POP MUSIC: Let's talk about it.

NEW RELEASES: Paste will point you to Leon Bridges, Anika and more.

BILL'S INDIE BASEMENT has Piroshka, Lou Hayter, and more.

FRUIT BATS covers the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream LP.

PRINCE's estate unvaults "Hot Summer."

JAPANESE BREAKFAST, covering Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again."

BIG RED MACHINE features FLEET FOXES and ANAIS MITCHELL on "Phoenix."

ANDERSON EAST goes very 80s on "Hood of My Car."

BOB DYLAN was reportedly in good voice on his livestreamed Shadow Kingdom.

DAUGHTER's Alexis Marshall discusses the influences on his solo LP.

THE NUMBER ONES looks at Richard Marx's vague but sticky quasi-rocker "Satisfied."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Two releases respecting the theatrical window –Universal’s Old and Paramount’s Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins– opened to blah results, respectively with 16.5MM and 13.35MM.  Black Widow showed with11.6MM on a 55 percent drop.  Last weekend's champ, Space Jam: A New Legacy, tumbled to the fourth slot with 9.56MM on a not-so-nice 69 percent skid. 

JACKIE MASON, whose staccato, arm-waving delivery and thick Yiddish accent kept the borscht belt style of comedy alive long after the Catskills resorts had shut their doors, and whose career reached new heights in the 1980s with a series of one-man shows on Broadway, died on Saturday in Manhattan. He was 93.

BENNIFER: It's on like Donkey Kong.

ADELE and agent Rich Paul, caught on camera.

MEGXIT: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will team up on a book about ‘leadership’ as part of their megabucks book deal.

HBO MAX is gaining traction with customers.

R KELLY: Federal prosecutors are seeking to have evidence of what they say are more alleged, but uncharged, crimes committed by the R&B singer  admitted at his upcoming trial in New York.

BLOW OUT at 40: Brian DePalma's dazzling 1981 masterpiece sees a never-better John Travolta find himself caught in a dangerous murder plot.

TRASH PARROTS Invent New Skill in Australian Suburbs.

UNVACCINATED SNOW LEOPARD at the San Diego Zoo catches COVID.

TEXAS NATIONAL PARK warns of acid-spraying "whip scorpions."

DOGGO at a wind farm.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with LIVE AID!  It was recently the anniversary of the trans-Atlantic rock event aimed at aiding starving people in Ethiopia (Its prime movers, like Bob Geldof & Bono, would later discover, actually getting the aid past the Marxist dictatorship would be the difficult part). Most of the day's music has found its way online, including the set from Queen that was memorialized in Boheman Rhapsody, a decidiely career-boosting appearance by U2, a look at the pre-lip-syncing Madonna, a peak-80s Bowie set and -- as my pal Nathan reminded me  -- a raft of appearances from the Style Council to the Four Tops to Paul Young to Judas Priest to the Cars to the Beach Boys to the Pretenders to The Who to Simple Minds to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and so many more.  Revisiting these videos, I was particularly taken by a solo Elvis Costello (who pobably could not afford a touring band at this point in his career) making The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" much more than what's on the page with help from a stadium crowd, and the improbable greatness of Kiki Dee in Mom wear, joining Elton John for "Don't Go Breaking My Heart."

NICK THORBURN of ISLANDS visits World Cafe.

MAPLE GLIDER plays a Tiny Desk Concert from Home.

THE KVB shares "World on Fire."

DAVID CROSBY on his early work, Steely Dan, The Simpsons, and more.

THIS SONG IS ABOUT YOU: Confessional songs are all over the pop charts, but what do musicians who blend fact and fiction owe their real life subjects?

FUNKADELIC: Building the Sound of "Maggot Brain."

SPOTIFY: Where does the money go?

DUNE has a main trailer online.

TED LASSO: How the writers made viewers love him in 157 seconds.

DR. DRE will pay almost 300K in monthly spousal support.

MENA SUVARI discusses a weird encounter with Kevin Spacey.

EMILIA CLARKE has been cast in Marvel’s Secret Invasion series for Disney+.

BEN AFFLECK & MATT. DAMON. want to start wrting together again.

DAVID S. GOYER talks to THR about his past ('Blade,' 'The Dark Knight,' 'Man of Steel'), present ('The Tomorrow War,' 'The Night House') and future ('Foundation,' 'Sandman') projects.

THE FUTURE OF CONTENT: John Mass talk s about the business of acquiring intellectual property and figuring out how to make the business side of show business work

I BRAKE for Bison.

EVER HEARD Foxes Laughing?

NOT ALL DOGS are athletic.

DOLPHIN Gymnastics.

THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS are "Standing Next to Me."

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED features Soccer Mommy, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson, and more.

THE WEATHER STATION plays a Tiny Desk Concert from Home.

THE GRATEFUL DEAD share "Sugaree" (Live at the Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/71) ahead of a new box set.

L.A. EXES share “Baby Let’s Pretend.”

LUCY DACUS, on the continued evolution of her creative practice, understanding your parents, navigating online spaces, and what it means to write with intention.

QUESTLOVE, on the Summer of Soul and more.

PHILLY PSYCH: A Brief History.

THE NUMBER ONES looks at New Kids On The Block's first chart-topper, "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)."

BRITNEY SPEARS: Back in the driver's seat — figuratively and literally.

BENNIFER: Madly in Love.

SCOOTER BRAUN: The bigtime manager filed for divorce.

THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS are going to these folks. Congrats.

BATGIRL:  After testing actresses this week, it's Leslie Grace.

MENA SUVARI discloses past sexual abuse and addiction.

DWAYNE JOHNSON & EMILY BLUNT talk Jungle Cruise and diss Vin Diesel.

NETFLIX'S STATISTICS, past and future tense.

MALIGNANT, directed by James Wan, has a trailer online.

THE LAST DUEL, directed by Ridley Scott, has a trailer online.

DOGS getting kissed.

A GERMAN SHEPHERD, babysitting Doberman puppies.

AN ELUSIVE BROWN BEAR visits the Tokyo Olympics.

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO, Reimagined.

TILL THE STROKE OF DAWN: New England Garage Bands from the 1960s.

THREE BLACK ARTISTS Who Helped Integrate Country Music.

MAC McCAUGHAN features Yo La Tengo and Jon Wurster on “Dawn Bends.”

BRIAN WILSON unveiled a newly redesigned website, which features a whole lot of rarities and Beach Boys ephemera.

KEVIN DREW shares the influences behind his latest album at BrooklynVegan.

ROBERT PLANT has been dreaming of John Bonham.

BRITNEY SPEARS: A bipartisan bill seeks to ‘Free Britney' and others who ask a judge to replace their guardian or conservator.

MEGXIT: Is there is a 'growing sense of shock and fury' among the royal palaces and Harry's own family members about his book plan?

BLACK WIDOW: Movie theater operators did not mince words in asserting that Disney left money on the table by puttingthe film on Disney Plus on the same day as its theatrical debut.

BENNIFER: Jennifer Lopez is staying tight-lipped on her rekindled romance with Ben Affleck.

THE SUICIDE SQUAD: James Gunn Explains Picking Starro As The Villain.

GHOST WORLD at 20: The comic-book movie that refused to conform.

JACKASS FOREVER has a trailer online.

A BLIND PITTIE regains his sight.

FOUR SHEEP and one deceased sheep were found hog-tied in the trunk of a Honda Civic during a traffic stop  in Caddo Mills TX.

A THERAPY DOG who consoled grieving Surfside collapse families now needs help.

THE TUBES: "She's A Beauty" and "Talk To Ya Later" are your Twofer Tuesday.

FOO FIGHTERS are streaming Hail, Satin, their Bee Gees tribute LP.

OSEES, Live at Big Sur.

THE WAR ON DRUGS teases new music.

MARGO PRICE covers the Beatles' "Help!"

DEREK TRUCKS talks Clapton, Allmans, Dylan, and more.

TOWER OF POWER: Emilio Castillo talks about the early days of the band, its 50th anniversary and how they're celebrating it. 

IGGY POP: 9 Weird and Excellent Collaborations.

THE NUMBER ONES looks at Bette Midler's grand-weeper friendship ballad "Wind Beneath My Wings."

MEGXIT:  Prince Harry has been secretly writing a memoir for nearly a year.

BRITNEY SPEARS' new lawyer said his team is “working very hard” to prepare documents to request a judge remove Jamie Spears from Britney's conservatorship.

THE SI SWIMSUIT ISSUE is online.

HALSEY welcomed her first baby with Alev Aydin on July 14.

JENNIFER LOPEZ  is taking a very hands-on approach to finding her new home.

BATGIRL: Studio execs are expecting to test a group of actresses starting this week for the highly coveted title role.

BLADE may have found a director for the Mahershala Ali reboot.

THE LAST OF US, as adapated by HBO, will have a Game of Thrones-level budget.

CLERKS III: Lionsgate has acquired worldwide rights.

A MAN, surprised with a puppy.

NO, YOU BEG: These days, you're probably not good enough to adopt a dog.

JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE & RINGO, released on Long Island. No word on Flo & Eddie.