Tonight’s premiere episode of ‘Slicing Up Eyeballs’ on Strangeways Radio featured new tracks from Wire, Gang of Four, Steve Wynn, Freebass and Bernard Sumner; vintage cuts from The Chills, The House of Love and The Godfathers; plus rarities from The Cure and The Replacements.

With a new best-of set due sometime early next year, Simple Minds on Monday announced plans for a unique summer trek across Great Britain: the seven-date ‘Greatest Hits U.K. Forest Tour,’ which is exactly what it sounds like — a ‘series of dates in spectacular woodlands locations.’

Einstürzende Neubauten on Monday canceled its 30th anniversary tour of North America, blaming the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for taking so long to approve the band’s visas there was no time ‘to secure the appointments at the overseas embassies and consulates that represent the necessary final step in the process.’

Blaming a promoter who ‘defaulted on the contract,’ Duran Duran today canceled a planned five-date South African tour that was scheduled to begin next Monday — and serve both as a debut of parts of the band’s forthcoming album ‘All You Need Is Now’ and mark ‘the start of an enormous global campaign’ to promote the record.

It’s not unusual, of course, for bands these days to set up on Twitter, but William Reid — one half of The Jesus and Mary Chain — wants to make it known that the seminal noise-pop group’s new @jamcofficial account is, well, official.

This week’s new releases include ‘Find the Torch, Burn the Plans,’ a new CD/DVD live set and documentary form Paul Weller; the U.S. release of ex-Dream Syndicate leader Steve Wynn’s ‘Northern Aggression’; and new CD singles from Pet Shop Boys and OMD.

Highlights of tonight’s episode of ‘Dark Wave’ on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave include more deep Depeche Mode album cuts, a double dose of The House of Love and a triple serving of The Smiths.

Just a quick reminder: Slicing Up Eyeballs will debut a brand-new weekly specialty show Tuesday night on Strangeways Radio, a commercial-free web outlet devoted to ‘taking alternative back.’

Last night, Primal Scream performed the first of two London gigs dedicated to the band’s seminal 1991 house-rock hybrid ‘Screamadelica,’ which will be commemorated in 2011 with a massive 20th anniversary box set and tours early next year of Australia and the group’s native U.K.

Gang of Four this week teased fans with a free three-track digital EP of unreleased material, including a re-recorded version of ‘Glass’ off the band’s 1979 debut ‘Entertainment!’ Download it here.

Out on tour in support of their chart-topping third album ‘The Suburbs,’ indie-rock breakthrough act Arcade Fire whipped up a special treat for fans at their Mexico City concert on Oct. 13: a cover of ‘Still Ill,’ the classic track from The Smiths’ 1984 self-titled debut album.

British industrial/experimental music pioneer Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson — who co-founded the hugely influential acts Throbbing Gristle and Coil, was a member of Psychic TV and worked as an artist with famed album-cover design team Hipgnosis — died in his sleep on Wednesday at age 55.

U2 resumed its colossal 360° Tour in Auckland, New Zealand, last night, and surprised fans by digging very, very deep into its catalog, performing ‘Scarlet,’ off 1981’s ‘October,’ for the first time in 29 years — and only the second time ever