Over the past few days, Lloyd Cole has treated fans to a couple gems from the vault, posting a pair of post-Commotions U.K. radio sessions recorded in 1990, including a four-song BBC studio set in which he’s backed by a full band that included soon-to-be-star Matthew Sweet and ex-Voidoids guitarist Robert Quine.

Morrissey, as he’s wont to do, made headlines this week with a typically acerbic attack on his native England, this time blasting the London Olympics over “the blustering jingoism that drenches the event” and suggesting that the “spirit” of Nazi Germany no pervades modern-day Britain. Billy Bragg disagrees.

In this week’s link round-up we find Lloyd Cole writing about David Bowie’s ‘Low,’ plus interviews with Jim Reid of the recently reunited Jesus and Mary Chain, Ivan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger of The Beat (aka The English Beat) and New Wave piano man Joe Jackson.

Our round-up of this week’s Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about The Jesus and Mary Chain, Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Kraftwerk, Simple Minds, Colourbox, Morrissey, Lloyd Cole and Paul Weller — plus the first new Public Image Ltd. song in 20 years.

After performing with his Small Ensemble bluegrass trio on recent tours, former Commotions leader Lloyd Cole strips it all back down next month for a 13-date solo-acoustic tour of the U.K. and Europe. He’ll perform seven U.K. shows beginning March 5 followed by concerts in Germany, The Netherlands and Italy.

After spending much of last fall and this past spring touring Europe, former Commotions leader Lloyd Cole finally is ready to support 2010’s ‘Broken Record’ in the United States, and has begun announcing dates for a June tour — with nine on the books so far, all in the eastern part of the country.