1. In the wake of its recent success at the Golden Globes, Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellows is said to be mulling over the idea of doing a feature film version of the TV series. Yes, please — provided that Maggie Smith is on board with the idea. [via The Mirror]

2. YouTube has announced plans to partner with the Venice Film Festival and Ridley Scott’s production company on Your Film Festival, a new online film festival/global competition aimed at shorts that offers a $500,000 prize. [via ArtsBeat]

3. Rihanna and Coldplay will be performing “Princess of China” together live at next month’s Grammy Awards; Chris Martin says that her appearance on the album is his favorite bit of Mylo Xyloto. [via MTV News]

4. According to the results of a new Harris Poll, Johnny Depp is America’s favorite actor for the second year straight, followed by Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood. How much do you want to bet that some studio exec is currently trying to figure out how to get them all in one movie together? [via Deadline]

5. Bruce Springsteen’s “angry” new album has been appropriately titled Wrecking Ball, and is due out in the US on March 6th. Check out a full tracklist, as well as the cover art, here.

Bonus Buzz: 11 Bacteria Photos Presented As Abstract Art

The best album covers reveal something about the records they decorate. But graphic designer Simon C. Page, who has made sleeves for artists including Ministry of Sound and the Crystal Method, takes that connection even further with a series he calls Musically Inspired Album Covers. “This year I have been asked to create more and more album covers, which I love doing, but I noticed that the ones which I wanted to work on most were the ones where I had been inspired or moved by the music,” Page writes at his website. “The artwork here has been created, influenced and inspired by just listening to the music. ” See what hearing the Avalanches, Daft Punk, and more looks like in some of our favorite covers from the collection, then visit Flickr to see the entire series.

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You’ve probably read recently about Coldplay’s decision to keep their new record Mylo Xyloto off insta-streaming sites like Spotify, Rdio, Rhapsody, etc. The move has led to much industry hand-wringing, and headlines like “Coldplay snub sounds alarm for streaming music.” It’s certainly an interesting choice on the part of the band and their management, and after the jump we wonder what might be behind it — and what a similar decision might mean for bands who aren’t quite the commercial juggernauts that Coldplay are.

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Every Monday, we sit ourselves down and hunt down the most notable new album streaming action on the web. This week, the biggest news is undoubtedly the arrival of the new Coldplay album, although we’re not 100 percent sure whether anyone apart from Gwynnie is supposed to have heard it yet. Elsewhere, there’s also Matthew Herbert’s porcine opus One Pig, some conceptually heavy pop music from Class Actress, and scuzzy Southern psychedelia from Gringo Star. And there’s a pleasant surprise: the new Noel Gallagher album, which is the best thing he’s done since the halcyon days of Britpop. It all awaits after the jump, so click through and start listening!

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Last week we ran a post on the people who we thought were rock ‘n’ roll’s most underrated lyricists — artists who don’t get the credit they deserve for their writing, either because they’re better known as guitarists/producers/crazy performers, or just because they’re generally underappreciated. We got some great feedback, and some excellent suggestions in the comments section, and all was very congenial. But last week’s post does raise one obvious question: If those were rock ‘n’ roll’s most underrated lyricists, who are its most overrated? We’ve taken the plunge and put together a list of the latter. Again, to be clear, this isn’t meant to be any sort of definitive list of worst lyrics or lyricists — Des’ree, your throne is secure — just those who we reckon don’t get enough scrutiny for being either a) not that great or b) not quite as great as people seem to think they are. So, what say you, readers? Are there more names you’d like to nominate? Or do we just need to join the witness protection program?

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If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: Josef K.

