JEFF TWEEDY & MAVIS STAPLES cover John Gogerty's "Wrote A Song For Everyone" at Newport.

LAURA MARLING advance streams Short Movie.

THE GO! TEAM advance streams The Scene Between.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD advance streams Wasted on the Dream.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB advance streams Lost And Found.

SXSW: The 405 has an A-Z guide, usefule even for those not attending. (Thx, LHB.)

THE CRAMPS debut, Songs The Lord Taught Us, revisited by The Quietus.

SONNY BONO: Godfather of Punk?

DAEVID ALLEN, a founding member of the pioneering progressive and psychedelic rock bands Gong and Soft Machine, has died following a battle with cancer.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Cinderella is the queen of the chart with 70MM, a bit above projections and in the neighbohood of Maleficent (a May release) and Oz the Great and Powerful, but made at considerably less cost than either.  Run All Night places with 11MM, far below the usual Liam Leeson protects his family pic; too soon after Tak3n, or is Neeson's set of skills atrophying. This one will need foreign receipts to have a hope of profit before the home market.  Kingsman: The Secret Service shows with 6.2MM, dropping 25 percent as it moves up a notch. Still looks like it could be a franchise.  Focus drops 42 percent to the fourth slot with 5.8MM; wobbly, but possibly still profitable before the home market.  Chappie, last week's champ, plunged 57 percent to round out the Top 5 in a virtual tie with Focus. Below the fold, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel perks along and is likely already in the black.

CHRIS EVANS & LILY COLLINS are an item. Apparently, there was something in the air Oscars night.

ELTON JOHN has called for a boycott of fashion label Dolce & Gabbana following and interview with Italy's Panorama magazine, in which the designers blasted “gay adoptions” and IVF.

PAMELA ANDERSON has been granted a restraining order against her ex, Rick Salomon.

HEATHER MILLS thinks her ex, Paul McCartney is working with Kanye West because he's no longer relevant. I'm guessing Apple Corps accounts would beg to differ.

EDDIE MURPHY may join the cast of the Richard Pryor biopic.

ROBERT CARRADINE, Revenge of the Nerds star Robert Carradine was injured in a frightening car accident last week in Colorado.

TONY STARK (a/k/a Robert Downey Jr) meets Alex, a 7-year old born with a partially developed arm, and helps break in his new robotic arm that just so happens to look a lot like a piece of Iron Man’s armor.

MICHAEL DOUGLAS, who has reconnected with Judaism, finds anti-Semitism in southern Europe.

EGYPTIAN President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi says he’s been fighting to keep the forces of anarchy at bay.

IRAQ: While Iraqi government and allied forces were on the defensive Friday in Ramadi, they remained on the offensive in Tirkit -- trying to win over not only the strategic city, but the hearts and minds of its nearby residents.

KURDISH authorities in Iraq said Saturday they have evidence that the terror group ISIS used chlorine gas as a chemical weapon against peshmerga fighters, the latest alleged atrocity carried out by the extremist organization now under attack in Tikrit.

PIRANHAS feed in Brazil.  SPECTRE doess not tolerate failure.

OLAF the one-pawed cat finds a home.

THEM! Researchers have changed the size of a handful of Florida ants by chemically modifying their DNA, rather than by changing its encoded information.

THE HELMETED HORNBILL is endangered by the illegal ivory trade.

THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with JOE STRUMMER and THE POGUES!  People will be getting their drink and dance on, so enjoy Joe, Shane and the band putting a Celtic spin on "London Calling" and "I Fought The Law" for St. Patrick's Day, 1988. Follow that up with the Dropkick Murphys' videos for "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" (which you may have heard in Martin Scorsese's The Departed) and "The Wild Rover."  Round it out with an Old Grey Whistle Test of my fave Pogues song, "Sally MacLennane," and a Shamrock Shake.

GUSTER, Live in the Greene Space.

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

PHIL & DAVE ALVIN (The Blasters) stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

MARSHALL CRENSHAW takes another dive into The Bottomless Pit of his record collection.

THE AUSTIN 100: NPR's SXSW preview is now available as a download.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS drop "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero" ahead of Beat The Champ.

LAURA MARLING drops "Strange" ahead of Short Movie. Not a Wire cover, but very nice.

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH: The friendly stranger in the black sedan.Sunday.

KIM GORDON & CARRIE BROWNSTEIN chat for an hour.

COURTNEY BARNETT is interviewed by The Guardian: "In interviews I feel like a bit of a doofus.”

SLIPKNOT guitarist Mick Thomson was stabbed in the head during a drunken knife fight with his brother in Clive, Iowa early Wednesday morning. I have always advised people to avoid Clive.

VAN DYKE PARKS renders his verdict on the "Blurred Lines" case.

NOW SHOWING: This week's wide releases are Disney's live-action Cinderella, which is currently scoring 85 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and Run All Night, scoring 49 percent.

