THE NATIONAL rolled out a cover of the Velvet Underground classic, "What Goes On," at New York Magazine's 40th Anniversary Party. With horns, even. RELATED: The Guardian Music Blog covers John Cale's tribute to Nico at Festival Hall.

NEW RELEASES: Hand-picked David Bowie, I'm From Barcelona, Ray LaMontagne, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Ingrid Michaelson, Secret Machines and more are streaming in full this week via Spinner. Lucinda Williams releases Little Honey.

ROBYN HITCHCOCK appears in Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married," as well as having two songs on the soundtrack, including the previously unreleased "Up to Our Nex."

BLACK KIDS do the three free songs thing for Daytrotter.

ROBERT POLLARD: The Memphis Flyer surveys the career (so far) of Mr. Prolific.

KISS is branching out into a line of branded Mr. Potato Head dolls. Pics at the link.

ANDREW BIRD is trying out songs from the upcoming Noble Beast album on tour Stereogum has your Fourfer Tuesday.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKER Patterson Hood explains to the Charleston City Paper why his solo album is held up. 

LIZ PHAIR is looking to write a book of fiction.

JULIANA HATFIELD talks to the Chicago Sun-Times about the relationship of her memoirs to her songwriting.

JON BON JOVI is being sued by musician Samuel Bartley Steele for 400 billion dollars. Sounds like Dr. Evil to me.

JOHNNY DEPP has been named the Sexiest Man in the World by the UK version of Cosmopolitan magazine, as girls go ga-ga for older fellas. Only three men in their 20s make the Top 25.

MARSHA, MARSHA MARSHA: Maureen McCormick's memoir comes out today, covering her romance with Brady Bunch sibling Barry Williams, dates with Michael Jackson and Steve Martin, cocaine binges and parties at the Playboy Mansion and the home of Sammy Davis Jr., an unwanted pregnancy and trading sex for drugs.

LINDSAY LOHAN & SAMANTHA RONSON have reportedly hit a rocky patch in their relationship - just weeks after going public with their romance.

BRADGELINA: The W magazine article with the buzzwothy cover is now online.

NATALIE PORTMAN has been quietly visiting sick children at an L.A. hospital three days a week.

JESSICA SIMPSON wants to have six babies.  Perhaps more interesting is that -- in a single interview -- she can say both "I'm pretty good at blocking negativity" and "A lot of people live in denial because it's easier, but I've learned it's not easier in the long run."

TWILIGHT: The final trailer for the teen vampire book adaptation is now online. 

J.J. ABRAMS, creator of Alias, Lost, Fringe, Cloverfield and the Star Trek reboot, engaged in a webchat with fans for the Guardian.

NORTH KOREA: Pics of a healthy-looking Kim Jong Il actually look to be months old. Shocka.

THE STANS: A 20-year-old American man was arrested late Monday at a checkpoint near the Afghan border in a tribal region where Pakistani troops are fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda. NATO Commander Gen. David D. McKiernan disagrees with media reports claiming we are losing in Afghanistan.

IRAQ: Gen. Ray Odierno says that Iran is working publicly and covertly to undermine the US-Iraq security pact. Ryan Crocker, US Ambassador to Iraq, is interviewed at the Long War Journal. The Iraqi Interior Ministry fired 20K policemen and officers through the past two years along with firing ministry personnel to reach a professional performance for the ministry.

FLAMING RAT sets house ablaze after prank goes awry.  Video and pics at the link.

DEER HITS HIPPO in Blair County, PA.

OVER 20 THOUSAND COWS have gone missing in the UK.

NEITHER RAIN NOR SNOW, nor ratllesnake bite will deter Florida mail carrier Efraim Arango from his appointed rounds.

HEY, IS THAT SIX LOBSTERS IN YOUR PANTS, or... oh, it is.