THE DODOS and NEKO CASE "Don't Try and Hide It" on Fallon.

NEW RELEASES from Dear Lions, the Lower 48, Ross and the Wrongens and more are streaming this week at Spinner.

CROOKED FINGERS visited the the KEXP studios for an exclusive live performance.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.

MIDNIGHT CLEAR: Heather Browne shares her annual Christmas Mix.

GLAM XMAS:  Wizzard's awesome "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" and Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody" (1973's UK Xmas No. 1) are your Twofer Tuesday.

REAL ESTATE talks to The Quietus about how their childhood memories and "lack of liberal guilt" inspired their new album.

THE TWILIGHT SAD is profiled at The Line of Best Fit. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

MIDNIGHT OIL's former bassist has gone into the micro-bikini business and is on permanent tour.

PETER FRAMPTON sets the record straight about overdubbing on the iconic Frampton Comes Alive!

LINDSAY LOHAN completely wigged after someone stole her purse in Hawaii this weekend -- telling friends she was terrified the ordeal would land her in jail.

MERYL STREEP talks about takes on the iconic British prime minister Margaret Thatcher at Vogue.

JESSICA SIMPSON inked an estimated three million dollar deal with Weight Watchers.

KIM KARDASHIAN and Kris Humphries had seriously considered having a baby. As seriously as people who stay married less than 3 months do.

RYAN REYNOLDS & BLAKE LIVELY are heating up NYC in December.

KATE WINSLET reportedly brutally dumped some dude who didn't get that he was her rebound guy.

CHARLIE SHEEN's ex, Brooke Mueller, is getting rehab at home.

IRAN categorically rejected a claim newly raised by a US court that linked Tehran with terrorist bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. A "mysterious" explosion occurred at a steel mill in the city of Yazd; killing seven employees, including foreign nationals. Iranian authorities blamed the blast on "old munitions."

PAKISTAN may continue blocking NATO convoys from delivering supplies to Afghanistan for several weeks.

NATO will end its mission to train the Iraqi military after the US withdraws from Iraq at the end of December. The US will sell Iraq an additional 18 F-16 fighters.

PUG SOCCER: Let's go to the video.

FERAL HOGS escaped from a Fort Worth meat processing plant Sunday morning.

THE "ELVIS MONKEY" & PSYCHEDELIC GECKO are among the more than 200 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year, environmental group WWF said on Monday, dashing my hopes for an awesome double-bill at the Empty Bottle.

TIGER + CHRISTMAS + WINNIE THE POOH =  Crazy Delicious.

RICHARD HAWLEY covers Lou Reed's classic, "I'm Waiting For the Man."

LAURA MARLING played World Cafe Live; you can stream the whole gig on demand.

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

GARY NUMAN is streaming Dead Son Rising.

JONSI is streaming the We Bought a Zoo soundtrack.

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

TEN GLASS HALF-EMPTY HOLIDAY SONGS For The Grinch Within Us All.

CRAIG FINN talks to Austinist about his upcoming solo record, his time in Austin, and the Minnesota Twins.

JANE BIRKIN is interviewed by Janet Bean (Freakwater, Eleventh Dream Day) about Serge Gainsbourg, motherhood and more.

THE ALABAMA SHAKES: The saga of the buzz band is essayed at the Nashville Scene. (Thx, LHB.)

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE:  New Year's Eve tops the chart with 13.7 million -- but that's well below the 20 million tracking numbers predicted.  For all the "names" stuffed into this thing, the budget was only 56 million, and the result suggests why these people can't demand big salaries.  The Sitter -- an an R-rated version of Adventures in Babysitting -- took 10 million in a misstep from Jonah Hill.  The sparkly vampires of Twilight drop to the third spot with 7.9 million, which is still impressive (633.5 million worldwide) and suggests how fractured the family movie competition is.  The Muppets drop to No. 4 with 7 million, with a 65.8 million domestic so far against 45 million budget. Arthur Christmas rounds out the Top 5 with 6.6 million and 33.5 million domestic so far (91 million worldwide).  Below the fold, Hugo remained a close sixth with 6.1 million and almost the same so far as Arthur Christmas.  The Decendants continues its slow rollout in seventh place, already profitable before getting awards season buzz.  In eighth is Happy feet Two, which looks unprofitable at this point, even on global receipts.

