THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with THE RASCALS! I thought for sure I had featured them before, but I have been remiss, so let's get to it.  "Good Lovin?" You can see it shorter in color or longer in B&W.  They're introduced by Alan King on Hullaballoo for a "dramatic" performance of "I Aint Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore"  and returned about a year later to cover "Slow Down."  I had to watch that in HQ to get it to work, as I did with the pumped up take on "People Got to Be Free."  Had to leave the Tube to find mid-period hits like "Groovin'," "A Girl Like You," "Lonely Too Long,"  and "How Can I Be Sure?", not to mention their tumultuous take on "Mickey's Monkey," which easily surpasses the album recording.

THE HOLD STEADY did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter at SxSW.

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set streaming via NPR.

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS drummer Dafydd Ieuan talks to Clash about the new album and tour, balancing work and family, etc. Videos at the link, too.

AKRON/FAMILY is profiled at the Village Voice.

JOE COCKER & JOHN BELUSHI's infamous duet on "Feelin' Alright."

WIRE: Colin Newman talks to the Calgary Herald about curating this year's Sled Island Festival.

MARK OLSON talks to Blurt about working again with fellow Jayhawk Gary Louris.

PRIMAL SCREAM: Bobby Gillespie talks to Interview about the band's first, complete US tour in nine years, the past, the future, and Little Steven.

M WARD talks to the Mpls Star-Tribune about She & Him, returning to to tour his new album, etc.

CUTOUT BIN: From Let's Active to Black Sabbath, from M Ward to Ted Nugent, from Sham 69 to the Zombies, plus Johnny Cash, Robyn Hitchcock, Elvis Presley, the Hold Steady and more  -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING:  This weekend's wide releases include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is currently scoring 43 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, currently scoring a scary 10 percent; and the animated Battle for Terra, scoring 58 percent.

LINDSAY LOHAN has been cozying up to a 36-year-old computer nerd in Hawaii.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ may have bulked up with steroids as early as high school - and was suspected of juicing while playing for the Yankees, a bombshell new book reports.  His teammates gave him a nickname for it.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON has topped a poll of Hollywood's best breasts... compiled by Access Hollywood?  Classy!KELLY McGILLIS, after two marriages and two daughters, is in the market for a female partner.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE of the FALLEN has a full trailer online.

STAR TREK: Zachary Quinto talks to New York magazine about the reboot, Vulcan wisdom and the Beastie Boys. And there are five new clips online.

ROGER RABBIT, the sequel?

MR. T was summoned for jury duty. I pity the defendant.

THE AMERICAN MILITARY ADVISOR, co-published by the US Army War College, is a refreshing and blunt how-to guide for civil affairs and political affairs officers.  The author, Michael J. Metrinko, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkey and Iran and spent 14 months as a hostage when Iranian students seized the US embassy in in 1979.  After the 9/11 attacks, he  took assignments in Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan.

PAKISTAN: The government claimed the Dir operation dislodged the Taliban after just one day of fighting, but the Taliban still control much of the northern district.  Gen. David Petraeus, commander of US Central Command, has told US officials the next two weeks are critical to determining whether the Pakistani government will survive.

IRAN:  US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday a military strike on Iran's nuclear program would not stop that country from pursuing the development of a nuclear weapon. Gates told a Senate panel that a military option would only delay Iran's nuclear ambitions and drive the program further underground, making it more difficult to monitor.

IRAQ: April was the bloodiest month for violence in Baghdad in more than a year, raising questions about US witdrawal plans.

RUDE PARROT: Let's go to the video.

DONKEY SUICIDE BOMBERS threaten British troops in Afghanistan.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: Again and again, the Scots fail to finish the job.

A BIRD knocked out power in Salem, OR... with a fish.

SWARMING MICE severely chewed a war veteran Down Under.  I think we all know how painful that can be.  Willard and Ben sought for questioning.

PSA: Friends don't let friends ride a horse drunk.