David Lynch and ‘Blue Velvet’’s Isabella Rosellini, as shot by Helmut Newton

• David Lynch has agreed to direct a Web-only series.
• And just went you thought Devendra Banhart couldn’t get any weirder …
• Thurston Moore and former Be Your Own Pet frontwoman Jemina Pearl have covered “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” for a Gossip Girl scene.
• Icy Demons has grabbed members of Man Man, Tortoise, Prefuse 73’s backing band and more for their tour dates with Of Montreal and Yeasayer.
• Joaquin Phoenix has decided to quit acting and focus on music.
• Franz Ferdinand have released the remix stems for their new single.
• Scott Walker has tapped Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker and more for next week’s tribute concerts.
• The Hold Steady’s mustache-rocking keyboardist has wrapped up a solo record.
• Read more
  

Brian Eno in the early ’70s, before the male pattern baldness set in

[Photo by Neil Preston]

• Brian Eno has co-created a new iPhone app that’s “part instrument, part composition and part artwork.”
• Daniel Rossen has responded to a NY Times feature that suggests there’s tension between him and Grizzly Bear bandmate Ed Droste over Rossen’s Department of Eagles project.
• Speaking of the Times, one of their writers recently visited Wayne Coyne’s Oklahoma home.
• Panda Bear has remixed the Notwist.
• Squarepusher has announced a late fall tour that doesn’t include any U.S. dates.
• Amazon and iTunes have paired up with YouTube.
• Read more
  

Now back to our regularly scheduled news/feature updates …

• John Lyndon has taken a break from criticizing Bloc Party to hawk British butter.
• Cat Power has completed a 10-inch double pack of covers.
• A bunch of relatively small, NYC-centric producers have remixed Moby’s Last Night LP for a remix record.
• Flea has pulled a Tommy Lee and gone back to school.
• Tim Hecker and Aidan Baker’s (Nadja) collaborative album is almost here.
• London’s British Museum just unveiled a 50-karat, multi-million-dollar gold statue of Kate Moss.
• The Killers are back. They still haven’t declared their second disc an “honest mistake,” though.
• Alexander Robotnick is playing a few rare U.S. dates this month.
• Read more
  

[Brent 'Don't Fuck With Me' Hinds portrait by Shawn Brackbill]

• Brent Hinds of Mastodon clocked King Khan in the face on Thursday, splitting his lip.
• John Cale is curating a live Nico tribute featuring Mark Lanegan and a host of other completely random artists.
• Kim Gordon has sparked a new fashion line, named after one of her side projects with Thurston Moore.
• In mix CD news, Arctic Monkeys‘ drummer has completed his entry in the excellent Late Night Tales series and the Rapture have christened a new !K7 one called Tapes.
• George Michael has been arrested on drug possession charges once again.
• Is MySpace Music blocking indie bands from uploading their songs?
• Hercules and Love Affair have announced a brief leg of fall tour dates.
• Read more
  

GROOVERIDER: No, his cell wasn’t that small

• The Mountain Goats and Kaki King have collaborated on a Nintendo-inspired EP.
• Get all of your VMA coverage here. (That’d be MTV’s Music Video Awards, which were quite painful to watch last night … unless you’re a hormonal teenager, of course.)
• Russell Brand caused quite a stir, though.
• Apple is announcing a new series of iPods tomorrow.
• Neil Diamond, Bon Jovi are both on track for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nods.
• Built To Spill premiered their front-to-back performance of Perfect From Now On this past weekend.
• Sufjan Stevens has invited Budos Band, St. Vincent and more to perform at his “Takeover” event at Brooklyn’s Academy of Music.
• Noel Gallagher of Oasis apparently fractured a rib during this onstage fracas.
• Lightning Bolt launch a world tour this Saturday.
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METALLICA: Hopefully the new album isn’t this cartoonish

• Cat Power has covered David Bowie for a car commercial.
• A London museum has bought the original Rolling Stones tongue art.
• Ben Folds Five are reuniting for a one-off show.
• Santogold has confirmed her first headlining tour.
• Rage Against the Machine’s RNC concert ended early yesterday, resulting in a bullhorn-led set of two songs and a whole lotta’ “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” rallying cries.
• Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes is starting his own menswear line.
• Simian Mobile Disco are working on their second album despite James Ford’s other commitments with Klaxons, the Last Shadow Puppets and more.
• The Elephant 6 collective have a number of new projects on the way, including a “Holiday Surprise” tour/hootenanny.
• Read more
  

