Robyn Hitchcock this week announced he is recording a new album — provisionally titled ‘File Under Pop’ — that’s being eyed for a January release, but, in the meantime, he’s giving away two “interim tracks” as free downloads, including one recorded with singer-songwriter KT Tunstall singing harmonies.

Following the break-up of R.E.M. last year, frontman Michael Stipe was quick to say he had no intentions of making a solo album — but that doesn’t appear to be the case for guitarist Peter Buck. Longtime R.E.M. sideman Scott McCaughey broke the news this week to KIRO 97.3 radio show Seattle Sounds.

This week’s headlines on Slicing Up Eyeballs included posts about about Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, The Mission, Big Country, New Order, Robyn Hitchcock and much, much more, plus news on how to score a free Slicing Up Eyeballs sticker.

Robyn Hitchcock this month will release ‘Chronolology,’ a 16-track, hand-picked, digital-only greatest-hits set that’s being marketed as the artist’s first-ever best-of — even though he’s been treated to at least three such compilations, all released during the mid-1990s.

Robyn Hitchcock will commemorate the 21st anniversary of his 1990 solo album ‘Eye’ by performing a ‘director’s cut’ of the record while backed by a small neo-classical ensemble in London this fall, as well as a pair of solo-acoustic performances in New York City and San Francisco.

This week’s new releases include a new single from Morrissey featuring two vintage unreleased B-sides, a Norwegian-released album from Robyn Hitchcock, audiophile vinyl pressings from Echo & The Bunnymen, INXS and The B-52s, and a 3CD reissue from The Icicle Works.