R.E.M. was joined by Modest Mouse axemeister Johnny Marr for a rendition of "Fall On Me" at Chicago's United Center.  The first time I saw the band play this, it was not quite finished.

SHE & HIM kick off a new series produced by the legendary Steve Lillywhite at NPR. The duo is also featured in the roll-out of Blurt, which comes with a bonus feature on Zooey Deschanel.

MY MORNING JACKET frontman Jim James rejects comparing the band's new LP to Prince at the outset of a piece at Blurt.

SLOAN is streaming their new Parallel Play album via YepRoc. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

VAMPIRE WEEKEND bassist Chris Baio takes a look back at the band's crazy year with the Village Voice.

THE OLD 97s have Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer in the video for "Dance With Me," which is pretty much a command.

BLACK MOUNTAIN: Stephen McBean talks to ChartAttack about the group's sophomore effort, from the depths of a haze of cold medication.

T-BONE BURNETT talks to NPR's Day to Day, which also has a couple of streaming tracks from his music for a new version of Sam Shepherd's play, Tooth of Crime,

EMMYLOU HARRIS talks to Pitchfork about her many collaborations, interpreting other people's songs, Johnny Cash, and the downside of staying so busy.

THE BBC & EMI have struck a deal to release thousands of hours of previously-unreleased music from the likes of Paul McCartney, Coldplay, The Beach Boys and David Bowie.

KATHERINE HEIGL withdrew her name from contention for an Emmy, blaming the Gray's Anatomy writers for not giving her worthy material: "In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials."

GEORGE CLOONEY & SARAH LAWSEN split over her boob job?

ANGELINA JOLIE does a Q&A with Entertainment Weekly, explaining what attracted her to the film adaptation of Wanted.

DAVID SPADE and Playboy Playmate Jillian Grace, who dated briefly, are expecting a baby girl.

REESE WITHERSPOON's gig as Avon's Global Ambassador has her donning a kimono in Japan to spread awareness about breast cancer.

BRITNEY SPEARS & MEL GIBSON had another of their ongoing guidance sessions -- at an exclusive Beverly Hills cigar club.

CAMERON DIAZ is continuing to heat things up with Jen Aniston's ex boy-toy, Paul Sculfor.

THE SMURFS are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a Hollywood movie deal announced on Tuesday by Columbia Pictures.  Aren't their heads already big?

IT IS THE YEAR OF THE TWEEN for the Forbes Celebrity 100 List, though none crack the Top Ten.

THE WEBBY AWARDS went to these folks, who are supposed to limit their acceptance speeches to five words.

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE trailer is online. I want to believe this will be good...

PAKISTAN condemned a US and Afghan Army cross-border attack against Taliban forces in Mohmand agency. The US military said it warned Pakistan the fighting was underway.

AFGHANISTAN: US Marines who served in Anbar Province are bringing the lessons of Iraq to the fight against the Taliban.

IRAQ: The Guardian reports on the downward slide of AQI, while noting AQ may move more into places like Somalia and Yemen. The US is seeing a sharp drop in the number of foreigners entering Iraq to become AQI suicide bombers, according to intelligence and Bush administration sources.  CNN reviews internal AQI documents. The US military said on Wednesday that more than 500 insurgents who fought US and Iraqi forces had surrendered their arms in the past three weeks and joined the reconciliation process in central Iraq. High-level negotiations over the future role of the US military in Iraq have turned into an increasingly acrimonious public debate, with Iraqi politicians denouncing what they say are US demands to maintain nearly 60 bases in their country indefinitely.

WHITE TIGERS are thriving so much at one of India's top reserves that authorities have agreed to expand its boundary to give them a bigger area for the free swim.

A TRAPPED PUPPY was rescued from a storm drain under Interstate 95 in Miami after a couple walking near Northwest Sixth Avenue and 75th Street saw a female dog pacing on top of a metal storm-drain grate and heard a helpless puppy whimpering below.  Like the Jessica McClure story, but with a puppy.

A MAMA BEAR and her two cubs seated themselves at a Romanian raestaurant. "It was like Goldilocks and the three bears in reverse," said frightened customer Flaviu Lazar.

A REKNOWNED SCOTTISH FARMER was crushed to death by his tractor; the family believes the "accident" may have been caused by his dog.

A GREAT WHITE SHARK was spotted off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in two separate incidents over the weekend. What say you, Police Chief Brody?