With J Mascis’ first-ever solo studio album due out in just over a month, Sub Pop Records has kicked free a second track from ‘Several Shades of Why’: ‘It Is Done,’ featuring Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell on backing vocals.

The Feelies have recorded their first new album in 20 years, a 13-track collection called ‘Here Before’ that’s due out April 12 on Bar/None Records — and is preceded by the track ‘Should Be Gone,’ the band’s first new recording since 1991’s ‘Time for a Witness.’

Another week, another song emerges off R.E.M.’s upcoming ‘Collapse Into Now’: This time, it’s track 3 off the album, ‘Überlin,’ which is being pushed as a single in Europe.

With three tracks off R.E.M.’s forthcoming ‘Collapse Into Now’ — already having made it onto the web, the band today announced the first radio single off the album: the rocker ‘Mine Smell Like Honey.’ Hear it here.

Wire will embark on a short nine-date North American tour this April in support of their 12th studio album — the 11-track ‘Red Barked Tree’ — which is due out on Tuesday, although you can now stream the record in its entirety on NPR’s website.

Fans of Social Distortion today got another taste of the L.A. punk warriors’ forthcoming ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’ this week with the premiere of the track ‘California (Hustle and Flow)’ on the L.A. Times’ Pop & Hiss blog.