THE RACONTEURS stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and acoustic mini-set you can stream on demand via NPR. The band has released a video for "Old Enough" and an Antiques Roadshow-esque companion site, From Old To Gold. But you have to wait a few weeks for the bluegrass version recorded with Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Moore.
CALEXICO: Joey Burns talks to the Montreal Gazette about returning to the band's Southwestern aesthetic. The band played the World cafe on Friday, so you can stream the gig on demand via NPR.
MATES OF STATE: The husband-wife team of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel talk about balancing work and family.
A.A. BONDY talks to the Mpls. City Pages about moving from the Alabama-based rock band Verbena to rural New York and Americana.
THE BEATLES: Paul threatens to release their weirdest track ever.
MYSPACE inks a deal to license over one million tracks from IODA, a San Francisco-based digital distributor of independent music. Meanwhile, iLike and TuneCore have partnered so that unsigned artists can market their music through iLike and get royalties when it's streamed there.
LITTLE JOY, a new side project involving Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti, releases the live, stripped-down video of "Next Time Around." The original track is a little more driving.
HEARTLESS BAST^RDS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set you can stream on demand via MPR.
LOS CAMPESINOS! gave Pitchfork an advance track from their upcoming album, "Miserabilia."
THE PIPETTES: Another personnel problem.
THE WATSON TWINS talk to Paste about their decision to record The Cure's "Just Like Heaven," among other things.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: James Bond had a license to make a killing at the box office, as Quantum of Solace took in an estimated 70.4 million. How big is that? Casino Royale opened at 40.8 million; Die Another Day had opened with roughly 47 million (though Casino Royale ultimately made more). This installment is the fifth biggest November opening ever — beaten only by three Harry Potter flicks and The Incredibles, which are all family flicks. Sure, the production budget here was 200 million, but Bond has already cashed in to the tune of 251.6 million overseas. And it should make about 200-250 million in North America. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa drops a respectable 43 percent to second place, making another 36.1 million. It will have competition from Bolt (and maybe Twilight) next weekend. Role Models also held up well as counter-programming in third place, with 11.7 million; it has made 38 million on a 28 million production budget. HSM3 took in another 5.8 million; it has made 84.3 million on an 11 million budget, but I still bet Disney is rethinking whether this should have been a holiday release. The Changeling rounds out the Top Five, but has made back only about half of its 55 million production cost. Overall, the Top 12 movies made 143 million this year; one year ago, they made about 93 million.
LINDSAY LOHAN was attacked with bags of flour by anti-fur activists. Pics at the link. Galpal Samantha Ronson was not amused.
HEATHER MILLS reportedly has had a third boob job – after she was stung by comments about her "wonky" cleavage.
PAULA ABDUL is planning to bow out of American Idol? Seems unlikely to me.
JENNIFER ANISTON & JOHN MAYER were spotted dining and clubbing in NYC on Thursday night.
JACKO has finally given up title to his Neverland ranch, albeit to a company he partly controls.
WATCHMEN has a new trailer online.
STAR TREK has a teaser trailer in theaters; here's the bootleg video.
NANOTECH: A new antireflective nanoengineered coating developed by researchers at RPI could help to overcome two major hurdles blocking the progress and wider use of solar power.
IRAN: An aide to Pres. Ahmadinejad has come under fire for attending a ceremony that involved actions deemed insulting to the Koran, giving fuel to the Iranian president's opponents before next year's election.
IRAQ: Yesterday, the Cabinet approved a security pact with the US that will allow American forces to stay for three years after their UN mandate expires at the end of the year.
THIS DOG does a decent imitation of Snoopy.
DEER takes extreme action on lobbyist.
HORSE-TAIL CHOPPING: The scourge of northwest Iowa.
COUGAR enforces "No Trespassing" sign, with near-fatal results.
CYMBELINE the TERRIER needs a lighter touch when fetching the paper.