Butthole Surfers frontman Gibby Haynes next week will release a 7-inch single via Jack White’s Third Man Records, the label announced today, unveiling the three-song record that features two originals and a cover of Adrenalin OD’s “Paul’s Not Home” off the 1982 New York Thrash compilation.

The Specials have begun announcing dates for the first leg of this year’s North American tour, confirming shows via their Twitter account in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco on either side of the band’s planned performances at the South By Southwest festival in March.

The Specials finally are making good on a promise to tour the U.S., today announcing they’ll play two dates at the South By Southwest festival in March as part of the first leg of a larger North American visit — but the shows will not feature co-vocalist Neville Staple, who is leaving the band due to “ill health.”

Karl Wallinger apparently is making good on his promise in March 2011 to mount “a whole tour of the U.S.A.” — albeit more than a year behind schedule — with this week’s announcement that World Party will tour America this September, with initial dates in Nashville, Tenn., and New York City already unveiled.

The Jesus and Mary Chain’s touring schedule now includes shows in early August, as the Osheaga Music Festival this morning announced the group will play there, and the band itself posted new dates in Buffalo, N.Y., Toronto and Washington, D.C. on its website — and then removed them.

The Jesus and Mary Chain’s brief run through Texas last month appears to be the beginning of an active 2012: In addition to today’s announcement of the band’s first-ever concert in China, the brothers Reid also will come back to the U.S. for a string of new dates in both June and September.

The Wedding Present is just about finished with its North American ‘Seamonsters’ tour, but you can now watch a full performance from the beginning of the trek, thanks to Seattle radio station KEXP, which filmed this 30-minute set at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop in Austin, Texas, during South By Southwest.

The complete studio output of Bob Mould’s acclaimed post-Hüsker Dü trio Sugar — 1992’s landmark ‘Copper Blue,’ the 1993 companion EP ‘Beaster’ and 1994 sophomore album ‘File Under: Easy Listening’ — will be reissued in the U.K. later this spring in expanded multi-disc CD/DVD editions.

The Jesus and Mary Chain performed their first concerts in four years this week with a three-date tour of Texas that included a club gig in Houston on Tuesday, a delayed set at 35 Denton on Wednesday and a late-night South By Southwest show in Austin on Thursday.

Unable to leave London until Monday because of ‘work visa issues beyond their control,’ The Jesus and Mary Chain today replaced their appearance at the 35 Denton festival in Texas this weekend with a free show on Wednesday and moving their New Orleans concert to September.

This year’s South By Southwest will feature appearances by a horde of ’80s college rock vets, including The Jesus and Mary Chain, Bob Mould performing ‘Copper Blue,’ The Wedding Present, Thomas Dolby, The Cult, Dinosaur Jr and The dB’s, plus R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Mike Mills playing Big Star’s ‘Third.’

The dB’s today announced a June 12 release date for Falling Off the Sky, the jangle-pop heroes’ first album in 25 years and first to feature the band’s original lineup — Peter Holsapple, Gene Holder, Will Rigby and Chris Stamey — in 30 years. Plus, the band’s playing six separate shows at South By Southwest this month.

Former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson will take a break from his gigs with Guns N’ Roses and Soul Asylum to embark on a short solo tour this spring, playing six gigs in four days at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, next month before hitting the East Coast four a handful of shows in April.