With the long-awaited reunion of The Replacements now less than 10 days away, we’ve now finally got official word of who’ll be joining Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson on stage at Riot Fest in Toronto: drummer Josh Freese and guitarist David Minehan, both of whom played with Westerberg on his early ’90s solo tours.

The Replacements — namely frontman Paul Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson — will reunite on stage for the first time in 22 years later this summer to headline Riot Fest in Toronto, Denver and Chicago, site of the band’s unceremonious final performance in Grant Park on July 4, 1991.

The Songs for Slim benefit EP from The Replacements hits radio and digital outlets next week, but the first taste of the in-studio reunion hit the web today, thanks to Pitchfork’s premiere of the new ‘Mats cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “I’m Not Sayin'” — one of four cover songs recorded by Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson.

Noting his contributions “to the music and cultural scene of Minneapolis for over four decades,” the mayor of Minnesota’s largest city has declared Thursday — Valentine’s Day to most — also will be Slim Dunlap Day, honoring the former Replacements guitarist who suffered a debilitating stroke a year ago.

After raising more than $100,000 through an auction of limited-edition, autographed 10-inches, The Replacements will release their Songs for Slim benefit/reunion EP to the masses beginning March 5, when the 5-song set will be sold digitally to be followed on April 16 by a commercial 12-inch pressing.

The Replacements — namely Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars — raised more than $100,000 to help pay medical expenses for their ailing former bandmate Slim Dunlap through the just-completed 10-day auction of 250 limited-edition, 10-inch vinyl copies of the band’s 5-song reunion EP.

The auction of 250 autographed copies of The Replacements’ much-buzzed Songs for Slim benefit/reunion EP — billed as the first new release from the ‘Mats since 1990’s All Shook Down — kicks off Tuesday morning and will run for 10 days, after which the EP’s five tracks will be commercially released as digital downloads.

The final tracklist for the The Replacements’ upcoming ‘Songs for Slim’ EP — featuring four songs recorded by Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson, plus a fifth by Chris Mars — was unveiled tonight on the project’s Facebook page amid reports that an auction for the 250 limited-edition singles could start next week.

The Replacements — namely Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson — this evening teased Songs For Slim, their much-anticipated reunion project, announced last year as four-song, ultra-limited, vinyl-only covers EP that was to be auctioned off to raise money to help pay for the medical expenses of former bandmate Slim Dunlap.

The Replacements — namely Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson — have reunited to record four cover songs for an ultra-limited, vinyl-only EP that will be auctioned off later this year to raise money to help pay for the medical expenses of former bandmate Slim Dunlap, who suffered a debilitating stroke earlier this year

While a reunion of The Replacements doesn’t seem to be in the cards, Tommy Stinson has revealed that he’s recording a track with Paul Westerberg to benefit their former bandmate Slim Dunlap — who joined the ‘Mats following the expulsion of Bob Stinson — as the guitarist recovers from a stroke he suffered in February.

The round-up of this week’s Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about The Replacements’ Slim Dunlap and Tommy Stinson, New Order, The Specials, Squeeze, Visage, Ian McCulloch and Public Image Ltd. — plus Slicing Up Eyeballs’ third birthday.

Slim Dunlap, who joined The Replacements following the expulsion of Bob Stinson and played guitar on the band’s last two albums, was hospitalized this week after suffering a “severe” stroke that has, according to his wife, left the 60-year-old partially paralyzed, but still ‘sharp and aware.’