Fresh off last year’s 30th anniversary celebration, New Jersey retro-rockers The Smithereens reunite this spring with their ’80s-era producer Don Dixon for the band’s first album of new material in 11 years: the aptly titled ‘Smithereens 2011.’

Reunited synthpop group Blancmange returns this week with ‘Blanc Burn’ — its fourth album, and first in more than a quarter century — as well as an eight-date U.K. tour, although ailing co-founder Stephen Luscombe has been advised by doctors to skip the trek.

Bandleader Mike Scott this spring will release an album’s worth of piano and vocal demos recorded for The Waterboys’ 1985 record ‘This Is The Sea.’ The 15-track ‘In A Special Place’ is due out April 25 on EMI.

Indie imprint American Laundromat Recordings this fall will issue a brand-new tribute album to The Smiths featuring newly recorded covers by the likes of Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch, The Wedding Present and its spin-off Cinerama, and former Throwing Muses member Tanya Donelly.

Further evidence that Robert Smith may be revving up for an active 2011: The son of bassist Simon Gallup posted on Facebook that he was in the studio with The Cure last week, news that lit up fan sites and forums over the weekend.

Updating a couple Depeche Mode-related items we reported on, Erasure’s Vince Clarke this week tweeted that the joint album he’s working on with former bandmate Martin Gore is ‘almost done,’ while Andy Fletcher revealed that DM’s new remix album will arrive in April.