MAYER HAWTHORNE ends his tour with a cover of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

MERLE HAGGARD is advance streaming I Am What I Am via NPR. Spinach not included.

NATALIE MERCHANT gets a feature plus tracks from NPR's Morning Edition.

THE DUTCHESS & THE DUKE did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

THE NATIONAL drop "Afraid of Everyone" as an advance track to High Violet.

MOJO'S FAVE ALL-GIRL BANDS (with embedded media) has some notable omissions, though I suppose they could argue that The Slits and The Raincoats weren't always all-girl.

PUBLIC IMAGE, LTD. played "Rise" and "This is Not a Love Song" for Kimmel. Call it Twofer Wednesday.

HANK WILLIAMS wins a Pulitzer Prize for lifetime achievement, 57 years after his death. Gawker lays on the mockery.

FRED SCHNEIDER talks to DOA about his new project, The Superions, and his main band,The B-52s. (Thx, LHB.)

HOW PUNK CHANGED MY LIFE: Veterans of the British scene share memories with The Independent after the death of Malcolm McLaren.

LAST.FM will stop streaming full on demand songs to users, instead providing integrated streaming from 3rd parties.

STEVEN SEAGAL is being sued for sexual harassment and illegal trafficking of females for sex. Seagal's lawyer calls it "a ridiculous and absurd claim by a disgruntled ex-employee who was fired for using illegal narcotics."

SANDRA BULLOCK and JESSE JAMES: Mistress No.5 kept DNA evidence.

OPRAH WINFREY and... John Tesh?

KATE GOSSELIN is rejected by Playboy, in a small, yet surprising victory for civilization.

LADY GAGA is urging fans to practice abstinence.

JIM CARREY claims he's not having a breakdown.

BRET MICHAELS (formerly of Poison) underwent an emergency appendectomy. Every hair metal singer has his thorn.

BEN ROETHLISBERGER: The Steelers QB will not be charged for sexual assault over an alleged incident on March 5 in Milledgeville, Georgia. But the findings of the investigation don't sound good at all.

SIGOURNEY WEAVER launched a blistering attack on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, saying James Cameron didn't win the Oscar for Best Director because he "didn't have breasts."  Is she sure about that? The breasts, I mean.

THE AVENGERS may be directed by Joss Whedon, which would be awesomely awesome.

TERROR in the USA: Pakistani authorities are holding a fourth suspect in the alleged plot last summer to bomb trains on the New York City subway, U.S. law-enforcement officials said. Among the suspected targets were trains at Grand Central and Times Square. Meanwhile, the US believes al-Qaeda is actively in search of a nuclear bomb and fears it could get one through criminal gangs or by infiltrating nuclear labs in Pakistan or other vulnerable nations.

IRAN: Russian Pres. Medvedev said the US Congress' proposals for sanctions on Iran will not receive international support. China does not back additional sanctions on Iran. Defense Minister Vahidi said Iran has plans to develop a long-range missile defense system.

STANDING PUSS IN BOOTS: An awesome remix of the standing cat featured here recently.

SHEEP ON METH tazered for a scientific study.

GEORDIE THE GOAT was vandalized with anti-police graffiti.

GUARD DOG sacked after sleeping through pub's only burglary in 12 years.