L.A. punk vets Social Distortion — currently in the midst of their first-ever South American tour — today announced initial dates for a summer U.S. tour that includes a slot at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago’s Grant Park.

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.

Last week we reported that Concrete Blonde is reuniting this summer to mark the 20th anniversary of ‘Bloodletting’ by performing the album in its entirety — and today the band posted nine U.S. dates in June.

The rejiggered Public Image Ltd. made its first U.S. television appearance since 1992 last night with a performance of ‘Rise’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ to promote its upcoming appearance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and subsequent U.S. tour.

There’s a flurry of activity on tap from Modern English next month as the British post-punk/New Wave act releases ‘Soundtrack’ — its seventh studio album and first batch of new songs in 14 years — and issues 1986’s ‘Stop Start’ on CD for the first time.

During a break from sessions for R.E.M.’s next album, Mike Mills contributed a cover of Billy Bragg’s ‘Sing Their Souls Back Home’ — off the agit-folkie’s 2008’s album ‘Mr. Love & Justice’ — to The Voice Project.

We mark this week’s 30th anniversary of The Cure’s ‘A Forest’ single with this rare 1979 performance on French TV, which features Robert Smith singing entirely different lyrics to a revved-up version of the band’s classic track.