SHANE MacGOWAN & FRIENDS (including Johnny Depp, Chrissie Hynde, Nick Cave, Primal Screamer Bobby Gillespie, the Clash's Mick Jones, Glen Matlock, Paloma Faith, and Eliza Doolittle) cover "I Put a Spell on You" for Haiti relief.

PRINCE gave a new song, "Cause and Effect," to The Current, just because. I don't think he's been quite this pop since the 80s.

JOHNNY CASH got a birthday feature on Fresh Air.

SPOON stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

STEPHIN MERRITT had a pre-Magnetic Fields band called The Zinnias -- and the music is out there.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT is also streaming The Winter of Mixed Drinks via NPR.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND talk to The Obaerver about topping the charts, battles of the bands, day jobs, etc.  They also perform "White Sky" unplugged.

JOANNA NEWSOM talks to the Wall Street Journal about the themes and secrecy surrounding her new triple-LP.

PATTERSON HOOD talks to DCist about the Drive-By Truckers documentary, The Secret to a Happy Ending.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG talks to the London Evening Standard about how three difficult years resulted in her IRM album.

CARLY SIMON may or may not have revealed the subject of "You're So Vain."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Shutter Island repeats at No.1 with 22 million.  However, the Scorsese flick drops 46 percent, perhaps due to competition from the better-than-expected remake of The Crazies, which landed in the No. 3 spot with 16.5 million.  Sandwiched between them in the No. 2 slot was the debut of Cop Out, which made 18.6 million.  Despite poor reviews, this is Kevin Smith's biggest opening, and the best for Bruce Willis since Live Free or Die Hard.  Cop Out had a budget budget -- 30 million -- so this will likely turn out well for those involved.  Avatar plugs away in the No. 4 slot, making another 14 million on top of the gajillion it's already made worldwide. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief rounds out the Top Five with 9.8 million -- its last clear shot at the family market before Tim Burton brings Alice in Wonderland this week.  Overall, the box office is way up over last year.

CHARLIE SHEEN: Ex Denise Richards may be a witness for the prosecution.

MARIE OSMOND's son Michael Blosil leapt to his death Friday night in Los Angeles.  His suicide note showed sadness, which is very Royal Tenenbaums.

ANDREW KOENIG got a nice memorial from his colleagues at FakeRadio,net. (Thx, Lance.)

BRITTANY MURPHY's husband is furious over a published report that claims the actress obtained a prescription for 120 hydrocodone pills just 11 days before her death - and only 11 pills were left in the bottle.

CHYNNA PHILLLIPS has checked out of the facility where she was being treated for anxiety.

PAULA ABDUL has decided against doing Dancing With the Stars, but is still in talks with Simon Cowell about joining his upcoming "X Factor" show.

VARIETY killed a bad review for a movie advertised on and promoted by Variety.

AFGHANISTAN: Behind the combat troops and military trainers, alongside the aid workers and agriculture experts, come the lawyers.

IRAN: How the mullocracy is getting its hands on nuclear equipment.

IRAQ: Impressions of the election from Basra.

LLAMAS are digging the snow in Oregon.

A RUSSIAN CHIMP has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he has picked up.

THE 15 CUTEST ANIMALS in the world that could kill you.

THE GREAT PYTHON HUNT: Python season starts this weekend in Florida.

COWS make lousy house guests, an Arkansas woman learns.