THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

 ... with DAVID CROSBY.  The outspoken and often troubled singer, songwriter and guitarist who helped create two of the most influential and beloved American bands of the classic-rock era of the 1960s and ’70s -- the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -- has died. He was 81.  My fave track of his from the Byrds was the non-LP single "Lady Friend," though he did co-write the majestic "Eight Miles High."  I'm also partial to “Everybody’s Been Burned,” and even the controversial "Triad," not officially released as a Byrds track until long after he was kicked out of the band, is pretty good, foreshadowing the style that would emerge in CSN/Y.  “Guinevere” and “Long Time Gone” are probably my faves from that latter era.  Here's the Rolling Stone and Variety obits.  Here are the statements issued by Stills and Nash.  Here are the tributes from Brian Wilson, Jason isbell, Billy Corgan, Melissa Etheridge, and many more.

THE SMILE plays KEXP.

THE VAN PELT return after 26 years with "Punk House."

THE WAEVE shares "Over and Over."

CAROLINE ROSE returns with "Miami."

PAUL McCARTNEY ALBUMS, ranked by Steven Hyden.

BOYGENIUS, on the cover of the Rolling Stone.

THE RAINCOATS' Gina Birch talked to The Quietus about her solo album.

ALEC BALDWIN will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with his role in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of Rust.

THE BAFTA nominations went to these folks. Congrats!

MARVEL: China has lifted its unofficial ban on the studio's titles, bestowing release dates for two major superhero tentpoles, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania."

CHRIS EVANS & ALBA BAPTISTA are getting serious.

ROBERT PATTINSON, on dance-floor panic attacks, potato-only diets and the fear of ever taking a break.

TRON: Third time's a charm?

CINEWORLD is closing 39 more Regal Theaters amid bankruptcy proceedings.

MATT REEVES explains the Cloverfield monster.

SCREAM VI has a trailer online.

FILM FESTIVALS — once the bastion of provocative, button-pushing fare — are steering clear of controversy.

JULIAN SANDS, star of several Oscar-nominated films including "A Room With a View," has been missing for days in the Southern California mountains, where he was hiking.

A SMILE for your day.

A BABY ELEPHANT shows off.

CANADIAN SUPER-PIGS could invade the United States.