DESTROYER made its network TV debut, playing "Downtown" for Fallon. 

GANG OF FOUR stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session. 

LUYAS are advance streaming Too Beautiful to Work. The band, "influenced by Laurie Anderson and Bob Dylan," are profiled by the Montreal Gazette. (Thx, LHB.)

THE BASEBALL PROJECT is streaming six tracks from their new album via ESPN.

KURT VILE played the the World Cafe Live; you can stream the whole gig on demand.

THE VANDELLES drop "My Time" in support of a new EP. For fans of JAMC-esque noise-pop.

ALICE COOPER is profiled by Morning Edition in advance of his Rock & Roll hall of Fame induction.

THE HIVES: "Hate to Say I Told You So."

NEKO CASE used Twitter to host a discussion of why female rock stars don't get groupies. Reax at Metafilter. (Thx, Chromewaves.)

SUUNS: Ben Henry talked to The Quietus about scaring fans, the Montreal scene and why it's good to be sexy.

THE DEARS: Murray Lightburn talks to the Globe and Mail about the band's quasi-reunion.

THE 10 BEST PROTEST SONGS, according to Dorian Lynskey, author of a new history of the genre.

CHARLIE SHEEN screened Jaws on a 100-foot yacht, accompanied by hs new galpal and adult film actress Bree Olson. Sheen's soon-to-be ex-wife Brooke Mueller has moved back in with him, according to RadarOnline.  Indeed, Radar now claims that Sheen has taken the three women on a tropical vacation.  CBS is asking focus groups about doing Two and a Half Men without him. 

LINDSAY LOHAN was working on a plea deal, but decided to go to trial after learning the judge would require jail time; the prosecutor wanted six months.

RHIANNA and... Ryan Phillippe?

BILLY RAY CYRUS is trying to get his act together after making explosive comments about his family, including daughter Miley Cyrus.

HALLE BERRY & GABRIEL AUBRY: He is moving from LA to NYC to care for their daughter while she films a movie. It's the intersection of sweet and self-interested.

ROYAL WEDDING SECRETS for royal wedding secret-cravers.

JAMES FRANCO & ANNE HATHAWAY talk Oscar hosting with The Hollywood Reporter, which also reports on this year's differences from prior shows.

IRAN: The US Treasury designated the head of the Basij militia and Tehran's prosecutor general for human rights abuses. The two Iranian warships have transited the Suez Canal and are en route to Syria. Senegal cut ties with Iran after the latter shipped weapons to rebels.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS are handing out 37 billion dollars in chilling-out money to head off protests.

BAHRAIN: The government freed more than 50 political prisoners, and said it would permit peaceful demonstrations, in an attempt to appease protesters.

LIBYA: According to Swedish tabloid Expressen, Libya's ex-justice minister claims Gadhafi personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people in 1988. The Italian government estimated that more than 1,000 people have been killed during the insurrection. More than one-half of the country is out of government control. The US fears Gaddafi might use mustard gas. Regardless of what comes next in Libya's lethal political standoff, the OPEC country's oil sector is nearly certain to suffer, bringing long-lasting supply disruptions or even permanent damage.

PAKISTAN's ISI spy agency is ready to split with the CIA because of frustration over what it calls heavy-handed pressure and its anger over what it believes is a covert US operation involving hundreds of contract spies.

AFGHANISTAN: Two think-tankers argue in the NYT that there is increasing evidence that Afghanistan is moving in a more positive direction than many analysts think. But Afghanistan has appealed for the US to provide security assistance beyond 2014.

DANCING GOAT: More like prancing, I think.

CHEETAH CUBS climb a tree at safari camp. Awww...some pics.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: A spider with a human face. Help me!

SNAKE on a TRAIN: A woman who lost her three-foot long boa constrictor on the Boston Metro has been issued with a hefty bill for cleaning costs.