Punk icons X celebrated today’s 40th anniversary of their landmark debut Los Angeles by surprise-releasing Alphabetland, the band’s first album in 27 years and the first recorded by its original lineup — Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom and D.J. Bonebrake — in 35 years. Hear the album right here.

Los Angeles punk legends X will celebrate their 40th anniversary as a band with an impressive 32-date U.S. tour this spring and summer that will bring the group’s original lineup — Exene Cervenka, John Doe, D.J. Bonebrake and Billy Zoon — to cities coast to coast.

Robyn Hitchcock this week announced he is recording a new album — provisionally titled ‘File Under Pop’ — that’s being eyed for a January release, but, in the meantime, he’s giving away two “interim tracks” as free downloads, including one recorded with singer-songwriter KT Tunstall singing harmonies.

This week’s new releases include the new EP from Dalis Car, the 5CD ‘Arkeology’ box set from World Party, a reissue of The Human League’s ‘Dare,’ the second album from Black Francis’ Grand Duchy project, an acoustic set from X’s John Doe and Exene Cervenka and a 2CD archival live set from Joe Jackson.

This week’s roundup of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about The Cult, Billy Bragg, Ultravox, The Wedding Present, Duran Duran, Peter Gabriel, Morrissey, John Doe and Exene Cervenka, and Fad Gadget — plus a new Auto Reverse mixtape.

X co-founders John Doe and Exene Cervenka next week will officially release a formerly tour-only CD called ‘Singing and Playing’ that features seven acoustic tracks recorded in 2010 plus a live version of the band’s classic “See How We Are” the duo recorded last year (that track also appears as one of the new studio cuts).

X are set to re-release their 1986 concert film ‘The Unheard Music’ — which they’ve been screening at shows recently prior to playing their Los Angeles album in full — this December on both DVD and, for the first time, Blu-ray in special “Silver Anniversary” editions stocked with extras.

X are extending the 30th anniversary celebration of their debut ‘Los Angeles’ — which began with a run of West Coast dates last Christmas — with a new 10-date December leg that follows the band’s previously announced fall tour, which will feature a performance of the 1980 album front-to-back each night.

This week’s new releases include new solo albums from The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson (‘One Man Mutiny’) and X’s John Doe (‘Keeper’), plus a new single from Big Country with The Alarm’s Mike Peters on vocals (‘Another Country’) and the vinyl release of Paul Weller’s ‘Starlite’ single.

After marking the 30th anniversary of their debut ‘Los Angeles’ with a run of West Coast dates last Christmas, roots-punk legends X will reprise that show — featuring a screening of ‘X: The Unheard Music’ and a performance of the 1980 album front-to-back — on a 10-date tour this fall.

The original lineup of Los Angeles roots-punk legends X will — John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom and D.J. Bonebrake — will mount a seven-date tour up and down the California coast this June that the group has dubbed the ‘Boardwalk Beach Party.’

X will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its debut ‘Los Angeles’ by performing the album in its entirety during a run of Christmas dates along the West Coast — including a pair of special San Francisco shows featuring the record’s producer, Ray Manzarek of The Doors.

Tweet Legendary L.A. punk act X will celebrate the holidays this year by releasing a Christmas single — just like Ministry’s Al Jourgensen! — and […]