Speaking to Slicing Up Eyeballs from a San Francisco recording studio last week, David J discusses his new mortality-themed album ‘Not Long For This World,’ his recent theatrical work, the ‘sense of completion’ he feels following the Bauhaus and Love and Rockets reunions — and his recent performances with an L&R tribute act.

With Depeche Mode returning to the studio in March, the first word of a timetable for the band’s 13th album has emerged: Martin L. Gore tells German magazine Sonic Seducer that the record will be released ‘no later than early 2013,’ according to fansite Home.

Since last we checked in, The Cure has added two more European summer festivals to its summer touring schedule — Rock Werchter in Belgium and Festival des Vieilles Charrues in France — and is promising that ‘five, six or maybe seven more’ confirmations are yet to come, according to a note on the band’s website.

The Cult roars back into action this May with a brand-new, 10-track album called ‘Choice of Weapon,’ co-produced by ‘Sonic Temple’ veteran Bob Rock and preceded by the rocker ‘Lucifer’ — which is available here as a free MP3 download. It’s the group’s ninth album overall and first in five years.

Wire next week will give wide release to last year’s tour-only live album ‘The Black Session – Paris 10 May 2011,’ a 13-track live set recorded last May at Radio France’s Paris studios in front of an audience as part of Bernard Lenoir’s series of live broadcasts. Stream the whole thing here.

It’s Madchester all over again as the Happy Mondays will reunite their original lineup this spring for an 11-date tour of the U.K. and Ireland — and backing singer Rowetta is even suggesting the group would like to open for The Stone Roses at that band’s massive Manchester reunion gigs this summer.

New Order — Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert , 2000s-era guitarist Phil Cunningham and Bad Lieutenant bassist Tom Chapman — continues to expand its 2012 touring plans, today announcing a four-date U.K. tour this spring in addition to its first confirmed European summer festivals.

Paul Weller — who will release ‘Sonik Kicks,’ featuring appearances by Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon in March — this morning announced a two-night stand at the Best Buy Theater in New York City this May, which is being billed as the rocker’s only North American appearance of 2012.

This week’s new releases include an expanded reissue of David Bowie’s 1999 album ‘Hours,’ plus the 2CD ‘The Singles Collection 1978-1981’ from Scottish punk act The Skids, and the ‘Underworld Awakening’ soundtrack, featuring a brand-new remix of The Cure’s 1992 track ‘Apart.’

This week’s round-up of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about Ministry, They Might Be Giants, The Chameleons, The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Kate Bush, Social Distortion, Black Francis, Pulp and Dinosaur Jr — plus our Q&A with Howard Jones.

ChameleonsVox — the band featuring frontman Mark Burgess and drummer John Lever of post-punk favorites The Chameleons — this week announced a brief, five-date U.K. tour this spring that will be preceded by a slot at the Rewind Easter Fest on a bill also featuring Clan of Xymox and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

With their U.S. tour opening tonight — and a special 30th anniversary show in Los Angeles this weekend — They Might Be Giants stopped by ‘Conan’ last night for an on-air performance of ‘When Will You Die’ off of last year’s ‘Join Us’ album, plus a web-only bonus run-though of ‘Ana Ng’ from ‘Lincoln.’

For fans of Ministry’s early synthpop incarnation, here’s a real treat: Four tracks recorded live in Chicago at the short-lived Misfits club in March 1982, the earliest known live recordings of Al Jourgensen and Co. made nearly 30 years ago — and long before the group morphed into an industrial giant and then near-metal act.