AND NOW HERE’S THE NEWS: Danny Elfman...

AND NOW HERE’S THE NEWS: Danny Elfman has definitely got sound-track fever. The Oingo Boingo front man has got two projects in motion. He’s at work now on scoring “Beetlejuice,” a new Michael Keaton film due out next spring. And next up: the next Pee-wee Herman comic extravaganza, tentatively titled “Pee-wee’s Big Top,” whose score will include several tunes jointly written by Elfman and Herman. Meanwhile, Oingo Boingo will do three nights at the Hollywood Palladium (Jan. 28-30), where the band will try out a host of new material for its next record. . . . What happened to bassist Billy Sheehan, who recently left David Lee Roth’s band? He’s working with Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens on a new Stevens album, slated to have Ted Templeman handling the production chores. . . . Our Christmas EP of the Month goes to local-faves Fishbone, whose four-song release is titled “It’s a Wonderful Life (Gonna Have a Good Time).” The holiday-concept EP also features “Slick Nick, You Devil You” and “Just Call Me Scrooge.” . . . Queen’s always unpredictable Freddie Mercury has cut a single, “Barcelona,” with opera chanteuse Montserrat Caballe. No word yet on whether they’ll do a remake of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”. . . Meanwhile, Queen-mate Brian May is at work with ex-Genesis member Steve Hackett on a May solo project. . . . Camper Van Beethoven has signed with Virgin Records--expect a new album by spring of next year. . . . And our Heavy Metal Band Name of the Week goes to the group slated to play the Roxy next weekend--Fatal Attraction.