Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark today released the video for the third single off their 2010 album ‘History of Modern,’ a cool stop-motion/animated clip for ‘History of Modern (Part I)’ created by Sweden’s Lapantafilm, winner of a make-our-next-video contest hosted by the group.

Peter Hook — he of the impossibly low-slung four-string — turns 55 today, and to mark the occasion, we present Joy Division’s long-out-of-print VHS concert film ‘Here Are the Young Men,’ released in 1982 and filmed primarily at the Apollo Theatre in Manchester on Oct. 27, 1979.

The influence of R.E.M. on indie-folk outfit The Decemberists is no secret, so it’s no surprise to see that Colin Meloy and Co. trotted out a cover of ‘Cuyahoga’ off ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ during the band’s visit to KCRW’s ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ on Thursday.

Armed with somewhat spastic back-up dancers, the ever-suave Bryan Ferry dropped by the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ last night to belt out ‘You Can Dance’ off last year’s ‘Olympia.’

With their U.S. tour now underway, U.K. postpunk legends Gang of Four stopped by ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ last night to crank out their current single ‘Never Pay for the Farm,’ off the band’s just-released album ‘Content.’

On Thursday night, Duran Duran played the first of only three U.S. concerts scheduled so far this year, joining an unlikely combo of Kid Rock and Jason Derulo at the NFL Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam in Grand Prairie, Texas. See video here.

Just days after releasing the Buster Keaton-inspired video for lead single ‘Mine Smell Like Honey,’ R.E.M. slipped out a second video this week from the forthcoming ‘Collapse Into Now’: a live-in-the-studio take on album opener ‘Discoverer.’

Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo turns 55 today, so we thought we’d honor the band’s least-known voice with one of his best-loved songs: ‘Mote,’ off 1990’s ‘Goo.’

Pet Shop Boys next month will release a 2CD set featuring their score to the Hans Christian Andersen adaptation ‘The Most Incredible Thing,’ the duo’s first-ever full-length ‘narrative ballet,’ set to debut in London in mid-March.

As promised last week, R.E.M. today premiered its first music video from the forthcoming ‘Collapse Into Now’: a clip for radio single ‘Mine Smell Like Honey.’

Punk/post-punk icon John Lydon turns 55 today, and to commemorate, rather than choose between the equally groundbreaking Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., here’s something equally important: Lydon’s collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa on Time Zone’s 1984 single ‘World Destruction.’

On Friday, R.E.M. continued its pre-release build-up for the forthcoming ‘Collapse Into Now,’ providing Stereogum with this live-in-the-studio video of the band performing ‘Oh My Heart’ at Berlin’s famed Hansa Tonstudios.

Celebrity gossip TV show ‘Extra’ this week posted a performance/interview segment with synthpop innovator Gary Numan, in which he plays ‘Cars’ and discusses last year’s tour in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of his debut album, ‘The Pleasure Principle.’