MADONNA claims she secretly dated Tupac Shakur.

LINDSAY LOHAN badly photoshopped her rear end.

LIAM NEESON plans to quit action movies in two years, so that means only aa couple of dozen.

ELIZABETH HURLEY dishes on Hugh Grant.

FROZEN 2 is a go, as you would have bet.

TOY STORY 4:Josh Cooley, described by Disney Pixar as a "rising star" of its creative team, will co-direct alongside John Lasseter, who helmed the first two Toy Story films.

STAR WARS: Rogue One will be the title of the first standalone project, while Rian Johnson (Looper) will helm Episode VIII.

RICHARD GLATZER, who wrote and directed Still Alice with his husband Wash Westmoreland, has died at the age of 63 after a courageous battle against ALS.

RUSSIA's main opposition leader: “It’s obvious that the only plan the Kremlin has for us is destruction."

IRAN:  Major world powers have begun talks about a United Nations Security Council resolution to lift U.N. sanctions on Iran if a nuclear agreement is struck with Tehran, a step that could make it harder for the U.S. Congress to undo a deal, Western officials said.

IRAQ: U.S.-trained and armed Iraqi military units are under investigation for human rights violations: "These Shi’a militias are just as barbaric as ISIS."

THE ISLAMIC STATE now controls a naval base on the Mediterranean, though local opposition is growing, as tends to happen.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO FEED THE BUFFALO, bring some hand wipes. The More You Know.

A 12-13-FT GATOR was generally ignored by Florida golfers.

A WHALE collided with a tourist boat near Cabo San Lucas, killing one and injring two.

AND THERE WERE CHICKENS all over the highway.

THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION drops a video for “Betty vs.the NYPD.”

MATTHEW E. WHITE premiered the songs from Fresh Blood at BRIC Arts Media in downtown Brooklyn.

TWO GALLANTS stopped by WFUV's Studio A for a chat and mini-set.

WOLF ALICE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

LEONARD COHEN live in Tel Aviv, circa 1972.

LYDIA LOVELESS covers Prince's "I Would Die 4 U”.

FLAMING GROOVIES "Shake Some Action," circa 1987.

RADIOHEAD: Dozens of notable musicians talk to Stereogum about their favorite Radiohead songs 

GIRLPOOL: Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker talk to SPIN about moving cross-country and finding creative refuge in the City of Brotherly Love.

THE LOST TITLE TRACKERS have recorded an album of imaginary title tracks, in the style of the original artists.

WE ARE THE WORLD: A Minute-by-Minute Breakdown on Its 30th Anniversary. 

JOHNNY DEPP flew back to the United States from filiming the latest Pirates of the Caribbean in Australia to receive surgery after injuring his hand. 

MARVIN GAYE's family seeks to halt sales of "Blurred Lines" after winning their copyright lawsuit against Robin Thicke & Pharrell.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY's stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan will be seeking a big payday for a second outing in the red room of pain. 

LIL WAYNE's Miami Beach home was visited by the police after a phone call reporting a shooting. An apparent SWATting.

BRUCE JENNER has stopped production of his docuseries chronicling his transformation from a man into a woman …for now. 

LINDSAY LOHAN dropped an n-bomb on social media and didn't deete it quickly enough to avoid detection. 

NATHAN FILLIAN & ALAN TUDYK (Firefly) crowdfunded a web series that will put them back on a spaceship.

TONY BENNETT will sing at Lady Gaga's wedding. 

YEMEN: Al-Qaida militants overran and held a city in southern Yemen for hours Monday before an army counterattack pushed them out, officials said, as Saudi Arabia offers to host peace talks to end the country's political chaos. 

THE ISLAMIC STATE: Top U.S. officials warn that military operations against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria may last more than three more years and the mission on the Syrian side of the border could eventually involve a no-fly zone or even American boots on the ground. 

IRAN: Secretary of State John Kerry said in congressional testimony Wednesday that the Obama administration is “not negotiating a legally binding plan” over the Iranian nuclear program, but rather aims for an enforceable presidential agreement.

BIKERS save a dog on the highway.

AN ANGRY BADGER put a Stockholm hotel on lockdown. 

A BATCH OF TINY CHAMELEONS hatched at the Taronga Zoo. 

A DOG was rescued from a roof in Elk Grove, CA.  

MICHAEL RAULT's video for "Nothing Means Nothing" captures the songs late 60s-early 70s vibe.

TWEEDY stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.

THE JAYHAWKS play a mini-set at KEXP.

THE VASELINES play a mini-set at KEXP.

TOBIAS JESSO JR advance streams Goon via iTunes radio.

BEST COAST drops "Heaven Sent" ahead of California Nights.

MIIKAL CRONIN drops "ii) Gold" ahead of MCIII.

