THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with DANNY & DUSTY, a rootsy alt-supergroup fronted by Dan Stuart (Green on Red) and Steve "Dusty" Wynn (Dream Syndicate) and backed by members of those bands and The Long Ryders.  The Paisley Undergrounders recorded a single album, The Long Weekend, in 1985.  Pate fans may remember the album from its recurring rotation at the Music Works ("This is not a record store... it's a hangout").  It turns out there's a new D&D album due on April Fool's Day, which I discovered after finding this rare live video of "The Word is Out."  You can also stream some preview tracks (and the old "Bend in the Road") at TheirSpace.  BONUSES:  As we only have the one D&D video, here's a live clip of the Dream Syndicate playing "The Days Of Wine And Roses," the official clip of The Long Ryders' "Looking for Lewis and Clark" and a fan-made clip of Green On Red's "No Free Lunch."

PETER BJORN & JOHN:  Bjorn sings the praises of the tambourine in classic pop songs.  And he is right, of course; there is almost always room for a tambourine... and... more cowbell.  BONUS:  Peter and Bjorn's cover of "Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard" has made it onto the ol' HM for your listening pleasure.  And yes, there's some tambourine in it.

THE SHINS played an unpluggety set for Hub 6, which you can stream from the BBC now.

THE WRENS:  Stereogum interviews guitarist Charlie Bissell about teaching guitar and his other day jobs, including lawyer.  You can jukebox a flock of Wrens via the ol' HM.

JULES SHEAR:  the singer-songwriter probably best known for "If She Knew What She Wants" (by way of The Bangles)  gets his own "Idiot's Guide" surveying his catalog at Jefitoblog.  You can jukebox the accompanying music tracks via the ol' HM.

SEEN YOUR VIDEO:  Friday puts me in the mood to hear Elvis Costello & the Attractions "Pump It Up."

SPARKLEHORSE stopped by The Current, so you can stream a few ethereal songs and a few words via Minnesota Public Radio now.

AN AQUARIUM DRUNKARD has a new podcast posted, with songs ranging from David Bowie to Andrew Bird to (acoustic) Sonic Youth.

THE 69 SEXIEST SONGS... EVER, according to AOL.  And it's an interesting list, though marred by some fairly glaring omissions.  Anyway, they are all streamable, so have at it.

THE CUTOUT BIN:  This Friday's fortutitous finds on the ol' HM include:  Lalo Shifrin - Enter The Dragon; The Jam - Start!; Band of Bees - Listening Man; Box Tops - The Letter; Big Star - O My Soul; The dB's - Amplifier; Neko Case - Buckets of Rain (B. Dylan); The Beach Boys - Sail On, Sailor; David Bowie - Queen B*tch; Belle & Sebastian - Sukie in the Graveyard (profanity); Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend; Young Fresh Fellows - Low Beat; Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World; Dungen - Gr Det Nu (new!); The Wedding Present -  Pleasant Valley Sunday; The Yardbirds - For Your Love;  and Emm Gryner - Pour Some Sugar On Me.

BRITNEY SPEARS went back into rehab for the third time in about a week.  I suppose she may be out again by the time you read this, but I tend to think not.  Spears lashed out at the paparazzi with an umbrella last night, amid speculation that she and her estranged husband cut a deal that she would re-enter rehab and Fed-Ex would drop his request to expedite the couple's child-custody proceedings.

NOW SHOWING:  This week's wide releases include: the Jim Carrey thriller The Number 23, currently scoring a scary  9 percent on the Tomatometer; the TV spin-up comedy Reno 911!: Miami, which is scoring 44 percent; and the Billy Bob Thornton-led The Astronaut Farmer, which sounds a bit like Andy Griffith's 1979 TV series Salvage 1, but is scoring 69 percent on the Tomatometer.  Opening near-wide is The Abandoned, this week's horror flick not screened for critics.  Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce's fight against slavery, opens on 791 screens and is scoring 60 percent.

JIM CARREY, btw, admits his reputation may be taking a dive: "Everyone gets to be the big joke for a year. That's this business. Last year it was Tom Cruise. I could be the next Kathie Lee Gifford."

