With the Throwing Muses’ first new record in a decade out in book form in the U.K. next month, the Kristin Hersh-led band today debuted the first music video from the project, an Orrin Anderson-directed animated lyric video for the song “Sunray Venus.” Purgatory/Paradise is being published as a 64-page book,

Throwing Muses return this fall with their first new record in a decade, but it’s much more than just an album: Purgatory/Paradise is being published as a 64-page book designed by drummer Dave Narcizo featuring lyrics, stories and essays by Kristin Hersh, not to mention the 32-track album on CD.

Legendary independent record label 4AD — home in the ’80s and ’90s to the Pixies, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Throwing Muses and so many more — will be the subject an exhaustive history this fall with the publication of Martin Aston’s new book “Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD.”

The Breeders brought their Last Splash 20th anniversary tour to Boston for a homecoming gig Thursday night, but ended up celebrating an earlier era as co-founder Tanya Donelly re-joined Kim Deal and Co. onstage for a pair of numbers, including a giddy, laugh-filled cover of The Beatles’ “Happiness is a Warm Gun.”

The long wait is nearly over for fans of the Throwing Muses, as frontwoman Kristin Hersh this morning announced via Twitter the completion of the band’s long-in-the-works ninth album, which, upon its expected release sometime next year, will mark the Muses’ first new record in a decade.

For this week’s “120 Minutes” Rewind, we spotlight another “120 X-Ray” segment, this time a 1987 clip featuring host Kevin Seal discussing the 4AD label’s compilation album Lonely Is An Eyesore, which featured tracks from Cocteau Twins, Throwing Muses, Clan of Xymox, Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil and more.

Last Friday night, a group of Boston-bred artists gathered at the Pleasant Street Theater to throw a party in honor of the venue as it closes after 30 years. Among those performing: Pixies frontman Black Francis and Throwing Muses leader Kristin Hersh, who together performed the Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation.”

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 Throwing Muses recently wrapped up a European tour support of their just-released ‘Anthology,’ and Bowlegs Music caught up with Kristin Hersh and Co. in Bexhill, England, prior to their gig there earlier this month for this performance of ‘Bright Yellow Gun’ off 1995’s ‘University.’

This week’s headlines on Slicing Up Eyeballs included posts about the reunited New Order, David J, X, The Dead Milkmen, Skinny Puppy and R.E.M., plus our interview with the Pixies’ Joey Santiago, and quite possibly the biggest news of the year: the long-awaited reunion of The Stone Roses.

American Laundromat Records has enlisted The Wedding Present, Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch, Throwing Muses co-founder Tanya Donelly, Telekinesis and Stars to contribute covers of more than 20 classic songs by The Smiths for a new tribute album to be released this December.

This past week, Bob Mould, Throwing Muses and Dead Milkmen headlined the 2011 Athens PopFest, and thanks to YouTube user MisterLettuce, we can share video of their full sets — plus what may just be the highlight, the Milkmen covering local heroes Pylon with that group’s lead singer.

This week’s new releases include the first two reissues from The Jesus and Mary Chain (‘Psychocandy,’ ‘Darklands’), a new album from The Waterboys (‘An Appointment with Mr. Yeats’), best-ofs from Throwing Muses (‘Anthology’) and 808 State (‘Blueprint’) and a 3CD/1DVD box set from Madness (‘A Guided Tour of Madness’).