YOUNG ADULT is being sold as a reunion of the director (Jason Reitman) and writer (Diablo Cody) of Juno, but don't go expecting adorable.  Charlize Theron's character has a particularly wicked case of Peter Pan syndrome (itself interesting as it's usually ascribed to men) in a dark comedy about the degree to which people are shaped -- or haunted -- by their past.  It's funny, but a tough watch, as one is hard-pressed to answer the "Who do we like in this?" question studio execs normally ask.  Maybe it's Patton Oswalt, who tries to play Theron's conscience, although when Theron's character points out Oswalt's character is also living in the past, it's no less cruel for being true (even if justifiably so).  The makers of Young Adult had to know that making few, if any, concessions to traditional Hollywood conventions for comedy -- especially romantic comedy, which this otherwise might have been -- will be lauded by critics, but punished commercially, so it's a good thing this fine film cost only 12 million to make.

LINDSAY LOHAN's Playboy shoot will publish early after a (NSFW, obvsly) Internet leak.

KIM KARDASHIAN is in earthquake-ravaged Haiti with the charity group We Advance, along with her mom. As if Haiti hasn't suffered enough.

ANGELINA JOLIE -- mother, lover, actress, director and UN ambassador -- is stymied by Amazon.com.

JENNIFER ANISTON was anointed Hottest Woman of All Time in a MensHealth poll, which will do nothing to help the mag's rep.

KIRSTEN DUNST gets a restraining order against a stalky French dude.

HULK HOGAN is suing ex-wife Linda Bollea for claiming he abused her and had an affair with a male wrestler.

SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN has an action-packed Spanish trailer.

TERROR in the USA: Sayfildin Tahir-Sharif, a Canadian citizen, was indicted in Brooklyn on charges relating to the deaths of five US soldiers in a suicide bombing in Iraq in April 2009. He remains in Canadian custody after his arrest in Edmonton in January 2011; the US seeks his extradition.

SYRIA: The Syrian government issued an ultimatum to the people of Homs to end protests in 72 hours or face a new offensive. A defected Syrian officer said 160 Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard members have been killed during clashes with the Free Syrian Amy. An opposition leader wants Free Syrian Army rebels to rein in operations after a series of attacks on troops loyal to President Assad.

LIBYA: "Gunmen" thought to be from the Zintan militia attempted to assassinate the chief of Libya's nascent army.

PAKISTAN appears to be progressing in its efforts to cut yet another peace deal with the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan -- a move likely to lead to an increased level of violence in Afghanistan.  Meanwhile, political instability may cause Pakistan's nukes to fall into the hands of a revolutionarty, al-Qaeda-influenced government.

MACE sneaks up on a Ninja Turtle.

NINJA COW finally captured in Nebraska. Rest easy, 'huskers.

SNAKES in a HOTEL ROOM: Also tortoises and neon-colored frogs.

DOG SHOOTS MAN: Again.

TOMMASO, a four-year-old, one-time stray from Rome, is thought to have become the world's richest cat.

THE LONG WEEKEND STARTS HERE...

...with THE RAMONES, playing Live in Rome, circa 1980. A concert documentary in three parts. Part 1 includes "Cretin Hop," ""Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Teenage Lobotomy." Part 2 includes "Rockaway Beach," "I Can't Make It On Time," "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment," "Rock 'n' Roll High School" and "I Wanna Be Sedated." Part 3 includes "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?," "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," "Let's Go" and "Commando."

RYAN ADAMS did a full set Live On Letterman.

DUM DUM GIRLS stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

THE KOOKS also stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

NICK LOWE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set... and talks to the Chicago Sun-Times.

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

SUPERCHUNK: Mac McCaughan is interviewed by superfan Andrew Kuo at The Fader.

GUIDED BY VOICES: An overview from The Quietus.  Robert Pollard talks to The A.V. Club.

WAR is ticked that Beastie Boys beat them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

THE SEX PISTOLS, imagined as a Hanna-Barbera cartoon.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Cure to the Flying Burrito Bros, from Bob Dylan to OMD, from Dean & Britta to Little Richard, plus X, Warren Zevon, the Kinks, the Reivers, James Brown and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases are New Years Eve, which is currently scoring 06 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and The Sitter, which is scoring 21 percent.

