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 ran a link-rich piece on the Rain Parade and other Paisley Underground bands in 2008.

LOS CAMPESINOS! stopped by WFUV's Studio A to share songs from their fifth full-length album, No Blues.

LAKE STREET DIVE played Rockwood Music Hall, including a sultry cover of George Michael's "Faith." 

QUILT stopped by WNYC Soundcheck for a chat and a mini-set of psych-pop.

THE PACK A.D. cranks out the garage rock on KEXP. 

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART drop “Simple And Sure” before Days Of Abandon.

THE HANDSOME FAMILY provides the music of True Detective.

PRINCE popped up for a heavy take on "Let's Go Crazy" in Manchester.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS: Mike Cooley talks to The Arts Desk about inter-band dynamics, songwriting inspiration and just what it is about Americana us damn Brits find so appealing. (Thx, LHB.)

THE DREAM SYNDICATE is profiled at PopMatters.

THE NATIONAL's Bryce Dessner talks to Drowned in Sound about his new classical work.

THE TOP 10 WHITE STRIPES SONGS, according to Stereogum.

CUTOUT BIN: From Hugo Montenegro to the Velvet Underground, from the Ramones to the Flying Burrito Brothers, from the Bangles to Pink Floyd, plus REM, the Beach Boys, Yuck, Rhett Miller 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: Son Of God, which is currently scoring 18 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Non-Stop, currently scoring 55 percent; and the R-rated extended cut of Anchorman 2. Plus, a number of theaters are bringing back Oscar nominees for you crammers.

MILA KUNIS & ASHTON KUTCHER are engaged.

ROBIN THICKE & PAULA PATTON: Is Thicke's infamous  MTV VMAs duet with Miley Cyrus to blame for their split?

JUSTIN BIEBER is going harder than ever on sizzurp and weed since living in Atlanta, multiple friends involved in his life tell TMZ.

LEAH REMINI talks to BuzzFeed about a hard year post-Scientology, which she says she left for her daughter.  The CoS reponds.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS and his hat are profiled by GQ.

DARREN SHARPER now faces rape charges in two states.

SETH ROGEN testified before Congress regarding funding for Alzheimer's research, then tweeted about how only two Senators showed up. Video at the link.

UKRAINE's fugitive president turned up in Russia on Thursday and masked gunmen seized government buildings in the Crimean region as tension built over the direction of the country's revolution.

VENEZUELAN authorities issued an arrest warrant for a second opposition figure, ramping up the pressure on protesters who have staged nationwide rallies this month in the biggest threat to President Nicolas Maduro since he came to power. Maduro's government is hoping Carnival will take the heat out of the nation's worst unrest in a decade.

SYRIA: State media claimed that regime and Hezbollah forces killed over 170 fighters, including Saudis, Qataris, and Chechens, from the Al Nusrah Front and the Islamic Front in an ambush outside Damascus. In the Damascus region, Islamist fighting groups, including the Islamic Front and the Suqour al Sham, are rejecting local truces. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham told Christians in Raqqah it would protect them so long as they observe a long list of conditions, including prohibitions against public worship and owning weapons.

IRAN: The U.N. nuclear watchdog planned a major report on Iran that might have revealed more of its suspected atomic bomb research, but held off as Tehran's relations with the outside world thawed, sources familiar with the matter said. Secretary of State Kerry said yesterday that the US has an obligation to pursue diplomatic and other options to force Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program.

A MONKEY steals a pricey GoPro camera, takes a selfie.

TWO DOGS take a joyride, crash into a river.

TEGU LIZARDS are beginning to overrun parts of Florida.

A TIGER walks into a bar... in Lockport, IL.