Karl FIRST, A LITTLE "NEWS":
BRIGITTE BARDOT, the pouty, tousle-haired French actress who redefined mid-20th-century movie sex symbolism in films beginning with “And God Created Woman,” then gave up acting at 39 to devote her life to the welfare of animals, died on Sunday at her home in southern France. She was 91.
PERRY BAMONTE, who played guitar and other instruments in The Cure, has died after a short illness. He was 65.
THE FLAMING LIPS are going through it.
JANE'S ADDICTION & PERRY FARRELL reached a settlement in their lawsuit over an onstage fight that took place last year.
SUSANNAH HOFFS joined YO LA TENGO for the last night of Hanukkah.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Avatar: Fire and Ash repeats atop the chart with 64MM on a leggy 38 percent drop. Zootopia 2 places with 20MM on a 35 percent increase despite competition for family dollars. Marty Supreme shows with 17.5MM but 28.2MM since its limited opening, a second-highest opening for A24 studios and more proof that Chalamet has the juice.
…AND
THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY STARTS HERE:
…with THE BEAT FARMERS! Making a tradition of this more sober than usual, professionally-shot, early BF gig recorded at Universal Studios, including "There She Goes Again" (VU); "Road to Ruin," "Bigger Fool," "Reason to Believe" (Springsteen), "Powderfinger" (N. Young), "Happy Boy," "Big Ugly Wheels," "Bigger Stones," "Gun Sale at the Church," "Dallas Blues," "I Wanna Be Free," "Lakeside Trailer Park," "Death Train," and "Seven Year Itch." If you're new to the band, my picks would be "Bigger Stones," "Happy Boy" and the cover of your choice. BONUS: Now how much would you pay? But wait… there's more! If you really want to see someone put the "bar" in "bar band," watch these NSFW clips from Houston, TX of the late Country Dick Montana leading the band through "Lucille" (K. Rogers) — complete with his favorite beer bottle stunts — followed by "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Wino," "Are You Drinkin' With Me, Jesus?" and "Mondo." SUPER-SPECIAL BONUS: Country Dick rolls out "California Kid" and "Anarchy in the UK" (Language warning).
U2: Crushingly obvious, I know.
NICK CAVE & SHANE MacGOWAN: "What a Wonderful World."
ABBA wishes you a "Happy New Year," but it doesn't sound anywhere as celebratory as "Take A Chance On Me."
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS perform "This Year" at the M-Shop in Ames, IA.
OTIS & CARLA have a "New Year's Resolution."
CLAUDE PATE: Don't forget you can stream "New Year" on the Tube, with comments from a member of The Eclectics and Friend of Pate Ken King.
AULD LANG SYNE: All my life, I don't know what this song means.
JOE JACKSON: Pate frequently attempted "One More Time" to often hilarious effect, so today I stick with Joe's early material, including "Sunday Papers" live on the OGWT, "Kinda Kute" on the Kenny Everett Video Show, and a Beat Crazy-era run of "On Your Radio." The Rock Goes To College show provides live takes on "It's Different For Girls," "I'm The Man," and this pulsing version of his signature "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" BONUS: The appropos finale, "Got The Time?
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THE ZOMBIES: "This Will Be Our Year."
THE BEST MOVIES OF 2025, according to The Ringer. And Uproxx. And Roger Ebert dot com. And Rolling Stone.
THE BEST TV SHOWS of 2025, according to The Ringer. And Uproxx. And Ebert. And Rolling Stone.
THE GREAT PERFORMANCES of 2025, according to Ebert dot com.
THE GREAT CRAFT OF 2025, according to Roger Ebert dot com.
A CLEVER DOG, a ball, and a treat.
I IMMEDIATELY regret this decision.
NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US Now.
RYAN SEACREST: Don't drink and host. The More You Know. Whoosh.
