The Pet Shop Boys not only are expecting to release a new studio album in 2012, they’re currently assembling a brand-new B-sides compilation — a sequel to 1995’s 2CD set ‘Alternative’ that will be called ‘Format,’ and span the years 1996 to 2009 — for release in February, the duo revealed in a new interview this week.

Now that he’s unemployed, former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe has plenty of time on his hands, which might explain his drop-in at the end of Thursday night’s ‘The Colbert Report.’ Stephen Colbert paid fitting tribute to ‘legendary rockers The R.E.M.s,’ then permanently enshrined Stipe on his ‘rock ‘n’ roll shelf of fame.’

The future of Sonic Youth may still be uncertain, but fans can at least take solace in Matador Records’ announcement today that Lee Ranaldo will release a new solo album called ‘Between The Times & The Tides’ next spring — and judging by the recent live debut of the songs, it’s a fairly rock-oriented affair.

If you caught the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ last night, you may have seen Peter Gabriel perform his classic ‘Red Rain’ backed by the New Blood Orchestra. However, he also performed a full hour-long concert from the Letterman studio that was webcast, which you can see here.

The reunited Big Country today revealed the tracklist for its upcoming 2CD ‘deluxe edition’ reissue of its 1983 debut album ‘The Crossing,’ which will be released by Universal Music on Jan. 30 in the U.K. and be supplemented with seven B-sides and a second disc featuring 17 demos — 10 of which are previously unreleased.

Morrissey today postponed the opening night of his upcoming tour of the United States and Mexico — Thursday’s sold-out concert at Chicago’s Congress Theatre — because his lead guitarist can’t perform in the U.S. this week ‘due to a visa administration error.’

Tonight’s episode of Slicing Up Eyeballs on Strangeways Radio featured brand-new tracks from The Fall, R.E.M. and The Mission’s Wayne Hussey, plus reader requests for The Ocean Blue, Clan of Xymox, The Church and Ultra Vivid Scene, and a little Ramones and Adam Ant thrown in, too.

Long known for their supermodel-filled ’80s videos, Duran Duran takes it a step further in their new nine-minute, Jonas Akerlund-directed “short film” for All You Need is Now single “Girl Panic!” by casting Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova and Helena Christensen as the band’s members.

The reunited Stone Roses — Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary “Mani” Mounfield and Alan “Reni” Wren — today announced they will headline the T in the Park Festival in the U.K., the Benicassim Festival in Spain and the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan next summer.

Killing Joke’s reunited original lineup has plans for a busy 2012, with recording underway for a new studio album due early in the year, an elaborate live CD/DVD package set for release in January and a tour of the U.K. and Europe set to open in March.

This month’s Auto Reverse mixtape features new music from Kate Bush, Nine Inch Nails and The Smithereens, plus some favorites new(er) and old by The The, Midnight Oil, Wire, The Primitives, Killing Joke, The House of Love, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Ministry and Adam Ant

This week’s new releases include a new HD, career-spanning box set from This Mortal Coil, plus new albums from The Mission’s Wayne Hussey and former Ministry member Chris Connelly, plus a new Brian Eno EP.

There’s still more than a week before R.E.M.’s career-capping best-of is released, but, thanks to the folks NPR, you can now stream the full 40-song ‘Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011’ — which, for fans, means 37 songs you know and love plus those three new tracks.