With his new album, ‘National Ransom,’ out in the U.K. this past week — and due to arrive on these shores on Tuesday — Elvis Costello dropped by the studios of BBC’s Radio 4 on Thursday to chat with host John Wilson and play this track, ‘Jimmie Standing in the Rain,’ off the new record.

Bob Mould’s turning 50 today, so to celebrate, here’s a clip of Sugar — whose debut, ‘Copper Blue,’ is arguably the former Husker Du leader’s finest moment — playing ‘Helpless’ on the BBC in 1993.

The Jam’s Paul Weller is lining up a live CD/DVD package called ‘Find the Torch, Burn the Plans’ this fall that will feature a new Julien Temple documentary and a full live concert recorded earlier this year at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

On May 26, 1984 — just three months after the release of ‘The Smiths’ — a young and occasionally smiling Morrissey appeared on the BBC TV game show ‘Pop Quiz,’ which pitted two teams of musicians against each other in a battle of musical knowledge hosted by a ridiculously attired DJ named Mike Read.

The Pet Shop Boys today revealed the tracklist for their upcoming 19-song best-of ‘Ultimate Pet Shop Boys’ — which also will be available as a special edition with a bonus DVD of vintage BBC live performances — and announced the set will close with a newly recorded single called ‘Together.’

Fans who purchase Yazoo’s forthcoming ‘Reconnected Live’ album on iTunes will get a much-coveted bonus: the previously unreleased track ‘Get Set,’ recorded by Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke in 1983 for use as the theme to the BBC children’s TV show ‘Get Set For Summer.’

On Nov. 1, the Pet Shop Boys will release a new best-of disc called ‘Ultimate Pet Shop Boys,’ billed as a ‘comprehensive greatest hits collection’ loaded with 19 singles appearing in chronological order, spanning 1984’s ‘West End Girls’ to ‘Love Etc.,’ the first single off the band’s 2009 album ‘Yes.’