RYAN SEACREST could be the next host of the Today show.

KARDASHIANS: Khloe is set to start IVF treatment in a bid for a baby.  Kim may be reuniting with Reggie Bush.

ANGELINA JOLIE responds to the copyright infringement suit brought against her film about the Balkan war. Plus, an explanation of why she starves herself.

JUSTIN BIEBER & SELENA GOMEZ snuck down to Mexico yesterday for a very private wedding - but not theirs.

JEFF PROBST and actress Lisa Ann Russell got married in a small ceremony in Los Angeles, starting the countdown to tribal council jokes if the couple ever runs into a rough patch.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. fals into the hands of Guy Ritchie.

THE 50 WORST FILMS of 2011, according to TotalFilm.

TERROR in GERMANY: Halil S., a 24-year-old German man, was arrested in Bochum on suspicion of providing financial and logistical support to al Qaeda's "Dusseldorf Cell," which planned bombings in Europe. Also, 150 police officers conducted raids across Germany in the apartments of five other suspects, 11 other homes, and two shops.

SYRIA: Pres. Assad denied ordering a crackdown and "most of the people that have been killed are supporters of the government." Dozens of bloodied bodies, some of them mutilated and bearing signs of torture, were found in the streets Homs the last 24 hours.

EGYPT: The Muslim Brotherhood won 24 of 44 seat in the first round of the parliamentary elections. Egypt's interim army rulers handed over presidential powers to the Prime Minister but kept control of military affairs and the judiciary. Salafist clerics issue a series of fatwas, including prohibiting Muslims from voting for Coptic candidates or their Muslim counterparts who do not pray on regular basis.

IRAN:  The stealth CIA drone that crashed deep inside Iranian territory last week was part of a stepped-up surveillance program that has frequently sent the United States' most hard-to-detect drone into the country to map suspected nuclear sites, according to foreign officials and American experts who have been briefed on the effort.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A militant rodent infiltrates a school and pulls a fire alarm.

NINJA COW evades capture in Nebraska.

FLORIDA GATORS throw a pool party.

DOG PEOPLE vs CAT PEOPLE: The surprising differences... or maybe not.

THE KINKS, with the evergreen "Father Christmas."

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

THE POSTELLES stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT is streaming Oh! What A Not So Silent Night Before Christmas. (Thx, LHB.)

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

PRINCE, Live in Columbia, SC, 1981.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN joined BOB SEGER for some "Old Time Rock and Roll" at MSG.

THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME inductees are Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donovan, Laura Nyro, and the Small Faces/the Faces.  Meanwhile, The Cure, Eric B. and Rakim, Joan Jett, Donna Summer, Heart, Rufus with Chaka Khan, War, and the Spinners were snubbed.

MAYER HAWTHORNE talks to All Things Considered about Motown soul and funk.

HENRY ROLLINS, gregarious punk legend, shared some of his recent favorites with Pop & Hiss.

THE SOUND OF 2012, according to the BBC.

THE BEST SONGS ABOUT CHICAGO, according to Flavorwire.

LINDSAY LOHAN's Playboy cover is online.  Her secret diary reveals she was in love with Heath Ledger, according to the ever-reliable Star.

OLIVIA WILDE is dating SNL's Jason Sudekis, who dated Mad Men's January Jones for six months before the duo split in January 2011.

ALEC BALDWIN has temporarily fled Twitter after getting kicked off an American Airlines flight for abusive behavior. Apparently, someone didn't like the flood of comments about how he treats the 99 percent.

KRISTEN WIIG was spotted canoodling with Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti.

ASHTON KUTCHER checked out a ten million dollar bachelor pad.

ASLEE SIMPSON & PETE WENTZ: Officially divorced.

GIULIANA RANCIC plans to embrace the scars from her upcoming double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

HARRY MORGAN,  the prolific character actor best known for playing the acerbic but kindly Colonel Potter in the long-running television series "M*A*S*H," died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles.  He was 96.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE is Entertainment Weekly's Entertainer of the Year. One of them, anyway. 

SINEAD O'CONNOR is to marry her fourth husband in Las Vegas.

HOLLYWOOD'S BEST ACTORS FOR THE BUCK, according to Forbes.

