Pixies planning Hollywood-themed new album (Yahoo! Music)
Yahoo! Music - Pixies frontman Black Francis has revealed that he is planning to record the band's first new album since 1991's Trompe Le Monde with a Hollywood film director.

R&B singer Maxwell ends seven-year break (Reuters)
Reuters - A vanishing act has become practically de rigueur for R&B musicians of a certain caliber. Many make a mega-hit album or two, collect Grammy Awards and critical accolades -- and then disappear.

ABBA's Andersson shoots down London reunion talk (AP)
AP - Forget those reports that Swedish supergroup ABBA will be reuniting to cover Michael Jackson's sold-out concert dates.

How Jackson's "Thriller" changed the music business (Reuters)
Reuters - In early 1984, when Epic Records executives presented their slate of upcoming releases at the convention in Hawaii of parent company CBS Records, they couldn't resist playing up the success they were experiencing. So between the pitches for new albums, Epic inserted stock footage of semi trucks and a voice-over that thunderously announced, "There goes another load of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' albums!"

Michael Jackson's videos set a new standard (Reuters)
Reuters - A seldom-seen 1989 music video for Michael Jackson's song "Liberian Girl" is a good indication of the pop star's clout.

Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home (AP)

AP - Questions about Michael Jackson's use of prescription drugs are intensifying after a powerful sedative was found inside his home.

Jackson Memorial Set for Staples Center, Funeral Plans Falling Into Place (E! Online)

E! Online - UPDATE: E! News has learned exclusively that AEG Live will make next Tuesday's memorial service for Michael Jackson free to the public.

Michael Jackson bringing Neverland to U.K. (Yahoo! Music)
Yahoo! Music - Michael Jackson is set to turn the Kent house he'll be renting during his London O2 Arena residency into a replica of his Neverland Ranch.

U2 asks fans to support Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi (AP)

AP - As U2 kicks off its world tour, the Irish rockers are turning a spotlight on Myanmar's jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Cuba's Fidel Castro honored with a reggaeton song (Reuters)

Reuters - Since he swept into power 50 years ago, Cuba's Fidel Castro has been honored in poems, movies and paintings and now in reggaeton, a form of music widely popular among Cuban youth but not island leaders.