THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

... with THE BYRDS! The turning of the seasons had me in the mood for this rare live threefer of "Turn! Turn! Turn!", "Bells of Rhymney" and "Mr. Tambourine Man", introduced by... David McCallum? There are more screaming girls, plus go-go dancers when they hit Shivaree for "All I Really Want to Do" and "Feel A Whole Lot Better."  There are even more dancers when they cover Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" for Shindig! on June 23, 1965, while I'm pretty sure that's Ed Wynn introducing "Chimes of Freedom."

UPDATE: THE DEAD WEATHER is advance streaming Sea of Cowards for 24 hours.

JAKOB DYLAN -- plus Neko Case and Kelly Hogan -- did four free songs for Daytrotter. He was also interviewed on WNYC by Oscar Brand, whose show marked the radio debut of Jakob's Ddd a few years back.

ROGUE WAVE stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a chat and mini-set.

JOSH ROUSE also stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a chat and mini-set.

THE TISDALES stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set of blue-collar rock with a touch of '70s pop.

HUSKER DU: "The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill," live at First Ave, circa 1985.

HORSE FEATHERS: Justin Ringle spoke to The Faster Times about the writing process for the new record, how he got into folk music and how he got out of northern Idaho. (Thx, LHB.)

THE HOLD STEADY: Craig Finn talks to Spinner about the beauty and power of music, with a shot for the former Oar Folkjokeopus.

FLAMING LIPS dummer Steven Drozd has been hospitalized, but the band says he's going to be just fine.

ESSENTIAL LIVE ALBUMS, according to the Top 13.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Sweet to James Brown, from the Who to Loxley, from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers to the Swingin' Neckbreakers, plus the Jam, Prince, the Posies, Lou Reed, Katrina & the Waves and more -- this week's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING:  This weekend's wide releases are the reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street, which is currently scoring 08 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and Furry Vengeance, which is currently scoring the coveted 00 percent.

JENNA JAMESON and TITO ORTIZ are withdrawing allegations that led to Tito's felony domestic violence arrest earlier this week.

SANDRA BULLOCK's divorce from Jesse James will likely be a clean break.

CHELSEA HANDLER: Did the night comedy show host make a sex tape -- or a raunchy audition tape?

CONAN O'BRIEN tells 60 Minutes he would have left NBC rather than do what Jay Leno did to him.

LINDSAY LOHAN called into a radio show to discuss recent claims by her father that she is out of control and in need of an intervention.

KATIE HOLMES is playing Jackie Kennedy in an eight-part miniseries about the political dynasty. Yes, really.

HEIDI MONTAG: Sources on the set of The Hills fear that she is developing a dangerous addiction to painkillers -- months after her recovery from ten plastic surgeries.

ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. talks addiction, prison and sobriety in the Rolling Stone hitting newsstands today. Jack Nicholson has a cameo.

THE 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential People, with blurbs from notables.

J.J. ABRAMS will be collaborating with Steven Spielberg on a secret project described as "a tip of the hat to (Spielberg's) movies of the 70's and early 80's."

IRAN: The US is planning to soften sanctions on Iran. Meanwhile, the United Nations this week elected Iran to its Commission on the Status of Women, handing a four-year seat on the influential human rights body to a theocratic state in which stoning is enshrined in law and lashings are required for women judged "immodest."

AFGHANISTAN: A Pentagon report says the Taliban are getting stronger.

SURFING SHEEP: Let's go to the video.

BIG JAKE: The Guinness World Record holder for world's tallest living horse.

A ROGUE ELEPHANT in southern India accused of killing at least 10 female elephants during a testosterone-induced 'sex rampage'.

AWESOME ANIMAL PICS: A whole mess of 'em.

GOGOL BORDELLO rolled out "Pala Tute" from their major-label debut for Fallon.

CoCoROSIE is advance streaming Grey Oceans.

OWEN PALLETT played Webster Hall last week; you can stream the gig via WNYC and NPR.

F*CK BUTTONS did three free songs for Daytrotter.

