The lastest in French music site La Blogotheque’s impromptu “A Take Away Show” series — in which bands or artists throw together spontaneous performances, wherever they may be — features Echo & The Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch offering up a stark, solo-acoustic take on the band’s classic “The Killing Moon.”

Former Talking Heads leader David Byrne turns 58 today, and we mark his birthday with one of his quirkier solo projects: ‘Music for the Knee Plays,’ a 1985 brass-band-and-vocals album Byrne composed for Robert Wilson’s opera ‘the CIVIL warS.’

Last Friday, drummer Anton Fier reactivated the Golden Palominos for the experimental folk-rock collective’s first concert in more than 20 years, playing a headlining set at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City with the band’s Syd Straw-fronted 1985-’87 lineup.

Synthpop act Heaven 17 will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its debut album ‘Penthouse and Pavement’ by performing the record in its entirety during an eight-date U.K. tour this fall that’s being billed as ‘part art installation and part concert.’

Today we commemorate Bono’s 50th birthday, knowing full well the frontman, and U2 itself, are somewhat divisive forces in the annals of ’80s college rock. Check out the band’s epic performance of ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ from ‘Rattle and Hum.’

In honor of Dave Gahan’s birthday today — he’s 48 — we present this clip: Depeche Mode performing its combo of ‘Behind the Wheel’ and B-side ‘Route 66’ during a World Violation Tour stop in Frankfurt, Germany, in October 1990.

Beck’s back with track 6 — ‘The Loved One,’ a cover of an old ’60s tune by Australian band The Loved Ones — in his Record Club’s ongoing full-album cover of INXS’ 1987 hit ‘Kick.’

Playing its first official public concert with new bassist Duff McKagan, alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction debuted a brand-new song, ‘Soulmate,’ at a short Hollywood club show last night — the first new Jane’s tune to emerge since 2003’s ‘Strays.’

‘Your Future Our Clutter,’ the 28th album by Mark E. Smith and The Fall, recently hit stores, and Domino Records has delivered a video — the band’s first in years, shot in artsy, super slo-mo — for the record’s first single, ‘Bury! Pts. 2+4.’

Apparently taking a break from recording R.E.M.’s next album in New Orleans, Michael Stipe last week uploaded a series of five short, someone nonsensical videos titled ‘Tribute to YouTube 5 Year.’

With rumors flying about Trent Reznor’s next musical project, it’s time for one last look back at Nine Inch Nails, courtesy of ‘After All is Said and Done,’ a forthcoming, fan-produced film of the band’s final concert last fall in Los Angeles.

Synth pioneer and former Ultravox singer John Foxx is marking the 30th anniversary of the release of his solo debut ‘Metamatic’ with a new 2CD/1DVD retrospective called ‘Metatronic’ — as well as a special “analog” concert in London next month with guest DJ Gary Numan.

One of our devoted readers just tipped us to this gem: indie-pop act Rogue Wave covering Depeche Mode’s 1985 single ‘Shake the Disease’ live in KCRW’s studio Thursday for the station’s cornerstone show ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic.’