The irascible Mark E. Smith — who turns 53 today — next month will release his 28th studio album under the banner of The Fall, the ragged, love-’em-or-hate-’em postpunk act that has churned through dozens of members since debuting in 1976.

The four-track ‘Minuteflag’ EP was recorded 25 years ago this week as a one-off jam by the members of Black Flag and the Minutemen, but not released until a year later following the death of the latter band’s D. Boon.

The reconstituted Public Image Ltd. this morning announced three more U.S. concerts — April 28 in Pontiac, Mich.; April 30 Milwaukee, Wis.; and May 16 in Northampton, Mass. — on the band’s post-Coachella tour this spring.

The short career of enigmatic Liverpool indie-pop act The La’s will be celebrated this spring with Callin’ All, a four-disc, 91-track box set that compiles singles, b-sides, unreleased outtakes and live material — and no fewer than six versions of ‘There She Goes,’ the band’s signature tune.

Universal Music next month releases ‘Legend: Rarities Edition,’ yet another version of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ beloved 1984 greatest-hits disc, which remains the best selling reggae album of all time.

Robyn Hitchcock has just released a new video for ‘Ordinary Millionaire,’ a song co-written with The Smiths’ Johnny Marr that serves as the first single off the 3-years-in-the-making ‘Propellor Time.’

A group of Israeli human rights activists have asked the Pixies to cancel their June 9 concert in Tel Aviv to protest ‘the military occupation the Palestinian people have been living under,’ urging the reunited band to ‘refuse to perform in Israel until there is freedom here.’