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.”

Today we continue with more results from our Readers Poll 2012, this time counting down the Top 10 compilations, box sets and live albums, with titles from the likes of World Party, James, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Roxy Music, The Specials, Skinny Puppy, Duran Duran and more.

The reunion of 2 Tone-era ska giants The Specials rolls into 2013 as the band this week announced a 10-date spring tour of the U.K. and even hinted it would fulfill its promise to return to America, tweeting this morning that “The Specials are discussing a possible two part TOUR OF THE USA in March and late August 2013.”

Ska-pop survivors Madness celebrated their appearance in Sunday’s mammoth, music-filled closing ceremony of the London Olympics — where they performed “Our House,” much like they did for the Queen earlier this summer — by releasing a free track off their forthcoming, as-yet-untitled 10th studio album.

Amid rumors that the stage-shy singer somehow will participate in Sunday’s London Olympics closing ceremony, Kate Bush apparently is set to release a new remix of her best-known hit, ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God).’ A listing for a 2012 remix of the song was up on Amazon.co.uk, although it’s now been removed.