Longtime music journalist Ben Vendetta has just published his debut work of fiction, a novel called “Wivenhoe Park” that’s set in the mid-’80s and follows an American Anglophile who relocates to the U.K. as the indie/post-punk scene blows up with bands like The Smiths, The Jesus and Mary Chain and more.

Johnny Marr will commemorate both Halloween and his 50th birthday this Thursday by opening his second U.S. tour this year in support of his new solo album The Messenger with a show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif. — and we’re giving away three pairs of tickets to see the legendary co-founder of The Smiths.

October sees the release of a new 7-inch picture disc commemorating the 40th anniversary of David Bowie’s single “Sorrow” — a cover of a 1965 song by The McCoys that became a hit when The Merseys recorded it the following year — and we’ve got copies to give away to 5 lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs readers.

The reunited Mazzy Star — David Roback of Rain Parade and Opal plus singer Hope Sandoval — next week will release Seasons of Your Day, their first new album in 17 years, and distribution company INgrooves has hooked us up with a purple test pressing of the album to give away to one lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs reader.

Next month, The Mission will embark on its first North American tour in 11 years, previewing its forthcoming new album The Brightest Light and a sizable dose of goth-rock classics. We’ve got a pair of tickets to the Sept. 5 concert at New York’s Irving Plaza to award one lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs reader.

Jane’s Addiction last month released Live in NYC, a multi-format document capturing 12 songs performed at the band’s July 25, 2011, concert at New York City’s Terminal 5 — and we’ve got one copy each of the new release on double-vinyl and Blu-ray to give away to two lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs readers.