CURSIVE made their network TV debut playing "From The Hips" at the Ed Sullivan Theater.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART talk to Decider Austin at SxSW. Singer-guitarist Kip Berman on the importance of lyrics: "It doesn't have to be hyper-literary, like, 'I'm Colin Meloy, and I imagine myself as a 17th-century space-faring pirate.' It's more about trying to say something genuine and emotionally direct..."

THE DECEMBERISTS, btw, will be streaming the live premiere of The Hazards of Love, a sprawling 17-part narrative song-cycle.  That's tonight, but I'll probably remind you when it goes on demand, too.

FAKE PROBLEMS do the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, including a raw cover of CCR's "Travelin' Band."

SxSW: NPR is offering a 100 song stream from bands playing the big fest. Playlist at the link.

PUBLIC ENEMY decided to "Bring The Noise" to Jimmy Fallon, with an assist from The Roots.

BEN FOLDS has created a new album, Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella, a collection a cappella groups covering his songs. MP3 and Tube clip at the link.

GRIZZLY BEAR: Filter has first impressions of the band's highly-anticipated Veckatimest album.

THE STONE ROSES are readying a 21 gig UK reunion tour this summer to accompany the boxed set reissue of their debut LP.

WHICH ONE OF YOU IS PINK? A collection of 12 drawings by Syd Barrett created in 1965 are being auctioned for charity this month.

WEST SIDE STORY is revisited by Vanity Fair, with Jennifer Lopez, Robert Rattinson and more...

NATASHA RICHARDSON, actress and Liam Neeson's wife, was critically injured in a ski accident in Quebec.

JOHN MAYER is Twittering about his latest breakup with Jennifer Aniston, who claims she dumped him.

MADONNA is threatening to adopt another kid from Malawi. Meanwhile, her ex, Guy Rtichie, was spotted with Elle Macpherson.

CHRISTINA RICCI is engaged to her co-star in All's Faire in Love, Owen Benjamin.

BELINDA CARLISLE of the Go-Gos got booted from Dancing With the Stars. She don't got the beat.

JULIA ROBERTS nastily snubbed Fox's Roger Friedman, wrongly believing that he'd written bad things about her.  Oops.

BOLLYWOOD SUPERMAN: Truth, Justice and the Indian way. With subtitles.

SEAN CONNERY has profiteering claims against him dismissed by a Swiss court.

ISLAMISM in the UK: In London's Muslim neighborhoods, an Afghan reporter finds a few too many uncomfortable reminders of home.

PAKISTAN: Pres. Zardari has endorsed the reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as Chief Justice. US Rep. Jane Harman says A.Q. Khan's black nuclear market has not been closed down yet completely.

IRAQ still has many problems -- apart from lingering outbreaks of violence, there are still shortages of electricity and water, and corruption is rampant. But after six years of war, the nation is finally starting to move toward a life that feels normal.

SLUGS GET IT ON: Let's go to the video.

FORTY-ONE BULL SNAKES in a CRAWLSPACE: "Snakes.... why did it have to be snakes?"

FROGS MARRY to please Indian rain gods.

MATING NEPHILIDEA SPIDERS: More exciting than you imagine? I dunno... I can imagine quite a bit.