Tears For Fears continue their streak of releasing covers of contemporary indie-rock cuts, today surprising fans with a new cover of Animal Collective’s 2009 single “My Girls” — the latest in their series of recordings, following Arcade Fire and Hot Chip covers, that the band made earlier this year.

After two short runs of U.S. dates this past fall, synth pioneer Gary Numan will return to North America next spring for a broader, 21-date tour in support of his just-released album Splinter (Songs From a Broken Mind) — a trek that will include his first-ever performance at the South By Southwest Music Conference.

The Replacements may be back, but they’re still getting no respect: The Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2014 was revealed by Rolling Stone tonight, and the ‘Mats, while nominated back in October, didn’t make the cut. Instead, Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, KISS, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt will be inducted come April.

While voting remains ongoing in our Best of the 1980s poll, we do need to quickly interject a key annual tradition, and open up balloting for the best of this current year. We’re going to divvy things up into two polls: Best albums of the year, and a second ballot that includes reissues, box sets, compilations and live albums.

While voting remains ongoing in our Best of the 1980s poll, we do need to quickly interject a key annual tradition, and open up balloting for the best of this current year. We’re going to divvy things up into two polls: Best albums of the year, and a second ballot that includes reissues, box sets, compilations and live albums.

Sure it’s still December, not even Christmas yet, but if you’re in the Southern California area and have April 25 free on your calendar, we’re giving three lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs readers each a pair of tickets to see classic New Wave rockers The Fixx play the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif., next spring.

This week’s new releases include an 11LP box set from The Jesus and Mary Chain, 8CD box sets from Cabaret Voltaire and The Pogues, a 3CD box set from Daniel Ash of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, and a new vinyl reissue of ‘The Return of the Durutti Column.’