It’s the first Monday of the month, which means it’s time to unveil the results of Part 4 of our year-long Best of the ’80s feature, a year-by-year poll to determine the best albums of each year of the 1980s — and then, when that’s wrapped, we’ll run a monster best-of-the-decade poll to crown the overall champs.
Introducing Joy Division: The Video Game. Maltese gaming company Mighty Box is grabbing headlines this week with the debut of its new browser-based game “Will Love Tear Us Apart,” inspired, as the title not-so-subtly suggests, by Joy Division’s classic 1980 anthem of pained love and longing, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
The Pet Shop Boys today released “Vocal,” the second single off the duo’s forthcoming 12th studio album, Electric — and you can now stream the full track here. The song’s premiere follows the release of lead single “Axis” and a preview last week of part of the track “Fluorescent.”
This week’s new releases include a new The Stranglers Box set, a 2CD/1DVD compilation from John Foxx, a new early-career best-of from The Fall, reissues from The Monochrome Set and Rip Rig + Panic, plus the U.S. release of the new triple-disc singles collection form post-punk legends Killing Joke.
Tonight’s edition of “Dark Wave” featured music from Dalis Car, Concrete Blonde, Cocteau Twins, Moev, Depeche Mode, ClockDVA, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, The Danse Society, Controlled Bloeeding, Bigod 20, The Cure, Joy Division, Death Cult, The Jesus and Mary Chain and much, much more.
There very well could have been a full-fledged R.E.M. reunion in Portland, Ore., on Saturday night as all four members of the defunct college-rock superstars performed after Peter Buck’s wedding. But, by all appearances, they managed to avoid such headlines, just barely, by not actually sharing the stage together.
Andreas Thein — who co-founded Propaganda and co-wrote and performed on the German synthpop group’s debut single, 1984’s “Dr. Mabuse,” before being asked to leave the band — lost his battle with cancer and died this past Thursday, according to ZTT Records.
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 