A new 700-page biography of The Smiths by music writer and biographer Tony Fletcher will be published in the U.K. next week — but not in the U.S. until December — and promises, through “extensive research, dozens of interviews and unprecedented access,” to tell “the complete story” of the iconic Manchester band.

The series launched this summer, and, so far, titles are available on Joy Division/New Order, The Smiths, Cocteau Twins and David Bowie. Next month sees publication of a title on Kate Bush, with books due in spring and summer 2013 on Abba, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, PIxies, R.E.M. and Roxy Music.

David Gedge and The Wedding Present this fall will offer fans an unusual look into the making of their latest album — Valentina, which came out in March — via a 64-page hardback book that promises a “behind-the-scenes account” of the album’s recording complete with rare photos and track-by-track commentary.

Peter Hook will follow up his 2009 memoir ‘The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club’ this fall with a new book that purports to tell ‘the definitive story of Joy Division’ by offering a behind-the-scenes look into the band’s ‘friendships and fall-outs, their rehearsals and recording sessions,’ as well as the suicide of Ian Curtis and its aftermath.

Rhino Records is branching out into the literary world with today’s debut of ‘Single Notes,’ a new eBook series that kicks off with Binky Philips’ story of how his band, The Planets, became a ‘CBGB almost-was’ and Lyndsey Parker’s memoir of unabashed Duran Duran fandom.

Mike Scott, frontman and core member of The Waterboys, next month will publish ‘Adventures of a Waterboy,’ a 272-page ‘musical memoir’ that promises ‘an eye-opening account of Mike’s life in music’ via ‘blow-by-blow descriptions of his days in teenage garage bands, the rise of The Waterboys’ and beyond.

The story of the Meat Puppets will be told through new interviews with Peter Buck, J Mascis, Ian MacKaye, Flea, Henry Rollins, Lee Ranaldo, Mike Watt and more in Greg Prato’s new authorized, 407-page oral history of the legendary indie-rockers, ‘Too High to Die: Meet the Meat Puppets,’ due out June 1.

The next book in the ever-expanding 33⅓ series of album dissections finds celebrated novelist Jonathan Lethem tackling Talking Heads’ 1979 classic ‘Fear of Music’ — and while the 160-page book won’t arrive until later this month, you can now read the first 23 pages online.

Legendary Minutemen bassist Mike Watt this May will publish a new book called ‘On and Off Bass’ that combines his 2000s-era tour diaries with his nature photography, and he’ll launch the memoir with a pair of release parties — including a New York show that’ll find him jamming with Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis and Murph.

The Jesus and Mary Chain’s history, both visual and lyrical, is captured in a new 114-page coffee table book featuring scores of photos, many never-before-seen, by Andrew Catlin and text by Jim Reid and his wife Julie, the band announced today on its website.

A new book called ‘From Heaven to Heaven: New Order Live — The Early Years (1981-1984) at Close Quarters’ will chronicle 3½ years on the road with the pioneering electronic-rock act via 400 previously unpublished photos, 200 images of rare memorabilia and the memories of author Dec Hickey, who attended each of those shows.

Bob Mould will continue his ‘evening of reading and music’ performances in support of just-published autobiography ‘See A Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody’ this fall with a new slate of nine new dates, including stops in New York City, Chicago and San Diego.

Much has been made about the loss of album art in the download age, but pop-culture maven Matthew Chojnacki argues that even more endangered are the 7- and 12-inch single sleeves of the 1980s — ephemeral splashes of music history that he’s compiled in the new book ‘Put the Needle on the Record: The 1980s at 45 Revolutions Per Minute.’