THE LIVING SISTERS -- Inara George, Eleni Mandell and Becky Stark -- get a profile plus tracks via All Things Considered.

LIZ PHAIR: "Jealousy." Sounds like it.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT frontman Scott Hutchison talks songwriting and singing with the Boston Herald.

CAMERA OBSCURA: Tracyanne Campbell chatted with Under the Radar about acts of God, record sales, and why Yo La Tengo might hold the key to their future (maudlin) career.

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN: Ian McCulloch talked to Under the Radar about the band's legacy, the creative process, and taking the show on the road.

ROCK THE SUITS: David Byrne, St. Vincent, Santigold, The National, MGMT, and Walkmen model -- and talk about their current projects -- at GQ.

SANDRA BULLOCK & JESSE JAMES: Bullock has adopted a newborn and filed for divorce. Apparently, the Nazi saluting was a dealbreaker. James reacts.

TIGER WOODS: The magic number was 122, according to the ever-reliable National Enquirer.

JENNA JAMESON gets corroboration from an alleged Tiger Woods mistress. Crossing the streams.

BRET MICHAELS, still recovering from a brain hemorrhage, has been diagnosed with a side effect that leads to seizures.

PEOPLE'S MOST BEAUTIFUL 2010: A sneak peek.

CONAN O'BRIEN gives his first interview about his departure from The Tonight Show to CBS's 60 Minutes this Sunday.

BEYONCE is getting 425K in FEMA money to replace her house in Galveston, TX.

JIM CARREY is going "Boing!" on Twitter.

SHATNER & NIMOY, together on Twitter in the middle of the night.

GHOSTBUSTERS 3 is a myth and "hogwash," according to Bill Murray.

IRAN has warned suntanned women and girls who looked like "walking mannequins" will be arrested as part of a new drive to enforce the Islamic dress code. Israeli Ambassador to US Oren hinted that a strike on Iran is on the table. Desmond Tutu called for Tehran to release US hikers from captivity. Opposition leaders in Iran called for protests on June 12 to commemorate the 2009 election.

AFGHANISTAN: The Pentagon is sending 800 more American soldiers to Afghanistan in the coming weeks to work as trainers for the Afghan security forces. The contingent is needed because other NATO countries still haven't fulfilled their pledges to send their own troops to train the Afghan army and police.

TURTLE on a ROOMBA: But it wants off.

LILY the MEERKAT has finally found love after staff at Twinlakes Park set up meerkatmatch.com, an online dating site for meerkats.

COW-POWERED TRAIN: Of course, it's Amtrak.

GIANT SPITTING EARTHWORM fails to live up to its billing.

BABY GOATS: Awww...some pics.

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS played "She Ain't a Child No More" on the Colbert Report. Ms. Jones is also interviewed.

THE FALL is advance streaming Your Future, Our Clutter.

NATALIE MERCHANT can be seen and heard at Oregon Public Broadcasting.

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Tracks from Apples in Stereo, Caribou, Dr. Dog and Tom Lehrer highlight the latest edition of the long-running NPR series.

REGINA SPEKTOR released a cover of Radiohead's "No Surprises" as a charity single.

THE ONLY ONES: "Another Girl, Another Planet."

BLOOD ON THE TRACKS: The Dylan classic is getting a two-week long examination from PopMatters.

JONSI talked to the Chicago Tribune about recording in English.

ADAM ANT talks to The Quietus about inspiration, madness and coming back fighting.

MICK JAGGER is cut down to size by ex-gf Janice Dickinson.

MATT. DAMON. and his wife Luciana are expecting another baby.

JENNA JAMESON claims Tito Ortiz got very violent - throwing and injuring her - and that he's falsely accusing her of Oxycontin addiction because he's "very, very desperate." OTOH, she has told conflicting stories about the incident that led to the arrest of her baby daddy Tito Ortiz.

BRET DANIELS is still in critical condition following a brain hemorrhage doctors discovered last week, but he is in stable condition and is talking and moving some limbs, says his dad.

