The reunited ‘Last Splash’-era lineup of The Breeders — Kim Deal, Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs, and Jim Macpherson — this week announced initial European dates for its upcoming tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of that album, revealing they’ll play in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

This April marks the 25th anniversary of both Mudhoney and its label, Seattle’s Sub Pop Records, and the proto-grunge act will mark the occasion with the release of its ninth studio album, ‘Vanishing Point’ — which you can preview now via a free download of first single “The Only Son of the Widow from Nain.”

Billy Bragg today announced he’ll release his first new album in five years this in March — the Joe Henry-produced ‘Tooth & Nail,’ which he compares to his ‘Mermaid Avenue records’ with Wilco — and then follow that with an extensive North American tour that’ll keep him on the road until early May.

With his music memoir “Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division” due for publication in the United States later this month, bassist Peter Hook has announced a 10-date book tour in late January and early February that will include, at half the stops, an on-stage conversation with noted journalists and authors.

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.”

As we reported last week, genre-straddling hard-rock act Living Colour will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album ‘Vivid’ with a new reissue and a tour centered around the 1988 album — and the band has now begun rolling out North American dates on that planned spring trek.

Once and future(?) Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore will release the self-titled debut album from his new band Chelsea Light Moving on March 5, Matador Records announced this morning, and will follow that release with a 20-date U.S. tour that has a conspicuous South By Southwest-sized gap in the schedule.