AL QAEDA in the Islamic Maghreb threatened to kill a British hostage in two weeks if their demands are not met.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS, may consider acquiring nuclear weapons to match regional rivals Israel and Iran, its former intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal said on Monday.

PAKISTANI Pres. Zardari is being treated in Dubai for a heart condition, his spokesman has said, dismissing reports that he may resign.

AFGHAN Pres. Karzai confronted Pakistan on Wednesday, saying a militant group based there was behind a suicide bombing at a Shiite shrine in Kabul that killed 56 people during commemorations of a holy day.

TEDDY the PORCUPINE doesn't like to share.

DOG saves ABANDONED KITTENS...Mass hysteria!

OYSTERS: Japanese scientists are working on decoding their language.

HUNNIE & RUNNIE the bunnies live in a spacious £10,000 hutch.

THE RAVEONETTES finally drop a video for 2001's "The Christmas Song."

MATES OF STATE played a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR.

THE HONEYDOGS stopped by The Current to put their spin on three classic Beatles songs.

AUSTRA stopped by the KEXP studios for a session. Katie Stelmanis talks to the Star Observer about the gay band label. (Thx, LHB.)

TRENT REZNOR drops six tracks from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack, in return for an email address.  he talks about the project at the L.A. Times.

THE BREEDERS: Last Splash demos.

DOBIE GRAY, who released hits like "The In Crowd" and "Drift Away," passed away in his sleep on December 5, 2011, at age 71 after a short illness.

BEN FOLDS talks to PopMatters about the music biz, the TV biz, new songs for his old band, and more...

LOS CAMPESINOS! Tom talks to Drowned In Sound about the less pretentious third record.

GARY NUMAN discusses tracks spanning his career with The A.V. Club.

BOY GEORGE explains to The Observer why he finally feels proud of himself at 50.

ASHTON KUTCHER snapped getting cozy with Glee's Lea Michele on the red carpet for New Year's Eve.

RYAN REYNOLDS & BLAKE LIVELY were... wait for it... caught canoodling on camera over the Thanksgiving weekend.

ALEC BALDWIN was kicked off an American Airlines flight Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles because he refused to turn off his cell phone and became abusive and aggressive. So out of character for ol' Arec.

CHARLIE SHEEN will not go to court to seek custody of his twin sons, Bob and Max, after his ex-wife, Brooke Mueller, relapsed and was arrested for drug possession.

JESSE JAMES is talking trash about Sandra Bullock. PR genius.

SEX IN THE CITY creator Candace Bushnell is divorcing her handsome ballet dancer husband Charles Askegard, sensationally alleging in court papers he had an affair with ballerina Georgina Pazcoguin.

BRITNEY SPEARS has reportedly fired her trainer Derek DeGrazio because he made her eat nutritious foods in moderate portions.

KRISTIN WIIG talks women in comedy at Paper magazine.

DECEMBER 7, 1941: A "date which will live in infamy." I'll be watching Tora! Tora! Tora! on tonight. BTW, the first nation invaded by the US after entering WWII was Morocco, then Algeria, iirc.

TERROR in SWEDEN: A district court charged three men, Abdi Aziz Mahamud, a Somali living in Sweden, and Salar Sami Mahamood and Abdi Weli Mohamud, both Swedish citizens, with plotting to murder cartoonist Lars Viks.

TERROR in DENMARK: Prosecutors announced that charges are "imminent" for four Swedish-based men arrested last year for plotting an attack on the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Copenhagen.

IRAN: The US Sentinel drone which crashed there has cutting-edge stealth and surveillance technology that other nations could exploit.  Iran's Revolutionary Guards have been put on a war footing amid increasing signs that the West is taking direct action to cripple Iran's nuclear program.

AFGHANISTAN: A suicide attack killed dozens of Shi'ite Muslims at a crowded Kabul shrine on Tuesday, and four others died in a smaller blast in a key northern city, in the worst sectarian violence Afghanistan has seen since the fall of the Taliban.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: The Cook Strait Giant Weta.

FLORIDA CROCODILES love nuclear power.

ROMY the RED SETTER had a litter of 15 pups. Aww...some pics at the link.

PUSUKE, who was listed as the oldest living dog in Guinness World Records, died on Dec. 5, 2011 in Sakura, Japan. He reached the ripe old age of 26 years and 9 months.