Morrissey is busy preparing his next solo album for release as he whittles down that 660-page memoir draft, but his former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr has turned his attention toward film and television scores a bit, while also working on solo music. As previously reported, Marr’s follow-up to his remarkable collaborative effort scoring Inception with Hans Zimmer comes in the form of The Big Bang, an Antonio Banderas-starring crime-action-noir flick that will be released on DVD this month.

Speaking to Spinner, Marr revealed that director Tony Krantz recruited him on the basis of his 2003 solo album with the Healers, Boomslang: “[Krantz] was using terminology not normally associated with me — things like ‘trippy,’ ‘heavy,’ ‘psychedelic,’ ‘expansive. Those are not words usually associated with the work I did in the Smiths or Electronic.” Good news for fans of that LP also arrived this week: “I just want to write more than enough material to avoid ducking back into the studio to record a follow-up album,” Marr told Billboard of his plans to make 2 solo albums shortly.

Additionally, Marr has been enlisted to score the second season of the David Cross-starring IFC comedy The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Below, you can preview an impressive, Inception-esque track from Marr’s Big Bang score alongside his catchy theme song to Todd Margaret, “Life is Sweet”:

While I’ve probably heard The Smiths’ “Girlfriend in a Coma” a thousand times at this point, the timeless tune’s reggae influence never really struck me… until today: A treasure trove of unreleased cuts recorded by Morrissey, Johnny Marr, and the boys in the mid ’80s hit the Web this week, including a take on “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” with the original final lyric (“There is a light in your eyes and it never goes out”), a John Porter-produced/band-rejected version of “Sheila Take A Bow,” and the aforementioned reggae-tinged arrangement of Moz and Co.’s trademark tongue-in-cheek jam.

Visit Slicing Up Eyeballs for the details on this epic 16-track unveiling and hear the early “Girlfriend in a Coma” cut below:

Moz railing against the government over animal rights is certainly nothing new, but when was the last time the former Smiths frontman publicly supported his former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr? Perhaps there’s hope for a reunion yet. For now, however, the pair have only bonded over a political tweet: “I would like to, if I may, offer support to Johnny Marr who has spoken out to the media this week against David Cameron,” Morrissey wrote today in a screed posted on True To You. “To those who have expressed concern over Johnny’s words in view of the fact that David Cameron has pledged immense allegiance to the music of the Smiths, I would like to try to explain why I think Johnny is right not to be flattered.”

Now that the Stooges are finally in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a certain classic lineup has reunited, Iggy Pop, James Williamson, Scott Asheton, Mike Watt, (and their record companies) have realized that it’s a perfect time to drop an epic reissue package surrounding their 1973 masterpiece, Raw Power. Though the Legacy Edition — which includes a remastered copy of the original record, a David Bowie-mixed version, and a vintage recording from a live show — drops tomorrow, we’re particularly looking forward to the Deluxe Edition that’s due out later this month, as it also features a DVD: The Making of Raw Power.

With commentary by the likes of the Smiths/Cribs/Modest Mouse’s Johnny Marr, Iggy, Henry Rollins, rock photographer Mick Rock, and many more, I can’t think of a better way to ruminate on one of the most influential albums in rock history. We have to a wait a few more weeks to check it out, but in the meantime, here’s an 8-minute teaser video of footage from the forthcoming DVD.

Watch the Iguana and friends talk Raw Power below:

We’re more than two months out from hearing Laundromat Records’ Sing Me to Sleep, a charity compilation of lullabies and other songs, but the Mystic, CT based indie label is offering up a preview of the forthcoming covers project in the meantime. Currently streaming on their online radio page is Stars’ rendition of the Smiths’ “Asleep,” the B-side to their 1985 hit single “The Boy With the Thorn In His Side,” as well as other well-chosen cover songs, including Dean & Britta’s take on the Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” from a separate tribute album that came out in January.

It’s no wonder they’ve chosen Stars’ cover as a preview for this compilation: Amy Millan’s dreamy and forlorn lead vocal pretty much hits the indie pseudo-lullaby vibe on the head with her reverb-drenched take on Morrissey’s original. Notably absent are the Smiths’ faux-wind sound effects.

All proceeds go to children’s health care charity The Valerie Fund, so pre-order here, grab a cup of chamomile tea, and stream away here (Stars are track #17).

The Manchester District Music Archive has uncovered the first ever known Smiths live review (see below), from the City Fun fanzine, of the second Smiths gig ever (and first with their classic lineup) at Manchester’s Manhattan Sound. You could pull any number of quotes from this fascinating artifact for Smiths fans and music nerds historians to enjoy, but my personal favorite is this bit at the end, which refers to the band’s 23-year-old frontman: “If the boy’s head is anything to go by, The Smiths are going to be B-I-G.” Well played, indeed.

Check out this awesome document below, via Manchester District Music Archive, and for more info on this show, as well as a brilliant archive of Smiths live info, visit Passions Just Like Mine. (Thanks for the tip, George!)

Between scoring Antonio Banderas-starring films, TV shows, jamming with the Cribs, and fielding a daily barrage of Smiths reunion questions, Johnny Marr has apparently found time for a one-off art film project. Well, 30 seconds at least. Southbank Centre reports that director Fiona Skinner’s entry in a competition to produce a 30-second video representing artist Ed Ruscha’s “Fifty Years of Painting” exhibition has been declared the victor.

That alone wouldn’t compel us to post, but then there’s this bit: Skinner tapped Smiths legend Johnny Marr to narrate and score the video, which pays homage to Ruscha’s piece “Noise.”

Check out Morrissey’s former guitarist’s work here or below:

No word yet on whether Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood will be following up his thrilling soundtrack to There Will Be Blood anytime soon, but we now have one more famous axe slinger-penned film score to look forward to: Ex-Smiths and current Cribs/Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr is set to write the first film score of his career, reports MovieScore (via Playlist).

According to producer Reece Pearson, Marr will compose original music for The Big Bang, “a neo-noir detective story” starring Antonio Banderas as a Los Angeles-based private eye who’s investigating the murder of a stripper.

At this point, Smiths reunion and eight figure one-off concert rumors have become just as integral to the iconic band’s legacy as their undeniably great collection of singles. And based on the few recent interviews with Morrissey and Johnny Marr I’ve read, it seems the estranged songwriting team are in agreement that it can’t hurt, at this point, to flaunt their indifference to possessing such a potential cash cow.

Check out Johnny Marr’s brilliant combination of slagging off of the same band the Smiths rebelled against in the 80s, the recently reunited Spandau Ballet, and mischievous rumor-stoking. Via Mail Online (emphasis mine):

I can’t bear the thought of a Spandau Ballet-style comeback. What’s the point? Spandau are reforming, so they put on a big chicken-in-the-basket event, which is all they amounted to in the first place. Maybe someone should pay them £20 million not to reform. Supposedly we were offered $10 million to play a handful of Smiths gigs in 2007 and I wasn’t remotely tempted. I can’t speak for Morrissey, but I know that I’m too busy right now to get the Smiths on the road again. Is that likely to change? Who knows?

Coming from a vegan, Marr’s calling Spandau Ballet a money whore via meat metaphor could make for a tough comeback (Tofurkey-in-a-basket?).