The auction of 250 autographed copies of The Replacements’ much-buzzed Songs for Slim benefit/reunion EP — billed as the first new release from the ‘Mats since 1990’s All Shook Down — kicks off Tuesday morning and will run for 10 days, after which the EP’s five tracks will be commercially released as digital downloads.

The Specials finally are making good on a promise to tour the U.S., today announcing they’ll play two dates at the South By Southwest festival in March as part of the first leg of a larger North American visit — but the shows will not feature co-vocalist Neville Staple, who is leaving the band due to “ill health.”

Pigbag, the short-lived U.K. funk-infused post-punk act best known for its jam “Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag,” returns this March with ‘Year of the Pigbag,’ the first new record in three decades from the newly reformulated act. Check out the horn-fueled track “Disco Mama” from the comeback album.

The final tracklist for the The Replacements’ upcoming ‘Songs for Slim’ EP — featuring four songs recorded by Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson, plus a fifth by Chris Mars — was unveiled tonight on the project’s Facebook page amid reports that an auction for the 250 limited-edition singles could start next week.

The Replacements — namely Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson — this evening teased Songs For Slim, their much-anticipated reunion project, announced last year as four-song, ultra-limited, vinyl-only covers EP that was to be auctioned off to raise money to help pay for the medical expenses of former bandmate Slim Dunlap.

The Breeders are gearing up for a big 2013 as the ‘Last Splash’-era lineup reunites to tour that album, and to get fans into an appropriately festive mood, the band posted iPhone-filmed video last night of a rehearsal in Kim Deal’s basement of the song “New Year.” Deal also has launched a 7-inch single series.