Morrissey this week announced he’ll release a new album of cover songs in May, a collection called California Son that will include songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs, Jobraith and more — with members of Green Day, Grizzly Bear and Young the Giant guesting. Check out the full tracklist.

Morrissey today announced an eight-date tour of Canada this April, abandoning without explanation his 15-year boycott of the nation until its annual seal hunt is banned. That hasn’t happened, but Moz nevertheless will return, and part of the tour’s proceeds will go toward animal welfare charities across Canada. Dates here.

In August 1982, Johnny Marr and Steven Patrick Morrissey went into Manchester’s Decibelle Studios to record the first two songs they’d written together, “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” and “Suffer Little Children,” both of which would appear on The Smiths’ debut two years later. Here some of that session here.

This is a round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. (Since we missed the last couple weeks’ round-ups, this includes titles that came out in recent weeks.)

Last night’s Morrissey concert in San Diego ended the way many of the singer’s shows have: with fans rushing the stage, overcoming security in hopes of a brief moment with the performer. At least one of those fans got very close to Moz, though, and the singer was rushed offstage. Watch the footage here.

Morrissey today debuted the music video for his new cover of The Pretenders’ 1982 single “Back on the Chain Gang,” and, in a shocking development, it features the former Smiths frontman playing guitar. Or at least going through the motions. Watch the full music video right here.

Morrissey has scheduled a pair of Southern California concerts — in Ventura and San Diego — on either side of his previously announced headlining appearance at the Tropicalia Music & Taco Festival in Long Beach in early November. It’s not clear if more U.S. shows will be added. Full details here.

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. This week’s releases include new vinyl box sets from Depeche Mode, plus three reissued Pet Shop Boys albums and Morrissey’s new best-of.

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. This week’s releases include titles new, reissued and compiled from Morrissey, Erasure and The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Morrissey has recorded a cover of The Pretenders’ 1982 single “Back on the Chain Gang” — which the former Smiths frontman has taken to playing live of late — in a Los Angeles studio and intends to release it this summer as a single, according to a post on his new Morrissey Central website.

In a trainwreck that just keeps getting worse, Mike Joyce today announced that he, too, will not take part in the Classically Smiths live shows he began teasing last week, saying he’d been barred from revealing Andy Rourke wouldn’t be taking part when the project was announced Monday.

After cryptic hints Friday, the cat’s now out of the bag: The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, plus “fifth member” Craig Gannon, will perform the band’s beloved songs backed by a full orchestra in the U.K. this summer, the Manchester Evening News reported today. No dates have yet been announced.

It appears that Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, the rhythm section of The Smiths, are planning something — a concert? a full tour? — this year with Craig Gannon, the onetime Aztec Camera member who toured with The Smiths as a second guitarist toward the end of the band’s life.

Morrissey’s cancellation as headliner of tonight’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show left The Killers as the evening’s closing act, and Brandon Flowers and Co. took the opportunity to give fans what they weren’t getting, covering both The Smiths’ “This Charming Man” and Moz’s own “Everyday is Like Sunday.”