Pete Shelley, the co-founder, guitarist and brilliant songwriter behind genre-shaping U.K. punk act Buzzcocks, as well as an accomplished solo artist in his own right, has died, the band announced Thursday via its social media accounts. The BBC reports that Shelley died of a suspected heart attack in Estonia, where he was living.

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. This week’s releases include titles from The Cure, Peter Murphy, Nine Inch Nails and Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks.

The Buzzcocks late last week launched a PledgeMusic crowdsourcing campaign to help fund the recording and release of their first new studio album in eight years, saying the fundraising effort — which is already halfway to its goal — will allow the legendary punk act to release its new music much faster than before.

The Buzzcocks staged the first of two ‘Back to Front’ concerts last night, performing music from three different eras of the group’s history with three different lineups — including a closing set that saw the return of original frontman Howard Devoto, who hadn’t appeared with the band in more than 33 years.

British record producer Martin Rushent — who helmed The Human League’s genre-defining 1981 album ‘Dare,’ as well as beloved post-punk/New Wave-era records and singles by The Stranglers, Buzzcocks, XTC, The Go-Go’s and more — died Saturday. He was 63.

Classic punk outfit Buzzcocks today announced a 22-date North American tour later this spring that will find the band tearing through its first two albums — ‘Another Music in a Different Kitchen’ and ‘Love Bites’ — in their entirety each night, plus ‘other hits.’

Tweet The expanded 2CD reissues of the Buzzcocks’ first three albums — Another Music in a Different Kitchen (1978), Love Bites (1978) and A Different […]

Perhaps best known for his bio “The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop,” Brit rock scribe/musician John Robb has set his sights on […]