BRADGELINA:  Following the death of her mother, Jolie has reportedly lost noticeable weight, and is "lonely and desperate to make new friends."

JESSICA SIMPSON bought a van for the Casa Hogar Elim orphanage in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.  The pneumatic blonde has also recently expressed her wish to adopt kids like Angelina Jolie. Just sayin'.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH IS STILL DEAD, but  a weepy Judge Larry Seidlin ruled that Smith's remains should be given to the court-appointed guardian ad litem representing her 5-month-old daughter, Dannielynn.  FNC has video of Judge Seidlin's Greatest Hits.  Before the ruling, we learned that Howard K. Stern was entirely financially dependent upon the late spokesmodel and snuck her drugs even while doctors were trying to wean the then-pregnant Smith from her addiction to meds.  Also, TMZ turned up video of Smith and her doctor getting hot and heavy at a West Hollywood, Calif. gay bar in 2005.  Although the guardian intends to have Smith buried next to her son in the Bahamas, Smith's mother may appeal Judge Seidlin's ruling.

LINDSAY LOHAN, fresh from rehab, continues clubbing copiously, and skipped a memorial service for director Robert Altman, who she previously called "the closest thing to my father and grandfather that I really do believe I've had in several years."

MADONNA has banned her daughter from dating until she is 18, according to the ever-reliable National Enquirer.

SIENNA MILLER was snapped topless at the beach with possible bf Jamie Burke, so your just a cople of clicks away from NSFW material.

CELEBRITY POLITICS:   A new CBS poll shows that the American public is divided on whether Hollywood celebrities should be involved in politics -- a reversal from four years ago, when most thought celebs should get involved if they chose to.

THEY WUZ ROBBED!  Slashfilm lists "Movies That Should Have Won an Academy Award, But Didn't."

DISPATCHES -- UNDERCOVER MOSQUE:  A reporter for Britain's Channel 4 entered Birmingham's prominent Green Lane mosque and other leading mosques in Britain with a hidden camera. He found Islamic supremacism, hatred of Jews and Christians, and the subjugation of women preached in them.  Like most things, the documentary has been posted on the Tube (Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

MORE ISLAMISM in the UK:  The Muslim Council of Britain is demanding a ban on "un-Islamic" activities in schools, Arabic language classes for Muslim pupils, recitations from the in music classes, prayer rooms with washing facilities in all schools, and more...

IRAN ignored the UN Security Council's ultimatum to freeze uranium enrichment -- a possible pathway to nuclear arms -- and has instead expanded its program by setting up hundreds of centrifuges.  The US and its European partners are weighing another set of financial restrictions on Tehran, including the possibility of targeting companies run by the country's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps.

IRAQ:  US troops uncovered a car bomb factory with propane tanks and chlorine cylinders in Anbar province.  Bill Roggio has a round-up of operations in Anbar and other provinces,  For example, a senior police chief in Baqubah was arrested for "involvement in the murder, torture, kidnapping and sectarian violence of Iraqi citizens in Diyala Province."  That's actually good news, considering prior reports that militants were fleeing there from Baghdad before the "surge."  Another two brigades of Iraqi troops will be sent to Basra to boost security when British forces begin their phased withdrawal.

THE LARGEST SQUID EVER CAUGHT, weighing an estimated 990 lbs and about 39 feet long, took New Zealand fishermen two hours to land in Antarctic waters.  Neither Capt. Nemo nor Capt. Jack Sparrow could be reached for comment.

HOLY MACKEREL!  KFC has asked Pope Benedict XVI to bless the Fish Snacker Sandwich, a Lenten addition to the chain's Snacker sandwich line.

BINDI SUE UPDATE:  The search for the stolen baby Dumeril's boa turns up a ball python -- also possibly stolen from the same pet store.

...AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:  A kitty with 26 toes.  Pic of "Extra" and her many pads at the link.

A DEER was rescued from a coffee can by members of the Royal Mounted Canadian Police.