VAN MORRISON & MARK KNOPFLER duet on "Irish Heartbeat."

TAME IMPALA drops "Let It Happen" ahead of a rumored third LP.

MARVIN GAYE: "Got To Give It Up." Got To Rub It In.

WILL BUTLER talks to Flavorwire about teenage music, political albums, the golden age of TV, and more...

SLEATER-KINNEY is profiled by The Guardian.

KAKI KING did a Reddit Ask Me Anything.

100 LOST ALBUMS You Need To Know, according to NME.

ROBIN THICKE & PHARRELL copied a Marvin Gaye song to create "Blurred Lines," according to a jury that awarded $7.4 million to Gaye's family, beating the record judgment against Michael Bolton.You can do your owm A/B Boss Comparison.

BEN STILLER & OWEN WILSON crashed Valentino's show in Paris to announce Zoolander 2.

NAOMI CAMPBELL & CARA DELEVIGNE got into a Fashion Week catfight.

ROBIN WRIGHT talks to Vanity Fair about her new life with actor Ben Foster, but not Sean Penn.

TIM BURTON will direct Disney's live-action Dumbo.

FRENCH police have arrested four people linked to Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman and hostage-taker at a Parisian kosher supermarket on January 9, a Paris prosecutor's spokesman said.

RUSSIA says it will no longer attend consultations related to a key European arms control treaty, accusing the West of stonewalling its demands.

NIGERIA: At least 34 persons were killed by a teenage girl suicide bomber on Tuesday at a crowded market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, said witnesses.

IRAQI forces have started what they believe will be the conclusive push to retake the Iraqi city of Tikrit from ISIS, a paramilitary force participating in the offensive said Tuesday. Of course, Shiite paramilitary force Hashd Al-Shaab is likely backed by Iran, but who's counting?

CAT CURLING.

SMILEY, a blind Golden Retriever, is living up to his name as a therapy dog who brightens the days of patients and nursing home residents in the small town of Stouffville, Canada.

CORNFLAKES, now fortified with python.

TINY TORTOISES Are Overtaking Rats in Battle for Galápagos Islands.

SPOON plays "Inside Out" and "I Just Don't Understand" for La Bogotheque and Twofer Tuesday.

LEGGY streams their Nice Try EP.

INVENTIONS advance streams Maze Of Woods.

EVANS THE DEATH streams Expect Delays.

LIGHTNING BOLT advance streams Fantasy Empire.

MUMFORD & SONS drop the banjo and, while the band claims Radiohead and Led Zeppelin as inspiration, the consensus about "Believe" is that it sounds like Coldplay.  Impressively divisive.

THE CRIBS have a "Different Angle" ahead of For All My Sisters.

LORD HURON drops "The World Ender" ahead of Strange Trails.

THE WALKER BROTHERS play "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" and "Make It Easy On Yourself" for Twofer Tuesday.

TWEEDY: 19-year-old Spencer Tweedy talks to RedEyeChicago about his hometown, working with his father and why 'dad rock' is a terrible term.

KIM DEAL talks to NME about a new Breeders album, keeping It cottage industry, and patricide.

KURT VILE talks to SPIN about his upcoming LP, All Over The Place.

MODEST MOUSE is profiled on All Things Considered.

AMERICAN SNIPER is officially the highest-grossing film released in 2014.

GHOSTCORPS will be broadening the Ghostbusters franchise, including a male counterpart to the all-female rebooy directed by Paul Feig.

SUGE KNIGHT: The full video of his fatal hit-and-run incident is online and not for the squeamish.

BRUCE JENNER's sex change is back on track.

THE WALKING DEAD companion series gets a two-season order.

SAM SIMON, who wrote episodes of Taxi, Cheers and It's Garry Shandling's Show before co-creating landmark animated series The Simpsons and eventually becoming a philanthropist, died Sunday of colorectal cancer at 59.

ALBERT MAYSLES, the documentary film-maker best known for Grey Gardens and Gimme Shelter, has passed away at the age of 88. "

EGYPT: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in an exclusive interview with Fox News, appealed to the U.S. to play a greater role in helping his country fight terrorism -- as he urged the creation of an "Arab ready force" to confront the Islamic State and similar groups.

LIBYA: Jihadists affiliated with the Islamic State attacked an oil field in al-Ghani, beheading eight guards and kidnapping nine foreign workers. Pro-government forces conducted airstrikes on the airport in Tripoli, which remains controlled by rival Islamist forces.

THE ISLAMIC STATE ­appears to be starting to fray from within, as dissent, defections and setbacks on the battlefield sap the group’s strength and erode its aura of invincibility among those living under its despotic rule. 

A KOALA, just walking down the street Down Under.

AMY THE PIG is the smartest pupil in her dog-obedience class.

THIS COW MOOSE consistently misses the crosswalk in Hadley, ID.

DEER eat birds when you aren't looking.