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.
This week’s headlines on Slicing Up Eyeballs included posts about The Cure, Depeche Mode, New Order, Morrissey, The Stone Roses, Adam Ant and Bob Mould, plus a new Peter Gabriel contest and the first installment of our Rhino ‘Just Can’t Get Enough — The ’80s’ Spotify playlist.
After taking much of the past two years off, Depeche Mode are scheduled to reconvene in January and are planning to enter a studio to begin work on a follow-up to 2009’s ‘Sounds of the Universe’ in March, bandmember Andy Fletcher reveals in a recent Italian interview to promote one of his DJ gigs in that country.
This week’s new releases include the debut EP from VCMG, the new techno project from Vince Clarke and Martin L. Gore, plus the ‘Hotel Sessions’ from The Lemoneheads, and the debut EP from David Newton of The Mighty Lemon Drops and his new band, Thee Mighty Angels.
This week’s round-up of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes posts about Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore and Vince Clarke, The Lucy Show, Simple Minds, Paul Weller, Throwing Muses, Elvis Costello and OMD, plus the opening of voting in the 2011 installment of the Slicing Up Eyeballs Readers Poll.
The Japanese Popstars next week will release a 12-inch with remixes of ‘Take Forever,’ the track they recorded with Robert Smith on vocals — and thanks to the fine folks over at Astralwerks, one Slicing Up Eyeballs reader can win that plus a signed copy of the group’s remix 12-inch with an exclusive Depeche Mode mix.
A few tracks from Q magazine’s tribute to U2′s ‘Achtung Baby’ dribbled out in advance of the issue’s arrival this week, but we’re now finally able to present the full set — featuring Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Jack White, The Killers, Garbage and U2 itself (in remixed form) — thanks to YouTube uploader ToneNoir.
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 