John Lydon’s reactivated Public Image Ltd. will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year with tours of the U.K., Europe and Japan, along with the release of a new documentary and a career-spanning box that are both titled “The Public Image Is Rotten,” the band announced today. See those tour dates here.

Marc Almond today announced he’s reuniting with Dave Ball for the first time in 15 years to commemorate Soft Cell’s 40th anniversary with one final farewell concert — dubbed, naturally, “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” — at London’s O2 Arena on Sept. 30. Tickets go on sale later this week.

Following last year’s stripped-down acoustic tour, cult-favorite Scottish indie-pop outfit Trashcan Sinatras are planning to return North America — among other locales — and have hinted to fans they’ll be performing their 1990 debut album Cake along the way. Full details to come.

[tweetmeme]Reactivated 2 Tone ska legends The Specials will return to the U.S. this summer for at least three concerts in California. According to its Facebook page, the band will perform in Oakland, Pomona and San Diego in late June. It’s not known yet whether more shows are in the offing. Full dates here.

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. This week’s titles include vinyl and CD reissues from David Bowie and Felt, plus a new Altered Images box set.

A new Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds concert film titled “Distant Sky” and filmed last year will be screened in theaters worldwide for one night only on April 12. Directed by David Barnard, the film captures the Bad Seeds’ Skeleton Tree-centered performance on Oct. 20 at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen.

Former Bauhaus and Love and Rockets bassist David J today shared a sparse — and starkly political — new song that he says he wrote this morning called “Thoughts and Prayers” in response to yesterday’s massacre of 17 students and teachers at a school in Parkland, Fla., and the litany of gun violence in this country.

Echo & The Bunnymen and The Jesus and Mary Chain are teaming up for a post-punk dream bill for what appears to be a one-off outdoor concert in the U.K. this summer — with Peter Hook, bassist for Joy Division and New Order, handling opening duties with his band The Light.

It was no secret that Mark E. Smith, the late frontman of post-punk icons The Fall, was in ill health leading up to his death last month at the age of 60. But his family today released a statement revealing what ultimately killed him: terminal lung and kidney cancer. Read the full statement here.

Having taken their name from a New Order video, The Killers have, not surprisingly, shown a predilection toward covering songs by classic alternative acts, including Joy Division, The Smiths, Morrissey and, of course, New Order. Now comes the band’s on-stage homage to The Cure. Watch the band’s cover of “Push” here.

Peter Hook & The Light will continue their march through New Order’s back catalog, moving on to full-album performances of the band’s 1989 album Technique and its 1993 follow-up Republic at a trio of just-announced U.K. concerts this September. Get the full details and tour dates right here,

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. This week’s titles include a new EP from the reunited Ride, plus the latest studio album from indie legends Superchunk.

Depeche Mode announced today plans to follow up last fall’s lengthy stateside tour with a new run of nine North American dates in late May and early June, a series of concerts that will see the band play New York City, Chicago, Boston and more. Full dates and details right here.