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.

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.

Michael Jackson was working on two albums (Reuters)

Reuters - At the time of Michael Jackson's death last week, it was well-known that he was preparing for a 50-show concert series at London's O2 Arena later this month.

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!"

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.

Massive demand for Jackson memorial tickets (Reuters)

Reuters - More than half a million fans from around the world applied for 17,500 free tickets to Michael Jackson's public memorial service next week, organizers said on Friday as a massive security operation got underway.

Jackson kids face hurdles to coping with his death (AP)

AP - No matter how unusual their lives may have been so far, Michael Jackson's children now face a universal trauma felt by all kids who suddenly lose a parent.

Jackson was loving and attentive father, many say (AP)

AP - When Rabbi Shmuley Boteach brought his children to play with Michael Jackson's kids at Neverland Ranch some eight years ago, the rabbi's youngsters naturally made a beeline for the fabulous rides — the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, the bumper cars.

The Killers announce plans to release covers album (Yahoo! Music)
Yahoo! Music - The Killers' Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vanucci have told NME.COM that the band are planning to record an album of covers before the end of the year.

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.