Echo & The Bunnymen and The Jesus and Mary Chain are teaming up for a post-punk dream bill for what appears to be a one-off outdoor concert in the U.K. this summer — with Peter Hook, bassist for Joy Division and New Order, handling opening duties with his band The Light.

The Jesus and Mary Chain, who last month announced a dozen U.S. concerts this October and November in support their first new album in 18 years, Damage and Joy, today expanded that trek by adding on another 10 concerts, including two in Canada.  See full dates here.

Last night, The Jesus and Mary Chain played the EDP Vilar de Mouros festival in Portugal, a bill that included The Mission and Primal Scream — presenting an ideal opportunity for the Reid brothers to reunite with their original drummer, Primals frontman Bobby Gillepsie. Watch that onstage reunion here.

The Jesus and Mary Chain, who mounted a 9-date North American tour this past May, this week announced plans to return to the U.S. for 12 more concerts this October and November in support of the band’s first new album in 18 years, Damage and Joy.  See the full dates here.

The Jesus and Mary Chain will return to the U.S. this fall to headline the Cloak & Dagger Festival in Los Angeles, a two-day event that also will feature KMFDM and Poptone, featuring Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus, Tones on Tail and Love and Rockets. Full details here.

The Jesus and Mary Chain are about halfway through their North American tour, and took the opportunity, while in New York, to appear on last night’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to perform “The Two of Us,” a fuzzed-out duet between Jim Reid and Sky Ferreira.

The Jesus and Mary Chain this morning debuted the music video for “Mood Rider,” the third single from the band’s new album Damage and Joy — the Reid brothers’ first record in more than 18 years. The clip follows videos for “Amputation” and “Always Sad.” Check it out right here.

This week’s new releases include the first new studio album from The Jesus and Mary Chain in 18 years, plus the U.S. release of last year’s mammoth Erasure box set, new albums from The Residents and The Police’s Andy Summers, and a collection of remixes and rarities from A Flock of Seagulls.

The Jesus and Mary Chain today announced a 9-date North American tour this May to support the release of their first new album in 18 years, Damage and Joy, which will be released on digital, CD, vinyl and cassette on March 24 via ADA/Warner Music. Produced by Killing Joke’s Youth, the album is JAMC’s first since 1998’s Munki.

The Jesus and Mary Chain are still more than a month away from the release of their first new record in 18 years, but the band has now released a second single to whet fans’ appetites: “Always Sad,” a three-minute slice of ’60s-styled pop featuring guest vocalist Bernadette Denning singing along with Jim Reid.

While The Jesus and Mary Chain are busy this year looking back on their debut Psychocandy as it marks its 30th anniversary, frontman Jim Reid is also looking forward, vowing to complete the new album that he and his brother William have been working on since reuniting in 2007.

The Jesus and Mary Chain have announced the first of hopefully many U.S. performances of Psychocandy in the form of an appearance next May at the Austin Psych Fest’s three-day Levitation festival. JAMC will play the album in full on a bill that also features The Flaming Lips, Spiritualized and Primal Scream.

The Jesus and Mary Chain will play a special “low key” concert in Dublin on Thursday as the brothers Reid rehearse in the Irish capital for their upcoming tour dates — including their November U.K. concerts that will see full performances of the band’s 1985 debut Psychocandy.