British industrial/experimental music pioneer Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson — who co-founded the hugely influential acts Throbbing Gristle and Coil, was a member of Psychic TV and worked as an artist with famed album-cover design team Hipgnosis — died in his sleep on Wednesday at age 55.

German-born punk pioneer Ari Up — the frontwoman of The Slits who learned guitar from Joe Strummer and was John Lydon’s stepdaughter — died today at age 48 following ‘a serious illness,’ Lydon and her mother, Nora Foster, announced via Public Image Ltd.’s website.

Singer/bassist Michael Been of modern-rock trio The Call — best known for their ’80s radio hits ‘The Walls Came Down,’ ‘I Still Believe’ and ‘Let the Day Begin’ — suffered a heart attack and died tonight backstage at the Pukkelpop music festival in Belgium. He was 60.

News is spreading across the web this afternoon about the death of Malcolm McLaren, the legendary Sex Pistols manager/creator who famously claimed to have invented punk rock. To mark his death, we’ve posted the video for ‘Buffalo Gals,’ his highly influential hip-hop crossover single.

Simply awful news out of New Orleans tonight, as word emerges that Alex Chilton of the peerless power-pop act Big Star has died of an apparent heart attack just days before he was scheduled to perform with the reconstituted band at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

Larry Cassidy, co-founder and frontman of Factory Records postpunk outfit Section 25, has died, British music journalist John Robb reports today on his blog. The circumstances surrounding Cassidy’s death are not yet known.

Iain Burgess, a studio engineer renowned for his role in the ’80s Chicago punk underground and a major influence on and mentor to Steve Albini, died Thursday morning in France of a pulmonary embolism stemming from liver and pancreatic cancer, Albini’s Electrical Audio studios reports.