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Today at Flavorpill, we tried to imagine going an entire year without looking in the mirror once. We couldn’t believe that VH1 has already given the go ahead to a new reality series starring T.I. on the same day that he was released from prison. We wished that this Funny or Die sketch starring Don Cheadle as Captain Planet would get the feature film treatment. We weren’t impressed by the first images of Penn Badgley in character as Jeff Buckley — he just looks like Dan Humphrey. We decided that we like Coldplay more when Willie Nelson is covering them in a Chipolte commercial. We watched a few death metal bands explain where babies come from. We were surprised that Samoas are less popular than Thin Mints. We loved this A.V. Club interview with Patton Oswalt (particularly this: “Nothing creates rage on the Internet like sincerely enjoying something. That drives people up the fuckin’ wall.”) We couldn’t decide which was more frightening: this carrot or Martha Stewart in her Halloween costume. And finally, we were incredibly excited to see the hilarious book trailer for Flavorwire contributor Courtney E. Smith’s upcoming release, Record Collecting for Girls, which hits shelves September 6!

1. Here is the new, Spike Jonze-directed video for Kanye West and Jay-Z‘s “Otis.” The clip has a sort of lo-fi feel, at least for this pair — mostly, we see them hanging out together on an empty lot and stunt driving an amusingly modified luxury car. And yes, that is Aziz Ansari who you see for like a second.

2. One of our favorite Brooklyn music venues, The Bell House, is throwing its annual ’90s-themed party, Saved by the Bell House, this Saturday. But Dustin Diamond (aka Screech) isn’t happy that the club used his image — along with the rest of the Saved by the Bell cast — on a flyer advertising the event. His people wrote the venue a letter asking them to remove Diamond’s likeness but also offered, “If you are interested in having Dustin, please feel free to call.” The party, by the way, is partially a benefit for the ASPCA. See what The Bell House has done with their flyer here. [via Gawker]

3. Jani Lane, the 47-year-old former frontman of Warrant, was found dead in his room at a Comfort Inn outside Los Angeles. Although no cause of death has been released, Lane is known for his history of alcohol abuse. [via Today]

4. That third Bridget Jones movie is totally happening. Although nothing is confirmed yet, we assume this means Renee Zellwegger is back on board to play the title role, and early whispers suggest that Colin Firth will also return. Our big question: Will the rumors that Bridesmaids director Paul Feig will helm the film turn out to be true? [via EW]

5. Coldplay have announced that their fifth album will be called Mylo Xyloto and will be released October 24th. As with their previous full-length, Viva la Vida, Brian Eno is listed as a collaborator. We don’t expect that will save the band from its terminally square status. You can check out the Mylo Xyloto cover art at NME.

Bonus Buzz: 12 Celebrities Who Have Killed People

Rockers are rebels, and pop stars are squares. That tends to be the stereotype, but with freaks like Lady Gaga ruling the pop charts, there are bound to be exceptions on both sides. Today, we’re taking a look at rock stars who indulged in softer sounds, sung about life’s more mainstream pleasures, and defied the leather jacket-wearing norm that has been the genre’s trademark since the time of Elvis. From James Taylor to Hall & Oates to Coldplay, we suggest the ten squarest rock acts of all time after the jump. Add your own picks in the comments.

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1. Today is President Obama’s 50th birthday! The celebrating already began last night with a fundraiser for his 2012 campaign in Chicago that featured performances by Jennifer Hudson, OK Go, and Herbie Hancock. [via The Daily Beast]

2. According to Us Weekly, Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford (better known as the frontman for Mumford & Sons), were once “childhood pen pals,” and now they’re engaged! [via Vulture]

3. Courtney Love may have gotten drunk while on a shopping spree in Sydney, Australia, and then stumbled into the streets where she almost got hit by a car. According to this website, when a fan tried to help out her out of harm’s way, Love responded by saying, “Stop telling me what to do, I can do what I want.” Lovely.

4. Some good news: Not only is Breaking Bad sticking with AMC, but now it looks like we might be getting two more seasons of the beloved series instead of just one! [via Deadline]

5. Coldplay stopped by Jimmy Kimmel last night, and played two of their new songs, “Charlie Brown” and “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” Watch both clips here.

Bonus Buzz: 20 Scents That Secretly Defined Your Childhood