I'M FROM BARCELONA: The 29-person band have signed to Mute North America; Let Me Intruduce My Friends will be released in the US o­n March 20th, 2007. I've linked to their signature song "We're From Barcelona" before, so here's frontman Emanuel drafting folks o­n the streets of Paris to join in singing it o­n La Blogotheque.

NEW RELEASES: A raft of compilations getthe jump o­n the holiday season this week. The remixed Beatles, the U2 Singles comp, the Doors' remasters box, the Tom Waits Orphans box, an Oasis "best of" and the Sufjan Stevens Christmas collection are all streaming in full from AOL, which pretty much sums it up.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE frontman Kevin Drew says the band intends to take a "significant" hiatus, though there will be solo and side projects aplenty.

TV o­n the RADIO plays a streamable, unpluggety mini-set for the Interface via AOL.

THE SHINS: Drowned in Sound runs Part 1 of an interview with frontman James Mercer, who talks about the music at his wedding, the leak of the new album, and more.

SEEN YOUR VIDEO: The new video for "Lie to Me" from the Tom Waits Orphans set is kinda strange, though very Tom Waits.

THE SMITHS: The Times of London has an essay o­n the new crop of bands influenced by Bigmouth & Co.

THE DECEMBERISTS performed a mini-set for the World Cafe, which is streaming from NPR.

THE HOLD STEADY is profiled in London's Guardian: "I always tell the audience at our shows they should call in sick from work the next day," says Craig Finn, the 34-year-old singer of the Hold Steady. "And then the next day I get a whole load of emails telling me I was right."

YUSUF ISLAM, the Artist Formerly Known As Cat Stevens, is being allowed back into the US to promote his first new album in 30 years, having previously been refused entry in 2004.

MICHAEL RICHARDS, the actor formerly known as Kramer, launched into a profane racial tirade caught o­n video at a famous L.A. comedy club last Friday. Jerry Seinfeld, who was already scheduled to appear o­n The Late Show with David Letterman Monday night, issued a statement: "I am sick over this. I'm sure Michael is also sick over this horrible, horrible mistake. It is so extremely offensive. I feel terrible for all the people who have been hurt." So it was no coincidence that Richards appeared o­n Letterman via satellite to apologize. He has been banned from the comedy club, but maybe he'll still be able to get work in the next Mel Gibson movie.

COMING SOON: More movies open Wednesday to kick off the holiday season, including: Deck the Halls, a comedy which has not been screened generally for critics; Tony Scott directing Denzel Washington (again) in Deja Vu, the time-travel action pic that's currently scoring 71 percent o­n the Tomatometer; rawk comedy Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny, scoring 83 percent; and the The Fountain, which finds Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in a reportedly baffling immortality romance pic scoring 53 percent. The star-studded Bobby, a paean to RFK, opens wide Thursday, but is currently scoring 47 percent. Christopher Guest's latest mockumentary, For Your Consideration, expands to 613 screens, with a score of 54 percent.

BRITNEY SPEARS may give away her sex tape herself, to ensure that estranged hubby Fed-Ex doesn't cash in o­n it. I guess "free" would be in my price range. Meanwhile, the pop tart is endangering her classy comeback by hanging with the French Hotel, smoking and lounging around a club without her pants.

JESSICA SIMPSON has been spotted with John Mayer again, endangering the Strange New Respect he had been cultivating o­n the internet. The super-reliable Perez Hilton reports that the pair were spotted together at the Sunset Marquis hotel in L.A.

MADONNA: A High Court judge in Malawi has postponed his ruling o­n a challenge to Madge's plans to adopt a 13-month-old Malawian baby.

TOM-KAT UPDATE: The couple's vows were reportedly capped with a "never-ending kiss," according to Georgio Armani, who must be a Springsteen fan. But isn't an over-the-top smooch exactly what you expected? So very... Liza Minelli and David Gest of them. I saw someone from US Weekly o­n TV reporting that Holmes and her dad first danced to Louie Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World," while she and Cruise first danced to Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird." BTW, it appears that Cruise brought his best man -- senior Scientologist David Miscavige -- o­n honeymoon with him. NTTAWWT. BONUS: "Tom and the Beanstalk" is the latest exhibit at the Gallery of the Absurd. (btw, thank our site admin Lance for the cool tech touch on that link.)

LINDSAY LOHAN had to cough up