The Pixies are busy this spring with a steady diet of touring — not to mention the upcoming release of their first album in eons — but frontman Black Francis has found time to engage in a more literary endeavor, this week publishing his first novel, “The Good Inn,” co-authored with Josh Frank.

The legendary Wax Trax! Records imprint will be reborn this summer under the direction of Julia Nash — daughter of label co-founder Jim Nash — and will mark its resurrection with the release of a 12-inch single from Cocksure, the new project featuring label mainstay Chris Connelly and Acumen Nation’s Jason Novak.

This Saturday, Kitchens of Distinction will release a four-track EP in the U.K. for Record Store Day, a clear-vinyl 10-inch featuring the song “Extravagance” off last year’s comeback album Folly — and we’re thrilled to be able to bring you the premiere of a new video for the song filmed by frontman Patrick Fitzgerald.

David J, the former bassist of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, this week released his new Kickstarter-funded solo album An Eclipse of Ships via Bandcamp — and fans who buy the record via that page get a downloadable bonus track: David J doing a “super sleazy” cover of Britney Spears’ 2003 smash single “Toxic.”

Over the past week, we’ve had the pleasure of sharing two excerpts from “Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs that Defined the 1980s,” and now we’ve got copies of the book — signed by authors Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernstein — to give away to two lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs readers.

The Pet Shop Boys brought their current Electric production to Coachella this past weekend for the first of two appearances at the California festival, delivering a 19-song set over the course of 80 minutes that was heavy on visuals, as is to be expected from the duo.

Echo & The Bunnymen will embark on a 14-date North American tour this August in support of their forthcoming album Meteorites, and this week debuted not just one but two new tracks off the record, including the official U.S. single “Holy Moses.” Meteorites is due out May 26 in the U.K. and June 3 in the U.S.

Paul Weller this June will follow up 1998’s Modern Classics compilation with a new companion best-of — cleverly titled More Modern Classics — that will pick up where the previous set left off, collecting 20 favorites by the former Jam leader recorded over the past 15 years, including a brand-new single.

“Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs that Defined the 1980s” arrives in stores this week, offering a page-turning tour through 35 classic songs via new interviews with the artists, a list that includes Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, INXS, OMD, Adam and the Ants and more.

Having performed Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” at a pair of tour stops last week, Arcade Fire added a special treat during its Sunday night headlining set at Coachella: Debbie Harry herself, who joined the band to sing the 1978 hit. The Blondie frontwoman stuck around for “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).”

Following up last month’s debut of the 7-minute “Market Town,” Echo & The Bunnymen this morning offered up the second taste of their forthcoming new album Meteorites, premiering the string-swept track “Lovers on the Run” over at The Quietus. The album is out May 26 in the U.K. and June 3 in the U.S.

This week’s new releases include the first new studio album from The Afghan Whigs in 16 years, plus a box set of Dead Kennedys 7-inch singles, a live CD/DVD package from Billy Bragg, an anthology of Ski Patrol’s recorded output and a vinyl reissue of The Stone Roses’ legendary debut.

Tonight’s edition of “Dark Wave” on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave featured music from The Creatures, Death in June, Lowlife, Tubeway Army, The Mission, Lords of the New Church, Skinny Puppy, The Stranglers, Bigod 20, Chris & Cosey, Specimen, Danielle Dax and more.