FOXX has been photographed in public for the first time since enduring a sudden medical complication that led to his April hospitalization.

ERIN ANDREWS is a mom.

A DOGGO, running on water.

THIS PUP does not want to go.

ANKLE SHARK, immediately in search of his next victim.

THE HOLLIES: "Have You Ever Loved Somebody", courtesy of the Beeb.

NEW RELEASES: Paste will point you to PJ Harvey, Local Natives, and more.

BILL'S INDIE BASEMENT has Chris Stamey, The Fall reissues, and more.

ELTON JOHN closes out his farewell tour with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."

METRIC shares "Just The Once."

NICK CAVE talks about his favorite works.

THE HIVES: "There's nothing more depressing than adult rock music."

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM: A third album breakthrough playlist.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Wow, Insidious 5 tops the chart with a 32.7MM debut, knocking Indiana Jones 5 into second place with 26.5MM on a 57 percent drop.  Indy likely needs to make 400MM worldwide to break even, and its only near 250MM right now.  Sound of Freedom, Jim Caviezel's child trafficking pic, shows with a 16.9MM debut.

CILLIAN MURPHY, on Oppenheimer, sex scenes and self-doubt.

SHANG-CHI: The sequel keeps getting pushed back.

JONAH HILL's ex calls him emotionally abusive.

WILL SMITH awkwardly teased his son Jaden on his 25th birthday for not having any children yet.

MICHAEL MANN'S FERRARI: Racing... and grief.

HOLLYWOOD: A Summer of Chaos.

A CAT protects its spot on the train.

A BORDER COLLIE, failing on the job.

A BUNNY takes on the hurdles.