In this week’s link round-up we find Lloyd Cole writing about David Bowie’s ‘Low,’ plus interviews with Jim Reid of the recently reunited Jesus and Mary Chain, Ivan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger of The Beat (aka The English Beat) and New Wave piano man Joe Jackson.

The playlist from tonight’s edition of “Dark Wave” — the Sunday night “darker side of alternative” show on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave — featured Die Warzu, Love and Rockets, Kate Bush, The Church, The Birthday Party and much more

The Cure’s run of summer festival appearances continues to delight the band’s longtime fans, as Robert Smith and Co. mix up their sets and trot out songs not played in decades, if ever. The latest uber-rarity to creep into The Cure’s set: the title track of 1984’s ‘The Top,’ a song not played live since that year’s tour.

Al Jourgensen’s reactivated Ministry currently is in the midst of a short U.S. comeback tour, but could the band’s much-loved — and, famously, much-hated by Jourgensen himself — 1983 synthpop debut ‘With Sympathy’ finally be receiving the expanded reissue that was first set for release back in 2008?

Tweet Reunited post-punk/New Wave rockers Modern English — who are expected to release their eighth studio album sometime later this year — will perform a short, 7-date run […]

This week’s new releases include a 3CD reissue of Bob Mould’s ‘Bob Mould,’ ‘The Last Dog and Pony Show’ and ‘Love Dog 98,’ plus a Mobile Fidelity reissue of Jane’s Addiction’s ‘Nothing’s Shocking,’ an expanded reissue of Vicious Pink’s debut, and the CD of Men Without Hats’ new ‘Love in the Age of War.’

After performing a handful of stateside dates late last fall and earlier this spring, Morrissey tonight announce his most extensive U.S. tour in years, a 33-date, coast-to-coast trek that will keep him on the road from early October through early December — and includes a Los Angeles arena date with Iggy and the Stooges.

As announced late last week, Paul Weller is celebrating the 70th birthday of Paul McCartney with a one-day-only release of a new cover of The Beatles’ ‘Birthday.’ The song — which you can stream here — is available to buy for 24 hours via Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, with all proceeds going to War Child.

The now Hooky-less incarnation of New Order performed at 12-song set at Barcelona’s Sónar 2012 music festival on Saturday, and if you missed the live webcast, here’s a capture — thanks to YouTuber i7yci7cyi — of the full 70-minute show. As you’ll see, the band is sticking to roughly the same setlist since first reuniting last fall.

This week’s installment of The Week in Rock features news about Pet Shop Boys, Elizabeth Fraser, They Might Be Giants, David Byrne, Peter Buck, The Birthday Party, Peter Murphy, Ministry, Morrissey, The Stone Roses, Dinsaur Jr, Robyn Hitchcock, The Jesus and Mary Chain and more.

Last night, Britain’s BBC Four aired the third and final installment of the new “Punk Britannia” documentary series, billed as a look at the ‘historic cosmology, meteoric impact and smouldering aftermath of the most genuinely transformative force in British popular music history.’ Watch the full, three-hour series right here.

Elizabeth Fraser this week announced she will precede her two sets at the Antony-curated Meltdown festival with an August concert in Bath, England, that will be her first full performance in 14 years and which will find the singer debuting new material and ‘performing re-interpretations of Cocteau Twins songs.’

Last November, They Might Be Giants stopped by Hollywood behemoth Amoeba Music to celebrate the release of their second album of 2011, the compilation ‘Album Raises New and Troubling Questions.’ The group jammed out an 8-song, 22-minute set that the record store recently posted on its website