Since the announcement last month that MTV plans to revive its ‘120 Minutes’ franchise as both a new monthly TV show and a quick-hit web series, the music-averse network has begun populating its MTV Hive website with performances by the likes of The Cure, Pixies, The Jesus and Mary Chain and World Party.

Monday night in New York City, Patti Smith sang and read poetry at Milk Studios for the opening of ‘Illumination: Who Are Poets,’ an exhibit by rock ‘n’ roll photographer Steven Sebring — and was joined onstage by Michael Stipe for an impromptu performance of R.E.M. smash ‘Everybody Hurts.’

It’s SoCal punk icon Mike Ness’ birthday today — he’s 49 — so to mark the occasion, here’s some vintage Social Distortion footage that captures most of the band’s March 22, 1986, concert at The Ritz in New York City.

This French TV report from sometime in 1987 features footage and interviews with both The Cure and Depeche Mode in the studio, as they work on their breakout albums ‘Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me’ and ‘Music For the Masses,’ respectively.

Over the past two weeks, Duran Duran has performed on ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,’ ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.’ Watch all of those performances right here.

Reunited synthpoppers Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark wrapped up their first U.S. tour in 20 years on Tuesday in Hollywood, and ex-KROQ/current 1st Wave DJ Richard Blade offers up this quick backstage tour at the Music Box.