TRICKY, during his ‘Tricky kid’ days with Martina Topley-Bird

Lots of good reading here for the long weekend. We might just post some surprises while we’re out of town and bored in Amish country, PA, too. Stay tuned to our RSS or Twitter …

• Radiohead played and streamed the final show of their North American tour last night.
• Remember when Antony Hegarty used to appear onstage with Lou Reed all the time?
• Rick Moody has contributed liner notes to a new Danielson Famile collection.
• Beck and his father, conductor David Campbell, will perform together for the first time at LA’s Hollywood Bowl next month.
• Soulwax’s live DVD/documentary is coming out next week, so the Guardian asked members of the Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, the Gossip and many more to quiz the duo.
• Just when you thought your ’stache was bad ass, this feature comes out.
• Johnny Marr has joined the Cribs as a full-time member.
• Talk about a lengthy Ben Gibbard interview!
• Speaking of the Death Cab frontman, he helped Zooey Deschanel and others with a special DNC party this week. (It’s no Vanity Fair, but whatever, right?)
• You might want to be careful with what you leak these days. After all, that G N’ R guy just got nabbed by the feds.
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PELICAN: More metal than you’ll ever be, obviously

From now on, we’re going to deliver our favorite news stories and features from the week on Friday, so you have something to do at work besides, you know, work. This week is gonna be a bit of a catch-up effort since we’ve been busy with the second digital issue of self-titled and not posting as much Coffee Talk fare.

Here it goes:

• Squarepusher’s next LP will be out in late October.
• The UK’s annual Reading/Leeds festivals kick into high gear this weekend.
• YACHT has signed to DFA.
• Bradford Cox of Deerhunter/Atlas Sound has had a rough week, one that led this MTV blogger to discuss other, weightier issues.
• Nine Inch Nails aren’t leaving the road anytime soon.
• Pelican’s got a lot going on in the coming months, with a new LP also planned for next year.
• A new service has already stepped in to fill the void left by an RIAA-addled Muxtape.
• The Streets and Muse have collaborated on a new cut.
• The Decemberists have revealed a three-volume singles series.
• This Crystal Castles remix is kinda great. Read more
  

MORRISSEY: The former Smiths frontman with the thorn in his side

[Photo by Fabio Lovino]

• Chinese Democracy may be a Best Buy exclusive.
• Dischord has launched their own hi-quality digital store.
• Morrissey has asked fans to boycott his new unauthorized DVD.
• Rhys Chatham’s “200 Guitars” premiere happens tonight in New York City.
• Those Los Campesinos! kids can’t stop, won’t stop.
• Mike Myers has agreed to appear in Quentin Tarantino’s long-delayed Inglorious Bastards.
• The Onion’s “A.V. Club” has a great intro to Woody Allen’s career, just in time for his acclaimed new film.
• Fujiya and Miyagi have a new video.
• Who knew Andrew Bird was so popular?
• Alan McGee keeps flapping his opinionated gums; this time he’s miffed about My Bloody Valentine.
• Peter Bjorn and John have revealed the details behind their new instrumental disc.
• Ghostface Killah’s cut Iron Man cameo has leaked online.
• In other Wu-Tang news, GZA has a new album.
• Chromeo have announced a very brief east coast tour.
• A new Oasis jam has popped up online.
• This woman thinks she can “save the music industry” by plastering lyrics across jeans, shirts and other clothes.

Rather than post a Single of the Day on this busy Friday, we’ve got a very special video for you after the jump: Battles‘ “Tonto” clip, which Radiohead totally ripped off for their new light show …

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• Radiohead have written a new song for the closing credits of Choke, as well as the film’s “ambient” score. Oh wait, they didn’t after all.
• Amy Winehouse has blasted Jack White’s James Bond theme.
• Yeasayer have announced their first national headlining tour.
• The Killers are “feeling the pressure to produce something great” on their third full-length.
• DJ/Rupture has cut one hell of a mix for a fall release.
• Dungen have confirmed their fall tour as well.
• Mark Ronson has signed the Rumble Strips and plans on producing their second LP.
• Pitchfork’s TV station has signed a deal with IFC for the on-air distro of their online videos.
• YACHT has remixed Stereolab and Ratatat.
• All six seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, easily one of self-titled’s favorite shows, are on sale for 60-percent off today only. Read more