COURTNEY LOVE claims she slept with Gavin Rossdale even though he was with Gwen Stefani. 

HUGH HEFNER saves Hollywood. Sort of.

LADY GAGA: The Grandmother of Pop?

STEVEN SPIELBERG has an Untitled Alien Invasion Project for TNT. New York magazine has read the pilot.

JASON ALEXANDER hit a teenage bicyclist Tuesday in Mid-City, police officials said. Life imitates Seinfeld, though (iirc) it was Elaine who hit the cyclist.

TIKI BARBER was slapped with divorce papers over his shameless gallivanting with 23-year-old former NBC intern Traci Lynn Johnson.

IRON MAN 2 reviews are coming in, including two of the most important to the industry. Variety is unenthusiastic, but forgiving, while the Hollywood Reporter hates it, and drops a spoiler ot two. AICN founder Harry Knowles has fanboy love for it (and also drops spoilers).

THE 10 BEST AND WORST TV FINALES, according to the NYP.

IRAQ: My Life as an Insurgent.

EINSTEIN: Just 14 inches tall and only weighed six pounds when he was born - is this pinto stallion the smallest foal in the world? Let's go to the video.

AN ELEPHANT helps a zoo keeper start his car.

IT'S HARD FOR A MONKEY in Coal City, IL.

ALIEN CRAYFISH found in Tonegawa river system.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE was "Forced to Love" at the Ed Sullivan Theater. But the version with Feist at NXNE might've rocked harder.

NEW RELEASES: Broken Social Scene, Gogol Bordello, New Young Pony Club, Trashcan Sinatras, a Big Audio Dynamite Reissue and more are streaming this week via Spinner.

NEW PR0NOGRAPHERS are advance streaming Together via NPR.

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON is advance streaming Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends -- a collection of vinatge demos -- via NPR.

JOSH RITTER is advance streaming So Runs The World Away via NPR.

AVI BUFFALO is streaming his/their eponymous debut album.

MGMT played "Flash Delirium" and "Brian Eno" on SNL, posted by Hulu in time for Twofer Tuesday.

THE NATIONAL gets a lengthy profile from Billboard (with a bit of industry focus, natch).

CARIBOU: Dan Snaith talks to Pitchfork about living in London, the creative process, Arthur Russell and more...

SHEARWATER: Jonathan Meiburg talks to Straight.com and Tuscon Weekly, making sure to mention he's not playing the banjo. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

IRVING AZOFF, longtime music mogul, manager and now the chairman of the newly merged Ticketmaster and Live Nation, is profiled by the New York Times.

LINDSAY LOHAN has been banned from hot LA club Trousdale after throwing a glass at ex Samantha Ronson's head.  Li-Lo and Ali Lohan are going to court for restraining orders against their ex-con father, Michael, following his recent attempt to stage an intervention, according to stage mom Dina Lohan. Meanwhile, Dad is trying to have Lindsay put into a conservatorship.

SANDRA BULLOCK geta faxed apology from Jesse James mistress No. 2. Meanwhile, James was snapped without a ring.

JENNA JAMESON plans on pressing charges against Tito Ortiz, who was arrested for felony domestic violence at the home they share. Jameson reportedly had "visible injuries."

PAM ANDERSON explains 493K in delinquent taxes.

WHITNEY HOUSTON: Still not ready for prime time.

RANDY QUAID and his wife were jailed on Monday.

MARVEL UPDATE: Collider talks to President of Production Kevin Feige abut the studio's various projects -- and how they fit together.

IRON MAN 2: Another new clip is online, plus Robert Downey, Jr. goofs on Gwyneth Paltrow for the press junket.

JONAH HEX: A preview of the trailer aired on SyFy.

IRAN: Opposition leader Mousavi called ruling clerics "corrupt, despotic rulers." Pres. Mugabe denied that Zimbabwe signed a uranium mining agreement with Iran. The government eased investment restrictions in an attempt to counter sanctions.

IRAQ: A special electoral court's disqualification of parliamentary candidates -- some winning, some losing -- intensifies the nation's political problems and will delay the formation of a new government.

GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPEHS: Let's go to the video.

A DOG was rescued from a recliner by firefighters in Naperville, IL.

TWO-TOED SLOTHS: Unattractive, with a bad diet.

YOU MESS WITH THE BULL... you're going to get the horns.

OWLS IN LOVE: Awww...some pics.

HOT CHIP and THE XX both played the 9:30 Club in DC Saturday night. You can stream both sets on demand via NPR. The xx also have a new video out for "Islands."

HOLE is advance streaming Nobody's Daughter.

LYLE LOVETT and STEVE EARLE did a joint interview and live performances on a Cayamo Cruise for the World Cafe.

EMMYLOU HARRIS and BUDDY MILLER also did a joint interview and live performances on a Cayamo Cruise for the World Cafe.

FANG ISLAND: The buzz band squeezes in a twofer for Daytrotter.

THE JAGS: "Back of My Hand," from TOTP and the "Where Are They Now?" file.

ZOOEY DESCHANEL gives fresh answers to a lot of typical questions from The Observer.

SHARON JONES talks to the NYDN about going from Riker's Island to the Apollo Theater.

KAKI KING talks to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about her local roots.

GREIL MARCUS talks to PopMatters about his new book on Van Morrison.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Although Kick-Ass ultimately edged out How to Train Your Dragon when the final numbers for last weekend were tallied, the Dragon is No.1 for sure this weekend with about 15 million dollars.  The Back-Up Plan debuted in second place with 12.3 million, at the lower end of the range for a Jennifer Lopez movie.  Date Night showed some legs in the third spot, taking in another 10.6 million for a 63.5 million total to date.  The Losers debuted in the fourth slot, taking in 9.6 million against a 25 million budget.  Last weekend's winner, Kick-Ass, dropped 52 percent to round out the Top Five with 9.5 million. Its total comes close to paying off LionsGate's 40 million investment.  Below the fold Oceans took in 6 million against an 80 million budget.

BRET MICHAELS: The former Poison frontman turned reality TV star remains in critical condition at an undisclosed location, after suffering a massive hemorrhage near his brain stem.

CHARLIE SHEEN was caught by his wife with another escort, according to RadarOnline. But it's disputed as to whether Brooke Mueller has left the marital home.

STEVEN SEAGAL paged young actresses on his movies to come to his hotel room at night and demanded they undress in his trailer, a co-star has alleged.

LINDSAY LOHAN was axed from a movie because she's not "bankable" - this according a source connected with the production of the flick.

HEATHER LOCKLEAR will probably escape hit-and-run charges.

MICHAEL C. HALL is "fully recovered" from cancer and has returned to work on HBO's Dexter, according to wife and co-star Jennifer Carpenter.

NORTH KOREA: Is Kim Jong Il's son officially heir to the dictatoship?

AFGHANISTAN: More than 80 schoolgirls have fallen ill in three cases of mass sickness over the past week in northern Afghanistan, raising fears that militants who oppose education for girls are using poison to scare them away from school, authorities said Sunday.

IRAN's political turmoil has prompted a growing number of the country's officials to defect or leak information to the West, creating a new flow of intelligence about its secretive nuclear program, US officials said.  Meanwhile, Iran has struck a secret deal with Zimbabwe to mine its untapped uranium reserves in a move to secure raw material for its steadily expanding nuclear program.

IRAQ: The Iraqi government refused Muqtada al Sadr's offer to provide Mahdi Army fighters to secure mosques and shrines. Insurgents killed a civilian in Baghdad and nearly assassinated the deputy governor of Anbar.

BUDDY the GERMAN SHEPHERD guided an Alaska State Trooper to the scene of a fire after his owner told him they needed to get help. The sequence of events, as related by troopers, runs like an episode of "Lassie." Here's the raw video.

MOOSE the WHIPPET saved a choking three-year-old girl.

WHALE POO: A new weapon against climate change?

MUPPET PUPPY snapped in Vietnam.