THE REMBRANDTS played "I'll Be There For You" in a pop-up Central Perk. Introduced by the dude who played Gunther.

J MASCIS  treats KEXP listeners to a live in-studio performance from The Cutting Room in NYC.

SHOVELS & ROPE stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

HAMILTON LEITHAUSER delivers a special concert for KEXP's VIP donors at The Triple Door in Seattle.

PHANTOGRAM performs live in the KEXP studio.

RESTORATIONS drop "Misprint" ahead of LP3.

BEACH SLANG drops "Dirty Cigarettes" ahead of Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street.

U2's religiousity is examined in The New Yorker.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS' John Darnielle talks to Fresh Air about his novel, The Hulk, heavy metal, heavy drugs, and more.

THE 100 BEST SINGLES OF 1984: Pop's Greatest Year, according to Rolling Stone.

BOB CREWE, hit songwriter and record producer for the Four Seasons, has died at the age of 83. His co-compositions also include the Tremeloes' Silence is Golden (1964), the Walker Brothers' The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) (1966), Labelle's Lady Marmalade (1974), and the Bay City Rollers' Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye) (1975).

JOAN RIVERS: The cardiac arrest leading to Joan Rivers' death happened as the comedian's personal doctor began performing a biopsy on her vocal cords. A staff member at Manhattan's Yorkville Endoscopy clinic told investigators that the doctor, who has not been publicly identified, took a selfie photo in the procedure room while Rivers was under anesthesia.

GEORGE CLOONEY is not paying for his wedding to Amal Alamuddin.

IGGY AZALEA is suing the ex-boyfriend/producer who says he shot a sex tape with her -- because she says the creep also illegally copied data from her laptop.  In the suit, she also accuses him of forgery.

AVRIL LAVIGNE and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger are headed for a split after a year of marriage.

KIM KARDASHIAN says she nd Kanye West are trying for a second child.

BEYONCE: Photoshopping her own photos? She and Jay Z reportedly renewed their wedding vows and are looking at an 85 million dollar manse. Trying to squash those breakupr umors in a big way.

BEN-HUR: British actor Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) is expected to take the lead role in a remake of the 1959 classic.

TOP GUN 2 reportedly will emphasize the relevance of pilots in the modern age of drone warfare. Oh boy. 

IRAQ: About half of Iraq’s army is incapable of partnering effectively with the U.S. to roll back the Islamic State group’s territorial gains in western and northern Iraq, and the other half needs to be partially rebuilt with U.S. training and additional equipment, the top U.S. military officer said Wednesday. Army chief of staff General Odierno said airstrikes alone will not root out extremists in Iraq, ground troops will also be needed, and that extremists cannot be permitted a safe haven in Syria.

SYRIA: House Republicans and Democrats backed President Barack Obama’s request to train and equip Syrian rebels in a measure that both parties stressed doesn’t authorize a U.S. ground war to defeat Islamic militants.Meanwhile Syria has revealed a previously undeclared research and development facility and a laboratory to produce the poison ricin to the global chemical weapons watchdog, diplomatic sources told Reuters.

THE ISLAMIC STATE: The campaign against the Islamic State will likely require close-in U.S. training and assistance for irregular ground forces under the command of the Ground Branch of the CIA’s Special Activities Division. The US is allied with Asaib Ahl al-Haq and other Shiite militias, who also pose a central challenge to the creation of a more just and less sectarian Iraqi government.

GOAT Says What?

A CAT hit at 70mph and dragged for 10 miles down a motorway had its ears burned off - but survived.

A GREAT DANE ate 43 and a half socks.

FIELD OF DONKEYS: Near Roswell, NM, to no one's surprise.