It’s an absolute crime that 1981’s ‘Dance Craze: The Best of British Ska… Live!’ isn’t available on DVD or Blu-ray, but at least we can share the full 85-minute concert film — featuring classic performances from 2 Tone-era acts The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Beat and more — via the modern miracle of YouTube

This week’s round-up of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about Kate Bush, Peter Buck, Erasure, J Mascis, Husker Du, Howard Jones, Madness, Paul Weller, Mike Watt, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Lee Ranaldo, The Cure and Close Lobters — plus a B-52’s live DVD giveaway.

Like fellow Brits Squeeze, Pulp and James, ska-pop mainstays Madness will use their trip to California for next month’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival to book some more U.S. shows — the band’s first in this country in five years — including dates in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

The newly expanded two-weekend Coachella festival announced its 2012 lineup this afternoon, with headliners The Black Keys, Radiohead and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg joined by Pulp, Buzzcocks, Squeeze, Madness and a reunion of fIREHOSE, the Mike Watt’s and George Hurley’s post-Minutemen act.

This week’s new releases include the first two reissues from The Jesus and Mary Chain (‘Psychocandy,’ ‘Darklands’), a new album from The Waterboys (‘An Appointment with Mr. Yeats’), best-ofs from Throwing Muses (‘Anthology’) and 808 State (‘Blueprint’) and a 3CD/1DVD box set from Madness (‘A Guided Tour of Madness’).

This week’s new CDs include reissues from Morrissey (‘Bona Drag’), Midge Ure (‘The Gift,’ ‘Answers to Nothing’) and Madness (‘Mad Not Mad’), plus a live disc from Blondie (‘Blondie at the BBC’), a new compilation of hits and covers from Ministry (‘Every Day is Halloween’) and collections from a-ha (’25: The Very Best Of’), The Undertones (‘Teenage Kicks: The Very Best Of’) and Stiff Records (‘Born Stiff’).

This week’s new releases include ‘Who We Touch,’ the 11th album from The Charlatans; ‘The Morning After,’ a new mini-album from James; a David Bowie tribute album featuring Duran Duran and Mick Karn; and reissues from Madness and Flesh for Lulu’s Nick Marsh.

This week’s new releases include ‘Dum Dum Bullet,’ a posthumous compilation from The Mission UK featuring rare B-sides, demos and unreleased material; ‘Box Set 1,’ an audiophile vinyl set from the Cocteau Twins; and expanded reissues of Madness’ ‘The Rise & Fall’ and ‘Keep Moving.’

This week’s new releases include reissues from Frankie Goes to Hollywood (‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’), Buggles (‘Adventures in Modern Recording’), Madness (‘Absolutely,’ ‘7’), Julian Cope (‘Peggy Suicide’) and A Certain Ratio (‘Force’), plus a new Plimsouls live album from 1981.

Tweet Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, reissues and/or box sets. ARTIST: Public Image Ltd. RELEASES: Metal Box, Plastic Box BACKSTORY: Virgin […]

Tweet The Pet Shop Boys this week announced plans to release a Christmas-themed EP — simply entitled Christmas — in December that will include covers […]

Record Rack: A weekly round-up of new albums, reissues and/or box sets due out Tuesday. ARTIST: U2 RELEASE: The Unforgettable Fire BACKSTORY: This 25th anniversary […]

Classic British ska outfit Madness — whose “The Prince” was the second single issued by iconic 2 Tone Records — next week will release an […]