Tonight’s episode of Slicing Up Eyeballs on Strangeways Radio featured wall-to-wall Christmas songs from the likes of Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Throwing Muses, Pet Shop Boys, R.E.M., Al Jourgensen, Ramones, Miracle Legion, Book of Love, Cocteau Twins and more. Hear a replay at 2 p.m. EST Friday.
As 2011 quickly winds to an end, we’re happy to roll out the first of four days’ worth of results from our second-annual Slicing Up Eyeballs Readers Poll, in which nearly 500 of you cast ballots for your favorite new, reissued and freshly compiled music of the year. First up: Your Top 10 compilations, box sets and/or live albums.
Having left The Cribs and reunited his early-2000s band The Healers, ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr today offers up a free holiday track recorded with his bandmates: the 3-minute-and-40-second instrumental ‘Free Christmas,’ which can be streamed and/or downloaded here.
This week’s new releases include a 10CD version of last year’s Joy Division ‘+/-: Singles 1978-80’ vinyl box set, plus the 12-inch version of VCMG’s debut single ‘Spock,’ a compilation of Mark Reeder remixes of Depeche Mode and more, plus the ‘I Melt With You’ soundtrack.
The playlist from tonight’s edition of ‘Dark Wave’ — the weekly ‘darker side of alternative’ show on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave — featured The Chameleons, Propaganda, Cocteau Twins, Clan of Xymox, The Teardrop Explodes and some of the interview with The Smiths’ Andy Rourke that has been running all weekend.
This week’s Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines included items on Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch, New Order, R.E.M., PiL, The Housemartins, Bob Mould, Sinead O’Connor, Peter Gabriel and the Minutemen, plus the third installment of our Rhino ‘Just Can’t Get Enough — The ’80s’ Spotify playlist.
R.E.M. this week sent fan-club members the band’s final holiday single, capping a nearly 25-year-old tradition with a 2-track CD featuring live renditions of ‘Perfect Circle’ and ‘Life and How To Live It,’ the latter of which was recorded at the band’s last-ever concert in Mexico City in November 2008.
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 