While voting remains ongoing in our Best of the 1980s poll, we do need to quickly interject a key annual tradition, and open up balloting for the best of this current year. We’re going to divvy things up into two polls: Best albums of the year, and a second ballot that includes reissues, box sets, compilations and live albums.

Sure it’s still December, not even Christmas yet, but if you’re in the Southern California area and have April 25 free on your calendar, we’re giving three lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs readers each a pair of tickets to see classic New Wave rockers The Fixx play the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif., next spring.

This week’s new releases include an 11LP box set from The Jesus and Mary Chain, 8CD box sets from Cabaret Voltaire and The Pogues, a 3CD box set from Daniel Ash of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, and a new vinyl reissue of ‘The Return of the Durutti Column.’

Erasure is back with a second music video for a track off the synthpop duo’s recently released Christmas-themed album Snow Globe — and this time it’s for one of the group’s original compositions, “Make it Wonderful.” Like the previous clip for “Gaudete,” this one’s animated, too.

Nearing the end of a December swing across the West Coast, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo brought his new band The Dust — featuring SY drummer Steve Shelley — to TBS’ “Conan” show last night to perform “Lecce, Leaving,” the opening track to the band’s 2013 album Last Night on Earth.

Following up a brief, four-date California tour last October, Bobbie Gillespie will bring Primal Scream back to North America next spring for a dozen more just-announced concerts in the U.S. and Canada in support of the long-running band’s 10th studio album, More Light, which was released earlier this year.

The publication of Morrissey’s autobiography this fall has been a major event in both the musical and literary worlds, and for those who’ve yet to pick up the aptly titled “Autobiography,” now’s your chance: Publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons has given us 5 copies of the U.S. hardcover edition to give away to Slicing Up Eyeballs readers.

This week’s new releases include a lavish 3CD box set celebrating The Velvet Underground’s second album ‘White Light/White Heat,’ as well as a new EP from The Fall, a collection of radio station performances from Jellyfish and audiophile vinyl reissues from Echo & The Bunnymen and Dinosaur Jr.

Bob Mould’s gearing up to celebrate next year’s 25th anniversary of his post-Hüsker Dü solo debut Workbook in a big way, and now come details of an expanded reissue of the album — featuring a bonus live album as part of the 2CD set — as well as what’s being termed a 7-date “commemorative” tour.

Without formally acknowledging the departure of Kim Shattuck following the band’s fall European tour, the Pixies this morning announced her replacement for shows in North America, Europe and South America next year: Paz Lenchantin, who played in A Perfect Circle and Billy Corgan’s brief post-Smashing Pumpkins outfit Zwan.

Morrissey’s reissue campaign moves forward once again come February with the release of the “definitive master” of his third album, 1992’s Your Arsenal, featuring, as usual these days, a slightly tweaked tracklist, plus an unusually generous bonus: a DVD featuring a previously unreleased 18-song live performance.

Omnivore Recordings next year will reissue a long-out-of-print 1982 live set by The Dream Syndicate that was recorded during an on-air performance at Los Angeles radio station KPFK-FM a few weeks before Steve Wynn and Co. entered the studio to cut their classic debut album The Days of Wine and Roses.

Exploring the legacy of ’80s college rock, the Slicing Up Eyeballs Music Hour airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific on Strangeways Radio. If you caught this week’s episode, pop over to the Strangeways message board to leave comments or requests for future shows.