SILVER JEWS played their final gig 300 feet underground in the Cumberland Caverns, stating with "Introduction/ We Are Real" and ending with "Smith and Jones Forever."

ANDREW BIRD and LONEY DEAR played the 9:30 Club in DC last night, you can stream the gig on demand via NPR.

HEARTLESS BAST^RDS do the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, all selections from their new album, The Mountain.

LILY ALLEN is streaming her new album before next week's release.

BOB MOULD talks about his upcoming album and autobiography with Spinner.

FLEET FOXES give Billboard a status report on the sophomore album as their debut sneaks to No. 36 on the Hot 200 chart.

THE WALKMEN have a video for "Four Provinces" that features Nepal, but not the band.

FRANZ FERDINAND: Singer Alex Kapranos and drummer Paul Thomson talk to Pitchfork about the new album, seeing legends at the Grammys, and Gary Glitter, among other things.

JAYHAWKS: Gary Louris is working on reissuing the five Jayhawks albums, a new "best of" collection and a boxed set, all stuffed with B-sides, rarities and live tracks.

BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY gets an annotated discography at Drowned In Sound.

DUFFY is profiled down under by the Courier-Mail.

JESSICA SIMPSON's family says said her apparent "weight gain" has more to do with bad styling and an unfriendly lens.

CHRISTIAN BALE's profane on-set tirade is getting the remix treatment.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON does not understand why men have nipples.  Of course, this is why we have the Internet.

BRITNEY SPEARS will be taking the kids on tour, according to her blog.

GWYNETH PALTROW takes on rumors about her marriage and haters of her GOOP website.

ALI LOHAN has been skipping school on Long Island, in favor of hanging with big sister Li-Lo in L.A., according to the ever reliable Star.

GEORGE CLOONEY & AARON SORKIN are working on a Gitmo courtroom drama, with almost no hope that it will be even remotely as good as A Few Good Men.

ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. has another great take on his Oscar nomination in USA Today.

ANNE HATHAWAY is taking her Dad to the Oscars.

JESSICA BIEL is slated to host the Academy's Scientific and Technical Awards this Saturday in Beverly Hills. The geeks always book a hottie to host.

DITA VON TEESE talks about France, Fashion and another f-word that may not be the first to come to mind.

NORTH KOREA appears to be preparing to test-fire a ballistic missile that could be capable of striking the western US, a South Korean official and reports said Tuesday.

IRAN has successfully sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, according to Pres. Ahmedinejad.  I was... skeptical, but NASA and others seem to confirm it.  And an orbital launcher is a de facto ICBM, which is just peachy.

THE STANS: CIA-directed airstrikes against al-Qaeda leaders and facilities in Pakistan over the past six to nine months have been so successful, according to senior US officials, that it is now possible to foresee a "complete al-Qaeda defeat" in the mountainous region along the border with Afghanistan. Except I don't see how that lasts without also defeating or accommodating the Taliban. Contrast that with the story that the Pentagon's top military officers are recommending that Pres. Obama shift strategy in Afghanistan - to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and Al Qaeda safe havens in Pakistan, rather than on achieving lasting democracy and a thriving Afghan economy.  Meanwhile, the campaign against the Taliban suffered two logistical blows Tuesday as the president of Kyrgyzstan announced that he'd shut a US airbase in his country and the Taliban in Pakistan blew up a bridge, disrupting the main US supply route into Afghanistan.

A BABY MONKEY eats at the London Zoo.

HEY, IS THAT A PAIR OF PIGEONS in your pants?  Pic at the link!

A WAYWARD SNAKE halted commuter trains for hours in south Queensland.  No word yet on squirrel involvement.

CYBORG BEETLES prepare for battle!

SEA LION learns to write Chinese? Actually, it can only write "bull," which seems oddly appropos.