Howard Jones chatted with Slicing Up Eyeballs via e-mail about his upcoming ‘Human’s Lib’/’Dream Into Action’ tour of the U.K., revisiting those touchstone albums, making the transition back into electronic music (not to mention his dislike of the word “keytar”) — and what all that means for his follow-up to 2009′s ‘Ordinary Heroes.’

Pulp’s trip across the pond to play the two-weekend Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this April brings added benefit to fans in New York City and San Francisco, as Jarvis Cocker and Co. this morning announced gigs in those cities — as well as a Spanish festival date — on the band’s website.

On Friday night at the MONA FOMA Festival in Tasmania, former Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie and an ad-hoc supergroup featuring The Dresden Dolls, former Bad Seeds multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish performed the Femmes’ classic 1983 self-titled debut album in its entirety.

It’s pretty skimpy on the new-release front this week, but there are two live sets worth checking out: ‘The Cretin Hop,’ a Ramones live album recorded in 1978, and a DVD release of Public Image Ltd.’s appearance on the German ‘Rockpalast’ TV show in 1983.

The Cure is appearing on the soundtrack to an ‘Underworld’ sequel (in remixed form) for the second time in three years, and while the ‘Underworld Awakening: Official Motion Soundtrack’ isn’t out until Jan. 31, you can now stream Danny Lohner’s “Renholdër Remix” of the Wish ballad ‘Apart.’

This round-up of the week’s activity at Slicing Up Eyeballs includes news of The Wedding Present’s new album, plus headlines about The Cure, Morrissey, The Psychedelic Furs, Peter Murphy, Close Lobsters, Hoodoo Gurus, Violent Femmes, New Order and more.

The Psychedelic Furs are following up last fall’s co-headlining tour with Tom Tom Club with a short, six-date club tour of the northeast U.S. this March, promising fans can ‘get up close to the band’ as the group kicks off ‘what promises to be a busy 2012’ — which should include soon-to-be-announced U.K. dates.

Prior to his still-to-be-announced tour of Japan, Morrissey will head to South America for in late February for concerts in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Colombia. So far, the singer has announced two performances in Chile and his first-ever concert in Peru; shows in Colombia and Argentina will be announced next week.

Don’t feel like shelling out $4,000 to see Peter Murphy live this spring? There are at least two other (much, much) cheaper options, as the former Bauhaus leader is set to perform what appears to be a one-off California show in March in addition to at least one date in Mexico, at a festival headlined by Modest Mouse and Public Enemy.

The Cure continues to move forward with its plan to headline seemingly every festival in Europe this summer, with three new additions to Robert Smith and Co.’s itinerary: Primavera Sound 2012 in Barcelona, Spain; Bilbao BBK Live in Bilbao, Spain; and Optimus Alive in Oeiras, Portugal.

The original five-person lineup of Scottish indie-pop outfit Close Lobsters — immortalized on the NME’s genre-defining C86 compilation cassette — will reunite for the first time since 1989 for a very brief ‘People of Europe Rise Up Tour’ this spring and summer that so far features performances in Madrid, Glasgow and Berlin.

Hoodoo Gurus will celebrate their 30th anniversary this spring by releasing a new career-spanning best-of set and hosting ‘Dig It Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational,’ a series of four concerts in the band’s homeland featuring hand-picked guests such as Red Kross, The Fleshtones and The 5.6.7.8’s.

Rewind Scotland — The ’80s Festival will return for a second year this July, featuring 24 acts spread over two days — including sets by Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Bronski Beat’s Jimmy Sommerville, Squeeze, Midge Ure, Lightning Seeds, Marc Almond, ABC and Roland Gift of Fine Young Cannibals.