THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with THE PAISLEY UNDERGROUND!  A two-part (Part 1, Part 2) feature from the Old Grey Whistle Test on L.A.'s psychedelic-flavored, West Coast scene in the mid-80s. Bands featured include the Long Ryders, Prime Movers, Thin White Rope, Pontiac Brothers and the Rain Parade with a 6 minute live version of No Easy Way Down. The Long Ryders get short shrift so I'll add in their later OGWT appearance to play "Looking For Lewis & Clark." The term "Paisley Underground" is believed to have been jokingly coined by Michael Quercio of the band The Three O'Clock, so I'll toss in the clip for "Her Head's Revolving" as a bonus. Other bands associated with the scene not featured include Green On Red -- sometimes likened to The Doors for songs like "Two Lovers" and "Change" -- and The Bangs, a/k/a The Bangles, with an early track, "The Real World." DOUBLE BONUS:  The Guardian Music Blog has a link-rich piece on the Rain Parade and other Paisley Underground bands.

ATLAS SOUND is advance streaming Parallax via the NYT.

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

JOE HENRY stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

FOOLS GOLD stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

NIRVANA, Live at Man Ray (Cambridge, Massachusetts), April, 18, 1990.

BRIAN WILSON talked to Gothamist about SMiLE and it's about as awkward as you would expect.  But it's a good week to close with hissolo take on "Our Prayer" and "Heroes and Villains."

VAN DYKE PARKS talks to the L.A. Times about surviving decades in the music industry, and returning to vinyl singles.

LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM talked to Gothamist about his solo career, Fleetwood Mac, Tusk, indie bands, and family matters.

WILD FLAG: Janet Weiss talks to the L.A. Times about the band's gestation.

RIOT GRRL: Music critic Everett True posts a lengthy essay on the genre and his relationship to it.

CORY SMOOT, the guitarist who portrayed the character of Flattus Maximus in the theatrical Richmond art-comedy-metal band Gwar, was found dead of unknown causes Thursday morning.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Replacements to Betty Everett, from Game Theory to Marvin Gaye, from Blitzen Trapper to the Beach Boys, plus Teenage Fanclub, the Rascals, Robyn Hitchcock, U2, Liz Phair + Material Issue and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: This weekend's wide releases are: Tower Heist, which is currently scoring 63 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, scoring 71 percent.  Neither have a ton of reviews as I type this, so check links before making a decision.

KIM KARDASHIAN & KRIS HUMPHRIES: The die was cast in their doomed marriage during the prenup negotiations - which were marked by bickering, pettiness, and even contempt.

LINDSAY LOHAN was given a week to check into jail to continue her nude shoot for Playboy magazine, but RadarOnline.com has learned that her first set of photos weren't up to the standards of the men's magazine.

KRISTEN STEWART talks about reshooting the Twilight: Breaking Dawn sex scene.

MICHAEL JACKSON: Closing arguments begin in the Conrad Murray trial.

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO cut his fee 90 percent for Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar Hoover biopic.

JAMES BOND 23 is now officially titled Skyfall, with a hint about the plot.

NINE FAMOUS MOVIES That Almost Didn't Make It to the Big Screen.

EGYPT: More than eight months after Pres. Mubarak was toppled, the euphoria of Egypt's political spring has surrendered to a season of discontent. There is widespread gloom that Egypt is again stagnating, its economy heading toward a cliff, while the caretaker government refuses or fails to act.

IRAN: The damning nuclear evidence.

AFGHANISTAN: The Obama administration is exploring a shift in the military's mission to an advisory role as soon as next year, senior officials told The Wall Street Journal, a move that would scale back US combat duties well ahead of their scheduled conclusion at the end of 2014.  In a rare insight into the thinking of a Taliban commander, Qari Mahmud Mujahid said the US overtures for peace talks was just trying to save face after battlefield losses.

STOPLIGHT CAT: Let's go to the video.

THE TREE GOATS OF MOROCCO resurface in the media.

THE SQUIRREL THREAT: Will Jurassic Park's scientists bring back the sabre-toothed squirrel?

A COW halted a soccer match after it wandered on to a pitch in Northamptonshire.

TURTLE SURFING remains controversial.